How to Factory Reset iPhone Before Selling

Quick answer - the 5 steps

1. Back up to iCloud or Mac.
2. Sign out of iCloud (removes Activation Lock - critical).
3. Sign out of iMessage and FaceTime.
4. Unpair Apple Watch (if paired).
5. Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.

Step 1 - Back up to iCloud or Mac

Once you erase, your photos, messages, app data, and settings are gone forever. Choose one of these:

• iCloud (easiest): Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now. Wi-Fi required. 5 GB free, AED 3.99/mo for 50 GB.
• Mac (best for privacy): Connect via cable → open Finder → select iPhone in sidebar → "Back up all data on iPhone" → tick "Encrypt local backup" → set password. Encrypted backup also saves Health, Keychain, Wi-Fi passwords.
• PC: Apple Devices app (Windows 11) or iTunes (Windows 10). Same options.

Verify the backup completed: Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup shows "Last successful backup: just now". Or in Finder, the timestamp under "Latest Backup".

Step 2 - Sign out of iCloud (CRITICAL - removes Activation Lock)

Activation Lock is Apple's anti-theft system. If you erase the iPhone withoutsigning out first, the buyer hits a screen demanding YOUR Apple ID password to activate the device. They can't use it. You'll have to remotely sign out via icloud.com later (annoying, sometimes fails, often costs the sale).

Settings → [Your Name] → scroll all the way down → Sign Out. iOS will ask for your Apple ID password to disable Find My. Enter it. Choose to keep a copy of contacts, calendars, etc. on the iPhone (doesn't matter - about to be erased). Confirm.

Step 3 - Sign out of iMessage and FaceTime

Settings → Messages → toggle iMessage off. Wait for "Activating…" to disappear (10-30 seconds). Then Settings → FaceTime → toggle FaceTime off.

Why this matters: if you skip this, your friends' iMessages to the buyer's new SIM may continue routing to your Apple ID for weeks. Apple's deregister tool (selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage) fixes this if you forgot, but it's an extra week of half-delivered messages.

Step 4 - Unpair Apple Watch (if paired)

On the iPhone, open the Watch app → All Watches → tap (i) next to your watch → Unpair Apple Watch → enter Apple ID password.

iOS automatically backs up the Watch settings before unpairing. When you set up your next Apple Watch on a new iPhone, restore from this backup. Don't skip this - an unpaired-but- still-linked Watch is a common reason for activation issues on the next phone.

Step 5 - Erase All Content and Settings

Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. iOS shows a summary of what's connected (eSIM, Apple ID, Wallet) - confirm. Enter passcode, then Apple ID password if prompted. Tap "Erase iPhone".

The screen goes black, Apple logo appears, then a progress bar under it. 3-5 minutes later the iPhone reboots to the multilingual "Hello" screen - same as a brand-new iPhone. You're done.

eSIM note (UAE): iOS 17+ asks whether to keep or remove the eSIM. Choose "Remove" - otherwise the buyer inherits your du or Etisalat number. If you want to keep the number on a new device, transfer eSIM via the carrier's app first.

What NOT to do (just deleting Apple ID is wrong)

• Don't delete your Apple ID account at appleid.apple.com - this loses your purchases, photos, iCloud everywhere. You only need to sign out on this iPhone.
• Don't erase via "Erase iPhone" in Settings without signing out of iCloud first - Activation Lock will trap the buyer.
• Don't rely on DFU mode to bypass Activation Lock. It doesn't. Apple checks the activation server on every restore.
• Don't trust "iCloud unlock" sellers on Dubizzle or Telegram. Scams. See our iCloud lock honest guide.

Verifying the reset worked

Before handing over the iPhone:

1. The iPhone is on the "Hello" screen in multiple languages.
2. Tap through to the language picker - it should not ask for any password.
3. Connect to Wi-Fi at the activation step - Activation Lock should NOT appear. If it does, you skipped Step 2; reset and start again.
4. Optional: in Settings → General → About on a different Apple device, the IMEI should show "Activation Lock: Off" via Apple's free checker (for iPhones running iOS 17+).

If buyer can't activate - what went wrong

99% of the time it's because Step 2 was skipped. Fix:

1. You: log in at icloud.com/find on any browser.
2. All Devices → select the sold iPhone → Erase iPhone (yes again, even though it's already erased) → wait for completion.
3. Once erased, click "Remove from Account" on the same screen.
4. Buyer can now activate normally on their Wi-Fi.

This works only if Find My was enabled when you sold the iPhone (it usually was). If Find My was off and the iPhone is offline, the queue waits until it next connects to the internet. Tell the buyer to power it on and connect to Wi-Fi.