Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo restore an iPad to factory settings, choose the method that matches your situation: erase it in Settings if you can unlock it, use the locked-screen reset if your iPad meets Apple’s requirements, restore it in recovery mode with a computer if it does not, or erase it remotely through Find My if it is lost. Each method erases the iPad’s content and settings. None removes Activation Lock, so you may still need the Apple Account linked to the device to activate it.
Choose the right way to erase your iPad
| Situation | Method | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| You can unlock the iPad | Settings erase | Erases content and settings; decide whether to keep or erase an eSIM. Apple’s erase instructions. |
| You forgot the passcode and meet the on-device reset requirements | Reset from the locked iPad | Requires network access, Apple Account sign-in, and Find My enabled. Apple’s passcode-reset instructions. |
| You forgot the passcode and cannot use the on-device reset | Recovery mode with a computer | Requires a Mac or Windows PC, an internet connection, and a cable that works with the iPad and computer. Apple’s recovery instructions. |
| The iPad is lost | Remote erase in Find My | Find My must have been enabled before the iPad was lost. Activation Lock remains. Apple’s Find My instructions. |
Before you erase: protect data you want to keep
An erase removes the iPad’s local content and settings. If you want to recover personal data afterward, make a backup before erasing and plan to restore from it during setup. Do not assume the erase itself preserves files or makes them recoverable.
If you suspect malicious software or tampering, Apple says a factory restore installs the latest operating-system software. Apple advises against restoring from a backup that may reinstall the suspected software; set up the iPad without that backup instead. See Apple’s factory-restore guidance.
Erase an iPad you can unlock
- Back up the iPad first if you may need its data later.
- Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter the iPad passcode or Apple Account password if prompted, then confirm the erase.
- If the iPad has an eSIM, choose whether to keep or erase it when asked. If you erase the eSIM, contact your carrier to reactivate the cellular plan.
This is an erase, not merely a reset of selected settings. Apple treats resetting settings and erasing all content and settings as different actions.
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Reset a forgotten passcode directly on the iPad
The locked-screen reset is available only when the iPad meets Apple’s requirements, including network access, being signed in to the Apple Account, and Find My having been enabled. If those conditions are not met, use recovery mode with a computer.
iPadOS 17 or later
- Enter passcodes until Device Unavailable appears.
- Tap Forgot Passcode?, then confirm Start iPad Reset.
- Enter the Apple Account password to sign out, then choose Erase iPad.
- After the iPad restarts, set it up again and restore from a backup if you have one.
iPadOS 15.2 or iPadOS 16
Apple’s instructions for these versions show a different Erase option on the unavailable-device screen. Follow the prompts shown on the iPad and enter the Apple Account password when requested. The labels and steps vary by iPadOS version; consult Apple’s current passcode-reset instructions for the applicable flow.
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Restore an iPad in recovery mode with a computer
Use this method when you forgot the passcode and the locked-screen reset is unavailable. The restore erases the iPad, including its passcode. Apple estimates the process can take up to 60 minutes; this is an estimate, not a guaranteed duration.
Prepare the computer and iPad
- Use a Mac with Finder or a Windows PC with the Apple Devices app.
- Connect the computer to the internet.
- Use a cable that can charge the iPad and transfer data, and that fits both the iPad’s connector and the computer. Apple does not specify a particular retail cable model.
Enter recovery mode
- Turn off the iPad.
- iPad without a Home button: Connect it to the computer. Quickly press and release the volume button nearest the top button, then quickly press and release the other volume button. Hold the top button until the recovery-mode image of a computer and cable appears.
- iPad with a Home button: Connect it to the computer and hold the Home button and the top (or side) button together until the computer-and-cable recovery image appears.
- If the passcode screen appears instead of the recovery-mode image, turn off the iPad and try again.
Restore from Finder or Apple Devices
- Open Finder on a Mac or Apple Devices on a Windows PC, then select the iPad when it appears.
- When prompted to choose between Restore and Update, select Restore.
- Let the computer download the software and complete the restore. When the iPad displays the Hello screen, set it up again.
If a software download takes more than 15 minutes and the iPad exits recovery mode, let the download finish. Then turn off the iPad and repeat the recovery-mode button sequence before continuing.
Erase a lost iPad remotely with Find My
Remote erase works only if Find My was turned on before the iPad went missing. It is intended to protect the owner’s data, not to prepare the device for an unrelated new owner.
- Open Find My and select the iPad from your devices.
- Choose Erase, continue through the prompts, and authenticate with the Apple Account password.
- If the iPad is offline, the erase remains pending until it connects to Wi-Fi or cellular. Apple sends a confirmation email to the account.
According to Apple, Find My may still locate an erased iPad running iPadOS 15 or later or play a sound. The erase does not turn off Activation Lock.
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Activation Lock: what a factory erase does not remove
Activation Lock is linked to the Apple Account associated with the iPad; it is not the device passcode. Apple says Activation Lock turns on automatically when Find My is set up. When the iPad is activated or recovered, it checks with Apple whether the lock is enabled. The linked Apple Account password is required to turn off Find My, erase the device, or reactivate and use it. See Apple’s Activation Lock guidance.
If you are setting up a used iPad and it requests the previous owner’s account, ask that owner to remove the device from their account before completing the transfer. An erased iPad is not necessarily ready for a new owner.
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