How To Remotely Erase Your iPhone Data
Most times, devices get lost. When this happens, the user tends to look for ways to protect their data before it gets to the wrong hands. The steps to erase iPhones remotely are very straightforward. After losing Apple devices, they can be erased, tracked, located, or disabled without having direct contact with them. The steps to erase data are written in detail in this article.
Steps To Erase Data on Your iPhone Remotely
Did you lose your iPhone? Do you want to erase the data to keep it safe? You can do this by following the following steps:
Step 1; Enabling Find My iPhone Feature
This step should have been done early enough just in case the phone gets missing.
Firstly, you have to activate the Find my iPhone feature. To do this;
- Connect an active iCloud account to your device. This is free on Apple devices.
- Locate and click on the Settings icon.
- Open your Apple ID account at the topmost part of the settings.
- Click on the Find My option or iCloud option on older iOS devices.
- Proceed to select the Find My iPhone option that appears after. Then, turn it on.
Step 2; Remotely Erase Your Missing iPhone.
This step should only be done when you are sure you wouldn’t find or get your iPhone again. Because after clearing the data remotely, you can no longer access the data later on. Even though the Find My iPhone feature. You’ll need another iPhone device for this. If sure, follow the steps listed below;
- Firstly, turn on the Find iPhone app on the other iOS device. Search for the iClould.com website and log in to your iCloud account.
- Click on the All Devices option on top.
- Select the particular Device you’ll like to ease data from.
- Click on the Erase iPhone option on the bar that appears.
Other Methods Of Erasing Data
1. Automatic Self-Destruct
This method can be preset just in case your iPhone gets stolen or missing. The iPhone shuts down and self districts if the wrong password is inputted more than ten times. The setting is done by:
- Opening the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Proceed to click on the TouchID&Passcode If your iPhone has Face ID authentication, click on the FaceID&Passcode option. You need to create a passcode if you have none. This can be done by selecting the Turn Passcode On option.
- Scroll to the Erase Data option and switch it on. Go through the wearing before enabling.
The phone is now set to automatically erase all phone data after ten failed trials of passcode inputting.
2. Erasing Your iPhone
You can choose to erase your iPhone either because you want to sell or give it out. Or just because you feel like it. That can be easily done if you follow these steps.
- First, click open the setting apps on your iPhone.
- Click on the General option before proceeding to the Reset Under the reset option, you’ll find the Erase all Content and Settings option.
- Type in your passcode or use your Face ID if required.
- Wait for your phone to restart before proceeding to the setup screens.
Note that you have to back up all your data to the Cloud before erasing your data. Also, you can decide to transfer the data to another phone before erasing it.
Why should I Erase My iPhone Remotely?
Although important data can be lost through losing your iPhone, it is beneficial because no third party will have access to your files or information. In case your iPhone device was stolen, your data remains safe and secure.
What Happens After Erasing Your iPhone Data Remotely?
It is important to note that after following the steps of erasing your iPhone remotely, the phone data would be erased.
However, if the phone is turned on after erasing, the entire data will be erased immediately. There must be a data connection.
Without turning on the phone or data connection, the erased data will be erased when next the phone is on or there is a data connection.
If you find your phone after remotely erasing it, all data would have been deleted. But if there has been constant backing up, the data can be restored on the iCloud.
Conclusion
All data on an iPhone can be wiped off with or without the phone. With the phone, the user has to proceed to the settings app, select the general option then the reset option. After which, the user clicks on the Erase all Content and Settings option to finally erase.
With the iPhone, erasing can be done on another iOS device.
After erasing the iPhone, the user can sign in to the iCloud account to retrieve the data again. This can only be done if there has been previous and constant backing up of files by the user. Erasing data on stolen devices helps to keep the users’ data protected.
References:
- https://support.apple.com/en-ng/guide/icloud/mmfc0ef36f/icloud
- https://support.apple.com/en-ng/guide/iphone/iph21a030ae3/ios
Written by The Original PC Doctor on 22/4/2022.