My Service Support

What Does Reset All Settings Do on iPhone?

Updated 2026-08-21 · 1018 words

Reset All Settings on iPhone returns system preferences to their defaults without deleting your photos, apps, messages, files, or other personal data. It does remove saved network details and many customized settings, so you will need to reconnect devices and set up some preferences again.

If you are asking “what does reset all settings do on an iPhone,” the key distinction is that it resets configuration choices, not the content stored on the phone.

What does Reset All Settings actually reset on iPhone?

Reset All Settings restores a broad set of iPhone preferences to their factory defaults. Apple lists the following items as removed or reset:

  • Saved Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi passwords, and current Wi-Fi connections
  • Bluetooth device pairings and Apple Watch pairings
  • VPN configurations and network settings, including applicable carrier or APN settings
  • The keyboard dictionary, including custom words learned when you rejected suggested corrections
  • Location Services choices and app privacy permissions
  • Face ID or Touch ID settings
  • Home Screen layout and wallpaper
  • Notification, accessibility, display, brightness, sound, and haptic preferences
  • Previously trusted computers and accessories
  • Apple Pay cards

Some settings installed through a work or school configuration profile may be managed differently. Do not remove a management profile unless the organization responsible for the iPhone tells you to do so.

What does Reset All Settings not delete?

Reset All Settings does not delete personal data or media. Photos, videos, music, contacts, calendar events, messages, call history, documents, downloaded content, apps, and app data remain on the iPhone.

Reset All Settings is not the same as Erase All Content and Settings. Erase All Content and Settings removes personal content and prepares the iPhone for a new setup, while Reset All Settings keeps that content and changes only settings. Check the confirmation screen carefully because both choices appear in the Transfer or Reset iPhone area.

What happens to saved passwords after Reset All Settings?

Wi-Fi passwords are removed, so you must enter them again when joining wireless networks. Bluetooth pairings are also cleared, although Bluetooth devices do not normally use passwords stored in the Passwords app.

Reset All Settings does not erase saved website passwords, app passwords, or passkeys stored in iCloud Keychain or the Passwords app. It also does not erase the Apple Account, formerly called an Apple ID, from the iPhone. You should not need to sign back into every app simply because you reset settings, although an app may request permission again after privacy settings return to their defaults.

Have important Wi-Fi passwords available before starting. You will also need the iPhone passcode, and you may need account credentials later when restoring services such as Apple Pay or reconnecting managed resources.

How do you reset all settings on an iPhone?

  1. Restart the iPhone first. A normal restart may fix a temporary problem without changing any settings.
  2. Open Settings.
  3. Tap General.
  4. Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  5. Tap Reset. Do not tap Erase All Content and Settings.
  6. Tap Reset All Settings.
  7. Enter the iPhone passcode if prompted.
  8. Review the confirmation message, then confirm Reset All Settings.

The iPhone applies the defaults and restarts. Keep it connected to power if the battery is low, and do not force another restart while the reset is underway. An Apple Account password is not normally required just to select Reset All Settings, but an additional credential may be requested if a security restriction or managed configuration applies.

When does Reset All Settings help, and when does it not?

Reset All Settings can help when an incorrect or damaged preference is causing a system feature to behave badly. Apple recommends trying a restart first because resetting every preference is rarely necessary.

  • Consider it for persistent Wi-Fi or Bluetooth trouble after ordinary reconnecting and restarting have failed.
  • It may help with keyboard glitches, settings that will not behave as expected, or system toggles that appear stuck because of conflicting preferences.
  • It may help when several unrelated system features started failing after settings were changed.

Reset All Settings will not repair damaged hardware, recover deleted files, remove an unknown device-management restriction, or guarantee a fix for an iOS installation problem. If the iPhone cannot start normally, repeatedly crashes, or still malfunctions after the reset and an iOS update, further diagnosis may be needed. A computer-based restore is more destructive and should follow a current backup and appropriate support guidance.

What must you set up again after Reset All Settings?

After Reset All Settings finishes and the iPhone restarts, check the features you use most:

  1. Join each Wi-Fi network again and enter its password.
  2. Pair Bluetooth headphones, car systems, keyboards, and other accessories again.
  3. Pair an Apple Watch again if applicable.
  4. Set up Face ID or Touch ID again and review which features can use it.
  5. Add Apple Pay cards again if you use Apple Pay.
  6. Review app location, camera, microphone, contacts, and notification permissions as requests appear.
  7. Restore preferred wallpaper, Home Screen arrangement, accessibility options, sounds, brightness, and other personal choices.
  8. Reconfigure any VPN or carrier settings that are not supplied automatically.

The restart itself is usually only part of the interruption. Rejoining networks, pairing accessories, and restoring preferences can take longer, especially if you use many customized settings.

How is Reset All Settings different from Reset Network Settings and Erase All Content and Settings?

  • Reset All Settings: Resets network, privacy, keyboard, Face ID or Touch ID, Home Screen, Apple Pay, and many other preferences. It keeps personal data, apps, and media.
  • Reset Network Settings: Targets network-related configuration, including saved Wi-Fi networks and applicable VPN settings. Choose this narrower option when the problem is limited to Wi-Fi, cellular, or networking.
  • Erase All Content and Settings: Deletes personal content and settings and returns the iPhone to setup mode. Use it when intentionally wiping the device, such as before transferring ownership, not as the first fix for a settings glitch.

In short, what does the Reset All Settings do on iPhone? It is the broad, non-content-erasing reset. What does Reset All Settings do iPhone users should prepare for? It clears many preferences and connections, but leaves their photos, apps, messages, and files in place.