How to Factory Reset an iPhone

If you are selling your old iPhone, trading it in at an Apple Store, or giving it to a family member, you must wipe the hard drive completely clean. If you simply hand the phone to a stranger, they will have total access to your emails, your banking apps, your saved passwords, and your private photos.

You cannot just delete your apps one by one. You must perform a cryptographic Factory Reset. This process destroys the encryption keys holding your data together, instantly returning the phone to the exact state it was in when it first came out of the box.

Step 1: The Mandatory Backup (Do Not Skip)

Once a factory reset is initiated, the data is gone forever. Apple cannot recover it. The FBI cannot recover it. You must ensure your data is backed up to the cloud before you pull the trigger.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on your name (the Apple ID banner) at the very top of the screen.
3. Tap on iCloud.
4. Tap on iCloud Backup.
5. Tap Back Up Now.

Wait for the progress bar to completely finish. If you do not have enough iCloud storage to finish the backup, plug your iPhone into a computer and back it up locally using iTunes (on Windows) or Finder (on Mac).

Step 2: Sign Out of Apple ID (The Activation Lock)

Before you erase the phone, you must formally untether the hardware from your Apple account. Apple uses a theft-deterrent system called “Activation Lock.” If you reset a phone without signing out first, the phone will permanently lock itself, and the person who buys it from you will never be able to use it.

1. Go back to the main Settings page.
2. Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
3. Scroll all the way down to the absolute bottom of the page.
4. Tap Sign Out.
5. You will be prompted to type your Apple ID password to turn off the Find My iPhone security tracker. Type it and tap Turn Off.

Step 3: Erase All Content and Settings

Now that the data is backed up and the security locks are disengaged, you can wipe the drive.

1. Go to the main Settings page.
2. Tap on General.
3. Scroll all the way down to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Look at the very bottom of the screen. Tap the large button labeled Erase All Content and Settings.
5. The iPhone will display a warning screen summarizing exactly what is about to be deleted (apps, data, Apple Wallet cards, eSIMs). Tap Continue.
6. Enter your standard numerical iPhone unlock passcode.

The screen will turn black, and a silver Apple logo will appear with a loading bar underneath it. This process can take anywhere from three to fifteen minutes depending on the size of your storage drive.

Do not touch the phone. When the process is completely finished, the screen will light up and display the word “Hello” in various languages. The phone is now factory fresh and completely safe to sell or trade in.