I cannot complete a reset on this phone which I haven't used in nearly a year. I want to pass it on to a friend to play with.
I currently have a 5s but only use it for calls, taking snapshots and an occasional text message and the same applied to the 5c.
How do I solve this dilemma?
iPhone 5c, iOS 10
Hi GrumpOne,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. If we understand, you're having an issue when trying to restore your iPhone to factory settings. We can help with this. Check out the following resources to help:
Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings
If you see an error when you update or restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod
If you can't update or restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
If the issue continues, let us know more details:
The more details you can provide the better.
Take care!
James,
Those are great details. When you see the alert that it failed to connect to Apple servers, does an error number appear at the end? Usually when this alert appears security software or the firewall can prevent connection. If you have any security software installed, or the firewall enabled, temporarily disable those and try again to restore.
If you see the same alert, try restoring from a new user account to help rule out something within your user account blocking the connection: Set up users, guests, and groups
If you're still not able to restore, we recommend trying with a different computer.
Keep us posted on the results.
Cheers.
Hey James,
Since the alert continues we recommend calling Apple support directly, so they can look into this further with you. A list of phone support numbers, by region, can be found here: Contact Apple for support and service
Thanks again for using Apple Support Communities.
Take care.
This is an old iPhone 5c that I bought last year and had it activated in the Fall of 2019. I replaced it with an iPhone 5s in early 2020. Currently the 5c has only my contacts but at this point, they are obsolete. The phone was unlocked when I bought it and remains so today.
I connected it to my late 2012 Mac Mini that operates with High Sierra itunes 12.8.2.3. The 5c IOS: 10.3.3 (14G60). When connected to iTunes, simple back up is performed. From there I can initiate a hard reset but after entering my Apple password, I get a, "failed to connect Apple" or something of the like.
I think that it's kind of ridiculous to be spending time on a $40 phone! All I want to do is pass this phone on to a friend, (we're both in our 80's and time is a valuable commodity to both of us.
BTW, I am not ignorant of tech as I was a contract consumer support engineer for Apple back in the pre PPC days in the early 1990's.
Needles to say, I am frustrated over what should be a directly forward simple solution but it is not...
I want MY phone back!
James E. Therrault, Austin, TX
[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]
I found a, (sort of), work around in that I removed the inactive sim card which in effect removed all of my sensitive data. Now I can pass the phone on to my friend to play around with.
Regarding the inability to wipe all data using "Settings," the failure is something to the order of, "failed to connect with server" despite being connected to iTunes on my Mac Mini. That was the final step required to affect the wiping the entire phone.
If you want to give this phone to someone follow this: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
I've done all of the above.
All I get at the end is something to the order of "failed to connect to server" while connected to my mac mini and iTunze!
Where are yo seeing that message on the mac or on the iPhone. If you followed all the steps in the link I provided you iPhone should be on the page that displays Hello in various languages.
Removing the SIM has nothing to do with the data on your iPhone.
Then why is it all data has disappeared?
Maybe I need to send it to Apple??
[Edited by Moderator]
Erasing (hard reset) for old iPhone 5c
