How to Factory Reset an iPhone
How to factory reset an iPhone using Erase All Content and Settings — the exact steps, how long it takes, what to do if you're locked out, and what to check before handing the phone to someone else.
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| 01 | Back up your iPhone first A factory reset can't be undone, so back up to iCloud or a computer first if there's anything on the phone you want to keep. |
| 02 | Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone Open the Settings app, tap General, then tap Transfer or Reset iPhone near the bottom of the list. |
| 03 | Tap Erase All Content and Settings This is the option that performs a full factory reset — it removes every setting, app, and piece of personal data from the device. |
| 04 | Enter your passcode and Apple Account password You'll be asked to confirm your device passcode and your Apple Account password before the erase starts. |
| 05 | Wait for the reset to finish The process typically takes 10-15 minutes. The iPhone restarts on its own and shows the initial setup screen once it's done. |
To factory reset an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode and Apple Account password to confirm, and the reset finishes in about 10-15 minutes.
Back up first — a factory reset can't be undone
Everything on the phone gets deleted once the reset starts, with no way to bring any of it back afterward. If there are photos, messages, or files worth keeping, back them up before going any further.
iCloud Backup is the simplest option if the phone has Wi-Fi and enough free iCloud storage — go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap Back Up Now. A computer backup through Finder (on a Mac) or the Apple Devices app (on Windows) has no storage limit and stores the backup locally instead, which is useful if the free 5GB of iCloud storage isn't enough.
Running the reset
Open Settings, tap General, then tap Transfer or Reset iPhone near the bottom of the list. Tap Erase All Content and Settings, then confirm with your device passcode when prompted.
After that, the phone asks for the Apple Account password tied to the device. This step exists so a factory reset can't be triggered by someone who picked up the phone but doesn't actually own it. Once confirmed, the erase begins, and the phone restarts on its own when it's done, landing on the same setup screen a brand-new iPhone shows.
How long it actually takes
Apple's own guidance puts a factory reset at roughly 10-15 minutes, but the real number depends on how much is stored on the phone. A nearly-empty iPhone can finish closer to 5 minutes, while one packed with photos, videos, and large apps can take noticeably longer. The screen may look frozen partway through — that's normal, and it's worth waiting it out rather than force-restarting, since interrupting the process partway can leave the phone in an unusable state that requires a computer to recover.
This is different from Reset All Settings
The same menu also has an option called Reset All Settings, and it's easy to tap the wrong one by mistake.
| Reset All Settings | Erase All Content and Settings | |
|---|---|---|
| Deletes photos, apps, messages | No | Yes |
| Reverts Wi-Fi passwords, brightness, etc. | Yes | Yes |
| Typical time | About 1 minute | 10-15 minutes |
| Use it when... | Something's misconfigured but your data is fine | You're selling, giving away, or starting completely fresh |
If the goal is fixing a settings glitch without touching personal data, Reset All Settings is the one to use instead — a full factory reset is more than that situation calls for.
Locked out? Resetting from a computer
An iPhone that's disabled or has a forgotten passcode can still be factory reset — just not from the Settings app, since that requires unlocking it first. Connect the iPhone to a Mac or PC with a cable, open Finder (or the Apple Devices app on Windows), and select the iPhone when it appears. Choosing Restore erases the device and reinstalls iOS in the process.
If the iPhone doesn't show up in Finder at all, it needs to be put into recovery mode first — the exact button combination depends on the model, and Apple's support site has the specific steps for each one. One thing worth knowing beforehand: restoring a locked iPhone without knowing its Apple Account password doesn't actually solve the lock-out. Activation Lock kicks in afterward, and an erased phone with Activation Lock enabled is just as unusable as the locked one was, minus the data.
Preparing to sell or give away an iPhone
A factory reset alone doesn't fully disconnect a phone from its previous owner. After the erase finishes, it's worth confirming a few things before handing it over:
- The phone should ask to be set up as new, not show the previous owner's Apple Account anywhere in the setup flow.
- If it was ever paired with an Apple Watch, unpairing the watch beforehand (Watch app > All Watches > tap the "i" icon > Unpair) prevents leftover connection issues.
- Physically removing the SIM card is worth doing separately, since a factory reset doesn't affect it.
Skipping the sign-out step is the most common reason a "reset" phone still shows up locked to Activation Lock for whoever receives it next.
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