Does Resetting iPhone Delete Everything? Here's the Answer

“Does resetting iPhone delete everything?” This is one of the questions we often see on Apple forums and it is possibly on your mind right now.

While resetting the iPhone is often recommended when the device doesn’t work properly, most people are afraid to do it because they think they will lose all data in the process. But resetting is really the only way you can solve some of the common issues on your iPhone, especially those caused by a faulty iOS system.

Does reset iPhone delete everything? Here you’ll find the exact answer. In this article, we are going to look at more details regarding resetting an iPhone, and hopefully help you decide when it is worth doing this and when you should consider other options.

Plus, if you lost important data after factory reset, you can find an effective way to get them back. Let’s begin.

Part 1. Does Reset iPhone Delete Everything

Reset iPhone is like the feature of ‘Erase All Content and Settings on iPhone’. After resetting the iPhone, you will never see the contacts, notes, messages, phone calls, apps, photos, etc that you saved on iPhone. Thus, reset iPhone will absolutely delete everything. That’s also the reason to backup with iTunes or iCloud before performing the factory reset.

Now, we can check the reset effects on iPhone individually.

Does Resetting iPhone Delete Personal Data?

YES. When you reset your iPhone, the iPhone will return to the original settings as a new one. That’s to say, all the personal data will be erased.

Does Reset iPhone Delete Factory Software

Factory software refers to the software that came with the iPhone when you bought it. So, basically things like camera, mail, phone, calendar and the like, otherwise known as stock apps. The factory reset will not delete these apps, everything else will be deleted except stock apps.

Does Resetting iPhone Delete Jailbreak Apps and Tweaks

Resetting your iPhone will remove all the jailbreak apps on the device as well as all tweaks. In fact, a reset will often undo a jailbreak and you’ll have to jailbreak the device again after the reset.

Does Resetting iPhone Delete Backups

The good news is that reset will not harm your iCloud backups since they are not on the iPhone. This is why it is often a good idea to back up all the data on iCloud/iTunes before resetting. This way, you can fix whatever problem the device was experiencing and then get all your data back by simply restoring the backup.

Part 2. How to Reset iPhone to Factory Settings

Having said all that, factory reset still remains one of the best ways to fix iOS related issues and here’s how to do it:

• Begin by opening the Settings on your iPhone.
• Tap on “General > Reset”.
• From the various reset options you see, select “Erase all Contents and Settings” and the tap “Erase iPhone” in the popup to confirm. You may need to enter your Apple ID password or passcode to complete the process. Tap “Erase” to confirm again.

The process will take a few minutes. When it is complete, the device will revert back to the welcome screen and you can restore the device from your iCloud or iTunes backup.

Part 3. What Does Different Reset Settings Mean

Besides to the factory reset feature we discuess in this article, there are still other 5 reset features. Let’s take a look at what these different types of reset mean, just to help you decide what kind of reset you need:

• Reset All Settings - Just as the name suggests, this is a way to reset all the settings on your iPhone and will not cause data loss.
• Erase All Content and Settings - This form of reset will erase everything on the iPhone. All your music, messages, emails, photos and even apps will be gone. It is also referred to a factory reset since it will reset the device back to its factory settings.
• Reset Network Settings - This will reset the network settings, meaning that all you saved username and passwords for your networks will be removed.
• Reset Keyboard Dictionary - This is the reset to use when your keyboard is acting up, like for example when the autocorrect is not working as it should.
• Reset Home Screen Layout - This reset action will reset the home screen to the default group of apps.
• Reset Location and Privacy - This reset action is the best way to factory reset the location and privacy settings on your iPhone and therefore it is the best way to fix any problems with privacy and location.

Part 4. How Do I Reset iPhone without Losing Everything

You may find that resetting will cause data loss and sometimes, you may not have backed up all the data on your iPhone before resetting. If this happens, you will need to rely on third-party data recovery tool to get back the lost data. The best tool to use is FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. This tool can easily and efficiently recover missing data from iPhone or iPad even if you don’t have a backup. Some of the features that make it the best solution include the following:

•         It supports the recovery of all types of data. Whether you lost contacts, messages, videos, music, notes, WhatsApp, the program can get them back.
•         It can also recover the data regardless of how it was lost in the first place including accidental deletion, factory reset, iOS update, jailbreak, water damage, software crash, or even device is lost or stolen.
•         It can also be used to retrieve data from an iCloud or iTunes backup without needing to restore the whole backup.
•         It supports all iOS devices and all iOS version, including the latest iPhone 13 and iOS 15.

Here’s how to recover lost data on your iPhone after factory reset:

Step 1: Begin by installing FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery software on to your computer. Click on “Recover Data from iOS Device” to select the recovery mode we need for this process.

Step 2: Connect the iPhone to the computer using USB cable and then click on 'Start'.

Step 3: The software will detect the connected iPhone and display the various types of data on the device. Select the data you want to recover and click “Start Scan”

Wait a few moments while the program scans the iPhone for the missing data. When the scan is complete, it will display the data on the next screen by categories.

Step 5: Here, preview and select the various types of data you would like to recover and then click “Recover to Device” or “Recover to Computer” to complete the process.

Conclusion

We hope the process of resetting your iPhone has become clear to you. Keep in mind that if you need a factory reset to repair any problems with the device, create a backup before doing it to prevent frustrating incidences of data loss. Otherwise, we welcome any questions or comments you may have on this and any other iOS related topics.

As a professional writer who is interested in technology, Edwin J. Parke has helped thousands of users by offering various tips to solve their problems.

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