How to Factory Reset iPhone (iOS 27): Every Method Explained

A factory reset wipes your iPhone back to the state it was in when it left the box. People usually do it before selling the phone, to fix a problem nothing else solved, or after forgetting the passcode.

The process takes a few minutes, but the order of steps matters. If you skip the backup, your photos and messages are gone for good. If you skip signing out, the next owner may be stuck with a phone they can't activate. This guide follows Apple's current support pages, checked on November 8, 2026, when iOS 27.2 was the latest iPhone software (Apple security releases).

Short answer: go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, tap Continue, enter your passcode and Apple Account password, and wait for the Hello screen. Back up first. If you're locked out, tap Forgot Passcode? on the iPhone Unavailable screen, or use recovery mode with a computer. The steps are the same on every iPhone that runs iOS 27, from iPhone 11 to iPhone 17.

Which factory reset method should you use?

There are four ways to erase an iPhone. They all end at the same Hello screen, but each one fits a different situation. Pick the row that matches yours, then jump to that section.

Two things are true no matter which row you pick. First, the erase is permanent: anything that isn't in a backup or in iCloud is gone. Second, if Find My was on, Activation Lock still asks for the Apple Account password when the phone is set up again. That's by design, and it's why no legitimate method lets you skip the Apple Account password.

If all you need is to fix a frozen screen, you don't need any of these. A force restart deletes nothing; see how to hard reset iPhone.

Before you start: a 5-minute checklist

Run through this list before you erase anything. Each step takes a minute or two, and skipping one is the most common reason a reset goes wrong.

1. Back up to iCloud or a computer (details below) and check the backup date.
2. Know your Apple Account password. You need it during the erase and again at setup. If you're unsure, change your Apple ID password now, while you can still get codes on this phone.
3. Check your trusted phone number. If your number is changing with a new phone, Apple says to add another trusted number to your account first so you don't lose access.
4. Unpair your Apple Watch if you have one. Apple's factory reset page says to unpair it if you also need to erase the watch.
5. Decide on your eSIM: keep it if you're keeping the phone, delete it if the phone is leaving your hands.
6. Write down your Wi-Fi password so you can get back online at setup.

Back up your iPhone

A reset erases everything stored on the phone: photos, messages, apps, saved passwords, and any cards in Apple Pay. Apple notes that your iCloud content isn't deleted when you erase the device, but anything that only lives on the phone is.

You have two ways to back up your iPhone before a reset:

• iCloud: Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Stay on Wi-Fi until it finishes. You'll need the Wi-Fi password again after the reset, so find your WiFi password first if you don't know it.
• A computer: connect the iPhone to a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC (the Apple Devices app) and choose Back Up Now.

Apple's backup guide covers both options. Check the date of the latest backup before moving on. If you're resetting with a Mac, it can help to capture your current settings first; here's how to screenshot on Mac.

Selling, giving away or trading in? Do these too

Apple's checklist for selling or trading in an iPhone adds a few steps:

• Unpair your Apple Watch if you use one.
• Cancel or transfer your AppleCare plan if you have one.
• Trading in? Check Settings > General > About > Parts and Service History (it only appears if the phone has been repaired). If a part says Finish Repair, Apple says you have to finish that repair before you can trade the phone in.
• Sign out of your Apple Account (Settings > [your name] > Sign Out). On iOS 26 and later you're asked to choose Erase this iPhone or Sign Out But Don't Erase.
• If you're moving to Android, deregister iMessage so texts reach your new phone.
• When the reset asks about your eSIM, choose to erase it too. Apple recommends this when you sell a phone that uses eSIM.
• Remove the old iPhone from your list of trusted devices afterward.

Trading in at an Apple Store? Know your Apple Account password before you go. Apple notes that with Stolen Device Protection on, changing your password at the store is likely to trigger a one-hour security delay.

How to factory reset iPhone from Settings

This is the standard method, and the one most people need. Apple calls it Erase All Content and Settings:

1. Open Settings and tap General.
2. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
3. Tap Erase All Content and Settings, then Continue.
4. Choose whether to keep or delete your eSIM. If you delete it, you'll need your carrier to reactivate your plan.
5. Enter your device passcode.
6. Wait for the iCloud backup to finish if one starts.
7. Enter your Apple Account password. This turns off Find My and Activation Lock.
8. Wait for the reset. When you see the Hello screen, it's done.

These steps match Apple's factory reset guide. If you're handing the phone to someone else, stop at the Hello screen and let them set it up.

Keep or delete your eSIM?

Step 4 asks what to do with your eSIM. Keep it if you're keeping the phone and want your number to work straight after the reset. Delete it if you're selling, trading in or giving the phone away; otherwise you'd need your carrier to move the plan later. If you delete it by mistake, contact your carrier to reactivate your plan.

Using a physical SIM? Nothing to choose; just pop the SIM out before you hand the phone over.

Reset All Settings vs Erase All Content and Settings

Both live under Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, and they do very different things (Apple's iPhone guide):

Option	What it does	Deletes photos and apps?
Reset > Reset All Settings	Returns settings (Wi-Fi networks, keyboard dictionary, location and privacy settings, Apple Pay cards) to defaults	No
Reset > Reset Network Settings	Removes saved Wi-Fi networks and VPN settings; fixes many connection problems	No
Erase All Content and Settings	A true factory reset: wipes everything on the phone	Yes

If your iPhone is just buggy and you want to keep your stuff, try Reset All Settings first.

How to factory reset iPhone using a computer

Use a computer if the phone won't start properly, an update failed, or you can't reach Settings. This uses recovery mode and erases everything on the device.

You'll need a Mac or Windows PC, a cable that charges your phone, an internet connection, and up to an hour.

1. Turn the iPhone off.
2. Connect the cable to your computer, then to the iPhone, and immediately hold the right button. On Face ID models and iPhone 8 or later, hold the side button. On iPhone 7, hold Volume down. On iPhone 6s and earlier, hold the Home button.
3. Keep holding past the Apple logo until you see an image of a computer and a cable.
4. On a Mac, open Finder and select the iPhone in the sidebar. On Windows, open the Apple Devices app, select the iPhone, then select General.
5. Choose Restore (on a Mac, when offered Restore or Update) and follow the onscreen steps.

If the download takes more than 15 minutes and the phone leaves recovery mode, let the download finish and start recovery mode again. Full details are on Apple's page on resetting an iPhone with a computer.

Can you factory reset an iPhone with buttons only?

No. There's no button combination that erases an iPhone on its own. Buttons can do two things:

• Force restart (on iPhone 8 and later: press and release Volume up, press and release Volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears). This only restarts the phone and deletes nothing. See how to hard reset iPhone.
• Enter recovery mode, which then needs a Mac or Windows PC to do the actual erase (the computer method above).

If you're locked out and have no computer, use the Forgot Passcode? option on the lock screen instead (below). It erases the phone without any buttons or cables.

Which button to hold, by model

iPhone model	Recovery mode button
iPhone X, XS, XR, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16e, 17, iPhone Air and other Face ID models	Side button
iPhone 8, 8 Plus, SE (2nd and 3rd generation)	Side button
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus	Volume down
iPhone 6s and earlier, SE (1st generation)	Home button

The Settings steps for Erase All Content and Settings are identical on all of these, so "how to factory reset iPhone 13" and "iPhone 16" have the same answer.

Factory reset iPhone without password (passcode)

This section is for owners who forgot their own passcode. Every method below still needs your Apple Account password afterward, which is the point: it stops a stolen phone from being reused.

Option 1: Passcode Reset (changed it recently)

On iOS 17 or later, if you changed your passcode in the last 72 hours, you can tap Forgot Passcode? on the iPhone Unavailable screen and choose Enter Previous Passcode. You get back in without erasing anything. See Apple's Passcode Reset page.

Option 2: Reset from the iPhone Unavailable screen

If that doesn't apply, you can erase the phone without a computer. You need iOS 15.2 or later, Find My turned on, a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, and your Apple Account password.

1. Enter the wrong passcode until the iPhone Unavailable or Security Lockout screen appears.
2. Tap Forgot Passcode? (on iOS 15.2 and 16 the button says Erase iPhone).
3. Tap Start iPhone Reset.
4. Enter your Apple Account password to sign out.
5. Tap Erase iPhone, then set the phone up again and restore from a backup. On iOS 17 or later you can choose to keep or delete your eSIM here too.

The Forgot Passcode? button only shows up if the phone is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular and Find My is on. If you don't see it, use the computer method.

Apple's steps are on its page about resetting without a computer.

Option 3: Recovery mode

If the button doesn't appear, use the computer method above. It works when you're locked out too.

Option 4: Erase it remotely from iCloud.com

If the phone is lost, stolen, or already with someone else, you can erase it from any browser with Find Devices. It works only if Find My was turned on.

1. Go to icloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account.
2. Select the iPhone in your list of devices.
3. Select Erase This Device and follow the onscreen steps. You can add a phone number or message that will show on the lock screen.

If the phone is online, the erase starts right away. If it's offline, it starts the next time it connects, and until then you can cancel with Stop Erase Request. Apple sends a confirmation email, and Activation Lock stays on afterward, so a thief still can't activate it. Steps are from Apple's guide to erasing a device in Find Devices.

If you've sold the phone and forgot to wipe it, Apple suggests first asking the new owner to erase it from Settings, then removing it from your trusted devices and changing your Apple Account password.

What about Activation Lock?

Activation Lock turns on automatically with Find My. After any reset, the phone asks for the Apple Account that was signed in. Without that password, the phone can't be activated, even after a clean erase. If you've forgotten your Apple Account password, reset it through Apple first. To switch it off before a reset, see how to turn off Find My iPhone. If you bought a used iPhone that shows "iPhone Locked to Owner," only the previous owner can remove it from their account.

Factory reset problems and fixes

Most resets finish without a hitch. When one doesn't, it's usually one of these:

The recovery-mode fixes above come from Apple's guide on what to do if you can't update or restore your iPhone. The management restriction is listed in Apple's restrictions for supervised devices: an organization can stop users from erasing the device and resetting it to factory defaults. If your iPhone came from work or school, check with them before trying recovery mode.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Erasing before the backup finishes. Step 6 of the Settings method waits for an iCloud backup. Let it complete rather than skipping it.
• Choosing Reset All Settings by accident. It sits right above the erase option and keeps your data. Fine for fixing glitches, but it doesn't prepare a phone for sale.
• Deleting your eSIM when you're keeping the phone. You'd have to contact your carrier to get your plan working again.
• Selling without removing Activation Lock. The buyer will hit "iPhone Locked to Owner" and can't use the phone until you remove it.
• Restoring an old backup to fix a problem. If the trouble started recently, a backup from before then (or setting up as new) is a cleaner start.

After the reset

Keeping the phone? Follow the setup screens and choose From iCloud Backup, or restore from your computer. Your blocked numbers are tied to your Apple Account, so they come back when you sign in; if spam calls start again on a fresh setup, here's how to block a number on iPhone. Selling it? Leave it on the Hello screen. A phone reset doesn't sign you out of a smart TV, so if you're moving out or handing over a TV as well, here's how to log out of Netflix on TV.

A reset also clears cached data, but if a slow phone is your only problem, try the lighter fix in our guide on how to clear cache on iPhone first, or free up space by learning how to delete apps on iPhone.

Want to keep a record of your settings first? Here's how to screenshot on iPhone. If your AirPods were paired to this phone, reset your AirPods before pairing them with a new device.

Leaving social media too? Here's how to delete Facebook account data permanently, with deactivate vs delete explained, and how to delete a Twitter (X) account if you're closing that one as well.

Before you erase, make sure you know your Apple Account password. If not, see how to change Apple ID password.

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