How to Reset an iPhone? A Complete Guide to Reset, Factory Reset, and Force Restart iPhone

Are you facing some software-related issues on your iPhone? Or you’re planning to sell it? Whatever the scenario is, it requires you to reset your iPhone.

This simple process resets your device to its default settings. However, you need to do iCloud login for data backup and sync so that you do not lose your data and can easily restore it once the reset is complete. 

In this article, we will walk you through the detailed process of how to reset the iPhone, as well as how to factory reset and force restart all of its versions.

How to Reset an iPhone?

If you want to return iPhone settings to their defaults without erasing the device’s current data, you can select the Reset option. It is considered an effective way to solve various issues of the device. Here is how you can reset the iPhone:

1. Go to Settings of your iPhone > General.

   

2. Then, click on Transfer or Reset iPhone.

   

3. Now, select the Reset option given at the bottom of the page.

   

4. Next, a prompt will appear at the bottom of your screen; select any of the following options: 

   

   • Reset All Settings

     If you want to reset all the settings including network, keyboard dictionary, location, privacy, and Apple Pay cards to their default, you can opt to reset all settings.

   • Reset Network Settings

     This option resets all network settings, including the device name, and removes previously used networks and VPN settings.  

   • Reset Keyboard Dictionary

     While you type, the iPhone adds your most frequently used words and suggests a suitable phrase. Selecting the keyboard reset option will erase all these added suggestions from the keyboard dictionary.

   • Reset Home Screen Layout

     You can select this option to return the built-in apps of the iPhone to their original layout on the home screen.  

   • Reset Location & Privacy

     This will reset all the location services and privacy settings to the default. 

5. Then, enter your iPhone Passcode. 

   

6. Finally, select Reset All Settings and within a few seconds your iPhone will reset. 

   

Note: It is recommended to back up all your data before selecting the Reset option, because if you’re trying to solve an issue and returning to default doesn’t help, you might lose all your data. 

How to Factory Reset Your iPhone?

If you want to restore the iPhone to default settings and erase all the available data, you can use the Factory Reset option. You should use this option while selling the device. There are two ways to hard-reset the iPhone:

Reset iPhone from Devices’s Settings

This is the easiest method to directly erase iPhone data: 

1. Go to Settings > General. 

   

2. Now, select Transfer or Reset iPhone. 

   

3. Then, tap Erase All Content and Settings given at the bottom. 

   

4. Then, it will present the data that will be erased, select Continue here. 

   

5. If asked, enter your Apple passcode.

   

6. Then, it may ask you to enter your Apple ID password to turn off Find My and Activation Lock. Enter it and select Turn Off from the top right corner of the page. 

   

7. Finally, tap on Erase iPhone to complete the process. 

   

This will erase all of your device data without requiring any advanced technical knowledge.

Reset iPhone through iTunes or Finder

You can also use a third-party app like iTunes or Finder on your Mac or PC to erase the data and restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings. The process for the same is given below:

1. Open iTunes or visit Finder on your Mac, whichever is available on your system.

   

2. After that, force restart your iPhone and connect it to your PC through an Apple USB.

   

3. Once the recovery mode screen appears, iTunes will automatically recognize your iPhone and ask you to either Update or Restore it. Select the Restore option from this menu.  

   

4. Then, again click on Restore and Update and the whole data will be erased now, and the latest software will be updated on your iPhone.

   

5. At last, enter your Apple ID and Password in the relevant fields and click on Continue to unlock your device. 

   

Note: Before opting for a factory reset, you should complete the iCloud backup on your iPhone by going to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Backup Now. 

Also Read: How to See Recently Deleted Apps on iPhone/iPad – Guide

How to Force Restart an iPhone?

Force Restart is another term that iPhone users often get confused about. It is the way to hard or force restart an iPhone while it is not responding or facing other software issues. Here’s how you can perform the task on different versions of iPhones:

Force Restart iPhone 8 and Later

To hard restart the iPhone 8, SE (2nd Generation), and other recent models with Face ID, including the X Series, iPhone 11, 12, 13, and later, follow this simple two-step process:

1. Press and quickly release the volume up button, do the same with the volume down button, and then press and hold the side button.

   

2. Release the button once you see the Apple logo. 

   

Your iPhone will then boot up and start functioning normally. 

Force Restart iPhone 7

In the case of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, press and hold both the volume down and the Sleep/Wake button together, and release them once the Apple logo is displayed on the screen. 

Force Restart iPhone 6s or iPhone SE (1st generation)

If you have an iPhone 6 series or SE (1st generation), press and hold the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons simultaneously, then release both when the Apple logo appears.  

Note: To reboot or soft restart your iPhone, you simply have to long press either the volume up or down button and the side button until the power off slide appears. Drag the slider to the right to turn it off, then long-press the side button to activate it again.

Also Read: How to See if Someone Checked Your Location on iPhone? Protect Your Location Data

Conclusion

We have explained how to reset your iPhone, factory reset it, and hard restart it in simple steps. If you have any doubts or are unable to continue with the above-mentioned processes, you can reach out to the Apple Support website. 

So, if your weather app is not working on your iPhone, there is an activation error, or another software problem arises, simply reset the device to resolve the issue.

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