The reset and erase functions on iPhone offer different levels of restoring your device. Resetting your iPhone resets various settings like network settings, keyboard dictionary, location and privacy settings back to default. It does not delete any data or content. The erase function, officially called “Erase all content and settings”, deletes all of your personal data and content and restores the iPhone to factory default settings. Both can help fix issues with your iPhone, but erase completely resets it to a clean state.
What Does Reset Do?
Resetting an iPhone will restore certain settings back to their defaults while leaving the operating system and your data intact. According to Apple support, a reset will:
- Remove all settings for iOS and all installed apps
- Reset default app settings
- Clear Wi-Fi passwords and other network settings
- Remove paired Bluetooth devices
- Reset keyboard dictionary, wallpaper, and more
Importantly, resetting will not remove any data or content such as contacts, messages, photos, music, or downloads. It also won’t delete or revert any iOS software updates you have installed. Essentially, a reset will wipe settings while leaving your apps, data, and operating system intact.
What is Erased During a Reset
Resetting an iPhone will erase most of the data, settings, and accounts stored on the device, but keeps the current version of iOS installed. According to Apple Support, a reset will erase and restore these items to their factory default settings: [1]
- Settings like wallpaper, Control Center customizations, and app notifications
- Home screen layout and apps downloaded from the App Store
- Accounts like email, contacts, and calendars
- Privacy settings like location services and advertising permissions
- Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth connections, and other device connections
Importantly, resetting an iPhone does not erase the iOS operating system itself. The current version of iOS remains installed on the device.
What Does Erase All Content and Settings Do?
Erase All Content and Settings essentially reverts your iPhone back to factory settings and installs the latest iOS version, wiping all user data and settings in the process. According to Apple Support, “When you erase your iOS device, Find My iPhone and Activation Lock are turned off, so your device can activate and set up as new. Your device won’t be associated with your Apple ID anymore.”
Specifically, when you use the Erase All Content and Settings option, the following data and settings are removed from your iPhone:
- Downloaded apps
- App data
- Music
- Photos
- Contacts
- iMessages
- Settings and preferences
- Apple Pay information
In a nutshell, erasing all content and settings performs a complete reset of your iPhone, wiping all personalized information and returning it to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box.
What is Erased During Erase All Content and Settings
The Erase All Content and Settings option erases everything from the iPhone, including:
- All settings and preferences, restoring them to factory default
- Any downloaded or preinstalled apps and associated data
- Music, photos, videos, and other files stored on the device
- Contacts, calendars, notes, messages, call history
- Wi-Fi networks and passwords
- Home screen and app organization
- Notifications settings
- Location settings and history
- Apple ID info and stored passwords/credit cards for payments
- Siri voice data
Essentially, it resets the iPhone to its original factory state with no content or settings remaining. As Apple notes, this eliminates all traces of personal data and restores full privacy.
Key Differences Between Reset and Erase
There are some important differences between resetting and erasing all content and settings on an iPhone that users should be aware of:
A reset will reset your iPhone back to factory default settings, but keeps the current version of iOS installed. An erase will do a full factory reset and install the latest version of iOS, essentially giving you a brand new OS install. Resetting retains some data like Apple ID, Touch ID fingerprints, and some settings. Erasing removes everything, including all personal content, data, settings, and apps not synced to iCloud.
According to Gadgetmates, the main difference is that reset is for fixing issues or reverting settings, while erase is for completely removing all personal data and starting fresh with a blank slate.
In summary, resetting will revert your device to factory settings but keep your OS version and some data. Erasing will install a new OS version and wipe your device back to a brand new state.
When to Use Reset
Resetting your iPhone can be helpful for minor troubleshooting issues where you want to clear out some data and settings but keep your current iOS version and core apps. According to Apple Support, resetting your iPhone will “Return iPhone settings to their defaults” without doing a full erase. Some examples of when resetting can be useful include:
- Fixing minor software glitches like random crashing/freezing
- Resolving issues caused by a setting change
- Clearing out some temporary files/caches
- Removing some added apps/accounts without deleting everything
- Troubleshooting minor performance issues
- Preparing to sell or give away your device
Resetting lets you refresh your iPhone system without needing to completely erase everything and start over. It wipes all settings, erases some data and accounts, but keeps core apps, data, and the iOS version intact. Think of it as a “lighter” restore option compared to fully erasing.
When to Use Erase All
There are a few key situations when using Erase All Content and Settings is recommended on an iPhone:
- When selling or giving away your iPhone – Erasing all content and settings will wipe the device completely clean so no personal data or accounts remain on the phone.
- If there are major technical issues or glitches – Sometimes major software issues can be resolved by fully erasing the iPhone and doing a clean install of the latest iOS version.
- Wanting to start fresh with a clean install of the latest iOS – Doing an Erase All will wipe the device and install a fresh, clean version of the newest iOS software.
In summary, Erase All Content and Settings is best used when selling or passing along the iPhone to someone else, troubleshooting major technical issues, or wanting to completely clean the slate on the device and start fresh.
How to Reset an iPhone
There are a couple ways to reset an iPhone back to factory default settings:
Via Settings App
The easiest way is to reset the iPhone through the Settings app. Here are the steps:
- Open the Settings app and tap “General”.
- Tap “Reset”.
- Tap “Erase All Content and Settings”.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Tap “Erase Now” to confirm.
This will erase all content and settings on the iPhone, resetting it back to factory default settings. According to Apple Support, this resets settings, erases all content and data, and restores the iPhone to original factory settings (source).
Via iTunes Restore
You can also reset an iPhone by restoring it through iTunes on a computer. To do this:
- Connect the iPhone to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed.
- Open iTunes and select the iPhone.
- Click “Restore” to begin the process.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to restore the iPhone to factory settings.
This will install the latest iOS software version and erase all content and data from the iPhone.
How to Erase All Content and Settings
There are two main ways to erase all content and settings on an iPhone – via the Settings app or via iTunes restore.
To erase via the Settings app:
- Go to Settings > General > Reset
- Tap “Erase All Content and Settings”
- Enter your passcode if prompted
- Tap “Erase Now” to confirm and erase the iPhone
This will erase all data, settings, apps, photos, music, and other content from the iPhone and reset it to factory default settings. According to Apple support, this restores the iPhone to “like-new condition” [1].
You can also erase an iPhone by restoring it via iTunes on a computer. To do this:
- Connect the iPhone to a computer with iTunes installed
- In iTunes, select the iPhone and go to Summary > Restore iPhone
- Click “Restore” to confirm and erase the iPhone
This will install the latest iOS version and erase all content and settings, similarly to erasing via the Settings app. According to Apple, this method can be used if you forgot your passcode or the Erase option is not available under Settings [1].