When Apple start released the iPhone, the all-time way to reset or restore your device was to connect it to a computer running iTunes. But in 2019, Apple tree discontinued iTunes for the Mac, replacing it with the Music app instead, and iTunes doesn't run on every Windows PC. So what's the all-time way to reset or restore an iPhone without using iTunes?

In this guide, we'll bear witness y'all how to reset or restore your iPhone using the device settings, using Finder, or using a tertiary-party app for whenever iTunes isn't bachelor to you.

Resetting vs. Restoring an iPhone

People often use "reset" and "restore" interchangeably. Even so, information technology's wrong to do and so; the two words relate to different processes.

Of the ii, resetting your device is the lighter approach. It might wipe information off your phone, depending on the reset option you choose, but it doesn't affect the firmware or the operating system version.

Resetting as well offers a more granular list of options. In addition to changing all the settings on your device dorsum to their default state, you lot can besides cull to erase all your content and settings. If yous prefer, you tin cull to merely reset the network settings, keyboard dictionary, Home Screen layout, or location and privacy options, keeping the residual of your data intact.

Restoring an iPhone is the procedure you demand to undertake if your iPhone is having major problems. For case, perhaps yous can't get your device out of Recovery mode or Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode, or possibly you lot continue seeing error codes (the most common are 3194, 4013, 4014, 9, and 51).

When y'all restore an iPhone, it erases all your data and reinstalls the operating arrangement from scratch.

You tin can further subdivide the restoration process into ii categories: restoring your iPhone to a working state with no data, or restoring a backup of your iPhone data.

How to Reset an iPhone Without iTunes

Information technology's easy to reset an iPhone without iTunes. Assuming your device is working correctly, y'all can do information technology from within the phone'due south Settings app. To reset your iPhone, follow these steps:

  1. Plough on your device and brand sure information technology is not connected to iTunes.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Navigate to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  4. Here you volition see a list of the various reset options available. If you want to erase all your data and reset your iPhone to its factory state, tap on the Erase All Content and Settings option. Otherwise, tap Reset and select the option that best fits your needs.

Before the reset process begins, you will need to enter your passcode. The procedure will have several minutes to complete.

If you can't follow these steps considering your iPhone isn't working, you'll demand to follow the instructions to restore your iPhone without using iTunes instead.

How to Restore an iPhone Without iTunes on a Mac

If you lot have a Mac and can't use iTunes because Apple discontinued it, you tin restore your iPhone using Finder instead. The process for this is exactly the aforementioned as it used to be for iTunes:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
  2. Open Finder and select your iPhone from the sidebar.
  3. If prompted, enter your passcode and tap Trust on your iPhone screen.
  4. From the General tab in Finder, click Restore iPhone to completely erase your device and reinstall the software. Alternatively, click Restore Backup to restore data from a previous fill-in on your Mac.

Depending on the trouble with your iPhone, you may need to restore the firmware besides. You demand to put your iPhone into DFU mode to practice this.

How to Restore an iPhone Without iTunes on a Windows PC

If you need to restore an iPhone with a Windows PC, peradventure because you have the white screen of death, simply y'all can't utilize iTunes or Finder, the situation is slightly more complicated. For this, you will need to use third-party software. Three of the leading brands are Tenorshare, docfone, and FonePaw.

For this guide, we will focus on the Tenorshare software. Feel complimentary to effort out the other two apps if there'south something well-nigh the Tenorshare process you don't like.

How to Restore a Disabled iPhone Using Tenorshare

Let's look at how to restore a non-functioning or disabled iPhone without iTunes. This is as well the method you need to follow if yous've forgotten your iPhone passcode, you're stuck in Recovery or DFU mode, or if iTunes is throwing out errors during the restore process.

To begin, you need to download the Tenorshare ReiBoot app, which offers a paid subscription but is available to utilize for free.

Once the app is upwardly and running, connect your iPhone to your computer. It needs to be a wired connection; the process will non work over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

If needed, yous can use the one-click buttons to Enter or Exit Recovery style. But for most cases, yous should just click the Start button to repair your iPhone.

You'll now see a listing of potential iOS problems, select the closest match to your iPhone and click Fix Now. The ReiBoot app then gives you the option of a Standard Repair which is less effective but doesn't delete your information, or a Deep Repair which is more effective but deletes all your data in the process.

Whichever process y'all cull, follow the onscreen steps to put your iPhone in the correct mode and carry out the repair.

Download: Tenorshare ReiBoot (Gratis, subscription available)

If yous've deleted an important photo, message, document, or file from your iPhone, you might be able to restore it if y'all act quickly. Once again, Tenorshare has an app to assistance: UltData. It's free, but y'all can besides unlock more features with a subscription. The app is available for macOS or Windows.

The app has a couple of significant benefits over using iTunes to recover files. First, different iTunes, information technology can (hopefully) recover files directly from your iPhone; y'all don't need to have fabricated a fill-in. Additionally, y'all tin can restore information on a case-by-case basis from an iTunes backup, rather than having to bargain with an all-or-nothing approach.

To restore iPhone data without iTunes, follow the steps below:

  1. Download and install the UltData app.
  2. Select either Recover from iOS Devices, Recover Information from Backup, or Recover Information from iCloud, depending on what you want to attain.
  3. Select the files you want to recover and restore.
  4. Click on the Scan push button to see what's available, so restore whatever you need.

Download: Tenorshare UltData (Gratis, subscription bachelor)

Third-Political party Apps Give You More Options Than iTunes

Although it might initially seem like yous're at a disadvantage if you can't use iTunes to reset or restore your iPhone, many third-political party apps actually offer a lot more features than iTunes.

Y'all can apply Tenorshare to hands enter or exit Recovery and fix a wide range of issues, and you tin can use UltData to recover all kinds of data from your iPhone, iCloud, or a fill-in. Though, some of those options are available using other methods as well.

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Dan Helyer (185 Articles Published)

Dan edits iPhone, iPad, and Mac content for MakeUseOf, making apply of his past experience working in an Apple Store to exercise so.

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