A hard reset, soft reset, reboot, restore, recovery. This confusing terminology is the last thing you want to wrestle with if your iPhone 7 isn’t working. That’s why we’ve simplified everything you need to know and put it in a single post. Here is the Complete Guide on How to Reset iPhone 7.
We all know that technology ain’t perfect. But that doesn’t make it any less infuriating when things go wrong. On top of that, we often need to wrestle with confusing and similar terminology on troubleshooting guides: reset, restore, reboot, restart, recover.
You’d be forgiven for questioning what it all means — especially since many of the terms are used interchangeably across the web. Even on Apple’s own website at times! What’s more, iPhone 7 has complicated matters with its solid-state Home button. No longer is it possible to use the time-tested method of holding the Sleep/Wake and Home button together to restart the device.
Fortunately for you, we’ve got it sorted. Read on below for clarity on the different ways to reset your iPhone. Learn the difference between each method and when each of them is required. Finally, we’ve laid out clear steps for how to complete all of the reset methods on an iPhone 7.
What more could you ask for?
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Contents
Soft Reset iPhone 7
A soft reset is essentially the same as turning your device off and on again. Often referred to as a reboot or a restart, this procedure is a quick and easy troubleshooting step that works wonders on misbehaving software. The major benefit of a soft reset is that it shouldn’t pose any risk of data loss.
When to Soft Reset iPhone 7
Slow performance, unusual behavior, or any number of other software abnormalities can be remedied by a soft reset. By closing all applications, powering off, and restarting the iOS, iPhone 7 frequently eliminates small glitches in the software that were causing trouble.
How to Soft Reset iPhone 7
If possible, the best way to soft reset iPhone 7 is to switch the device off and on again manually. To do this, hold the Side button until a slider appears on screen to power off the device. Once iPhone 7 has finished turning off, press the Side button again to turn it back on.
However, if iPhone 7 is frozen or otherwise unresponsive, it’s possible to complete a forced restart instead.
Force Restart iPhone 7:
- Press and hold the Side button
- While holding the Side button, press and hold the Volume Down button
- Keep holding both buttons until the device has completed its restart
Hard Reset iPhone 7
Unlike a soft reset, a hard reset deletes everything from the device. Settings, applications, messages, music, photos. Everything. Of course, if you have a recent iPhone 7 backup that shouldn’t be a problem for you. Otherwise, you should be sure to make one!
If you’re unable to make a new backup, you might still be able to recover some information over iCloud. Sign in to www.icloud.com to see what is stored online. You should find Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, and maybe some Photos. It all depends on the iCloud settings of your iPhone 7.
After completing a hard reset, iPhone 7 will act as though it is brand new. For that reason, a hard reset is frequently referred to as a Factory Restore.
When to Hard Reset iPhone 7
A hard reset is needed for any software problems that the soft reset didn’t fix. Once again that could be any number of issues, such as frequent crashes, unusual storage usage, or a frozen iPhone 7.
Alongside software errors, a hard reset is also recommended if you plan to sell or give away your iPhone 7. Completing a hard reset removes your private information and returns iPhone 7 to the Welcome screen. This protects you from data theft while providing a warm welcome for the new owner.
How to Hard Reset iPhone 7
There are two ways to hard reset the iPhone 7. If the device is responsive, you can restore it through the settings. Otherwise, it’s possible to complete a restore using iTunes — this method requires access to a computer running the latest version of iTunes.
Restore iPhone 7 using Settings:
- On iPhone 7, go to Settings > General > Reset
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings
- If prompted, enter your Passcode or Apple ID details
- When finished, iPhone 7 will restart on the Welcome screen.
Restore iPhone 7 using iTunes:
- Launch iTunes and connect iPhone 7 using a lightning-to-USB cable
- If prompted, enter your Passcode and tap Trust This Computer on iPhone 7
- Select iPhone 7 from the top left of iTunes and open the Summary tab
- Click Restore iPhone, confirm Restore on the pop-up window
- When finished, iPhone 7 will restart on the Welcome screen
Reset iPhone 7 using Recovery Mode
An iPhone 7 in recovery mode will show a black display with an iTunes logo in it. It cannot be used until it has been restored through iTunes. Much like a hard reset, recovery mode results in the loss of all data on the iPhone 7. Unfortunately, once iPhone 7 is in recovery mode, it isn’t possible to make a new backup.
You should ensure you have a backup of your iPhone 7 before putting it in Recovery Mode.
When to use Recovery Mode on iPhone 7
Recovery Mode is another step up from a hard reset. It is a useful troubleshooting step for any software errors that could not be fixed by a hard reset. Unlike a hard reset, Recovery Mode can be entered without a functioning iPhone 7.
Recovery Mode can be used for any circumstances that don’t allow a hard reset. For instance, if the Passcode is lost or forgotten, leading to a disabled device. Or if the touchscreen has stopped working, making it impossible to enter the settings or Trust This Computer on iTunes.
How to use Recovery Mode on iPhone 7
To reset iPhone 7 using Recovery Mode, there are two steps to complete: First, put the device into Recovery Mode; second, restore iPhone 7 using iTunes. To complete this process, you’ll need to use a computer running the latest version of iTunes.
You should make a backup of your device before putting it into Recovery Mode. It cannot be done afterward.
Put iPhone 7 in Recovery Mode:
- Connect iPhone 7 to the computer and launch iTunes, in that order
- Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button
- Keep holding both buttons while iPhone 7 restarts
- Only release them when an iTunes logo appears
- iPhone 7 is now in Recovery Mode
Restore iPhone 7 using iTunes:
- Launch iTunes and connect an iPhone 7 in Recovery Mode
- A pop-up window should appear saying “There is a problem with the iPhone.”
- Click Restore and wait for the process to complete
- When finished, iPhone 7 will restart on the Welcome screen
Now you know how to reset iPhone 7. With this knowledge, you can overcome even the most frustrating software issues. So long as you don’t encounter any physical damage, you should be just fine!
Hopefully, this post helped has you out, clearing the muddy waters around hard and soft resets and making it just as easy to reset iPhone 7 as it was to do with your iPhone 4. If not, let us know your questions in the comments, and we’ll do our best to answer them.
Dan is a freelance writer based in South West England.
He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.
Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.
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I don’t know if you can help me with this. I’ve searched fora upon fora but it seems the only solution is a hard reset.
Given the projected loss of data and the problems I have, it’s not a solution I crave. It’s an iPhone 7. Here goes:
Sometime last year, my charging port lost the ability to play sound into my earphones.
I don’t have the AirPods.
At the same time, I could no longer sync per USB.
It didn’t worry me too much though because I’d already allowed it to be syncing per WiFi (my laptop only has one functioning USB port, so in case I need it for a flash drive or something else I wouldn’t occupy it with my phone). I can still charge it per USB though, it just doesn’t register in ‘My PC’.
Then on January 20th this year was the last time I could sync.
Since then, the phone doesn’t appear in iTunes.
However, I have an old iPhone 4 I need for a different network and online payment tasks.
It has no problem appearing and syncing (WiFi or USB).
Sometimes the 7 had such glitches with iTunes; mostly I just had to restart the app or disconnect and reconnect the phone and it would come.
Sometime in early March, I seemed to have problems with 3G.
My mum is on the same network (but an android phone). Her 3G was working quite consistently.
I replaced the SIM card since that was the cheapest option after using airplane mode and returning the network. The disruptions continued.
Sometimes I had to switch the phone off for an hour or two and when I switched it back on, sometimes 3G would be on, sometimes not and it would be stuck on EDGE.
Very often it could be on for any number of hours and at random, or if I made a phone call it would go off.
Sometimes too I could receive a phone call and 3G would return for the rest of the day.
I also tried putting the card in the iPhone 4. It was on 3G immediately. So it seems there’s a problem with the 7.
Although now the hard reset is looming large, I wonder if you could help me fix the syncing.
In the past, it helped me fix a battery problem that I had. There was a day my battery was draining very fast, and the phone very hot. I synced it the next day and the problem vanished.
I don’t know if it can fix the 3G.
But I want to try that before I do any hard reset.
BTW, I updated iTunes and the iOS. After the iOS update, I thought it might fix the problem. Unfortunately, 3G has now vanished completely. No amount of restarts, airplane mode or even removing the SIM card have cured it.
It’s now permanently stuck on EDGE.
Do you have any suggestions?
And if I have to reset it to factory settings, will that affect my ability to access my local networks?
I live in Ghana, my sister bought the phone for me in the US, and had it ‘unlocked’ so that I could use it over here? Will it lock up again?
Thank you for your patience, hope you can help.
Hi Kosi,
Sorry about all these problems!
If your device allows for WiFi calling, toggle this feature off.
1) close all open apps:
On an iPhone 8 or earlier, double-click the Home button to show your most recently used apps
Swipe up on each app’s preview to close the app
Repeat for all apps until all you see is the home screen
2) Reset your network’s settings
Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings
3) Toggle all cellular settings off
Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile)
Toggle off all apps using cellular data
Then, turn off Cellular Data completely
4) Restart
power off your iPhone 7
wait 2-3 minutes
power your iPhone 7 back on
5) Toggle Cellular Data back on
Turn cellular data back on–turn on LTE if available
Select just a few apps, like Safari and Messages–and a few others and toggle mobile data on for just those apps
6) Run a series of tests
Open the apps that you allowed to use mobile data and test them out
Hi, Elizabeth! Thanks for the suggestion. I followed all your instructions. Unfortunately the cellular data is still sitting on ‘E’ for EDGE. I think I forgot to mention that I reset all my network settings sometime last week (maybe not in the way you said, so I did it again…). This state of affairs doesn’t allow me to watch videos and even normal pictures take a lifetime to load…
Hi Kosi,
Oh, I am sorry that it didn’t help! We hoped it would.
Please contact your SIM card carrier and Apple Support in your region for some additional troubleshooting.
The phone won’t reboot after the last update can’t access iTunes on my computer. It won’t download for some reason. I’m stuck in a boot loop and have tried the home button and volume down simultaneously.
It will come on for about an hour and then start the same process over again. Please help me with my daughter’s I phone 7 paid 600 for it
Hi Violet,
Sorry for all the frustration with your daughter’s iPhone. Paying that much and then experiencing these types of problems is challenging.
When you say it comes on for an hour–are you able to use the phone or is it stuck on a screen?
If you are able to use the device, we recommend closing all apps:
Close an app
1. On an iPhone or an iPad with no home button from the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle of the screen
2. On an iDevice with a home button, double-click the Home button and swipe right or left to find the app that you want to close
3. Swipe right or left to locate the app you want to close
4. Swipe up on the app’s preview to close it
5. Repeat until no apps are open
After closing all apps, let’s reset your settings:
Reset all settings
* This is usually the last resort since it resets all your personalized features back to factory defaults
* Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All
* This resets to default everything in Settings, including notifications, alerts, brightness, and clock settings like wake up alarms
* Resetting all settings also reverts all your personalized and customized features like wallpapers and accessibility settings back to factory defaults.
* Performing this action does not impact any of your personal device data, including photos, texts, documents, and other files
* You need to reconfigure these settings once your iPhone or iDevice restarts
If you cannot access the device at all, and it’s stuck on a boot loop, try the tips in this article: Stuck in a boot loop? iPhone or iPad keeps resetting after iOS or iPadOS update
I tried to restore iPhone 7, but it didn’t go through. iPhone gave me a wrong massage after the restoring have been done. what should I do?
Hi Nawaf,
What was the error message you saw?
Hi
I am trying to restore my iPhone 7 plus with the same methods above. and showing a message “iTunes is restoring the software on this phone” and welcome message never comes. trying from last two days.
Hi Biplap,
Sorry that you are having such trouble with your iPhone 7 Plus and restoring it with iTunes.
We suggest you quit iTunes and restart the process again, maybe using a different internet connection or even a different computer (if possible).
Before you try again to restore, make sure to shut down your computer (or the computer you use for this) and close all other applications. Only have iTunes running.
Then force restart your iPhone 7 Plus as well before connecting it to iTunes: press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo. After doing this, follow the steps outlined in the article.
If nothing works AND you have a backup available, try opening iTunes and see if it recognizes your device. If so, try a manual restore the iPhone using Restore Backup option in the Summary menu.