Resetting your iPhone is sometimes necessary to clear inevitable glitches. It’s also the best way to ensure your information is wiped from the phone after you finish using it. But does resetting an iPhone delete everything?

If you factory reset your iPhone, it will delete everything from the iPhone. However, this data can quickly be recovered from an iCloud backup. You should perform a soft reset if you want to reset your iPhone without deleting everything. 

In this article, you will find everything you need to know about resetting your iPhone. Keep reading to learn the difference between a hard and soft reset and when you should use each option. 

Does Resetting an iPhone Delete Everything?

Whether resetting your iPhone will delete everything depends on the type of reset you perform. A soft reset will not remove any of the permanent data stored on your phone. Instead, it simply refreshes your device. 

Alternatively, if you perform a factory reset (sometimes called a hard reset) on your iPhone, it will delete everything. This includes your photos, contact, apps, and other personal information. 

Although a factory reset can be inconvenient if you plan to keep using the phone, it is sometimes the only way to fix certain problems you may have with your iPhone. 

Soft Reset 

When you need to fix minor issues with the way your phone is functioning, the best option is a factory reset. For example, if your phone is freezing or glitching, a soft reset will generally fix the problem. 

A soft reset simply means rebooting your phone. Doing this will clear the temporary data your device has been storing in its RAM. 

To soft reset your phone, you should:

  • Power it off
  • Leave it off for at least 60 seconds
  • Power it back on

However, it doesn’t delete anything you’ll notice missing from your device. Instead, this simply refreshes your device and dramatically improves the way that it functions. 

Hard Reset

A hard reset is generally the last resort if other methods do not fix errors within your phone. 

It’s the most effective way to rid the iPhone of software bugs and glitches, but it also permanently deletes everything from your iPhone, including:

  • Contacts
  • Photos
  • Other important data

Because of this, make sure you have backed everything up to your iCloud account before you begin a factory reset. Otherwise, you may never get these things back. 

If you need help completing a factory reset on your iPhone, follow the steps below:

  • Go to Settings
  • Go to General
  • Tap Transfer or Reset
  • Tap Erase All Content and Settings

After you confirm your choices, your phone will restart, and the loading bar will appear. 

Can Data Be Recovered After a Factory Reset? 

When the reset is complete, the iPhone can be set up as a new iPhone, or you can restore your previous data and settings from iCloud. 

An iCloud backup is the best way to recover your iPhone data after a factory reset. You can retrieve this data by:

  • Turn on your phone
  • Set up the device
  • At the App & Data screen, select Restore From iCloud Backup
  • Sign in to your iCloud account
  • Choose your most recent backup

If this method doesn’t work for you, you can still try a couple of other options. For example, there are apps that may be able to help you recover your data. 

How to Recover Data On iPhone with iTunes

PanFone iOS Data Recovery is one option that some have used to regain files that were lost during a factory reset successfully.

The best alternative to attempt to recover your lost iPhone data is by using iTunes:

  • Download iTunes to your computer. iTunes is available for both Mac and Windows.
  • Log into your Apple account.
  • Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer.
  • On your phone, enter your passcode and select “Trust this Computer.”
  • Select your phone from the taskbar on the left hand side of your screen.
  • Click “Restore Backup,” then complete the recovery by following the onscreen prompts.

Unfortunately, the success rate is not high. 

Conclusion

Knowing the difference between a hard and soft reset is very important if you want to avoid losing important data that you’ve stored on your iPhone. The most significant difference is that a soft reset does not remove any of your data, while a hard reset deletes everything. 

If the two are confused, and the phone is factory reset without creating an updated backup file, you’ll likely lose a chunk of your essential information. Luckily, you can use one of the options we’ve covered to attempt recovery if this happens. 

When a factory reset is your only option, it’s critical that you create an updated iCloud backup before you begin the reset process. Otherwise, there may be no way to regain the data lost in the reset.