How to Safely Factory Reset an iPhone or Android Phone in 2026

Key Points:

• The fastest and easiest way to factory reset an iPhone or Android phone in 2026 is to do an on-device reset available from the respective settings menu.
• For more thorough resetting options, you can plug your iPhone or Android device into your computer or Mac instead via a USB-C or Lightning cable.
• If your Android phone or iPhone is lost or stolen, then triggering a remote factory reset means all data will be removed once it's connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Whether you're thinking of selling your old device or just need a fresh start, knowing how to safely factory reset an iPhone or Android phone can be invaluable. In 2026, there is a wealth of quick and easy ways to have your handset performing like new again, many of which can be achieved in only a few minutes and with minimal technical knowledge required. We're going through all the proven working methods available based on our own testing and experience, so you can gear up for what's next from your Talkmobile SIM-Only plan.

This is the fastest and easiest way to reset your iPhone or Android smartphone and is considered the standard practice when selling, trading in, or giving the device away.

For iPhone:

• Back up your data: Go to Settings > tap your Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap on Back Up Now
• Sign out of your Apple ID: Go to Settings > tap your Apple ID > scroll down and select Sign Out
• Initiate the reset: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone
• Tap on Erase All Content and Settings
• Enter the passcode, Apple ID password, or confirm with biometric scan to erase the iPhone

For Android:

• Back up your data: Go to Settings > Google > Backup and then tap Back up now
• Remove accounts: Go to Settings > Accounts and backup and then select your Google Account and choose Remove account
• Initiate the reset: Go to Settings > System (sometimes called General Management) > Reset options
• Tap on Erase all data (sometimes called Factory data reset)
• Tap on Reset phone (sometimes called Delete all) and enter your PIN, pattern, or biometrics to confirm

If your iPhone or Android device is unresponsive or there's a problem with the display, then using computer tools or a dedicated recovery mode will work better than the onboard method above.

For iPhone (via Mac Finder or iTunes on PC):

• Plug your iPhone into a Windows PC or a Mac computer via a USB-C (or Lightning to USB-C) cable
• Open iTunes (Windows) or Finder (MacOS)
• Put your iPhone into Recovery Mode: Quickly press and release Volume Up, then the same for Volume Down before holding the Side Button until the recovery screen appears
• From your computer, select Restore when prompted in the respective software, and this will safely factory reset the iPhone

For Android (via Hardware Recovery Mode):

• Turn off the Android device completely
• Press and hold the Power Button and Volume Up at the same time while connected to a computer via USB-C
• Release the buttons when the phone's logo or the Android recovery menu appears
• Use the volume buttons to select Wipe data / Factory Reset and confirm by tapping the power button
• Once it's complete, choose Reboot system, which will restart the fully wiped, like-new phone

An on-device factory reset should be good enough for the vast majority of people. You would only really need to use computer recovery tools to get data off a device; otherwise, factory resetting from the phone itself will do the job as intended.

If your phone is lost or stolen, then the best way to secure the data and images on it is to perform a remote factory reset. Fortunately, it's quick and easy to do for both iPhones and Androids.

For iPhone (via iCloud or Find My):

• Open a browser and go to iCloud.com/find or use the Find My app on another iOS device
• Sign in with your Apple ID
• Choose your iPhone from the All Devices menu
• Click (or tap on) Erase iPhone
• Confirm your selection, which will automatically wipe the device, provided it is connected to a Wi-Fi or mobile data signal

For Android (via Google Find My Device):

• Go to Android.com/find in a web browser
• Sign in with your Google Account that's linked to that Android phone
• Choose your device from the left-hand panel
• Click on Erase Device
• Confirm the choice, which will permanently delete all information to factory-new once it's back online

While our methods of factory resetting iPhone or Android devices are comprehensive, it may be too extreme for what you're looking to do. Maybe you only want to perform a partial reset while keeping some data, such as your images. These are the three alternative ways to achieve (largely) the same desired effect:

• Reset network/app settings only: When troubleshooting, Apple gives you the option to just Reset Network Settings, and Android lets you Reset Wi-Fi, mobile, and Bluetooth for fresh use.
• Safe Mode Diagnostic (Android): Boot into Safe Mode, then tap and hold Power Off, which disables all third-party apps, which can troubleshoot issues before a full factory reset.
• Third-party desktop management tools: Applications like Samsung Smart Switch offer a full-device backup with archiving and clean installation features without the cloud option.