The need to delete data from your iPhone can arise for several reasons. Perhaps you bought a new phone and want to sell your old one; or you've found someone's phone and want to erase unnecessary data and applications. Or you yourself have lost your phone and are now afraid that someone else will gain access to important data.
If you are using an iPhone 5, there are many reasons why you might need to delete all data from your device. For example, if you want to sell a phone, but do not want someone else to gain access to your personal data. For this, of course, you'd better erase all data. Or, you may want to delete data from your device because it doesn't work as smoothly as it used to. Many users prefer to delete everything from their device if a virus is suspected.
Regardless of what is the reason for removing everything from the iPhone 5s, there are a few nuances to consider. First, how exactly do you do it? Second: how to delete data so as not to lose it and then transfer it to a new device?
Save your data to iCloud
When your iPhone is connected to a power source and Wi-Fi is on with the screen locked, iCloud automatically creates a backup. If you're not sure if your device was recently backed up, you can perform a manual backup before proceeding to clean up your phone.
Connect your device, make sure the Wi-Fi connection is not interrupted, and open Settings. Find “iCloud” in the available menu (depending on your iOS version, you may need to scroll down to find it), then tap “Back up” and “Back up now”.
If you are uncomfortable using iCloud or just want to be more secure, you can also back up your iPhone to iTunes.
Save your data to iTunes
ITunes backup requires a direct connection between iPhone and computer via USB cable. The backup file will be saved on your laptop or PC. Make sure you have installed iTunes on your computer before following the instructions.
After connecting iPhone to PC, open iTunes and click the device icon in the menu. Then click "Back up now". You can protect your data even more by encrypting your backup. To do this, add a new password.
Deleting Data from iPhone 5 / 5s / 6 Systemically
Erasing everything from your iPhone is a job that takes minutes. Removing one element at a time is not a very good option because it will take forever and the quality of the removal can be questionable. Therefore, it is better to use bulk cleaning. This can be done by resetting the phone to factory settings.
Although resetting your phone settings automatically logs out your account from all iPhone applications, we advise you to be careful and log out of iMessages, iTunes, ICloud, FaceTime first. You should also sign out of your Apple ID account.
Follow these instructions to delete everything from your iPhone using a factory reset:
- Open "Settings" in the main menu and then click "General"
- Scroll down to find "Reset" and click on it
- Select "Erase All Content and Settings" and then "Erase iPhone"
Attention! Whatever you do, don't manually delete contacts, photo streams, calendars, or reminders while signing in to your iCloud account. It will also delete content from iCloud servers and iCloud-connected devices (like your iPad or laptop).
How to Quickly Delete Everything from iPhone 5 with iTunes
Previously, I described how to back up your phone files and settings using iTunes. But you can also use it to reset your device. This method can also come in handy if your device suddenly turned off while restoring the phone to factory settings.
To do this, follow these steps.
- Open iTunes on your Mac or Windows computer.
- Check the list of available devices and select your device.
- Now click on the "Restore" button on the "Summary" tab.
- A pop-up window will ask you to confirm your choice, and when you confirm your choice by clicking "Restore", iTunes will start erasing all data from your iPhone.
How to erase data permanently using third-party programs
However, the above methods of cleaning an iPhone using a system reset is not an absolute guarantee. In fact, after you've deleted your data or restored to factory settings, the data itself still exists somewhere in memory and can be easily restored by some data recovery software.
If you truly care to ensure that your information does not end up in the wrong hands, before selling or giving your device to someone else, you must ensure that no one gets a chance to retrieve your content.
There are third-party applications for this. Some of them are free, others you have to pay for. Consider the option with the Syncios program, which is distributed free of charge. Be careful! Be sure to read reviews about the programs you intend to use. With this tool, you will be able to demolish everything from your phone and delete deleted files completely beyond recovery.
- Find and download Syncios software
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Install the program on your computer. You will see the main operations window.
Image - Select the items to be deleted and click Delete.
- You can delete contacts, calendars, photos, apps and media. To do this, select the appropriate tab on the left
- If you need to uninstall applications, go to the Applications tab and find the button at the top of Uninstall
How to clear data from phone without factory reset
Is your iPhone slowing down because there is too much junk, apps, and browser caches on your phone? Need to clear iPhone data, delete videos and wipe system, but don't want to reset your phone?
Here is a list of unnecessary files that you can and should delete:
• Unnecessary applications • Application cache • Site login details • Browser cache • Residual files of media files that you dealt with on the Internet (movies, music, etc.)
How to remove cache in Safari and Chrome
For Safari:
- Open Settings
- Scroll down to Safari
- Select Clear History and Site Data
For Google Chrome:
- Open the app
- Go to Options - Settings
- Select "Security"
- Select "Clear Browser Data"
- Choose what exactly you want to delete (cookies, cache, offline media)
Other browsers have similar settings, so follow the same path.
How to remove the application cache
Unfortunately, most popular apps like Facebook and Snapchat do not allow users to delete their cache. To clear them, you will have to uninstall the app and then reinstall it. If you decide to take this step, make sure that you have recorded your login information for this site so that after you uninstall the application, you do not lose access to it.
How can I delete data from my phone remotely
You may have lost your phone or forgot to erase your data before selling. With the second option, everything is much easier - you still have time to do it with the help of the new owner. If you are still connected, you can ask the new owner to remove everything from the phone using the instructions above.
If you have lost your phone or you have no connection with the new owner of the device, you can remotely delete the data using another device. Sign in to your iCloud account on the official iCloud.com website or the Find My iPhone app if you are using it. Find your iPhone and "delete" it. You also need to click Remove from Account.
To be sure that the new iPhone owner is not able to log into your iCloud account and spoil your files, change your Apple account password.
