How To Reset A Disabled iPhone: The Quick & Easy Guide!

If the data on your iPhone gets erased, you can restore it if you have the data backed up on iTunes.

1. Open iTunes on your computer.
2. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a Lightning cable (charging cable).
3. Select your iPhone when it shows up in iTunes.
4. In iTunes under Backups, select Restore Backup…
5. From the list of backups, select the one you want to use.
6. Make sure the iPhone name is correct and click Restore.
7. If your backup is encrypted, you’ll be prompted to enter the password.
8. Keep your iPhone plugged into your computer while the backup loads and while your iPhone reboots.
9. When your iPhone has fully restarted, the backed up data has fully restored onto your iPhone and you can unplug your iPhone from your computer.

If the data on your iPhone ever gets deleted, or if you have to perform a DFU restore on your iPhone, you can recover and restore the data from an iCloud backup if you have previously backed up the data.

1. Make sure your iPhone is not plugged into your computer.
2. During the iPhone set up process, select Restore from iCloud Backup when promoted on the Apps & Data screen.
3. Sign into iCloud.
4. Select Choose Backup.
5. From the list of backups, choose the one you want to use to restore data on your iPhone.

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone SE, 6s, Or Older

1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
3. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously.
4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the Home button.
5. Let go of the power button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
6. Your iPhone’s display will be completely black if you’ve successfully entered DFU mode. If it’s not, try again from the beginning.
7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 7 Or 7 Plus

1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
3. Press and hold the power and volume down button simultaneously.
4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
5. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
6. You’ll know your iPhone is in DFU mode if the display is completely black.
7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 8 Or Newer

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a charging cable.
2. Open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer).
3. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
4. Quickly press and release the volume down button.
5. Press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
6. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to press and hold the side button.
7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
8. After five seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button.
9. Keep holding the volume down button until your iPhone appears in Finder or iTunes.
10. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.