How to reset iphone to set up as new

Buying a new phone can be exciting, especially if you got the iPhone 13, iPhone 12 or one of the great Android phones available right now. But before you can celebrate, you'll have to take care of that old iPhone first. If it's still in working order, there are several options to consider. You can trade it in to save some cash, sell it to a random stranger, or repurpose it. However, there's still some work that needs to be done before you sell or trade in your old iPhone. 

Read more: Here's how to get the new iPhone 13 for a fraction of the price

Before you can even begin to think about giving your phone to someone else, you need to take some time to wipe and reset it to factory settings. Doing so will ensure that nobody has access to the treasure trove of personal information we all keep on our phones. Below, I'll walk you through steps you need to take before resetting your phone, and I'll show you the reset process.

Stop! You need to back up your iPhone before doing anything else

Before you reset your iPhone, create a backup that you can use to set up your new iPhone, and which you can return to if you're missing contacts or photos on your new phone. You can back up your iPhone by connecting it to your Mac and following these steps, or use iTunes on a PC to back it up. 

Alternatively, you can use iCloud to back up your phone by going to Settings > tap on your name at the top of the page > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back up now. This backup method can take a while, depending on how long it's been since you've backed up your phone, but it's dead simple. 

Just make sure to keep your phone connected to a Wi-Fi network and on a charger to prevent the backup from draining the battery. 

How to reset iphone to set up as new

Back up your iPhone before doing anything else. 

Patrick Holland/CNET

After the backup is complete, here are a few more things you should do:

  • Sign out of all apps and services. It's time-consuming but worth the effort to go through each app and service you're signed into and log out.
  • Remove any email, contacts or calendar accounts from your device in Settings > Mail/Contacts/Calendar > Accounts
  • If you haven't already, remove your SIM card. If your new phone came with a new SIM card, destroy your old one and throw it away. If you've been using an eSIM, make sure you remove or deactivate it
How to reset iphone to set up as new

Resetting your iPhone only takes a few taps. 

Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

All right, now you can reset your iPhone

With your phone backed up and all of your accounts removed, factory reset it by opening the Settings app. Then tap General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings and confirm your decision. You'll be asked to enter your phone's PIN code, followed by your Apple ID password to turn off Apple's Find My service.

After entering your password, the screen will go dark and the Apple logo along with a progress bar will show up. A few minutes later, you'll be greeted with a screen with "Hello" in different languages flashing on it, indicating the reset was a success. 

With your phone now wiped and ready for a new owner, you can send it on its way with peace of mind that your information is no longer on your phone. 

As for your new phone, here are 15 settings you should change right away, along with some hidden features in iOS 14 that are worth checking out. You can also check out Apple's new operating system, iOS 15. Still trying to figure out what to do with your old phone? Give these ideas some thought.

If you have an iPhone, you know your data is super safe as long as you have a passcode set. This is fantastic news if you lose your device, but the problems arise the second you're the one who forgets their passcode, and they're suddenly locked out of using the phone at all.

So, if you've wondered how to get into a locked iPhone without the password, know that resetting it to factory settings is an option.

Under such circumstances, the only way to move forward is to factory reset your phone and set it all up again. Thankfully, there are a few ways to reset an iPhone without having access to the passcode.

Method 1: PassFab iPhone Unlocker

PassFab iPhone Unlocker is an excellent iPhone unlocker with a user-friendly interface and many features. For instance, it can unlock a locked or disabled iOS device and one with a broken screen. This works whether we're talking about iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touch.

PassFab allows users to reset iOS devices even if they forgot your passcode or Apple ID, which is pretty awesome for all those who manage to turn their devices into bricks because passcodes are too hard to remember.

Even better, this tool works even with the latest iOS 16 beta version.

PassFab will work if you forgot your passcode, the device is disabled, Face and/or Touch ID can't be recognized, or your screen is too broken to enter a passcode.

How to Factory Reset iPhone Without Password with PassFab

Performing an iPhone factory reset without a password on your iPhone usually requires filling in the passcode. If you've forgotten it or the screen is too broken to be able to input it, then you're clearly going to be unable to fill in the code. Therefore, our first step is to remove the screen lock.

First, ensure that you have PassFab installed on your computer. You'll need the full version as the free trial won't allow you to actually reset your iDevice.

  1. Launch PassFab and choose between the four main features displayed on the screen. Choose Unlock iOS Screen and click Start.
  2. Connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer running PassFab. Click Next once the device is detected.

    PassFab iPhone Unlocker-2

  3. Download and save the firmware package. This will take a few minutes, depending on your internet speed. Just so you know, you'll need about 7GB of storage space to download the firmware package.
  4. Once the download is complete, click on the Start Remove button on the screen.
  5. Once the process is complete, you'll be able to open the device without a passcode.
  6. PassFab iPhone Unlocker-3

    The next phase is super easy. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. Then, go ahead and tap on Erase All Content and Settings.

Method 2: Find My iPhone

If you want to reset an iPhone without a password via Find My iPhone, you'll find it's not the hardest thing to do, but it does require a few steps. Here's what you have to do.

How to Factory Reset iPhone Without Password With Find My iPhone

  1. Log into the Find My iPhone site via your iCloud account.

    PassFab-iPhone-Unlocker-4-1

  2. Enter your Apple ID and the account password. You won't need your iPhone passcode, but access to your regular Apple account is still mandatory.
  3. Choose your iPhone from the device list.
  4. Click on the Erase iPhone option and confirm the decision.

    PassFab iPhone Unlocker-5

    PassFab iPhone Unlocker-6

That's it. You'll now be able to access your device and create a new passcode.

Method 3: iTunes

Resetting your iPhone can also be done with your computer and access to iTunes. This will only work if you've previously synced your device to iTunes!

How to Reset iPhone Without Password with iTunes

  1. Plug in your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes. Go to Summary from the left-side menu.
  2. In the new menu, find the Restore iPhone option and click on it. Confirm your choice in the new window and restore your iPhone. This will take a while.
  3. This will give you access to your iPhone and all the information you had on it before the most recent backup.

Method 4: Recovery Mode

If you've wondered how to factory reset an iPhone quickly, know that there's another way you can do this if you've forgotten your passcode. You're going to need iTunes on your computer and to lock your iPhone in recovery mode.

How to Factory Reset Your iPhone Without a Password with Recovery Mode

  1. First, you'll need to launch iTunes and enter recovery mode.
    1. iPhone 8 or later: Quickly press and release Volume Up button > Do the same with the Volume Down button > Press and hold the Power button until the recovery mode screen appears.
    2. iPhone 7: Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power button until the recovery mode screen appears.
    3. iPhone 6S and earlier: Press and hold Home and Top or Side buttons until recovery mode screen appears.
  2. Connect the device to your computer via USB cable.
  3. A prompt will appear in iTunes, giving you the option to Restore or Update your device. Choose Restore.

PassFab iPhone Unlocker does an incredible job of allowing anyone to factory reset an iPhone without a password. PassFab iPhone Unlocker is the top method for iPhone factory reset without password, and we also recommend how to factory reset iPhone with iTunes or iCloud. Choose the best method to fix your issues.

Please keep in mind that running an iPhone factory reset without password will remove all the information you have on your device, from messages to photos, contacts, and so on.

Resetting an iPhone to factory settings without a passcode is not ideal since you can't run any data backups, but it can be what saves you from a lot of trouble down the road.

How do I restore IOS and set up as new phone?

Restore your device from an iCloud backup.
Turn on your device. ... .
Follow the onscreen setup steps until you reach the Apps & Data screen, then tap Restore from iCloud Backup..
Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID..
Choose a backup. ... .
When asked, sign in with your Apple ID to restore your apps and purchases..

What does set up iPhone as new mean?

Set up as a new device won't change any data on the iPhone, it is simply the alternate choice to restoring from a backup, which you won't want to do on a new computer. If your phone has never been synced with another library then set up as a new iPhone is all you need to do.