A factory reset, also known as master reset, is a software restore of an electronic device to its original system state by erasing all of the information stored on the device in an attempt to restore the device’s software to its original manufacturer settings. Doing so will effectively erase all of the data, settings, and applications that were previously on the device. This is often done to fix a software issue that the device is facing, but it could also be done to restore the device to its original settings.[1] Such electronic devices include handheld computers such as PDAs and mobile phones. Since a factory reset entails deleting all information stored in the device, it is essentially the same concept as reformatting a hard drive. Pre-Installed applications and data on the card’s storage card (such as a MicroSD card) will not be erased. A factory reset should be performed with caution, as it effectively destroys all data stored in the unit. Factory resets can often fix many chronic performance issues such as freezing and will not remove the device’s operating system.
Why reset your iPhone or iPad?
There are various reasons why you will need to factory reset your iPhone or iPad. Reasons may be because you want to sell off the phone or because it has become slow in performance, and more other reasons like that.
Because a factory reset deletes all your files and information, it is recommended that you backup your iPhone or iPad data before wiping it. This article walks you through the whole process of backup and reset. The specific steps may differ a little bit from one version of iOS to another, so do not panic if one or two steps are missing on your device.
How to reset your iPhone or iPad
After rebooting is complete, the phone will be in its factory state where you have to choose your language, set time and date and other on-screen instructions it may asked of you to set. After doing all that, you can now sell off the device without the fear of exposing your data and information to the new user, or you can as well use the device in its clean new state.