Apple iPhone 8/8+ – How to Factory Reset

What can you do when your iPhone 8/8+ starts glitching?

Turning it off and on again is the obvious first step.

If that doesn’t work, you need to perform a force restart. This is usually enough to fix unresponsive phones. But if your phone isn’t back to normal after a force restart, you might need to do a factory reset.

This could help your phone deal with various software problems. However, it also removes all the data from your phone, so before you go for a factory reset, you need to do some preparation.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Force Restart

On older iPhone models, you could by holding down the sleep button and the volume down button perform a force restart. But on the iPhone 8/8+, this combination activates the Emergency SOS countdown.

To force restart your phone, follow this sequence:

1. Briefly Press the Volume Up Button

Just press the button down. Don’t hold it.

2. Briefly Press the Volume Up Button

Again, you want to quickly release the button.

3. Press and Hold the Side Button

This is the button you use to bring your phone out of sleep mode.

After you press these buttons, your phone will restart even if it was unresponsive.

Preparations for a Factory Reset

Performing a factory reset will return your phone to the way it was when you first got it. Hence, you want to start by backing up your data.

Back Your Data Up to iCloud

You can back your data up to iCloud. To do a manual iCloud setup, follow these steps:

Settings > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now

Keep in mind that this method won’t save your apps.

Or Back It Up to iTunes

If you want to save all of your files, use iTunes instead. To perform an iTunes backup, you need a computer. If you have a Mac, the iTunes app is already installed. If you have a PC, you can install iTunes from the Apple site.

Use a USB cable to connect your phone to your computer. You can then use your computer to select files on the smartphone. To copy them to the computer, select Save To.

Turn Off Find My iPhone

To turn off the phone location feature, go into:

Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone

Now you can finally start resetting your phone.

Resetting the iPhone 8/8+ from Settings

You can reset your iPhone 8 or 8+ from your phone’s settings. If the phone is unresponsive, you can also use your computer.

To reset from the settings, follow these steps:

Go into Settings

Select General

Tap on Reset

Select Erase All Content and Settings

If Necessary, Enter Your Passcode

Alternatively, you may need to enter your Apple ID password.

Resetting from Your Computer

Here is how you can use iTunes to reset your device:

Connect the Phone to the Computer

If Necessary, Enter Your Passcode

This will let your computer access your phone data.

Select Your iPhone

Click on Summary

The Summary option is on the left side of your screen.

Click on Restore iPhone

Don’t disconnect your iPhone until the process is done.

A Final Word

You can also use iTunes to try and update your device instead of restoring it. This might fix the issue without altering your data. Remember, factory resetting should be your last resort. And if that doesn’t work, you should contact Apple Support.