A factory reset removes almost everything from your iPhone, but not always permanently

A factory reset — called Erase All Content and Settings on iPhones — deletes your photos, messages, apps, contacts, and settings. It wipes the device back to the state it was in when it left the factory. However, data you backed up to iCloud before the reset remains in your iCloud account and can be restored afterward. Data stored only on the phone itself, with no backup, is gone.

The reset process takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on how much data is on the phone. Once it completes, the iPhone shows the setup screen as if it were brand new. You can then sign back in with your Apple ID and restore from a backup, or set it up as a new device.

Key Takeaways

  • Erase All Content and Settings removes photos, messages, apps, contacts, calendars, and settings from your iPhone permanently.
  • Anything backed up to iCloud before the reset — including photos, messages, and app data — stays in your iCloud account and can be restored.
  • Data stored only on the phone with no iCloud backup is deleted and cannot be recovered through normal means.
  • You can restore from an iCloud or computer backup immediately after the reset, or set up the phone as new and add data later.

What gets deleted during a factory reset

When you choose Erase All Content and Settings, the iPhone removes these items: all photos and videos stored on the device, text messages and iMessage conversations, email accounts and cached messages, contacts, calendars and reminders, notes and voice memos, app data and app settings, Wi-Fi passwords, Face ID or Touch ID settings, and your custom home screen layout.

The phone also clears your browsing history, saved passwords in Safari, and any files stored in the Files app. Downloaded music, podcasts, and books are removed. Your Apple ID remains associated with the phone until you sign out during setup, which prevents someone else from using it without your password.

What stays in iCloud and can be restored

Before you reset, your iPhone automatically backs up to iCloud if you have iCloud Backup turned on — you can check this in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup. This backup includes photos (if iCloud Photos is on), messages, app data, contacts, calendars, reminders, notes, voice memos, and settings. After the reset, you can sign in with your Apple ID and choose to restore from that backup, and all this data returns to the phone.

iCloud also stores your email, calendar, contacts, and notes separately from the backup, so these sync back automatically when you sign in. Photos in iCloud Photos remain in your iCloud account even after the reset and can be downloaded back to the phone. The key difference is that iCloud backup is automatic only if you turned it on; if you never enabled it, nothing was backed up.

How to check what's backed up before you reset

Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then iCloud. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup. If the toggle is green, backups are on. Tap Back Up Now to create a fresh backup immediately before resetting. You can also see how much iCloud storage you have used and whether the backup fits — if you are over your storage limit, the backup may be incomplete.

To see what is included in your backup without resetting, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and look at each category: Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, and so on. Each one shows whether it is syncing to iCloud. Apps with their data are backed up automatically if iCloud Backup is on, but you can also check which apps have iCloud data by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups and tapping your device name.

Steps to reset your iPhone safely

Before you reset, back up to iCloud by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Wait for the backup to finish — this can take several minutes if you have a lot of data. You can also plug the phone into a computer and back up to iTunes or Finder if you prefer a local backup instead of iCloud.

Once the backup is done, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. The phone will ask for your Apple ID password to confirm you own it — this is a security feature. Enter your password, then choose whether to keep or remove your Apple ID account from the phone. Select Erase, and the process begins. Do not turn off the phone or disconnect it during the reset.

After the reset completes and the setup screen appears, sign in with your Apple ID. When prompted, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and select the backup you just created. The phone will download your data from iCloud and restore it — this can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on the size of your backup and your internet speed. Keep the phone plugged in and on Wi-Fi during this process.

Data that cannot be recovered after a reset

If you did not back up to iCloud or a computer before resetting, photos, messages, notes, and app data stored only on the phone are gone. The iPhone does not keep a second copy anywhere. Some data — like deleted text messages or photos you removed from Recently Deleted — cannot be recovered even with a backup, because the backup only contains data that existed when the backup was made.

Third-party apps may store data in their own cloud services (like Google Drive, Dropbox, or a banking app's server) rather than in iCloud. This data is not affected by the reset and will still be there when you sign back into the app. However, app settings and cached data stored only on the phone are lost. If you are unsure whether an app backs up its data, check the app's settings or support page before resetting.

Restoring from backup versus setting up as new

After a reset, you have two choices: restore from a backup or set up as a new device. Restoring from backup returns everything to how it was before the reset, including any problems — if malware or a buggy app caused issues, restoring may bring those problems back. Setting up as new gives you a clean start; you can then download apps fresh from the App Store and sign into accounts one at a time.

Many people reset to fix performance problems, so setting up as new is often the better choice in those cases. You can still access your photos, messages, and other data through iCloud.com or by signing into individual apps, even if you do not restore the full backup to the phone. This hybrid approach lets you keep the phone clean while still reaching your data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover data after I have already reset my iPhone?

If you backed up to iCloud before the reset, you can restore that backup by going through setup again and choosing Restore from iCloud Backup. If you did not back up, data stored only on the phone cannot be recovered through normal means. Some data recovery services claim to retrieve deleted data, but they are expensive and success is not may provide.

Does resetting an iPhone remove it from my Apple ID account?

No. The reset clears the phone, but your Apple ID remains linked to it until you sign out during setup. This is intentional — it prevents someone else from using the phone without your password. If you are selling or giving away the phone, you must sign out of your Apple ID during setup or remove the phone from your account on iCloud.com beforehand.

Will a reset fix performance problems or remove viruses?

A reset removes malware and buggy apps that might be slowing the phone down, but only if you set it up as new rather than restoring from backup. If you restore from the same backup, any problematic apps or malware return with it. To truly clean the phone, set it up as new and download apps fresh from the App Store.

What if I do not have enough iCloud storage for a backup?

If your backup is larger than your available iCloud storage, the backup will not complete. You can buy more iCloud storage (50 GB, 200 GB, or 2 TB plans are available), delete old backups from other devices, or back up to a computer using iTunes or Finder instead. To delete old backups, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.

Can I reset just part of my iPhone instead of everything?

No. Erase All Content and Settings is an all-or-nothing action. However, you can reset individual settings without erasing data: go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset and choose Reset All Settings, Reset Network Settings, or Reset Keyboard Dictionary. These options clear settings only, not your photos, messages, or apps.