Ways to Reset an iPhone – Want to sell your iPhone? Or the iPhone is locked and you forgot the password to unlock the iPhone?
Either you want to sell your iPhone and intend to delete your data on it or you can’t open a locked iPhone because you forgot the password. Both can be solved by resetting the iPhone.
A reset iPhone will return to its original settings or factory settings, so the iPhone will look like new.
Automatically, all your data on the iPhone will be deleted. If you want to use the data on your old iPhone.
Then backup all data first before resetting the iPhone. Because data that has been deleted cannot be recovered.
There are 2 types of iPhone reset, namely soft reset and hard reset. Well, for data wiping issues or unlocking a locked iPhone, you have to do a hard reset.
Please note that here there is no way to reset the iPhone with iTunes. It’s just that iTunes can be used to backup data before you reset your iPhone, yes.
The following are the differences and ways of the following two types of iPhone reset:
1. How to Soft Reset iPhone
A soft reset will not erase all the data present on the iPhone. The reason is, soft reset is another word for restarting or rebooting the iPhone.
This is done to recover an iPhone that is hanging or stopped and cannot run on an application.
To do this soft reset you don’t need iTunes or iCloud. Here’s how to do a soft reset iPhone properly:
- Press the Home and Sleep buttons on the iPhone at the same time. When pressing both buttons, hold down for about 10 seconds.
- Your iPhone screen will be black for a few moments. Release your hands from both buttons when the screen is black.
- After a few moments, the Apple logo will appear on the iPhone screen. This is the process of restarting an iPhone. Leave it until the restart process is complete. When the restart process is complete, please touch the iPhone screen to try it.
Try this soft reset method to restore a frozen iPhone due to hangs or errors. If the button doesn’t work, please try the other restart methods we’ve reviewed.
2. Other Ways to Soft Reset iPhone
You can also do a soft reset in another way. This method does not require effort by pressing two buttons.
You just need to go to the “Settings” option on the iPhone. For the complete method, please follow the steps below.
- Go to the “Settings” section, then select “General“.
- After that look for the option “Reset“.
- Select “Reset All Settings“. This option is at the top.
- After that, again select “Reset All Settings” which is red and is at the bottom.
After that, the iPhone will automatically reset. This option does not change your iPhone data, including installed apps nor will they be deleted. It’s just that the various settings are reset from scratch.
For example, if you previously connected to WIFI automatically, after doing this, you need to re-enter the WIFI password. Notification settings and app permissions are also reset.
3. How to Hard Reset iPhone
The next way to reset the iPhone is a hard reset, which is to reset the iPhone as a whole.
This method will erase the data on your iPhone, because this is a way to make the iPhone display and settings return to the way you first bought it.
Generally, a hard reset is done if you want to sell your old iPhone to someone else. This hard reset or factory reset is very important if you don’t want the new person who owns your phone to know your old data.
With a hard reset all data on the iPhone will be lost, from applications, photos, videos, songs, to files that you have downloaded.
Also, a hard reset is performed if you can’t unlock your locked iPhone.
This is quite often experienced by most people, because forgetting passwords is a natural thing.
However, if you want to use this method to recover a locked iPhone, then you must be prepared to risk losing the data on the iPhone.
During the backup process, you can sort out data that is no longer used.
Delete the data to make more space in your iPhone’s storage capacity later.
Make sure you use the backup method with iCloud and iTunes, because the best iPhone data backup process can only rely on these two software.
This is certainly different from Android devices that can be backed up by simply copying and pasting.
On iPhone, you have to use iCloud and iTunes which are specially developed by Apple.
Well, if you have made sure that all data is stored in iTunes or iCloud, immediately do a hard reset on your iPhone.
Here are the steps on how to reset iPhone to initial settings:
- Go to “Settings” on your iPhone.
- Select the “General” menu.
- Click the “Reset” menu.
- Select the words “Erase All Content and Settings“.
- Your screen will display a warning box regarding all data that will be deleted if you reset the iPhone.
- Proceed with entering your Apple ID to confirm the reset action.
- Wait a few moments then all data and settings on the iPhone will be erased.
Because all iPhone data and settings will be erased, make sure to first think again and back up data if you want to use all the old data on the iPhone.
The reason is, the data will be lost permanently if it is not backed up first.
When data can be restored by restoration via iCloud or iTunes, but all settings on your iPhone cannot be restored.
You’ll have to reset it again if you want to go back to your iPhone’s old settings. iPhone is a high end smartphone that has a fairly high level of security.
Therefore, if you forget your password and can’t open a locked iPhone, then the above reset method is the only solution to unlock your iPhone.
Well, if you are a forgetful person, you can lock your iPhone with the fingerprint feature on the iPhone 5s and above.
This fingerprint security feature is strong enough and ensures the security of your data without worrying about forgetting your password.
For your information, the fingerprint feature on this iPhone will lock your phone without requiring a password.
You can unlock the iPhone by simply placing your finger on the iPhone’s ‘Home’ button.
Your phone won’t unlock if you don’t use your fingerprint. This method is quite effective for those of you who often experience forgetting passwords. But this way will not work without an Apple ID, yes.
4. How to Reset iPhone Using iCloud – Find My iPhone
Another way to reset an iPhone is to use the iCloud Find My iPhone service.
To do this, you’ll need to access the iCloud website via a browser on your computer or laptop (including MacOS devices). Follow the steps below.
- Go to the site https://www.icloud.com/find or directly click iCloud Find.
- Please login using your Apple ID. Later, you will be asked for verification.
- Once signed in, the iCloud service will mark the position of your phone. There are Play Sound, Lost Mode, and Erase Phone options.
- The Play Sound option is used to ring your iPhone.
- The Lost Mode option is used to turn your iPhone into Lost Mode mode so that if your iPhone is lost, you can choose this option.
- You just need to select the “Erase iPhone” option. This option will wipe data and reset your iPhone. This feature is also definitely useful when your iPhone is lost and you don’t want the person who found it to open the data on your iPhone.
- After selecting the “Erase iPhone” option, you select the “Remove from Account” option.
- You will be asked for verification by sending a code to the mobile number associated with your Apple ID account.
- After getting the authentication code, your iPhone will be “reset” aka reset to its original settings. What you need to do next is to log back into your iPhone.
5. How to Reset iPhone 7 Series
If you are an iPhone 7 series user, then the above method will not work to reset.
Take it easy, the iPhone 7 series has its own steps to reset.
You just need to go through a short step to reset your iPhone 7. Here are the steps to reset it:
- Press and hold the power button on the right side of the phone.
- Still by pressing the power button, now you are accompanied by pressing the volume down button.
- Hold and keep clicking the two buttons until you see the Apple logo.
6. How to Reset iPhone 8 Series and Up
This method is a way to reset the iPhone to a more modern version.
The Apple iPhones in question are iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Apple iPhone after 11 most likely also have the same way.
This latest iPhone series has a different way to do a reset.
Apple replaced some of the buttons that were usually installed on the previous iPhone series.
Even though they’re different, you shouldn’t have any trouble resetting your iPhone 8 series and iPhone X.
The reason is, with just a few short steps you can reset your iPhone.
Here are the steps on how to reset iPhone 8 series & iPhone X:
- Click and then release the volume up button which is on the left side of the phone
- After that, you can immediately click and release the volume down button again
- Then, you immediately press the power button (sleep/wake button) on the right
- Now you just have to wait for the phone screen to display the Apple logo
Well, those are some ways to reset your iPhone and make your iPhone like new again.
All the ways are very easy and simple, it’s just that there are a few different ways for the latest iPhone series. Did you succeed using the methods above?
