Fully wipe your iPhone clean before you resell it with these quick steps Watch Now

VIDEO: Fully wipe your iPhone clean before you resell it with these steps

I've been asked several times over the past few days about how to wipe an iPad to make it ready for resale (presumably because Apple has a new iPad out). Instead of repeating myself over and over, I thought that a post was in order.

It's in fact dead easy.

Tip: Remember to do a backup via iTunes first ... there's no going back from a wipe!

If you paired an Apple Watch with your iPhone, first unpair your Apple Watch from within the Apple Watch app. Back up your iOS device (this is vitally important if you might want to restore the device or load your data onto a new device). Go to Settings > iCloud > Sign Out (for iOS 7 or earlier, tap on Delete Account). Follow the prompts. Sign out of the iTunes & App Store by going to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Apple ID > Sign Out. Now you're ready to erase your device. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. You need to enter your Apple ID and password. If asked for your device passcode or restrictions passcode, you will need to enter it, and then tap Erase [device name]. And you're done!

If it has been so long since you last used your device that you've forgotten the passcode or restrictions passcode, it's still possible to wipe the device, either remotely or using iTunes by following these simple instructions.

See also:

Did you know your iPhone doubles as a magnifying glass?