How to Restore Your iPhone

Restoring your Apple^® iPhone^® can be a helpful way to solve common issues or move your data. Apple makes it possible to restore your device to its factory settings or from a saved backup.

It is important to know how to restore your device for both purposes. Plus, you'll want to consider some critical factors before performing this action on your phone.

Learn more about the process of restoring an iPhone and the steps to make it simple.

What Happens When You Restore Your iPhone?

Before restoring an iPhone, you need to decide if you want to revert the device to its factory settings or to an available backup. These two actions have very different results.

It is essential to recognize what end goal you want before choosing the route you'll take to restore your device.

Restoring an iPhone to Factory Settings

If you are interested in clearing your information off your iPhone entirely, you probably want to restore it to factory settings.

Factory settings mean your iPhone will be the same as when you got it out of the box. Doing so clears your preferences and personal information, similar to an erase and reset. The difference between these actions is that factory settings return your device to its original settings and update the iOS® system. An erase and reset clears data and keeps the same firmware version.

Restoring an iPhone From a Backup

You want to restore your iPhone from your last backup if you don't want to erase all your information. Doing this reverts your device to a former setting saved and stored in your iCloud® or computer.

This means your iPhone will have the settings and information from a specific point in time when you backed up your data either automatically or manually. After restoring from a backup, the iPhone installs the latest version of iOS software, if you haven't already performed this action.

Why Do I Have to Restore My iPhone?

Many users do not know when or why they might need to restore an iPhone. There are three primary reasons for doing so.

Troubleshooting Issues

If your iPhone is experiencing glitches or other issues, reverting your device to an old backup or factory settings can often help fix these concerns.

Consider restoring your iPhone if a problem occurs, such as:

Your device can benefit from different settings and preferences and will often work better after restoring it.

If you made a mistake and deleted something like an app or photo album that you wish to recover, restoring your iPhone can help fix this issue as well.

Be sure that the item you want to recover is saved in the backup beforehand to avoid reverting to a former version of your device unnecessarily.

To be safe, perform repair methods that do not delete data, like a soft or hard reset when an iPhone starts acting up. If turning your device off and on does not solve the issues, you may want to consider restoring it from an old iCloud backup.

Improving Performance and Clearing Data

Another reason you might want to restore an iPhone is to improve its performance or clear unwanted data. Having limited storage space can slow down a phone and leave users feeling frustrated.

Restoring should not be the first solution for clearing data. However, it is extremely useful when dealing with large amounts of unwanted material on your phone.

For example, instead of clearing thousands of images, you might want to back up and restore your phone to remove the data taking up too much space. This can save you the time to pick through each image individually and delete what you no longer wanted. Clear items like photos and apps regularly to reduce the need for a restore.

Selling and Recycling

Before selling or recycling a used iPhone, restoring the device to its factory settings is necessary. This erases private data you wouldn't want others to get ahold of, such as your contacts or photos.

Anytime you transfer ownership of an electronic, you should restore it to factory settings to improve security and make it easier for the next user.

When considering giving a used iPhone away, even to a close friend, it is best to clear your information for peace of mind and to maintain your privacy.

What to Do Before Restoring Your iPhone

Whether you're restoring to factory settings or from an old backup, you need to prepare your device to avoid losing important data.

Getting Your Device Ready to Restore to Factory Settings

Before reverting your iPhone to its factory settings, you will want to take some steps to prepare. It is important to save any data you wouldn't want to lose because this type of restore will erase all the information on your device.

Get your iPhone ready by ensuring it has the latest iOS software update, which will require a stable internet connection.

If you want to save your phone's current settings, you need to complete a backup before taking any further action. You can do this using either iCloud or your computer.

When your backup finishes, go into your iPhone's Settings application. From here, locate and tap on your name. This should open to more information about your Apple ID®. You will then scroll until you see an option for Find My.

In Find My, you will see the option to turn off Find My iPhone®. when you tap here, you will then see a screen with three toggle bars for:

Toggle the Find My iPhone bar to the off setting. It will then ask you to enter your Apple ID® password to shut off this feature successfully. Once this is complete, you can take the next steps to restore your iPhone to factory settings.

Getting Your Device Ready to Restore From a Backup

When restoring your device from an iCloud or computer backup, you can only complete this process through Apple's iOS Setup Assistant during the setup process.

Because of this, you have to erase the current content on your phone if you wish to revert it to an older version of itself. Keep this in mind and back up your device if there is data you want to keep.

Once you've successfully backed up your iPhone, you can start the process of clearing it out. Begin by going to Settings and then scrolling to General. Here you will find an option to Transfer or Reset iPhone. Choose this button. A new screen will appear with options at the bottom to Reset or Erase All Content and Settings.

Tap on Erase All Content and Settings. Your iPhone will power off and turn back on with a screen for further instruction for setting up the device. You must clear your phone before restoring it from any type of backup.

How to Restore Your iPhone

When you want to restore your iPhone, you need to know if you're going to restore to factory settings or from a backup. Then, decide whether you want to perform this action directly on the device from a computer.

How to Restore an iPhone to Factory Settings From Your Device

How to Restore an iPhone to Factory Settings From a Computer

How to Restore an iPhone From a Backup on iCloud

How to Restore an iPhone From a Backup on Your Computer

Frequently Asked Questions About Restoring an iPhone

Here are some of the common questions users have when going through the process of restoring an iPhone:

How Do I Restore Contacts on an iPhone?

If you are wondering how to restore contacts on an iPhone, it is important to remember that you cannot do this unless you saved the contacts to iCloud.

To restore contacts on an iPhone, sign in to iCloud.com. Choose your name on the top of the window and select Account Settings. Then, scroll until you see Restore Contacts.

Select Restore beside the backup you want to use. Confirm this action by choosing Restore again. You'll receive a notification and email from iCloud when you successfully get the contacts.

Why Won't My iPhone Restore?

An iPhone might not restore for several reasons. To fix this issue, you need to know why it is happening.

Some of the common reasons why your phone won't restore include:

If none of these reasons seem to explain why your device is still not restoring, consider taking it to a professional for a closer look.

How Long Does It Take to Restore an iPhone?

According to Apple, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to around one hour to restore an iPhone from an iCloud backup. Factors like Wi-Fi strength and available storage can change how long this process takes.

Sell Your Used Phone at an ecoATM Kiosk Near You

It is essential to know how to restore an iPhone, especially for users looking to sell or recycle their devices.

Sell Your Used Phone at an ecoATM Kiosk Near You

It is essential to know how to Factory Reset an iPhone, especially for users looking to sell or recycle their devices.

With ecoATM, you can sell your used phone to one of our 5,000 kiosks across the US to receive cash on the spot. Plus, you can enjoy the benefits of being environmentally sustainable by giving your iPhone the opportunity for a second life.

Interested in learning more? Find an ecoATM kiosk near you today!

ecoATM is not affiliated with nor has it been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple and its associated trademarks are property of Apple Inc. This article is for entertainment and information purposes only.