How to Restore an iPhone or iPad to Default Using iTunes

If you want to sell your iPhone or iPad to someone, it is better to transfer ownership of your device with default factory settings. Restoring your device to its factory settings is an easy process and you may have to do this as a troubleshooting step again and again if you face problems. Even though, you can reset the device on its own, but if your iPhone or iPad become unresponsive, needs restoration, stuck on a boot loop, then you have to connect computer to your iOS device to access iTunes.

If you want to restore your device quickly, using iTunes is much faster option than resetting through the iPad or iPhone itself, so if you are trying for on-device restoration and it took forever, we already warned you.

How to Restore an iPhone or iPad to Default  using iTunes

Do not restore from a backup If you want to restore to factory settings during following process:

1. Launch iTunes
2. Connect the iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone  to your computer and select it within iTunes, check the “Show” button if it is not visible
3. Click on the “Summary” tab and then click on the “Restore” button
4. iTunes will show you a message asking you to back up the device, although this is recommended in most cases but for restoring factory settings,  just click “Don’t Back Up”
5. The confirmation screen will appear, click “Restore” and it will begin restoration of factory settings on your device.

You will receive an alert message from iTunes when restoration is finished. It takes sometime before iTunes show you an alert message. As soon as restoration is done, your device will boot up and will reset to default factory settings. You need to connect all devices that are pre iOS 5 to iTunes to complete the process. With iOS 5 devices, your device will show you set up screens that will guide you for booting process.

In we already mentioned in our steps, if you are restoring factory settings, do not select to restore from a backup during the process as it will only make a new installation and your device will contain the same old data you had before the restoration began.

If your device is already Jailbroken, you may encounter with error 3194 during this process. If you face such situation,  just change the the hosts file before starting to restore your device to factory settings.

Feel free to share your feedback in the comments below!!

via OSXDaily