A Guide on How to Wipe an iPhone

June 3, 2025 By Nick Anderson No Comments 6 minutes

An iPhone wipe is essential if you are selling, trading, recycling, or just wanting to clear your iPhone settings to start afresh. Upgrading to a new phone also means handing over the old one with a complete wipe of all personal information that will safeguard your privacy. In this blog, we will talk about the step-by-step procedure about how to wipe an iPhone, the different ways to go about it, and extra tips for ensuring a smooth and safe wipe.

Note: Ensure your iPhone is connected to a secure Wi-Fi network during this process. Using FastestVPN can protect your connection, especially on public Wi-Fi.

Why Wipe an iPhone

Before looking into how to wipe an iPhone, we should discuss why this process is important. An iPhone keeps a lot of information that includes the following:

• Pictures, videos, messages
• Banking and payment information 
• Emails and contacts
• Browsing history and app data

If all these are still recoverable by some other person, then this leads to privacy invasion or identity theft. Wiping gives assurance that the data will be safely erased, making the phone almost new. Wiping an iPhone can eliminate slowdown problems and free up memory space from unnecessary files or simply prepare it for another user. It might be helpful if you are troubleshooting the device or switching ownership.

Pre-Wipe Checklist: What to Do Before Wiping Your iPhone

• Back Up Your Data

You should back up all that needs to be saved because your iPhone will be erased after wiping it clean. You can use iCloud or iTunes/Finder to make a backup copy across their products.

iCloud Backup:

• Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
• Tap Back Up Now and connect to a Wi-Fi connection.
• Make sure it is finished in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.

iTunes/Finder Backup:

• Attach the iPhone to a computer.
• Open iTunes (for Windows or macOS Mojave and earlier) or Finder (macOS Catalina and later).
• Choose your device and hit Backup Now, and your device will get backed up.
• Back up allows easy data restoration onto a new device or later recovery. 

2. Sign Out of iCloud and Apple ID

This way, you will not have any trouble activating the lock. Sign out of iCloud as well as your Apple ID:

• Go to settings > [Your Name].
• Scroll down to the extent that it hits Sign out.
• Type in your Apple ID Password, then tap Turn Off for Find My iPhone.
• Confirm with Sign Out. 

3. Disable Find My iPhone

Before doing so, make sure my iPhone is turned off:

Setting > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone.Turn off Find My iPhone and enter your Apple ID password to confirm.

4. Secure Your Connection with FastestVPN

Public Wi-Fi networks are usually susceptible to hackers. FastestVPN can encrypt your connection and provide breakneck speeds, ensuring that your data remains under severe wraps while backed up or when a user logs off their account.

5. Remove SIM Card and Accessories

If you are giving away or selling the product, remove the SIM card for stipulation and any accessories, like screen protectors or cases, that were once bundled with the iPhone. They will probably fill their memories with history, trying to figure out how to make the best out of the ‘gift’, as it is a giveaway if it is done as described.

Method 1: How to Wipe an iPhone Using Settings

The easiest way would be to do that through Sdevice’s Settings app. It is best for those who can access the iPhone and want to know its passcode. Here’s how to wipe an iPhone using Settings:

Open Settings:

• Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Navigate to Reset:
• Tap General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

Confirm Erasure:

• If prompted, enter your device passcode or Apple ID password.
• Tap Erase iPhone to confirm. The device will restart and begin the wiping process.

Wait for Completion:

This process may take a few minutes, depending on the data loaded on your iPhone. Once done, the device would show the setup screen since it’s ready for a new user.

Method 2: How to Wipe an iPhone Using iTunes or Finder

Here is the method for remotely wiping an iPhone:

Go to iCloud.com: In your browser, visit iCloud.com. Sign in using your Apple ID.

Find My: Click on Find iPhone, and select your device from the top menu.

Erase iPhone: Click on Erase iPhone and confirm this command. This will wipe all data on the device remotely the next time it connects to the internet.

Removing from Account: Once done, click Remove from Account to delink the iPhone from your Apple ID.

Use FastestVPN to encrypt the connection to protect your Apple ID credentials while accessing iCloud.com, especially if you use any public or shared computer.

Post-Wipe Procedure: Steps to Take After Wiping Your iPhone

After you have successfully initiated the wipe process, you may want to check the following steps:

Confirming Wiping:

Turn ON the iPhone, which should show the setup screen, confirming that all data has been wiped out.

Preparing for Sale or Transfer:

If you are selling or giving away the iPhone, pack it in the original box with accessories (if available). Inform the new owner that the device has been reset.

Restoring Data (If You Are Keeping It):

If you will reuse the iPhone, sign in with your Apple ID to restore your data from an iCloud or iTunes backup.

Recycling:

If your goal is to recycle the iPhone, go ahead and responsibly recycle the phone through Apple’s recycling program or choose an authorized e-waste facility.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Wiping an iPhone

So, to wipe your devices without any problems, avoid these mistakes: 

• Backing up data: One should always back up the data before wiping it off to prevent permanent loss. 
• Not signing out from iCloud: If it is, Activation Lock would get triggered, and the device would not be accessible to the new person. 
• Using unsecured networks: Avoid free Wi-Fi and instead use a VPN like FastestVPN when backing up or accessing iCloud. 
• Disabling Find My iPhone: If this is not done, there is a possibility that the wipe may fail.

FAQs – How to Wipe an iPhone

Final Words!

Knowing how to wipe an iPhone is critical for privacy and preparing for another user or a new beginning. It will enable you to safely erase all data and avoid typical pitfalls across these methods, whether using Settings, iTunes/Finder, or iCloud. 

Backup your data, sign out of iCloud, and ensure you connect with a secure connection like FastestVPN to process those steps to secure all your information. So now you can confidently wipe that iPhone and move on.