Apple

How to Factory Reset an iPhone 14

Published

1 month ago

02/13/2024

If you want to wipe everything from your iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max and start from scratch, you’ll need to perform a factory reset.

Factory resetting your iPhone 14 will wipe your phone’s data and revert the software back to its original settings.

This is useful if you’re planning to trade-in your device, sell it, donate it, or if you’re having issues with your phone and you think a factory reset could help improve its performance.

Before you factory reset your iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max, there are some steps you’ll want to take to prepare your device for the process.

The first thing you’ll want to do is update your Mac with the latest version of macOS. This is an optional step, but it could certainly help. If you own a Windows computer, you’ll want to update as well.

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

Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to backup all of 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.

With those steps complete, you’re ready to factory reset your iPhone 14.

How to Factory Reset iPhone 14

If you’re using a Mac that’s running macOS Sonoma, macOS Ventura, macOS Monterey, macOS Catalina, or macOS Big Sur, 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 17.
Wait for your iPhone 14 to restart.

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

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 17.4.1 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 17.4.1 for Better Security

1 / 15

If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 17.4.1 update right away.

The iOS 17.4.1 update includes security patches, but Apple hasn't revealed them yet. It's probably waiting until it releases additional software for Mac and other devices.

The update's patches will help keep your device and its data protected from harm. And that makes it an important upgrade.

If you missed iOS 17.4 and older software, you'll get the security patches from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 17.4.1.

iOS 17.4 had four security patches on board.

The update also delivered quantum security protection for iMessage. The company says the upgrade gives iMessage "the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world."

The iOS 17.3 update brought 15 new security patches to iPhone. The software also added Stolen Device Protection to iPhone.

It increases the security of your iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID to gain access to passwords, make purchases in Safari, and more. This is useful if someone gets access to your iPhone and its passcode.

iOS 17.2 delivered 10 new security patches to iPhone. If you wish to find out more, you can head on over to Apple's security site for the details.

iOS 17.2 also included iMessage Contact Key Verification which improves the security of iMessage. The company also fixed an exploit that let the Flipper Zero multi-tool lock up iPhones.

iOS 17.1.2 had two security patches on board. Both were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more, you can do so right here.

iOS 17.1 brought 18 security fixes to iPhone. It addressed issues within Weather, Status Bar, WebKit, and more.

iOS 17.0.3 brought two patches for two security issues Apple identified within the software. If you want to read about the patches, head here.

iOS 17.0.1 delivered three important patches to iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website.

As for iOS 17 itself, it brought 40+ new security patches with it. A staggering number to say the least. If you want to learn more about them, head over to Apple.

In addition to those patches, iOS 17 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages.

It now includes content sent by AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime, and the systemwide photo picker. You now have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them.

There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks.

Apple's also improved sharing permissions and you now have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.

The company also notes that starting in iOS 17, Voice Memos encrypts the titles of recordings stored in iCloud, in addition to the recordings themselves.

If you skipped older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 17.4.1 update as well.