Apple
How to Do a Clean iOS 13 Install and Give Your Phone New Life
This guide shows you how to do a clean install of iOS 13 on your iPhone, and explains why this is a good idea for some users.
If you’ve been using your iPhone for several years, and plan to keep going for another year or two, a clean install can help speed it up — even more than the speed and performance enhancements that are built-in to iOS 13.
With years, your iPhone may start to feel sluggish, but a clean install can give you a fresh start and breathe new life into an old phone. If you plan to buy the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro soon, this isn’t worth your time, but if you are keeping your old iPhone for another year or two, this may be exactly what you’re looking for.
This takes longer than upgrading to iOS 13, but it can help you avoid some problems that come with an update.
How to Do a Clean iOS 13 Install
How to do a clean install of IOS 13.
The best way to do a clean install of iOS 13 is with your Mac or PC, which will erase it, install iOS 13 and then you can set it up as a new device. You can choose to restore a backup to your iPhone after you do a clean install, but the biggest benefit is starting from scratch.
Before you start on a clean iOS 13 install, you need to make sure you have a good backup just in case you need to use it. You’ll also want to make sure that your photos are backed up to iCloud Photo Library, Google Photos or Amazon Photo Storage. Your contacts are likely already backed up to whatever email account you use or to iCloud, but double-check that. We highly recommend making sure you have a good backup, even if you plan to do a completely clean install.
- Turn Off Find My iPhone. Go to Settings -> Your Name -> iCloud -> Find My iPhone -> Off.
- Open iTunes
- Plug your iPhone or iPad in.
- Trust the computer when prompted.
- Click on your iPhone in iTunes
- Choose Restore iPhone…
- Click Restore when it Pops up.
This process downloads iOS 13 to the computer, erases the device and then installs iOS 13 from scratch. The best thing to do when your phone reboots is to set up as a new device. This will require you to manually sign in to your accounts and download apps. If you prefer, this is when you can choose to restore a backup, but keep in mind this won’t be the same as doing a full-on clean install.
It is possible to do this same thing on your phone without a computer. To do this, you will need to erase your iPhone and then once you set it up, you can install iOS 13. This takes a little while longer, but it works nicely.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on General.
- Tap on Reset.
- Tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
- When asked, enter your passcode or Apple ID.
Remember, this erases your iPhone completely, and then you need to restore or set up as a new device. Make sure your photos are backed up.
