HT201274: Erase all content and settings on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch

Learn about Erase all content and settings on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch
Robb138

Q: Does "Erase All Content and Settings" and "Restore Factory Settings" do the same thing?

I bought a new iPhone and want to wipe my old one, but for some reason it gets an error when connecting to iTunes.  I've tried restarting my PC and doing a hard reset of the iPhone, but neither works.  Then I found "Erase All Contents and Settings" under Settings > General > Reset.

 

Is using this function the same as resetting to factory settings via iTunes?

iPhone 4, iOS 6.0.2

Posted on Jan 9, 2013 5:04 AM

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Q: Does "Erase All Content and Settings" and "Restore Factory Settings" do the same thing?

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  • by needleman_mark,

    needleman_mark needleman_mark Jan 9, 2013 6:41 AM in response to Robb138
    Level 3 (979 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jan 9, 2013 6:41 AM in response to Robb138

    i believe (and i could be wrong) Erase all Contents and Settings erases everything on the phone so there is basically nothing left on it

     

    Restting to Factory Settings - resets all settings back to their original state and estores the phone to just have the apps that come preinstalled

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Jan 9, 2013 6:47 AM in response to Robb138
    Level 7 (25,136 points)
    Jan 9, 2013 6:47 AM in response to Robb138

    Yes,both methods effectively remove all content and put the device back into the new, out of the box state.  However, a restore will also update to the latest iOS available for the particular device.

     

    P.S. The erase all content feature does NOT delete any of the default iOS apps - those cannot be removed.  Both methods render the device back to the out of the box state, ready to start the setup process again.

  • by roaminggnome,

    roaminggnome roaminggnome Jan 9, 2013 6:46 AM in response to Robb138
    Level 10 (97,323 points)
    Jan 9, 2013 6:46 AM in response to Robb138

    They are both basically the same thing.

     

    Erase all Content and Settings is a more secure erase.  May be preferrable if you are selling your iphone. Otherwise, restore is very effective

  • by needleman_mark,

    needleman_mark needleman_mark Jan 9, 2013 6:55 AM in response to Michael Black
    Level 3 (979 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jan 9, 2013 6:55 AM in response to Michael Black

    you could be right but it ddi erase all the preinstalled apps awhile back - i know since i used it before selling an iPhone 3G and found out there was no way i could show the buyer the phone was working dince there was nothing on it - but maybe Apple changed this

  • by roaminggnome,

    roaminggnome roaminggnome Jan 9, 2013 6:58 AM in response to needleman_mark
    Level 10 (97,323 points)
    Jan 9, 2013 6:58 AM in response to needleman_mark

    There has never been a way to erase the OS.  It always has an OS when it is done.

     

    If you erased the operating system, then you did something wrong.

  • by Amberlynn12,Helpful

    Amberlynn12 Amberlynn12 Apr 5, 2014 2:05 PM in response to Robb138
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 5, 2014 2:05 PM in response to Robb138

    I realize this is a very old thread, but thought I should clarify for those who may still be following this or using the instructions.

     

    Erase All Content & Settings is NOT the same as doing a restore through iTunes. roaminggnomestated erase all content and settings is a more secure erase. There really isn't a more secure option. They both erase all user data, and both allow you to restore from a backup once they are finished. Erase all content and settings just erases the data from the iOS device. It does not remove the OS or perform a fresh install. If there are software issues, they could still exist after doing an erase all content and settings

     

    iTunes restore completely erases the device. It removes all user data and removes the OS from the device. It does not leave the device completely empty, however, as it downloads a fresh version of the OS and installs it on the device in the process. This is the real way to solve software problems. If, after a restore and setting the device up as new, the problem still exists, that is an indicator that there is a hardware problem and the device should probably be repaired.