If you are planning to upgrade to a new Apple iPhone 3G anytime soon, you are probably thinking, “what am I going to do with my first generation iPhone?” We’ll whether you give it to a friend or family member or decide to sell it on ebay, you are going to need to reset the content and settings to their defaults so the new user can make it their own.
This is a simple task (like most things on the iPhone). Just follow these steps:
1. Make sure you sync your iPhone one last time so you have all of your content backed up to your computer.
2. On the iPhone, go to the Settings -> General -> Reset menu.
3. You’ll see the option to “Erase All Content and Settings”, select this option and confirm. This will do exactly what it says and remove all of the content (music, movies, pics, email, sms, etc) from your iPhone and set all of the settings back to their defaults.
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
i need know how erase the memory keyboards, all old email adress, because i dont like that any people can see it
Hello
i have done this option and i haven’t back up all my settings so how to do to have back all my settings in my ihpone please
u can Email me
bye
have done same thing but the fucking fon donest stop restating one minute after the other is like is gotten a problem after restating it last time i now get all the restore ipsw that i need but still they say they all ash
hey
i just did this, i hit erase all content and settings button and the iphone went to reboot, the apple just stays their and a loading wheel pops up after about 2 mins then it restarts itself and continues this pattern. i’ve tried to put it in dfu and recovery mode but the same process continues, my computer doesn’t recognize it either. how do i get it back to normal? or has it bricked?
my iphone 2g keeps restarting every 2 minutes with a loading wheel how can i stop this and start using my phone
i c ant open my iphone after erasing the content and setting…why?help me…i’m panic
i c ant open my iphone after erasing the content and setting…why?help me…i’m panic TOO
hey,
I got an iphone 3G from my friend who got the new 3GS and we hit the Erase all content and settings button. She took her AT&T sim card so she can use it for her new phone, but now the phone is asking me for a sim card. I was wondering if I can just use any sim card and will it go back to the main screen for the phone. Will I still be able to use it if I put a sim card in?
@Cindy
Your friend should have received a new sim card with the new 3GS so she should have left the old sim card in the 3G. When she activated the new iPhone, her number would have been moved to the new sim card in the 3GS. I’ve not done this myself but I understand that you need to leave the sim card that comes with each iPhone in that iPhone and call AT&T to have your number moved to the correct one.
Hope this helps.
hey
i just did this, i hit erase all content and settings button and the iphone went to reboot, the apple just stays their and a loading wheel pops up after about 2 mins then it restarts itself and continues this pattern. i’ve tried to put it in dfu and recovery mode but the same process continues, my computer doesn’t recognize it either. how do i get it back to normal? or has it bricked?
please send me his slution as soon as possible. it will be grat help for me.
Regards,
Adeel haider
@ Adeel Haider
I just got into the same problem. Here’s how you fix it:
1. Plug your phone into your computer and have iTunes running.
2. Hold down both the home and power buttons until the phone reboots and the screen is completely blank.
3. Let go of the power button and keep holding the home button until you see iTunes has recognized your phone in restore mode.
4. Restore your iPhone
pls hellp meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
i just did this, i hit erase all content and settings button and the iphone went to reboot, the apple just stays their and a loading wheel pops up after about 2 mins then it restarts itself and continues this pattern. i’ve tried to put it in dfu and recovery mode but the same process continues, my computer doesn’t recognize it either. how do i get it back to normal? or has it bricked?
i got trouble using this “erase all” option… it says that it will take about 1 hour or more to finish the process and the iphone will get back to its factory settings. but it’s been 8 hours now but the apple logo is still on the screen and the settings are not back yet. is it normal to take this long 8 hour and still on going) to finish? please help me with this. please, please, please……
help
Thanks Vitaliy, that worked for me
@ Vitaliy Isikov
Thanx m8 your a life saver…..worked well
Thank you very much (Vitaliy) for ur help
Who can help me, Please i meet same problem with ur all
I hade the problem with resetting all contents I even connected to iTunes and held the home an power button til it reconized the phone but now it’s blank an iTunes is stuck. What should I do please help me I’m lost .
I did the steps and now i gotta update some software i hope it work and any way thx Vitaliy Isikov u saved my ipod.
When I do this will it delete all my contacts on my sim card as well? Because I am just looking to delete everything else and keep my contacts, please email me
The iPhone doesn’t store your contacts on the sim card. The best way to do what you want is to sync with your computer first and then clear the iPhone. That way you’ll have the contacts available on you computer afterwards.
Thanks Vitaliy Isikov.. tried and it worked
its about 48 hr that my iPhone was dead
Thank my friend, she is updating now , and i think its will run in hour
dude somebody help me my iphone isnt working after resetting the whole phone it justs shows the small apple and nothing happens!!!
Hi, i need some help, i selected erase all content and setting. my iphone has been on the apple logo and a wheel pops up… it’s been like this for a few days… i dunno what to do… can someone help me PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
@jules Plug your iPhone into your computer with iTunes and select to restore it. Go through that process and it should put it into an “out of the box” state.
@taha You should be able to do the same thing and restore from iTunes.
Hi,
I tried, what you said, but it’s still at the apple logo and wheel…. an idea?
THANKS Vitaliy !!!!
That worked a charm you are a god among plebs.
For other people who still seem to be asking how to fix this problem from (Restore and Erase) DO THIS:
1. Plug your phone into your computer and have iTunes running.
2. Hold down both the home and power buttons until the phone reboots and the screen is completely blank.
3. Let go of the power button and keep holding the home button until you see iTunes has recognized your phone in restore mode.
4. Restore your iPhone
ITS WORKS!
i got trouble using this “erase all” option… it says that it will take about 1 hour or more to finish the process and the iphone will get back to its factory settings. but it’s been 8 hours now but the apple logo is still on the screen and the settings are not back yet. is it normal to take this long 8 hour and still on going) to finish? please help me with this. please, please, please……help!!!!
i got trouble using this “erase all” option… it says that it will take about 1 hour or more to finish the process and the iphone will get back to its factory settings. but it’s been 32 hours now but the apple logo is still on the screen and the settings are not back yet. is it normal to take this long 32 hour and still on going) to finish? please help me with this. please, please, please……help!!!! so still in progress.. I am unable to use my iphone. Is any possibility to stop reset to all settings or can we go back to the home screen
hello, i reset my iphone 4 the same way you said (reset all contents and all settings), it went through but the logo apple appeared on the screen and it doesn’t go since 12 hours. would you please help? what should i do?
kindly contact me on my email (ahmad_wehbe@hotmail.com)
i wanna reset my iphone,…..so i select “erase all content n setting” but its asking password,….plz help me out of this,…..wat is d password?
I have already reset my iphone but i didnt back it up and now the only thing on my phone is it will let u unlock it but it only goes to the dial pad
how do i put anything back on it
I did the Reset settings and content and my phone was going through the reset until it died due to battery loss….the phone will not charge and do the reset at the same time…it charges for a while until it comes back …..the apple just comes up and stays there until it dies again…..what do i do HELP!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!