If you’ve decided to upgrade to a newer version of the iPhone, you might want to give away or sell your old one. But you don’t want the new owner to get all your data and files, which is why you need to do a factory reset.
It is not hard to do a factory reset on your iPhone, though you should bear in mind that this option is irreversible. There are two common methods to do a factory reset, but before you proceed with either of them, you should back up all your data.
Getting Your iPhone Ready for a Reset
You need to back up all your data before you perform a factory reset to avoid losing the passwords and other important information on your smartphone. There are two easy ways to do a backup:
1. Backup Using iTunes
Connect your iPhone 7/7+ to your computer and wait for iTunes to launch.
Go to the Backups tab and click on Back Up Now under Manually Back Up and Restore. Wait until the backup is complete before starting with the factory reset.
2. Backup Using iCloud
You can avoid the hustle of connecting your device to a computer by backing up the iPhone 7/7+ via the Settings app. You should do the following:
Launch the Settings App
Tap on Your Apple ID
Enter iCloud
Scroll Down to iCloud Backup and Tap to Enter
Tap Back Up Now
Doing a Factory Reset
Now that you’ve backed up your phone, you can perform a factory reset. There are two ways to do a factory reset on your iPhone 7/7+:
1. Factory Reset with iTunes
Using iTunes is a great method for a factory reset because you can back up your phone first and then move onto a reset. Here is how to do it:
Connect to a Computer
Connect your iPhone 7/7+ to a computer via USB cable and launch iTunes. Your phone might ask for a passcode, but make sure you tap Trust This Computer to allow the connection.
Open Device Information
Click on the small iPhone icon on the left-hand side of the top bar in iTunes. Once you are inside, click on Summary.
Click Restore iPhone
Click on the Restore iPhone tab in the upper right-hand area of iTunes to initiate the factory reset.
Click Restore Again
Since this operation is irreversible, another window will pop up asking you to confirm your factory reset. After you click on Restore, iTunes will begin to clear all the data from your phone and install the latest software. Be patient, as this might take some time.
2. Factory Reset with Settings
You can perform a factory reset without using iTunes. Here is how you can do it via the Settings app:
Launch the Settings App
When you get inside the app, swipe down and tap on General.
Enter Reset Options
Swipe down in the General menu until you reach Reset. Tap on it to enter the Reset options.
Erase All Content and Settings
Tap on Erase Content and Settings to initiate the process and then confirm by tapping on Erase Phone in the pop-up window. If you have a passcode, the phone will ask you to enter it before it starts erasing all the data.
Conclusion
Besides preparing your phone for a new owner, a factory reset can be very useful if your iPhone is not performing the way it’s supposed to. The reset deletes all the information and cached data, providing a clean slate with the latest iOS version. When you complete the factory reset, you can always restore all the information from backup using iTunes.
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