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How to Factory Reset iPhone 12

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If you’re preparing to sell your iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max or you simply want to wipe everything and start from scratch, you’ll want to factory reset your iPhone 12.

Factory resetting your iPhone 12 will wipe the data stored on the device and it will revert the device to its original settings. This is useful if you’re planning to trade-in your phone, sell it or donate it it to a third-party. It can also be helpful if you’re having issues on your device and think starting over might help.

Before you factory reset your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 Pro Max, there are some steps you’ll want to take in order to prepare yourself and your device for the upcoming process.

The first thing you’ll want to do is update your Mac with the latest version of macOS (or Windows if you’re using a PC). This is an optional step, but it could help.

If you’re currently running macOS Mojave or older, and you don’t want to upgrade to the latest version of macOS, you’ll want to download the latest version of iTunes.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to backup the information stored on your iPhone. If you don’t want to keep the data saved on your phone, you can skip this step.

Finally, you’ll want to turn off Find My iPhone. Here’s how to do that:

  • Head into the Settings app.
  • Tap your name/account at the top.
  • Tap Find My.
  • Tap Find My iPhone.
  • Toggle Find My iPhone to off.

Now you’re ready to factory reset your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 Pro Max.

How to Factory Reset iPhone 12

If you are using a Mac that’s running macOS Catalina, macOS Big Sur, macOS Monterey, or macOS Ventura, you’ll now want to open up Finder. If you’re running older software, open up iTunes. From there, follow these steps.

  • Connect your iPhone to your computer.
  • If you receive a message asking for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the steps on your screen. You’ll need to complete this before you can initiate the reset process.
  • Select your iPhone from the sidebar in Finder or iTunes.

  • Click Restore iPhone.
  • Click Restore again to confirm that you want to proceed. From here, your computer will erase the data on your iPhone and install the latest version of iOS.
  • Wait for your iPhone to restart.

Once your iPhone restarts, it will have reverted back to its factory settings.

3 Reasons Not to Install iOS 16.7.10 & 10 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 16.7.10 for Better Security

Install iOS 16.7.10 for Better Security

If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.7.10 update on your iPhone right away.

iOS 16.7.10 itself doesn't have any security patches on board, but if you missed older versions of iOS 16, you'll get the fixes and features from updates you missed when you upgrade.

iOS 16.7.9 featured 20 security patches. If you want to protect your device from harm, and you missed iOS 16.7.9, you should install iOS 16.7.10 sooner rather than later.

iOS 16.7.8 has two security patches on board, iOS 16.7.7 had two, and Apple's iOS 16.7.6 update delivered several security patches to iPhone users. 

iOS 16.7.5 had nine security patches on board and they're important if you want to keep you device and its data safe from harm. 

iOS 16.7.3 delivered several security patches including one that patches up an issue with the Find My app. 

iOS 16.7.2 brought several security patches to iPhone models still running iOS 16. Learn more about them here.

iOS 16.7.1 carried two important security enhancements including one that addressed a kernel vulnerability. You can learn more about the pair over on Apple's website.

iOS 16.7 had three security patches on board and you can learn more about them right here.

iOS 16.6.1 brought two important security patches to iPhone. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide

The iOS 16.6 update featured 16 security patches. For more information about the changes, check out Apple's rundown

 iOS 16.5.1 brought two security patches to iPhone users  If you want to learn more, head on over to Apple's website.

The company's iOS Security Response 16.5.1 (c) update also included a security update and you can learn more about it right here.

iOS 16.5 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. You can find out more about them over on Apple's security site.

iOS 16.4.1 included two security upgrades . You can learn more about the pair right here.

Apple's iOS 16.4 update had a substantial number of patches on board. You can read about them in detail over on Apple's security site.

The iOS 16.3.1 update had three security patches on board including one for an actively exploited vulnerability. For more on the security contents of iOS 16.3.1, check out Apple's security page.

 iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here

In addition, the software came with support for physical security keys for Apple ID. These will beef up your account security by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process. Learn more about the change right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.2, you'll get its changes with iOS 16.7.10. iOS 16.2 brought a ton of important security patches with it and you can dig into the details on Apple's security site

The update also brought end-to-end encryption to iCloud, iMessage, iPhone backups, Notes, Photos, and more. If you want to learn more about it, head over to Apple's guide

If you decided to missed iOS 16.1.2, you'll get its solitary security patch with your upgrade. Learn more about it right here.

If you skipped iOS 16.1.1, you'll get its security patches when you upgrade. You can learn more about them right here.

If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple's website.

If you failed to download iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board, a fix for a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple's security site.

If you're still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you'll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade.

iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website.

In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help "people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others." 

The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand.

Apple's also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that's end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks. 

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