Factory reset, hard reset, DFU mode, and more

Publish date: 2022-10-28

There are multiple reasons why you might want to reset your iPhone SE. Maybe you’re having some trouble with the UI of your phone, or are stuck on an app without being able to go back to the home screen.

You could also be selling your iPhone SE, in which case, you would want to reset it and erase all your data. For all these scenarios, there are different ways in which you can reset your iPhone SE. These include methods like hard reset/force reset, factory reset, entering recovery mode, or accessing the more advanced DFU mode.

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QUICK ANSWER

Reset iPhone SE devices by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase all Content and Settings. Enter your PIN and Apple ID Password, then hit Turn Off.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

Backup your phone first

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

When you factory reset the iPhone SE, you will lose all your data. This may include photos, videos, downloaded content, app setting, and more. To retain this information, you should ideally create a backup of your phone. You can do this in two ways.

Back up iPhone SE using iCloud

  • Connect your iPhone SE to Wi-Fi.
  • Go to Settings > (your name) > iCloud.
  • Tap on iCloud Backup.
  • Select Back Up Now.

    • Back up iPhone SE on your computer

  • Connect your device to your computer.
  • Open iTunes.
  • Trust your computer on your phone, as well as your phone in your computer.
  • If it’s your first time syncing your phone to iTunes, you’ll be welcomed. Hit Continue.
  • When asked to Sync with iTunes, hit Get Started.
  • If you’ve already set this up, hit the Phone icon in the top-left corner.
  • Under Automatically Back Up, select This Computer.
  • Under Manually Back Up and Restore, select Back Up Now.

    • Ryan Haines / Android Authority

    Performing a factory reset on the iPhone SE will restore it to factory settings. It’ll erase all the information from your iPhone, so first follow the steps given above to first back up your device before initiating a factory reset. Once you’re done backing up your phone, you can follow any of the below-mentioned methods to factory reset the iPhone SE.

    Factory reset iPhone SE from the phone settings

  • Go to Settings.
  • Go into General.
  • Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  • Tap on Erase all Content and Settings to factory reset iPhone SE.
  • Hit Continue.
  • Enter your PIN.
  • Enter your Apple ID Password.
  • Tap on Turn Off.

    • It might take a while for your phone to reboot once the factory reset is initialized. Once it does though, it’ll restart as a new phone.

    Related: The best iPhone deals you can get right now

    Factory reset iPhone SE with your PC

  • Connect your device to your computer.
  • Open iTunes.
  • Trust your computer on your phone, as well as your phone in your computer.
  • If it’s your first time syncing your phone to iTunes, you’ll be welcomed. Hit Continue.
  • When asked to Sync with iTunes, hit Get Started.
  • If you’ve already set this up, hit the Phone icon in the top-left corner.
  • Select Restore iPhone.
  • You’ll be asked to turn off Find My before proceeding.
  • Click Restore again to confirm.

    • Your computer will now erase your iPhone SE to factory settings and install the latest iOS software on it.

    How to hard reset iPhone SE

    Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

    Hard resetting or force restarting your iPhone SE comes in handy when your phone becomes unresponsive or gets stuck on a screen. It’s also helpful if the UI of your phone becomes jerky and stops working properly. A hard reset of your iPhone SE will not delete any data from it. It’ll just reboot the phone from scratch. Here’s how you can do it.

  • Press and quickly release the Volume up button.
  • Now press and quickly release the Volume down button.
  • Press and hold the Power button.
  • When the Apple logo appears, release the button.

    • Next: What to do when Siri isn’t working

    Using the DFU or Recovery mode

    Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

    DFU stands for Device Firmware Update. Accessing DFU mode on iPhone SE is a more advanced troubleshooting way and can be used if you’ve managed to brick your phone. With DFU mode, you can restore your iPhone SE’s firmware and operating system. Here’s you you can restart iPhone SE in DFU mode.

  • Connect your iPhone SE to your computer using the Lightning to USB cable.
  • Open iTunes on your computer.
  • Now let’s move to your iPhone SE.
  • Press and quickly release the Volume up button.
  • Now press and quickly release the Volume down button.
  • Press and hold the Power button until you see the Apple logo show up. When this happens, continue to hold the side button while also pressing and holding onto the Volume Down button.
  • On your PC, iTunes will announce a phone in recovery mode has been connected.
  • Click on Restore iPhone.
  • Hit Restore and Update.
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