How to erase and reset your iPhone in simple steps

If you have bought a new phone and planned to sell or trade in your existing iPhone, you must erase the data on it and reset your device. There are several options available for resetting the iPhone, including the option to reset the settings. Resetting just the settings, however, will not erase the data on it. Apple says that when you delete data, it no longer appears in apps on iPhone, but it isn’t erased from iPhone storage.

There are two ways to erase your iPhone and reset it. The first way is to do it on your iPhone, and the other one is by using a computer and connecting your iPhone to it. In this article, we will talk about both methods, but before that, you must ensure a few things. First, back up your data to either a PC or your iCloud account. Second, remove the passcode from your iPhone and have your Apple ID password ready.

Using your iPhone

— Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.

— Do one of the following:

• Prepare your content and settings to transfer to a new iPhone: Tap Get Started, then follow the onscreen instructions. When you finish, return to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
• Erase all of your data from your iPhone: Tap Erase All Content and Settings.

Using a computer to connect your iPhone

You can use a Mac or Windows PC to erase all data and settings from your iPhone, restore your iPhone to factory settings, and install the latest version of iOS.

— Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB or USB-C cable. You may also need an adapter. See Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable.

— Turn on your iPhone.

— Do one of the following:

• On a Mac (macOS 10.15 or later): Click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window, click the iPhone button in the Finder sidebar (below Locations), click General at the top of the window, then click Restore iPhone.
• On a Mac (macOS 10.14 or earlier) or a Windows PC: Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes (see the Apple Support article Update to the latest version of iTunes). Open iTunes, click the iPhone button near the top left of the iTunes window, click Summary, then click Restore iPhone.