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I can’t reset my old iPhone 8 to factory setting

when I tried to reset my old iPhone 8 Plus to factory setting for selling it later, I was asked to put in a 4-digit Screen Passcode. I tried to reset the Screen Passcode, but was not able to.

iPhone 8 Plus, iOS 16

Posted on Aug 17, 2023 12:11 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 17, 2023 1:48 AM

If you're having trouble resetting your old iPhone 8 to factory settings, follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:

  1. Check for iCloud Activation Lock:
  2. Make sure your iPhone isn't signed in to an iCloud account with Activation Lock enabled. If it is, you'll need to enter the iCloud account credentials to remove the lock before you can reset the device.
  3. Restart Your iPhone:
  4. Sometimes a simple restart can resolve minor software glitches. Press and hold the power button until the slider appears. Slide it to power off the device, and then turn it back on after a few seconds.
  5. Try a Hard Reset:
  6. If the device is unresponsive or stuck, you can try a hard reset. Press and quickly release the volume up button, then do the same with the volume down button. Finally, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears, then release it.
  7. Update iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later):
  8. If you're using a computer to reset the iPhone, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later) installed.
  9. Use iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later):
  10. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable, then open iTunes (or Finder). Select your device when it appears, and in the device summary page, click on "Restore iPhone." Follow the prompts to restore your device to factory settings.
  11. Use Recovery Mode:
  12. If the above steps don't work, you can try putting your iPhone into Recovery Mode and then restoring it using iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later). To do this:
  13. a. Connect your iPhone to your computer.
  14. b. Depending on your iPhone model:
  • For iPhone 8: Quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then do the same with the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.
    • c. In iTunes (or Finder), you'll see an option to restore your device. Follow the prompts to reset it to factory settings.
  1. Contact Apple Support:
  2. If none of the above steps work, it's advisable to contact Apple Support for further assistance. They can guide you through the process or recommend additional steps based on your specific situation.

Remember that performing a factory reset will erase all data on your iPhone, so make sure you have a backup if you want to restore your data later.

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 17, 2023 1:48 AM in response to ScreenPasscode

If you're having trouble resetting your old iPhone 8 to factory settings, follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:

  1. Check for iCloud Activation Lock:
  2. Make sure your iPhone isn't signed in to an iCloud account with Activation Lock enabled. If it is, you'll need to enter the iCloud account credentials to remove the lock before you can reset the device.
  3. Restart Your iPhone:
  4. Sometimes a simple restart can resolve minor software glitches. Press and hold the power button until the slider appears. Slide it to power off the device, and then turn it back on after a few seconds.
  5. Try a Hard Reset:
  6. If the device is unresponsive or stuck, you can try a hard reset. Press and quickly release the volume up button, then do the same with the volume down button. Finally, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears, then release it.
  7. Update iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later):
  8. If you're using a computer to reset the iPhone, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later) installed.
  9. Use iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later):
  10. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable, then open iTunes (or Finder). Select your device when it appears, and in the device summary page, click on "Restore iPhone." Follow the prompts to restore your device to factory settings.
  11. Use Recovery Mode:
  12. If the above steps don't work, you can try putting your iPhone into Recovery Mode and then restoring it using iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later). To do this:
  13. a. Connect your iPhone to your computer.
  14. b. Depending on your iPhone model:
  • For iPhone 8: Quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then do the same with the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.
    • c. In iTunes (or Finder), you'll see an option to restore your device. Follow the prompts to reset it to factory settings.
  1. Contact Apple Support:
  2. If none of the above steps work, it's advisable to contact Apple Support for further assistance. They can guide you through the process or recommend additional steps based on your specific situation.

Remember that performing a factory reset will erase all data on your iPhone, so make sure you have a backup if you want to restore your data later.

Aug 17, 2023 12:50 AM in response to ScreenPasscode

If you have forgotten your Screen Time passcode. There are two options.

If you are unable to reset the Screen Time passcode from this-> link then, you will need a computer for option 2. If you don't have one, borrow one from a friend.



Option 1

Use this link to reset your passcode If you forgot your Screen Time passcode - Apple Support







Option 2

Forgot? Click below to reset…

Click->If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your ...



If you have chosen option 2 then regarding your data, If…

  1. You have an iCloud or iTunes backup, I am sorry there is no use of a backup because if you restore from your backup your Screen Time Passcode will be back. 
  2. You have synced your data to iCloud, then what you will get back is what you have synced to iCloud and uploaded to iCloud Drive; the information that is synced and stored in iCloud are, Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, Mail, Notes, Voice Memosshared photosiCloud Photos*, Health data, call history, and files you store in iCloud Drive. (*-If you had turned on iCloud Photos, your content is automatically stored in iCloud.)
  3. You have imported your Photos & Videos to Mac/PC then they are safely residing there
  4. You have uploaded some of it Cloud Drives using the Files app (iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, DropBox, Flickr, box, AmazonDrive, Adobe Creative Cloud etc)
  5. If you have not imported nor you have synced or uploaded your data to cloud drives prior to forgetting the Screen Time passcode then I am sorry, all your data is lost.


I can’t reset my old iPhone 8 to factory setting

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