How to Wipe iPhone Clean – With and Without a Password

Planning on selling or giving away your iPhone? Maybe you’re tired of Apple and want to change to a different phone entirely. Either way, you have to erase your data off your iPhone. Read on to find out how you can wipe your iPhone clean, with or without your password.

Before we get into the guide, I do want to make one thing clear. Wiping your data should not be considered an “option”. This is a step that helps guarantee your privacy and your security. Make sure that you wipe your iPhone clean before you give it away. Now that we’ve got this covered, let’s get into the step-by-step process.

How to Wipe iPhone with a Password

In general, most people opt to password-protect their devices. iPhone users who use password-protection will find the process of wiping their phones clean a lot easier than there non-protected counterparts.

Here’s what you should do to wipe your iPhone clean if you have password protection:

1. Backup your data on iCloud. If you use iTunes, back up that data as well.
2. Unpair your iPhone with your Apple Watch (if you have it).
3. Sign out of the App Store, iTunes, and iCloud
   1. For iOS devices running 10.2 or earlier: Settings > iCloud > Sign Out. Tap Sign Out again. Tap Delete from My iPhone. Enter your Apple ID password.
      Go back to Settings > iTurnes & App Store > Apple ID > Sign Out.
   2. For iOS devices running 10.3 or more recent updates: Settings > [Your Name]> Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password. Click Turn Off.
4. Go back to Settings.
5. Click on General > Reset.
6. Select Erase All Content and Settings.
7. Enter your Apple ID password (if prompted).

Common practice also dictates that you deregister iMessage if you are switching to a different phone brand.

How to Wipe iPhone without a Password

Sometimes, human being forget things. Most of the times, it our passwords… If you want to wipe an iPhone but just so happen to have forgotten your password, here’s what you can do:

Erase iPhone using iTunes

Your iPhone has probably synced with your iTunes at one point in time. If so, you can use iTunes to erase your data off of your phone. Here’s how you’d go about doing that:

1. Connect the iPhone to a computer.
2. Open up iTunes.
3. Click on the Device tab in the upper left corner.
4. Click on Restore iPhone.
5. Follow the instructions iTunes will give you.

If you’re simply wiping your iPhone clean, then you only need to restore it back to factory settings.

How to Remotely Wipe Iphone using iCloud (Password Required)

Note: This step will only work if you have Find My iPhone enabled. If not, then you’re a little out of luck with this one.

If you do have that feature enabled, you can now erase your iPhone remotely using these steps:

1. Log into iCloud.
2. Click on Find My iPhone (alternatively, you can type iCloud.com/find in your browser).
3. Select All Devices.
4. Find your iPhone and click Erase Device.
5. Enter you Apple ID Password if prompted.
6. Click on Remove from Account to stop the Activation Lock.

Wipe iPhone Clean – Final Thoughts

There you have it, three ways you can erase all of your iPhone data. Remember, we are living in a time where data is king, so erasing your phone’s data before you give it to someone else is the best way to guarantee that your data is safe. Even if you think this step isn’t neccessary, it’s still important to stay on top of your data-based practices.

Once you do get a new phone, whether it’s an Android or an iOS device, make sure that you follow all the steps necessary to keep your new device safe and secure. For an added bonus, I suggest you use a VPN to keep your information safe even while you’re online. Personally, I use ExpressVPN, but you can check out our best iPhone VPN article to figure out which provider works best for you.