Reset, Restart and Restore an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, or Fix a Crashed iDevice
Revision as of 15:26, 26 November 2016 by Kipkis (Kipkis | contribs) (importing article from wikihow)
If your iOS device is frozen or sluggish, restarting it may get it working properly again. If you are experiencing frequent issues, performing a factory reset or a restore may be more effective. Using the factory reset or restore methods will delete all of the data on your device, but you'll be able to load a backup to get it all back afterwards.
Contents
Steps
Restarting an iOS Device
- Press and hold the Power and Home buttons. If your iOS device is frozen or acting sluggish, restarting it will usually fix the problem. Press and hold both the Power and the Home buttons.
- On the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons instead.
- Hold both buttons until you see the Apple logo. At this point your device has successfully restarted, and your lock screen will appear after a few moments.
- Enter your passcode if you have one. When you restart your device, you'll be forced to enter your passcode before you can proceed if you have one enabled.
- Test out your device. Typically, restarting will fix most problems you were experiencing. If your device locks up again, it may be a specific app that is causing the problems. Consider removing newly-installed apps until your device is stable again.
Factory Resetting an iOS Device
- Connect your device to a power source and a Wi-Fi network. During this process, you'll be uploading a backup to iCloud as well as performing a factory reset. Both of these processes use a significant amount of battery, and problems can occur if your device runs out during the factory reset. Connecting to a Wi-Fi network will allow you to back up your device without using any mobile data.
- Open the Settings app. You can back up and reset your device from the Settings app. This will reset the device to its factory status, removing all of your data. After the reset is finished, you'll be able to restore your data from your iCloud backup.
- Select "iCloud." You'll want to back up your device to iCloud before you reset it. This will allow you to quickly restore your data after resetting.
- Make sure you're signed in with the correct Apple ID. You'll need to be signed in with the same account you intend to sign in with after resetting. This will allow you to download your iCloud backup to the reset device. If a different Apple ID is signed in, tap it and tap "Sign Out," then sign in with your Apple ID.
- Tap "Backup" in the iCloud menu. This will open the iCloud Backup settings.
- Toggle "iCloud Backup" on if it isn't. This will enable the backup service.
- Tap "Back Up Now." This will begin backing up your device. This may take a while, especially if you have a slower internet connection. You can monitor the progress below the "Back Up Now" button.
- You'll be restoring this backup after performing the factory reset, which will erase all of the data on your iOS device.
- Note that content synced from iTunes, such as music and videos, will not be backed up and will need to be synced again after resetting. Content purchased from the iTunes Store or the App Store will be available to download again from the respective stores.
- Return to the Settings menu and select "General." After the back up is complete, you can start the reset process from the General menu.
- Scroll to the bottom and select "Reset." This will open the Reset menu.
- Select "Erase All Content and Settings" and follow the prompts. You'll be asked to enter your passcode to confirm that you want to proceed. If you have a Restrictions passcode, you'll need to enter it as well. All of the data on your iOS device will be deleted, but you'll be able to restore using your iCloud backup.
- Wait for your device to reset. Your device will restart and the reset process will begin. The reset process may take 20 minutes or so to complete. You'll see a progress bar underneath the Apple logo.
- Start the setup process. After your device finishes resetting, you'll be taken through the setup process as if the device were brand new. During this process you'll sign in with your Apple ID and set your device's network and locations settings.
- Choose to restore your backup from iCloud. During the setup process, you'll be given the option to restore your iOS device from a backup. Select "iCloud" to connect to iCloud and download the backup you created at the beginning of this method.
- Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID to access the backup.
- Download your apps again from the App Store. You can find all of your previous purchased and free apps in the App Store. Open it and tap the "Updates" tab, then tap "Purchased." You can then tap "Not on This Device" and then tap the download button for any app you want to download again.
Restoring an iOS Device
- Connect your iOS device to your computer. If your iOS device is not responding or is performing erratically, performing a restore may help solve the problem. You'll need to use a computer with iTunes installed.
- This method will erase all of the data on your iOS device. If the device is not responding, you won't be able to create a backup and will need to set up your device as new afterwards.
- Disable "Find My iPhone" on your device. This location service will need to be disabled before you can start the restore process.
- Open the Settings app and select "iCloud."
- Toggle "Find My iPhone" off.
- Open iTunes. If you don't have iTunes installed, you can download it from www.apple.com/itunes/download/
- Select your iOS device at the top of the iTunes window. You'll see it appear next to the media buttons in the top-left corner.
- If your iOS device is not appearing, it may need to be put into Recovery Mode first. To do this, unplug the device from your computer and turn it completely off. Press and hold the Home button, then plug it back in while continuing to hold Home. Release the Home button when the iTunes logo appears on the screen. See Put an iPod or iPhone into Recovery Mode for details.
- Click "Back Up Now" in the Summary screen. This will create a full backup of your device before you restore it. This is not available if you had to put your device into Recovery Mode.
- The back up process may take a few minutes to complete. The backup will be saved to your computer, and you can monitor the progress at the top of the window.
- Click the "Restore iOS Device" button. This button can be found in the top section of the Summary screen for your device. It will be different depending on your device. For example, if you are using an iPhone it will say "Restore iPhone."
- You'll be prompted to back up your device, which you should do if you skipped it earlier.
- Wait for your device to restore. You can monitor the progress in the iTunes window and on your device's screen. Make sure that you don't disconnect your iOS device from your computer while it is being restored.
- Click "Continue" if prompted by iTunes. This will be displayed if your iPhone is unlocked, and the unlock is processed after the reset. Not all devices will display this screen.
- Select whether to load your backup or set as new. In iTunes, you'll be given two options. You can set up the device as if it were new, or you can restore the backup you created earlier. If you weren't able to back up the device, you'll see your most recent backup listed.
- If you select to restore from a backup, you'll need to wait a few moments while it is loaded on your device. Your device will then restart and apply the backup, which will take a while. Make sure you leave your device connected to your computer during the whole process.
- Start using your device. After the restore process is complete, you'll be taken to your device's Home screen. You'll be prompted to create a passcode for the device, which is highly recommended for security reasons.
- Wait while your apps download. The apps that were previously on your device will begin downloading automatically. Three apps will download at a time, so it may take a while to redownload a large app library.
