How to reset your iPhone

Welcome to our guide on how to reset your iPhone. There are a few different reasons you may want to reset your iPhone. Maybe you want to troubleshoot an issue you’re experiencing, or maybe you just want to start fresh with a clean slate.

Whatever the reason, resetting your iPhone can be a useful solution. In this article, we will walk you through the steps to reset your iPhone, as well as some things to consider before you do so.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to reset iPhone and be well on your way to a fresh start.

Difference between a soft reset, a force restart, and a factory reset

No data will be lost if you restart your iPhone using the software option, or a “soft reset.” The same is true of a force restart, which enables you to restart your iPhone using the hardware keys when the touchscreen becomes unresponsive or your apps begin performing strangely.

A factory reset is a whole distinct creature. It restores your iPhone to the condition it was in when it was originally unwrapped: It removes all data from the device, including settings, content, and user information.

In addition to using it when you’re selling or trading in your iPhone, donating it to a friend, or if the phone has been lost or stolen, we advise factory resetting your iPhone only as a last resort if you’re experiencing problems that you can’t resolve.

Since you can use a backup to restore all of your phone’s data and settings, it’s not necessarily permanent. If you need to conduct a factory reset on your iPhone, read our tutorial, which also breaks down the reset choices available under Settings > General > Reset.

There are several ways to reset your iPhone, depending on what you want to achieve. Here are the most common reset options and how to perform them:

How to Soft reset your iPhone

This is the most basic reset option and is useful for solving minor issues or for restarting your device. To perform a soft reset, press and hold the power button (also known as the sleep/wake button) until the “slide to power off” option appears. Drag the slider to turn off your device. Once the device is off, press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears to turn it back on.

How to force restart iPhone

This option is similar to a soft reset, but it is more powerful and can be used to fix more serious issues. To force restart your iPhone, press and release the volume up button, then press and release the volume down button. Finally, press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.

How to factory reset your iPhone

A factory reset is a more drastic measure that will erase all the data on your iPhone and restore it to its original factory settings. This option can be useful if you are planning to sell your device or if you want to start from scratch with a clean slate. To factory reset your iPhone, go to “Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.” You will be prompted to enter your passcode and to confirm your decision.

How to force reset iPhone 8 and later

The iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd generation and later), iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 series can all be force restarted by following the instructions below.

First, quickly press and release the Volume Up button.

Step 2: Press the Volume down button and quickly let go of it.

Step 3: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the Apple logo appears.

If the above steps don’t work, follow this alternative step to force reset your iPhone 8 and earlier

Step 1: Open iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone. Open a Finder window on a Mac running macOS Catalina or a later version.

Step 2: Press the Volume Up button and quickly let go.

Step 3: Press the Volume down button and quickly let go of it.

Step 4: Hold down the Sleep/Wake button while waiting for the recovery mode screen to show up.

Step 5: To start resetting your iPhone, select to update or restore your device in iTunes or the Finder on your computer.

How to force reset iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons until the Apple logo displays

If the above steps don’t work, follow this alternative step to force reset your iPhone 7 and iPhone Plus

Step 1: Open iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone. Open a Finder window on a Mac running macOS Catalina or a later version.

Step 2: Press and hold the Volume Down and Sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until the recovery mode screen appears.

Step 3: To start resetting your iPhone, select Update or Restore in iTunes or the Finder on your computer.

How to force reset iPhone 6S or earlier and iPhone SE (2016)

Hold down the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo shows

If the above steps don’t work, follow this alternative step to force reset your iPhone 6S or earlier and iPhone SE (2016)

Step 1: Open iTunes on your computer and connect your iPhone. Open a Finder window on a Mac running macOS Catalina or a later version.

Step 2: Hold down the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously until the recovery mode screen appears.

Step 3: To start resetting your iPhone, select Update or Restore in iTunes or the Finder on your computer.

In conclusion, resetting your iPhone can be a helpful solution for a variety of issues, whether you want to troubleshoot a problem or start fresh with a clean slate. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should now know how to reset your iPhone. Just remember to back up your data before you begin the reset process, as doing so will ensure that you don’t lose any important information.

With this knowledge, you can confidently reset your iPhone and enjoy a fresh start with your device.