How to reset iPad – Ultimate Guide

How to reset iPad: Would you like to initialize your iPad to try to solve some malfunctions but you are not sure how to proceed? Have you sold your old iPad and in trying to restore the device to factory condition you have not found the right option to do so? If the answer to at least one of these questions is yes, don’t worry: you’ve come to the right place at the right time!

With today’s guide, in fact, I will explain how to reset iPad by providing you with all the necessary information to succeed in your intent. In addition to showing you the detailed procedure to initialize the tablet directly from the iPadOS settings, you will also find instructions to proceed from a computer. Also, in case you no longer have your iPad available, I will also tell you how to reset it remotely.

If that’s what you wanted to know, let’s not go any further and see how to proceed. Make yourself comfortable, set aside five minutes of free time and dedicate yourself to reading the next lines. By carefully following the instructions I am about to give you and trying to put them into practice, I assure you that you will be able to reset your iPad returning it to the factory state. Happy reading and good luck for everything!

Index

• How to reset iPad from iPadOS
• How to reset iPad from computer
• How to reset iPad remotely

How to reset iPad from iPadOS

The easiest and fastest solution to completely reset iPad is to proceed from the iPadOS settings. From here, you can back up your device to iCloud , in order to keep a copy of all iPad data (settings, applications, photos, etc.) and proceed with its initialization.

To proceed, take your iPad, press the gear wheel icon to access the iPadOS Settings and, if you want to backup to iCloud, press on your name displayed at the top left (you must have done the log in with your Apple ID ).

In the new screen displayed, select the iCloud option , tap on the iCloud Backup item and, if necessary, move the lever next to the iCloud Backup option from OFF to ON . Then press on the item Back up now and wait for the progress bar to reach 100%.

Keep in mind that all data will be stored on iCloud which, in the basic version, offers 5 GB of free space (which can also be occupied by any other devices connected to the same Apple ID). In case the space to backup is not enough, you can increase the iCloud space available to you by accessing the iCloud section of iPadOS and selecting the Manage space and Change plan options . For the detailed procedure, I leave you to my guide on how to buy iCloud space .

Alternatively, if you don’t intend to activate one of the subscription plans, you can act manually by freeing up space on iCloud or backing up iPad from computer .

If, on the other hand, you want to restore your iPad to factory conditions and do not intend to keep any data, you can also avoid making the backup and proceed directly with the initialization of the device.

To completely reset iPad, access the iPadOS Settings again, press the General item and, in the new screen displayed, tap the Transfer or initialize iPad option .

Then press the Initialize content and settings item and, on the Initialize iPad screen , tap the Continue button .

Finally, enter the unlock code of your iPad, if any, type the password of your Apple ID in the appropriate field and press the Deactivate option , to deactivate Where is (the Apple service that allows you to locate the devices associated with your ID Apple) and start initializing the iPad. Then wait for the procedure to be completed and for the device to restart.

At this point, you can choose whether to set it up as a new iPad or to restore a previous backup. For detailed steps, you can refer to my guide on how to set up iPad .

How to reset iPad from computer

If you’d rather completely reset iPad from a computer , you’ll be pleased to know that you can proceed from both Windows PC and macOS. In both cases, all you have to do is connect the two devices, choose whether to make a backup and select the option to restore iPad to factory settings.

After connecting your iPad to the computer via the USB cable (in this regard, my guide on how to connect iPad to PC might be useful ), if you have a Windows PC or a Mac with macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, start iTunes and , if it is the first time you put the computer and the tablet into communication, authorize the connection: then press the Continue button that appears on the computer screen and the Authorize item shown on the iPad display and type in the latter any unlock code .

Now, press on the tablet icon , at the top left, make sure that Summary is selected in the sidebar and, in the Backup section , click on the Back up now button , if you want to backup iPad to your computer.

Once this is done, still acting in the Summary section , press the Restore iPad button and start the reset procedure by clicking the Next and Accept buttons .

How do you say? Do you have a Mac with macOS 10.15 Catalina or later? In this case, start the Finder by pressing on its icon (the smiling face ) in the Dock bar and click on the iPad item located in the sidebar on the left.

At this point, if you want to keep a copy of your iPad data, put the check mark next to the Back up all iPad data on Mac option (you can also back up to iCloud by selecting the Back up option iPad’s most important data on iCloud ) and press the Back Up Now button .

Once the backup has been created, click on the Restore iPad button visible in the Software section, press the Restore option and click the Continue and Accept buttons , to initialize your iPad and install the latest version of iPadOS.

Once your iPad is restored to factory conditions, you can choose whether to manually configure it as a new device or to restore a possible backup.

How to reset iPad remotely

If you need to reset your iPad without having it physically available and, therefore, without the possibility of proceeding from the iPadOS Settings or connecting it to the computer, you should know that it is possible to initialize the device remotely via the browser .

In fact, by connecting to the official iCloud site and logging in with your Apple ID, you can view all the devices you have associated with the latter (and any family devices you have added through Apple’s Family Sharing option), view their last detected location, set them to lost mode and also restore them to factory conditions (if you have not previously made a backup, all data will be permanently deleted).

To proceed, then connected to the official iCloud site , enter the email address and password associated with your Apple ID in the Apple ID and Password fields and click on the arrow icon (or press the Enter key on the keyboard), to access iCloud .

Once this is done, select the Find iPhone option , press on the All devices item located in the top menu and select the iPad option of [name] from the opened menu. At this point, click on the item Initialize the iPad visible in the box that appeared on the screen, press on the item Initialize and type the password of your Apple ID in the appropriate field.

If you wish, enter a phone number on which you can be contacted and a message in the Number and Enter a message fields – this option is useful if you have lost your device, as the phone number and the typed message will appear on iPad after the ‘initialization. Then press the Finish button to start the remote initialisation.

As soon as you have your iPad available again, you can start the setup process. After selecting the language and country you prefer and connecting iPad to the Wi-Fi network of your interest, you will see the iPad screen blocked by the owner : then enter your Apple ID data in the Apple ID and Password fields and tap on the Next button , to continue with the configuration of the device.