How I Reset My iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 to Factory Settings
Knowing how to restore your iPhone to its original factory settings is extremely important. But what does it actually mean to do a factory reset? Well, in simple terms, it means deleting all of your data and apps from your phone. Essentially, once you perform a factory reset, your phone will be like it was when you first got it out of the box.
While not everyone may choose to do it, there are several situations where a factory reset can be beneficial. For example, if you’re selling your phone or sending it in for repairs, you definitely don’t want the other person to have access to all of your contacts and social media accounts. There may also be times when your phone is experiencing persistent errors and issues that can only be fixed by doing a factory reset.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to reset your iPhone to its factory settings, don’t worry! I’ve got a simple and easy-to-follow guide for you to follow. Just stick to this guide and you’ll be able to reset your phone with no problems at all. But before you go for a full factory reset, there are a few things you should do.
Before going through with a complete reset, try doing a soft reset first. This might solve the problem your phone is facing. Just hold down the power button and the home button at the same time for a few seconds, and your phone should reset. In most cases, this should be enough to fix any minor issues. But if it doesn’t work, then a factory reset may be necessary.
Before you erase everything on your phone, it’s a smart idea to back it up. Backing up simply means making extra copies of your phone’s data. While not always required before a factory reset, it’s a convenient way to quickly restore your phone’s data after the reset, if you choose to do so. Without a backup, you’ll likely lose all of your apps, contacts, and data. Once you’re backed up, you’re ready to proceed with the factory reset. There are two different ways you can do this: through iTunes or directly on your phone. Let me explain both methods to you.
Resetting Through iTunes
Step 1: If you want to reset your phone using iTunes, the first thing you need to do is make sure your phone is connected to iTunes and that you have completed any necessary steps, like backing up your phone. To back up your phone, plug it into your computer, go to the left side of the screen and click “Summary,” then click the “Back Up Now” button.
Step 2: After that, you’ll need to click the “Restore iPhone” button on the Summary page. A window will pop up asking you to confirm that you want to restore your phone to its factory settings. If you click “Agree,” the reset process will begin. It will involve some downloading and then the actual resetting of your phone.
Step 3: Sometimes, resetting your phone can take a few minutes. Once it looks like the restore is finished, you’ll want to make sure that your phone was actually reset. If the restore was successful, when you turn your phone on, you’ll see the iOS setup assistant. From there, you can either start fresh with a new phone or restore your phone from the backup you made earlier.
Reset Your Phone Directly
Step 1: If you’re not near a computer, it’s still a good idea to back up your phone. Thankfully, you can do this right on your phone using iCloud. Here’s how:
- Go to your iPhone settings.
- Turn on iCloud for everything you want to back up.
- Scroll down and tap the “Backup” button.
- Toggle “iCloud Backup” on and tap “Back Up Now”. Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi for this to work.
Step 2: Once you’ve successfully backed up your phone, you can proceed with the reset process:
- Tap the “Settings” button on your phone.
- Then tap “General”.
- Finally, tap “Reset”.
Step 3: Near the top, you’ll see the “Erase All Content and Settings” button. Tap that and then confirm by tapping “Erase iPhone” in the pop-up. This process might take a few minutes, just like when you restore with iTunes.
Step 4: Once your phone starts up again, you’ll be greeted by the setup assistant. From here, you have two options:
- Restore from the backup you made earlier.
- Start fresh, as if your phone is brand new.
As you can see, restoring your phone to its factory default settings is quite simple. It’s a great way to fix any software problems you might be experiencing. However, if restoring to factory settings doesn’t solve the issue, it’s a good idea to seek help from a professional.
