Reset and Restore iPhone to Original Default Factory Settings with Recovery Mode
iPhone display freezing? iPhone doesn’t detect by or appear in iTunes? iPhone cannot sync with iTunes on PC or Mac? Cannot make or receive calls, send or receive text messages, or access email or the web? Or worse, iPhone simply won’t turn on and does not respond to tap or button press? If the problem still persists after you have reseted the iPhone, or tried various iPhone troubleshooting, it may be worthwhile to invoke recovery mode to restore iPhone to default factory settings, the original state as when you first received and unwrapped the phone.
Restoration of iPhone to original factory defaults will likely to fix all problem, with the downside that all data and information stored on your phone will be lost. Normally iTunes will make a backup automatically when you connect and sync the iPhone with the program, however, it’s still a good recommendation to copy out and backup everything that you may need on the phone before proceed to restore the iPhone.
To restore iPhone and reset the phone to default factory settings, follow these steps:
- Turn off iPhone – Hold down the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the red slider appears, then slide the red slider. Ignore this step if your iPhone is already off.
- Press and hold down the Home button for about 10 seconds until a yellow triangle with a text which says Please Connect to iTunes appears.

- Plug the iPhone into Mac or Windows PC. Release the button if you haven’t.
- Run and open iTunes if it’s not already opened yet.
- iTunes will prompt a message that says iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. Click OK.
- You will be taken to the iPhone pane. Then, click on Restore.
- Wait for the full restoration process to complete, and the iPhone will be back to the original settings state as when it left the manufacturing factory, typically a working phone again if you face any problem, unless it’s hardware related.
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November 23rd, 2009 13:30
Hi
My issue is, i have made the mistake of installing a 3rd party apps on my jailbroken 3.1.2 phone.. Which i can’t remember which app that crashed my phone now.
Warning popped up saying the Springboard has crashed and prompted me to disable it or reboot,which I did both over and over again…
Kept on starting in Safe mode, played around with it untill i decided to reset it to factory settings.. Now im stucked on the apple logo on screen! Can’t switch if of either!
Please help me…..
Thanks!
October 21st, 2009 07:11
I have and iPhone 3g and I had it jailbroken for a little while but then I restored it to factory setting and it was fine. Eventually I wanted to update to the new Firmware 3.0.1 but somehow it messed up and gives me Error 13. which I’m pretty sure Ive checked those steps that are in the apple help section. It was bricked and said please connect to iTunes. I was able to jailbreak it again with redsnow and install the previous firmware and so now its working again but my problem is after trying to restore it again on the same and different computers and with different usb cables I still get error 13 and cant get it to restore to the original factory settings. ANY help will be greatly appreciated.
October 20th, 2009 22:47
this works.
I opened itunes, and then started my iphone and held down the [home] key for about 2 minutes and then that window came up and i just restored.
i had troubles a few times, but got it.
but phone still acting a little weird.
so i think i might have to exchange it anyways.
but i did save this site.
thanks for the info and help
cheers
August 30th, 2009 14:25
had a little problem with resetting. I thought my iphone 3g phone froze when I was resetting (well I wasn’t sure) so I powered it off and now when ever I turn it on it shows the apple logo and later it turns black. help!!!
August 29th, 2009 09:39
I have a jailbroken ipod touch and I tried to reset it because the settings page wouldn’t load and now whenever i try to turn it on the apple lights up and won’t go away. Any suggestions?
August 9th, 2009 04:55
Hi, my iPhone NEEDS a factory reset really bad but if I do, will it go back to the stage where it tells me to connect to iTunes. The phone is on my uncles plan and I would have to send him my phone to get it reactivated. If so, is there anything else I can do to stop from shutting down after it falls asleep?
July 29th, 2009 00:45
One tip of advice: Before you start this procedure, you need to connect you device to computer via usb cable.
June 28th, 2009 22:30
Hey guys,
I have a jailbroken phone and tried to install java for iphone. My phone hang out, so I tried to restart it with no luck. I also tried to hard reset it, no luck. I also tried to start it in recovery mode, guess what?
So, please, help me out! Any ideas are more than welcome!
Thanks in advance,
- Eugene.