When an iPhone becomes difficult to use, it may simply need a fresh start. In these situations, an iPhone factory reset can clear the device and return it to the setup screen. Maintaining an efficient home environment is just as important as keeping your technology running smoothly, so homeowners looking to lower monthly costs can check out ways to save on utility bills with helpful energy-saving strategies.
But be careful when pressing the erase button because a factory reset removes your personal information, apps, settings, and other content from the iPhone. If you haven’t backed up information you still need, you could lose it. Apple therefore recommends backing up your iPhone before erasing it.
The iPhone factory reset process is straightforward, but it’s best to know what to do before, during, and after the reset.
Here’s a simple guide to what a factory reset does, what it doesn’t, how to erase an iPhone from Settings, what happens to your eSIM, what to do if you forgot your passcode, and what sellers and buyers need to check.
What Is an iPhone Factory Reset?
An iPhone factory reset erases an iPhone’s contents and settings, returning it to its initial setup state.
After the process is completed, the iPhone displays the Hello screen, which means it is ready to go through setup again. This is not the same as restarting an iPhone.
Restarting turns the phone off and back on. A factory reset, by contrast, removes the information stored on the device.
If your phone is running slowly or has a minor software issue, you may not need to erase everything. A less severe reset option may be enough.
What Does a Factory Reset Delete From an iPhone?
When you select Erase All Content and Settings on your iPhone, it completely erases the device.
That includes photos, contacts, messages, music, apps, Apple Pay cards, and other information stored on the iPhone.
Services such as iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and Game Center are turned off on the erased device.
Does Factory Reset Delete Your iCloud Data?
The content stored in iCloud remains there after you erase the device.
But don’t manually delete photos, contacts, or documents from your iPhone while you are still signed into iCloud just because you want to clear the phone, because manually deleting synced items can remove them from iCloud and other connected devices.
If you intend to prepare the iPhone for someone else, use the proper Erase All Content and Settings process instead.
Step 1: Back Up Your iPhone Before the Factory Reset
Before starting an iPhone factory reset, make sure you don’t need anything on the phone: your photos, messages, and any documents, contacts, or other information you don’t want to lose.
Back up before erasing the device. You can later use a backup to restore your content, settings, and apps to a new or newly erased iPhone.
You can back up an iPhone using iCloud or a computer.
Step 2: Transfer Your Information If You Are Getting a New iPhone
If you are replacing your current iPhone, you can move your information to the new device.
For iPhones running iOS 11 or later, you can use Quick Start to automatically transfer information to a new iPhone. This option is found under:
Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Get Started
This helps you prepare to move your apps and information to another iPhone.
Before erasing the old device, make sure the information you need has moved across.
Step 3: Unpair Your Apple Watch
If you have an Apple Watch connected to your iPhone and you are selling or giving away the phone, unpair the Apple Watch first.
Check your connected Apple devices before continuing.
Step 4: Check Your Apple Account Password
Make sure you know your Apple Account password.
Apple notes that if “Find My” is enabled, you may need your Apple Account password during the erasing process.
If you are not sure of your password, sort it out before you begin the factory reset.
Step 5: Start the iPhone Factory Reset
Once your backup and transfer are finished, the actual reset is quite simple.
Open Settings – General – Transfer or Reset iPhone – Erase All Content and Settings
Then tell you to tap Continue.
Your iPhone will show what it will remove.
Read it before continuing.
Step 6: Decide What to Do With Your eSIM
Newer iPhones may use an eSIM rather than a physical SIM card.
During the factory reset process, Apple lets you choose whether to keep or delete the eSIM.
If you erase the eSIM, Apple says you will need to contact your network provider to reactivate your mobile plan.
This is particularly important if you are keeping the phone and simply want to reset it.
Don’t accidentally erase your mobile plan and then discover you need your network provider to activate it again.
If you are selling or giving the iPhone to somebody else, Apple specifically advises choosing the option to erase the device and the eSIM profile when asked.
Step 7: Enter Your Passcode
The iPhone may ask for your device passcode.
Enter it when prompted.
Apple’s factory reset instructions list entering the device passcode as part of the process.
If you have forgotten the passcode, do not keep guessing randomly.
There is a separate process for an iPhone whose passcode has been forgotten or whose device has become disabled.
Step 8: Enter Your Apple Account Password
You may then be asked to enter your Apple Account password.
This is connected to Apple’s security protections, including Find My and Activation Lock.
Enter the correct password when prompted and let the iPhone continue.
If you cannot remember your Apple Account password, Apple provides separate guidance for recovering account access.
Step 9: Wait for the iPhone to Erase
Once you confirm the reset, let the iPhone complete the process.
Do not panic if the device restarts.
The key is to let the process finish.
According to Apple, once the restore process is complete, the iPhone displays the Hello screen.
Seeing the Hello screen is a good sign if your goal was to prepare the phone for a new setup or a new owner.
What If You Forgot Your iPhone Passcode?
Forgetting an iPhone passcode can be stressful, especially when you need immediate access.
Apple says that if you cannot remember your passcode, you can erase the iPhone using a computer or recovery mode and then set a new passcode.
If you previously made an iCloud or computer backup, you can use it to restore your information after erasing the iPhone.
The key point is that forgetting the passcode does not mean the phone is permanently useless.
However, be prepared: erasing it removes the information stored on the device.
Factory Reset vs. Reset All Settings
This is another area where people often make mistakes.
Apple has a Reset All Settings option, but it is not the same thing as an iPhone factory reset.
Reset All Settings returns various settings to their factory defaults without deleting your personal data or media.
That means your:
Photos
Videos
Music
Apps
App data
Messages
Contacts
Calendar events
Documents
Files
are not deleted by Reset All Settings.
Instead, it resets settings such as Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth connections, Face ID settings, and privacy settings that manage features like the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s privacy display and other preferences. Apple Pay cards are also removed.
So, if your problem is a strange setting, network issue, or other configuration problem, resetting all settings may be more appropriate than wiping the entire phone.
If you are selling or giving the iPhone away, however, Apple specifically recommends using Erase All Content and Settings instead.
Factory Reset Before Selling an iPhone
If you are selling, trading in, or giving your iPhone to another person, the process deserves extra attention.
Apple recommends backing up the phone, transferring your information, unpairing an Apple Watch if necessary, and signing out of your Apple Account before erasing the device.
If you are moving from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone, Apple also recommends deregistering iMessage.
Once the device is erased, Find My and Activation Lock are turned off as part of the process, making the phone ready for another owner.
This is extremely important.
You don’t want to hand someone an iPhone that is still connected to your account.
What Is Activation Lock?
Activation Lock is one of Apple’s security features designed to stop someone else from using an iPhone that is still associated with its previous owner.
Apple warns buyers of used iPhones to check that the device has been erased and is no longer connected to the previous owner’s account.
If a used iPhone displays “iPhone Locked to Owner,” the previous owner’s account is still linked to it.
That is a major warning sign for a buyer.
Apple says you should not take ownership of a used iPhone that is still protected by Activation Lock.
A properly erased device should eventually show the Hello screen and be ready for setup.
What Happens to Apple Pay After a Factory Reset?
Your Apple Pay cards are removed from the iPhone when you erase all content and settings.
Apple specifically states that credit and debit cards added for Apple Pay are included in the information removed from the device.
This is another reason a factory reset is more serious than simply changing a few settings.
The phone is being cleared for a fresh setup.
Pros of an iPhone Factory Reset
Pros
A factory reset can be useful when:
You are selling your iPhone.
You are giving the phone to someone else.
You are trading it in.
You want to clear your personal information from the device.
You are preparing the iPhone for a fresh setup.
You need to erase the device after forgetting the passcode and using the appropriate recovery process.
The biggest advantage is simple: it gives you a clean starting point.
For someone selling an iPhone, that can provide peace of mind because Apple’s official erasing process removes personal information from the device.
Cons of an iPhone Factory Reset
Cons
A factory reset also has serious downsides if you are not prepared.
It can:
Remove your photos and other personal information from the iPhone.
Remove apps and app data from the device.
Remove Apple Pay cards.
Reset the device to a state requiring setup again.
If you choose to delete it, you’ll need to reactivate an erased eSIM.
You’ll lose your information if you don’t create a backup.
The biggest mistake is pressing Erase All Content and Settings before checking your backup.
Once the phone is erased, don’t expect information stored only locally to magically return.
Should You Factory Reset Your iPhone?
The answer depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
If you are selling or giving away the phone, a factory reset is the right move after you back up your information and complete the necessary account and device checks.
If you are keeping the iPhone but dealing with a minor settings problem, a complete factory reset may be unnecessarily aggressive. Apple provides less destructive reset options, including Reset All Settings.
If you are moving to a new iPhone, transfer your information first. For users managing hardware performance limits across different setups, hardware pairing constraints like those seen when M1 Macs can’t keep up with the studio display XDR highlight how strictly Apple manages device ecosystem capabilities.
If you forgot your passcode, use Apple’s recovery process rather than repeatedly guessing.
Final iPhone Factory Reset Checklist
Before you erase your iPhone, run through this list:
Before resetting:
- Back up your iPhone.
- Make sure your important information is saved.
- Transfer information to your new iPhone if you are replacing the device.
- Unpair your Apple Watch if necessary.
- Make sure you know your Apple Account password.
- Check whether you need to keep your eSIM.
- If selling or giving away the device, prepare it for the new owner.
- If switching to a non-Apple phone, deregister iMessage.
- To erase the iPhone:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Tap Continue.
- Choose whether to keep or erase the eSIM.
- Enter your device passcode.
- Enter your Apple Account password if requested.
- Wait for the process to finish.
- Confirm that the Hello screen appears.
- Apple’s official factory reset instructions follow this basic sequence.
Is an iPhone Factory Reset Worth Doing?
Yes, but only when you actually need to erase the phone.
An iPhone factory reset is one of the most effective ways to clear an iPhone before selling, giving it away, or starting again with a clean device. Apple’s process is straightforward, but the consequences are serious because it erases the phone’s contents.
The safest approach is to back up first. Transfer what you need. Check your Apple Account. Think carefully about your eSIM. Then erase the device.
If you are only trying to fix a settings problem, do not wipe the entire iPhone unnecessarily. Apple’s Reset All Settings option can restore many settings to their defaults without deleting your photos, apps, messages, and other personal data.
For sellers, the verdict is even clearer: back up, sign out as required, erase the iPhone completely, and make sure the device reaches the Hello screen before handing it over. This helps ensure that your personal information is no longer sitting on the phone and that the next owner can set it up properly.
A factory reset is not something to fear. It is simply something to do carefully.
And that’s the most important part: never press the erase button until you are certain you have saved everything you want to keep.
