How to Restore an iPhone Without Connecting to a Computer

By Aaron Wein

Use iCloud to restore your iPhone.
i David Becker/Getty Images News/Getty Images

The iPhone comes with a nifty feature allowing you to completely wipe the device's memory using its built-in settings. This option restores the device to factory settings. This ready-to-go feature comes in handy if you cannot get access to iTunes or if you need to troubleshoot the device. Afterward, you can restore the device's information using one of your recent iCloud backup files if desired.

Step 1

Turn on your iPhone and tap the "Settings" icon to view iPhone options.

Step 2

Tap "General" and scroll to the bottom and tap "Reset."

Step 3

Select "Erase All Content and Settings." Your iPhone will display two confirmation prompts.

Step 4

Tap "Erase iPhone" twice to begin wiping your iPhone's data. The factory reset progress is indicated by the onscreen progress bar beneath the Apple icon. When the wipe completes, a "Set Up iPhone" message opens.

Step 5

Select "Restore from iCloud Backup," enter your iCloud log in information and select the desired date for which you want to restore the device. If you want to start fresh with your iPhone, select "Set Up as New iPhone" instead.

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