If you’re trying to fix a problem on your iPhone or preparing it for resale, you may come across two commonly used options: “Reset All Settings” and “Erase All Content and Settings.” While they sound similar, they serve very different purposes and can have vastly different effects on your device and your data.
This article explains the key differences between these two reset options, when to use each, what happens to your data, and how to safely perform them.
🧠 What Is “Reset All Settings”?
The “Reset All Settings” option returns your iPhone’s system settings to their default state without deleting any personal data such as photos, messages, apps, or documents.
✅ What It Resets:
- Wi-Fi networks and passwords
- VPN and APN settings
- Bluetooth connections
- Home screen layout
- Display settings (like brightness and font size)
- Keyboard dictionary
- Location & privacy settings
- System preferences
❌ What It Does NOT Erase:
- Your photos, videos, and contacts
- Messages and call logs
- Apps and app data
- Apple ID and iCloud account
- Music, notes, files, and other content
📌 When to Use:
- You’re experiencing system glitches (e.g., Wi-Fi won’t connect, Bluetooth issues, settings acting strange)
- Your iPhone is slower after a recent iOS update
- You want to reset system configurations without touching your data
🛠 Think of this as a system-level refresh—it won’t wipe out your personal files but resets preferences and connectivity settings.
🧹 How to Reset All Settings:
- Go to Settings > General
- Scroll to Transfer or Reset iPhone
- Tap Reset
- Choose Reset All Settings
- Enter your passcode when prompted
- Confirm the reset
This process takes only a few minutes and won’t affect your files or apps.
🧨 What Is “Erase All Content and Settings”?
The “Erase All Content and Settings” option performs a full factory reset on your iPhone. It completely wipes all data and restores the phone to the state it was in when it first came out of the box.
❌ What It Erases:
- Photos, videos, music, and contacts
- Messages, call logs, and notes
- All apps and their data
- Apple ID (if signed out)
- iCloud settings and synced data
- All system and network settings
⚠️ If iCloud Is Still Signed In:
Even after a full erase, Activation Lock remains unless you sign out of your Apple ID before performing the reset. This ensures stolen iPhones cannot be reused.
📌 When to Use:
- You’re selling, trading in, or giving away your iPhone
- You’re starting over from scratch
- You suspect deep software corruption that isn’t fixed by other methods
- You’ve been locked out and used Recovery or DFU Mode to reset your device
🧨 This is a full wipe—everything will be removed, and you’ll need to set the iPhone up as new or restore from a backup.
🧼 How to Erase All Content and Settings:
- Go to Settings > General
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone
- Select Erase All Content and Settings
- Enter your passcode and Apple ID password (to disable iCloud)
- Confirm and wait for the process to complete
Your iPhone will restart to the “Hello” setup screen, ready for a new user or a fresh setup.
🔐 What About Activation Lock and Apple ID?
Before giving away or selling your iPhone:
- Sign out of iCloud to remove Activation Lock
(Settings > [your name] > Sign Out) - Enter your Apple ID password to confirm
Failure to do this means the next user won’t be able to activate the iPhone.
🧪 Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Reset All Settings | Erase All Content and Settings |
| Deletes photos & videos | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Removes installed apps | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Erases Apple ID & iCloud | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (if signed out first) |
| Resets Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Affects system performance | ✅ Resets preferences | ✅ Starts completely fresh |
| Useful for troubleshooting | ✅ Yes (minor issues) | ✅ Yes (major problems or resale) |
| Keeps your data | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Takes time | ⏱ A few minutes | ⏱ 10–30 minutes |
🧠 Which Should You Choose?
Choose Reset All Settings if:
- You want to troubleshoot Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or settings problems
- You’re keeping the phone and just want to refresh preferences
- You don’t want to lose your photos, apps, or messages
Choose Erase All Content and Settings if:
- You’re selling or giving away your iPhone
- You want to start from scratch with no leftover data
- You’re troubleshooting major software issues or want to remove everything
🆘 When to Contact Apple Support
If:
- You can’t sign out of iCloud before erasing
- You’re locked out of your device
- The phone gets stuck during reset
- Reset doesn’t fix your issues
Visit https://support.apple.comor an Apple Store for help.
✅ Summary: Reset All Settings vs. Erase All Content
These two reset options serve different purposes:
- Reset All Settings: Keeps your data, resets system settings
- Erase All Content and Settings: Wipes everything, restores factory defaults
Choose based on whether you want to keep your personal files or start fresh.
