The iPhone has inside the most stable mobile operating system that we can find, obviously we refer to iOS. However, nothing is made foolproof, and iOS was not going to be the exception. On more than one occasion we are going to see each other against the ropes because the operating system has experienced a critical error and we will have no choice but to restore the iPhone.
That is why today in Actualidad iPhone We want to solve all your doubts in one fell swoop, we are going to teach you what are the various ways to format the iPhone and what kind of problems you can face. In this way you will always have your device ready to face its use.
First of all, we are going to determine that the term "format" in the case of iOS has another meaning, since Apple has seen fit to use the term "restore" as a synonym for "format" or "erase the iPhone." It is because of that We recommend that you familiarize yourself with these terms and do not be surprised, because from now on we are going to use the word restore.
How to restore iPhone through PC with iTunes
We remember that when restoring the iPhone we are going to completely delete the data from our iPhone, so our photos or our applications will not be saved, the device will be found as is when we take it out of the boxTherefore, it is important that you are clear about the reasons why you are going to carry out the restoration and that you take the pertinent precautions.
This is going to be the most common assumption. On some other occasion the performance of the device has decreased or we are facing a recurring bug, that is why we decided to carry out a restoration of the device through iTunes. This is undoubtedly the option preferred by the vast majority and the first that we are going to teach you. Do not miss a single step of the procedure, because it is one of the easiest that we will find.
The first thing we must do is make sure that we have iTunes installed and updated to the latest version, since iTunes usually has problems restoring the device if it is not updated. Now we are going to use our Lightning - USB cable to connect the iPhone to our PC or Mac. Then when we open iTunes, we will see the icon of our iPhone in the upper left corner, we will press in the case that the pop-up window has not jumped fully automatically.
Among all the information, in the upper right part we will have the "Search update" and the "Restore iPhone ...«, It is this second that interests us. It is important that we make a backup first, both by iCloud and by iTunes (at our choice) in case we lose information. For this we will use the "Make a copy now" buttons that we find just below the previous options. Once the backup is done we will go to Settings> iCloud> Find my iPhone to disable this option and proceed to click on "Restore iPhone"At that time the download of the operating system will begin and our iPhone will be restored. When you have finished all the procedure during which our iPhone will restart multiple times, we will have the iPhone fully restored and without any data, as when we took it out of the box.
Format iPhone without iTunes
Another option that we have available and that is perhaps less well known is to restore the iPhone without connecting it to iTunes. The advantage that this option gives us is not only that we will not require the use of a PC / Mac, but that in the case of wanting to restore an iPhone with a lower iOS version, iTunes will request the update and we will have no choice but to do so. In the event that we restore the device without using iTunes, directly from the settings section, we will continue to maintain the same version of iTunes. However, the most purists of iOS always say that this type of restoration does not completely clean the memory of the device and can generate bugs, although it is not something recurrent or proven.
To erase all the information from the iPhone without using iTunes we just have to go to the application Settings of our iPhone, once inside we will go to the section "General" and we will see that the option of "Restore" is the last one in the list. Within it we will find the different options to delete the data from the iPhone that we will explain:
- Hola: It just clears the device settings, such as display preferences and everything to do with the user interface.
- Delete content and settings: It will erase all the data from the iPhone, in this case it is the correct term to "format it"
- Reset network settings: You will forget and completely delete all our WiFi and Bluetooth networks, we remember that it can affect the passwords stored in iCloud Keychain.
- Reset keyboard dictionary.
- Reset home screen.
- Reset location and privacy.
My iPhone only shows the Apple logo on the screen
This is one of the most common problems that we find in iOS devices that have suffered a critical problem with the operating system. In this case we will have no other options than to format the device through iTunes. The steps that we are going to have to carry out are exactly the same, however, we are going to have to place the iOS device in what is known as «DFU mode»To be able to access it from iTunes and proceed with the restoration, since when the iPhone only shows the Apple apple on the screen it is because it is in a reboot loop and we will not be able to format.
To put the iPhone in DFU Mode we are going to connect the iPhone to the PC / Mac through the USB-Lightning and we are going to press the Home button at the same time that we press the Power button (Volume - and Power in the case of the iPhone 7), for 5 seconds we are going to hold both pressed, and then continue to press and hold only the Home or Volume - button. At that time, if we have done it correctly, the iTunes logo will appear asking us to connect the iPhone to the PC or Mac by opening iTunes. Don't despair if you don't get it the first timeIt is not as easy to do well as it seems and it may take you more than one try.
Once iTunes detects our iPhone in DFU mode, a pop-up screen will appear asking us to choose between updating and restoring the iPhone, obviously we are going to choose the restoration to reinstall the operating system. Lunfortunately once the iPhone is in DFU mode we will not be able to make backup copies, so we will have to say goodbye to all our data, but it is the only method so that we can recover our iPhone again.
iTunes download very slow iOS, where can I download iOS?
On more than one occasion Apple's servers for iTunes and iOS are not exactly to rave about, so iTunes can download the iOS version for your iPhone very slow. If you don't feel like waiting, we recommend that you get the correct .IPSW for your device directly and install it directly on your iPhone. This procedure will be the same as before and will require both iTunes and a PC / Mac. First of all, what we have to do is download the corresponding iOS version with our mobile device, for this we are going to recommend THIS WEB in which you can download the iOS version you need without too much trouble. But we remind you that Apple only allows you to install the latest available version of the operating system on the iPhone, those that are signed, if you install an old version of iOS the server will not verify the device and you will not be able to make it work.
Once we have the downloaded file we are going to go to iTunes with the iPhone connected through the cable, then we are going to click on «Restore iPhone ...» while we hold down the «Shift» key in Windows or «alt» in the case of macOS. If we do this we can see how the file explorer will open and we can easily select the .IPSW corresponding to our iPhone. Once selected, you will see that the restoration procedure will begin with the progress bar, do not despair, as it usually takes a while.
I found an iPhone, can I format it?
The reality is that yes, you can use any of these methods that we have taught you and format it, however, since iOS 7 all iOS devices are linked to each user's Apple ID, Therefore, once the device is foraged, when you start the configuration procedure, it will ask you for the password of the Apple ID to which it is linked, so the most logical measure would be to ask Siri "whose iPhone is this?" to provide you with the contact information and return it to its rightful owner, since you will never be able to use it.
How do I activate SIRI to get the owner's data while on the activation screen? And more importantly, when it is restored, or it is erased from icloud.com, that information is not erased?