Guide - Factory Reset iPhone

Sometimes it may be necessary to reset your iPhone to factory settings. A factory reset of an iPhone is done in three steps.

1. Back up your data
2. Turn off Find My iPhone
3. Do a factory reset
   

1. Back up iPhone with iCloud

Nowadays, it's easy to transfer all your content from an iPhone to another device without losing any important photos, contacts or applications. By making a backup, you can rest assured knowing that all your content is stored safely.

1. Open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
   Before backing up, it might be a good idea to double check that all the data you want to back up is enabled > Apps that use iCloud.
2. Turn on iCloud backup.
   iCloud automatically backs up your iPhone every day when iPhone is connected to a power source, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi.
3. Back up manually by tapping Back Up Now.

2. Turn off Find My iPhone

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name > Find.
3. Tap Find [device] and then tap to turn it off.
4. Enter your Apple ID password.
5. Tap Shut Down.

Then sign out of your Apple ID

If your phone is broken and you can't access it to turn off Find My iPhone, you can still do it by using iCloud.com or the Find My iPhone app from another device.

1. Go to www.icloud.com
2. Sign in with your Apple ID and password
3. You may now be asked to enter an authentication code sent to another device. Ignore this, there is a small icon at the bottom called "Find my iPhone".
4. Click the "Find My iPhone" icon
5. Click on all devices and select the device you want to deactivate and remove from your account
6. Select the "Remove from account" function. Now none of the contents of the phone is deleted, but the anti-theft function "Find my iPhone" is deactivated.

3. Factory reset iPhone

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Select General  and scroll all the way down.
3. Tryck pa Reset and then press Erase all content and settings.
4. Enter the passcode or password for your Apple ID.
5. Confirm by pressing Erase iPhone.
6. Wait for all content to be safely removed from the device.

Resetting a locked iPhone

If you have forgotten your passcode and your iPhone is locked, you cannot access it without restoring it. This must be done using a computer by putting the phone into recovery mode and then erasing it.
You need a Mac or a Windows computer with Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows). If you're using a Windows computer and don't have iTunes, you can download and install it for free from Apple's website.

1. Turn off your iPhone

• For iPhone X and later
  Press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power slider appears. Swipe to power off.
• For iPhone 7/7 Plus
  Press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears. Swipe to power off.
• For iPhone 6s and earlier
  Press and hold the Home button and the Side button until the power off slider appears. Swipe to power off.
  

2. Put your iPhone into recovery mode

1. Connect your phone to your computer using a Lightning or USB-C cable.
   
2. Hold down a specific button while connecting your phone:
   o    iPhone 8 and later
   Press and hold the side button.
   o    iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
   Hold down the volume down button.
   o    iPhone 6s and earlier
   Press and hold the home button.
3.  Hold the button until you see the recovery mode on the screen (a computer icon or a cable).
   

3. Restore iPhone via computer

1. Open Finder (on a Mac with macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes (on a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier and on a Windows computer).
2. Locate your iPhone in the Finder sidebar or in the iTunes window.
3. A message will appear with two options: Reset or Update. Select Reset.
4. The computer will download the latest iOS version and install it on your phone.
5. If the process takes more than 15 minutes, your iPhone will exit recovery mode. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
   

4. Wait for the restore to complete

Once the process is complete, your phone will restart as a new device. Follow the on-screen setup steps and sign in with your Apple ID.
If you have a backup, you can choose to restore your data from iCloud or iTunes/Finder during setup. If you don't have a backup, you'll need to set up your phone as new.

5. If Find My iPhone is enabled

If you've forgotten your passcode and your iPhone is locked but Find My iPhone is enabled, you can erase it through iCloud instead of using a computer. Here's how:

1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Click Find My iPhone.
3. Select your iPhone from the list of devices.
4. Click Erase iPhone.
5. Confirm the deletion and wait for the device to reset.

Once your phone is erased, you can set it up as a new device or restore it from an iCloud backup.

When should you restore your iPhone?

Resetting an iPhone can be a solution when your phone is acting strangely, feeling sluggish, or if apps are crashing for no apparent reason. In some cases, problems can occur after an iOS update, and if standard troubleshooting methods don't help, factory resetting your iPhone can be the most effective way to get your device working normally again.

You may also need to reset your iPhone if you're selling or giving it away, as all personal data needs to be erased before a new user takes over. For a successful reset, Find My iPhone must be turned off, otherwise the phone will remain locked to the existing Apple ID.

All ours used iPhones are factory reset and thoroughly tested to ensure they work as they should. Each device undergoes extensive quality control, checking battery health, screen, buttons and other important features. When you choose a reNewed factory reset iPhone, you get a high-quality smartphone at a better price while contributing to more sustainable consumption.