Erase iPhone

Erase iPhone

You can securely erase your personal information, content, and settings (such as privacy and network settings) from your iPhone. When you erase your iPhone, it’s restored to factory settings. If you want to reset your iPhone settings but keep your personal content, see Reset iPhone settings to their defaults.

Before you begin

Back up your iPhone so you can restore your data later on a different device.

Erase iPhone using Settings

  1. Go to Settings  > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.

  2. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.

  3. If asked, enter your iPhone passcode or Apple Account password.

  4. Tap Continue to confirm.

    If you have an eSIM, you can choose to erase your eSIM or keep it. If you erase your eSIM, you need to contact your carrier to reactivate your cellular plan.

Erase iPhone using your Mac or Windows device

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB or USB-C cable.

  2. On your Mac, click to open a Finder window, or open the Apple Devices app on your Windows device.

    If your Mac is using macOS 10.14 or earlier, or your Windows device doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, open iTunes instead.

  3. Click the iPhone icon in the Finder sidebar (below Locations), then click General at the top of the window.

  4. Click Restore iPhone, then click Restore to confirm.

    Note: If you’re signed in to Find My, you need to sign out before you can click Restore.

For troubleshooting, see the Apple Support article, Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings.

Sign out of iCloud on your devices

Sign out on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.

  2. Scroll down to the bottom.

  3. Tap Sign Out.

  4. Enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off. Forgot your Apple Account password?

  5. Turn on the data that you want to keep a copy of on your device.

  6. Tap Sign Out.

  7. Tap Sign Out again to confirm that you want to sign out of iCloud.

What happens when you sign out of iCloud on your device

You can sign out of iCloud to stop using iCloud and its related services on your device. These services are listed below. Before signing out, make sure that you’re comfortable having these services turned off. If you only want to stop using some iCloud features, you can change your iCloud settings instead of signing out of iCloud.

  • Apple Pay, Apple Cash, and Apple Card1

  • Find My

  • Game Center

  • Home app to control your HomeKit devices

  • iCloud Backup

  • iCloud Drive

  • iCloud Keychain

  • iCloud Mail

  • iCloud Notes

  • iCloud Photos

  • iCloud Shared Photo Library

  • Siri Shortcuts

  • Voice Memos

  • Shared Albums

  • Messages in iCloud

  • Reminders

  • Shared Notes

  • Shared Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents

  • Updates to your contacts, calendars, reminders, bookmarks, and Safari tabs

  • Continuity features like Handoff, Universal Clipboard, and Auto Unlock with your Apple Watch

  • App data for any third-party apps that you've installed that use iCloud

Sign out on your Mac

  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings.

  2. Click your name, then click Sign Out.

  3. If you want to a keep a copy of your iCloud data on your Mac before you sign out, make sure that you select the appropriate checkboxes. Then click Keep a Copy.

  4. In macOS Ventura or earlier, if you want to keep a copy of your Safari passwords on your Mac, click Keep on This Mac.

Sign out on your Apple Watch

When you sign out of iCloud on the iPhone that's paired with your Apple Watch, you're automatically signed out of iCloud on your Apple Watch.

If you set up an Apple Watch for a family member, learn how to unpair and erase that Apple Watch.

Sign out on your Apple TV

  1. Go to Settings.

  2. Select Users and Accounts.

    • For the default account, select your name, then choose Remove User from Apple TV.

    • For additional accounts, select your name, select iCloud, then choose Sign Out.

Sign out of iCloud for Windows

  1. Open iCloud for Windows.

  2. Click Sign out.

  1. Your Apple Cash and Apple Card accounts are linked to your Apple Account. They can't be transferred to a different Apple Account or accessed by a different Apple Account.

  2. Not all features are available in all countries or regions.