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Summary
We all have those moments when our iPhones start misbehaving or inexplicably slowing down. Apps crash randomly, the battery drains faster than usual, or it just feels sluggish overall. Before hauling it to the Genius Bar or breaking out your wallet for an upgrade, a factory reset can often get your iPhone back to its old, peppy self.
A clean reset eliminates any corrupted files or pesky software gremlins and restores your iPhone to factory fresh condition. According to Apple, it should be one of your first troubleshooting steps. A full reset will wipe your iPhone completely, so you need to back up critical data first. In this walkthrough, we’ll take a look at the process behind resetting your iPhone.
When You Should Consider a Factory Reset
Resetting your iPhone reverses any system issues caused by buggy apps, files gone awry, or clunky software updates. Soif you’re running into uncommon issues like random battery drains, software crashes, laggy performance, or your iPhone generally feels a little glitchy, a reset can remedy that. It’s also beneficial to reset your iPhone in case you’re trading it in to avoid any data leaks.
However, before you take the drastic step of factory resetting your phone,consider going for simpler troubleshooting steps like closing background apps, freeing up storage space, or even updating to the latest iOS version, which could include bug fixes. you may also toggle certain settings like disabling background app refresh. It’s absolutely essential that you keep in mind that a reset is supposed to be the last resort, exclusively for correcting deeper problems.Back up what’s important before proceeding.
Backing Up Your iPhone Before The Reset
Like we’ve mentioned, a factory reset is practically going to erase everything on your iPhone, from photos to messages to app data. So before you do that, it’s good to have a current, complete backup. Here are the best ways to back up your iPhone:
iCloud Backup
This isthe quickest and easiest backup optionif you have enough free iCloud storage space.Simply connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi and navigate to Settings > [username] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap “Back Up Now”. It will back up app data, settings, messages, photos and other content. We recommend going for this as your data isn’t limited to being localized, and you may have ease of access in case you’re switching iPhones, or even using any other device in the Apple ecosystem.
iTunes Backup
You can also plug your iPhone into a computer with iTunes installed to create a backup. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes. Connect via the USB-to-Lightning cable and select your iPhone in iTunes. Under Backups, choose “This Computer” and then select “Back Up Now”.
External Storage
Trying to be extra cautious about your data? You cancopy iPhone content like photos, videos and music files directly to a computer hard drive or external storage device. Connect your iPhone to a computer and transfer the files, or use a cloud storage service like Dropbox. Once you have a recent, verified iPhone backup through iCloud, iTunes or external storage, your device is for the factory reset process.
How to Factory Reset an iPhone
Once you’ve gone through all of this, it turns out that resetting your iPhone to factory defaults is a fairly simple process that only takes a few minutes. Here are the steps:
Once the reset completes, it will boot back up to the iOS Welcome screen just like when you first got it. The Apple logo is going to appear as it restarts, and you can then set it up as a new iPhone, or restore your backup. This is where the iCloud backup system is going to be super-handy. All you need to do is connect to Wi-Fi and sign-in to your Apple account.
Models like the iPhone 11 or newer offer the option to quickly Erase All Settings instead of full content erase. It really depends on whether you want to give it the ole' college try and see if that fixes it. But if you are looking for thorough troubleshooting, Erasing All Content and Settings is recommended. Older models don’t have to deal with this problem as they simply say “Reset” on this Settings screen.
Extra Reset Options
If you can’t access Settings on a malfunctioning iPhone, you can still factory reset via iTunes on a computer:
You can also try doing a force restart on your iPhone in case it’s totally frozen. All you need to do is quickly press and release the volume up button, press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the side button/power button until you see the Apple logo. This will reboot it without erasing.
What Happens After Reset?
Once your iPhone finishes resetting itself, you’ll go through the standard iOS setup process, including:
Your home screen background will be set back to the iOS default. Any apps you re-download will need to be arranged again. Settings will be at defaults, so be sure to reconfigure them how you want. If you restored a backup, your data should repopulate throughout the system over the next short while.
Some Tips for After Factory Resetting Your iPhone
Here are a few housekeeping tips for after you reset your iPhone to the factory settings:
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a factory reset delete everything permanently?
Yes. Any data you may have had stored on your phone that wasn’t there when you purchased it is going to be permanently gone. Which is why backups are important. As long as you back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes first, you can restore your data after the reset completes. This way, it’s a temporary wipe, and not a permanent deletion.
Will I have to re-purchase apps?
No, any apps you originally downloaded from your Apple account will remain available to download again for free from the App Store. This is because the App Store keeps a record of your purchases. All you need to do is go there, find the app you want, and tap the download button!
Will resetting affect my iCloud Photo Library?
No, resetting your iPhone will not affect your iCloud Photo Library. Since Photos are stored and synced via iCloud separately, all your content within it is preserved after a factory reset. After you’re done with it, you can sign in to your iCloud account, and your photos will sync back to your device.
