Sometimes, your phone can become slow or buggy for whatever reason. You can often reboot your iPhone to resolve slow operations or minor bugs. Unfortunately, some issues require resetting your device to the original manufacturer settings.
You can force-restart your iPhone with the hardware keys when the touch screen is frozen. Soft resets are performed by turning off your device to resolve minor bugs. Factory resets, revert your device to the original manufacturer settings and wipe all personal data, apps, and settings.
Don’t panic if your iPhone is unresponsive, slow, or buggy. There are several solutions you can use that won’t cause data loss, and we cover them in the article below. Read on for more information.
Can You Reset Your iPhone?
Yes, it’s entirely possible to reset your iPhone. However, there are a few differences between restarting, soft resets, and factory resets. Each method has advantages, disadvantages, and best-use scenarios that we cover below.
Force-Restarting Your iPhone
Force-restarting your iPhone doesn’t cause any data loss. Force restarts allow you to use the hardware keys to reboot your iPhone when the touch screen is frozen or unresponsive. This option is useful when you encounter minor bugs or app issues.
Soft Resetting Your iPhone
Soft resetting your iPhone is done through the software and doesn’t cause any data loss. Soft resets are helpful when your device is running slowly or encountering minor app bugs, but the device is still responsive.
Factory Resetting Your iPhone
Factory resetting an iPhone is an entirely different option altogether and causes data loss. Factory resets revert your iPhone to the original condition when you first opened it.
This means you’ll lose all your content, settings, and personal information stored on the device. Factory resets are used as a last resort for software issues or before selling your device.
How to Reset Your iPhone
A factory reset reverts your iPhone to the original manufacturer settings and wipes all your photos, applications, settings, and personal information.
This method is typically used as a last resort for dealing with software issues or when you need to sell your device. So you’ll lose your data if you don’t complete a backup beforehand. Here are the steps:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Click General and select Transfer or Reset Device.
- Next, click Erase All Content and Settings.
- If prompted, provide your password or Apple ID information. Confirm that you wish to erase your iPhone.
- Finally, wait for your iPhone to finish erasing all data. Depending on the situation, this may take a few minutes to complete.
How to Soft Reset Your iPhone
The most straightforward method to soft reset your device is to turn it off. You won’t lose any data, and nothing will be deleted from your iPhone. Soft resets are helpful when your iPhone encounters minor bugs or issues, but it’s still responsive. Here are the steps to soft reset your iPhone:
- Click and hold the Sleep button and the Lower Volume button at the same time. If you have an iPhone X or newer, the Sleep button is located on the right side of the device.
- Use the slider to power off your device by swiping right.
- After the device shuts down and the screen goes black, click and hold the Sleep button until you see the Apple Logo appear.
If you have iOS 11 or newer installed, you can launch Settings > General > and go to the bottom of the screen to locate the Shut Down button. The slider will appear when you click Shut Down, allowing you to swipe right to turn off your device.
How to Force-Restart Your iPhone
You can use the hardware buttons to force restart your iPhone if the screen is unresponsive or you’re encountering app issues. There are different steps, depending on the model of your device, and we cover them below. Here are the steps for iOS 16:
- First, click and release the Volume Up button.
- Next, click and release the Volume Down button.
- Next, click and hold the Side button.
- Let go of the Side button when the Apple logo comes onto the screen.
We recommend restarting your phone every few weeks for the best performance.
How to Force-Restart Your iPhone 7
- Click and hold the Volume Down and Sleep/Wake keys simultaneously.
- When you see the Apple logo on the screen, let go of both buttons.
How to Force-Restart Your iPhone 6s or iPhone SE
- Click and hold the Sleep/Wake key and the Home key simultaneously.
- When you see the Apple logo on the screen, let go of both buttons.
What Do You Do When Resetting Doesn’t Work?
You can use a few different troubleshooting methods if resetting your device doesn’t work or you can’t remember your iPhone password. Here are a few options you can try.
Use Find My iPhone
Resetting your iPhone with Find My iPhone is straightforward, but there are a few steps to be aware of. Here are the steps:
- Access the Find My iPhone website and log in with your iCloud information.
- Type your Apple ID and passcode. Your iPhone passcode isn’t required, but you’ll still need your standard Apple information.
- Select your iPhone from the device options.
- Select Erase iPhone from the option list and confirm your choice.
Use iTunes
You can also use iTunes to reset your device, but you’ll need access to a computer. This method only works if you have previously synced your iPhone to iTunes. Here are the steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your PC and launch iTunes.
- Next, navigate to Summary with the left-hand menu.
- From the new menu, select Restore iPhone.
- Confirm your decision in the pop-up window and restore your device. The process can take a few minutes to complete.
This method provides access to your iPhone and all the data from your most recent backup.
Use Recovery Mode
You can use Recovery Mode to reset your iPhone if you have iTunes and a computer. Here are the steps:
- Launch iTunes and enter Recovery Mode on your iPhone.
- iPhone 8 or newer: Click and release the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons. Next, Click and hold the Power button until Recovery Mode appears on the screen.
- iPhone 7: Click and hold the Volume Down and Power keys until Recovery Mode appears on the screen.
- iPhone 6S or earlier: Click and hold Home and the Top or Side keys until Recovery Mode appears on the screen.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
- iTunes will prompt you with the option to Restore or Update your iPhone. Select Restore and wait for the process to finish.