Guide to Completely Erase Data on iPhone 8 Plus to Avoid Privacy Leak

Guide to Completely Erase Data on iPhone to Avoid Privacy Leak

With growing instances of data leak and misuse, there’s a fear of digital data on iPhone landing in wrong hands. Personal photos, messages, videos, contacts, or sensitive information such as bank details, shopping apps ID etc., are at risk when selling, trading off, recycling or donating your iOS device.

So what can you do to keep your old iPhone data away from strangers’ eyes and make it 100% unrecoverable?

One solution is the commonly used Apple’s recommendation — erase iPhone data by choosing ‘erase all content and settings’ on your device. However, with professional hackers and sophisticated software available, erasing data by this method doesn’t guarantee data privacy.

Experts suggest using trusted iPhone erasure software that is 100 % safe. The software can make iPhone data unrecoverable beyond the reach of any tool.

Let’s understand in detail how to permanently erase data on iPhone by these techniques.

Clean iPhone by using ‘Erase All Content and Settings’

To clear all data from iPhone use the’Erase All Content and Settings’ option in the settings of your iOS device. It is like factory resetting your iPhone.

All the app data, settings, passwords, photos, videos, contacts, documents, messages, Calendar, chats, music, audio files etc., gets deleted after factory reset from iPhone.

However, don’t forget to first take the backup of your iPhone data in iCloud or iTunes.

Steps to erase iPhone via Settings:

Go to Settings.
Navigate to General > Reset> Erase All Content and Settings.
Click Erase Now in the dialog box. Enter Passcode and Apple ID password, when prompted.

This will erase iPhone data turning the device off. When you power on the iPhone, you will see all its data is deleted including, photos videos, apps, contacts etc.

Permanently wipe iPhone to 0% recovery – Secure & tested method

Although deleting data via ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ on iPhone will make your device as clean as new, but it is not enough. Your iPhone data after factory reset is still recoverable by hackers. Thus, to protect privacy and prevent data leak by any means, it is essential to erase iPhone with the help of a professional iOS eraser software .

You can find several iOS cleaner software online but here we recommend Stellar Toolkit for iPhone. The efficient software is the best way to wipe iOS device before you sell , recycle, or donate.

It removes your personal videos, pictures, contacts, notes, calendar, browsing history, call log, chats, messages, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other sensitive information saved on your iPhone. The secure DIY software supports the latest iOS 16 and below versions. You can erase all variants including iPhone 6, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone X, iPhone SE, iPhone 11, and above.

You can take the free trail and gage the software features and user-friendliness.

Step-by-step guide to erase iPhone data permanently:

Step 1: Download and launch Stellar Toolkit for iPhone on computer.

Step 2: Click on Erase Data module.

Step 3: On Erase iPhone Data screen, click **Next.
**

Step 4: As you see the Click Device to Select screen appears, connect your iPhone to computer.

Step 5: Select Erase.

Step 6: In the Erase Process box, select Yes.

Step 7: Data Erase Complete message box appears that asks for confirmation before erasing the data. Click OK.

Wrapping Up

After erasing complete iPhone data by using the secure iPhone eraser software by Stellar, there’s no need to worry about personal data leak. The software algorithms ensure that even the most advanced iOS data recovery tool cannot retrieve your information.

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FAQs

How do you permanently erase data so that it cannot be recovered from iPhone?

Use the best iPhone data eraser tool to permanently wipe iPhone data. This is a assure way to prevent data leak and protect privacy.

How to recover data from dead iPhone

Summary: Recovering data from a dead iPhone is precarious if you don’t acquire knowledge about your iOS device. Be wary of how your device works and its data backup options to avert data loss problems in the future. If your iPhone has turned dead because of a major technical glitch, you can recover the data stored in it using a reliable data recovery software. This blog encapsulates all such concrete details with a step-by-step guide to recover data from dead iPhone.

iPhone is one of the most affluent smartphones loaded with advanced features. Most people invest in it because its upbeat features and advanced technology intrigue them. Every time Apple announces a new upgrade or introduces new features to its iOS software upgrade, iPhone fans dig deep to learn more about it.

If your iPhone is dead and not working at all, and you want to learn how to recover data from dead iPhone, this blog is exclusively for you.

Why would an iPhone suddenly go dead?

These are the possible reasons why iPhone turns dead or blank for hours:

A defective charging cable or adapter that doesn’t perfectly pair with your iOS device.
A recent iOS update that triggered some unforeseen software error in your iPhone.
Faulty or failed hardware, like a battery or a logic board that needs to be replaced.

In either of the above-mentioned conditions, your iPhone will stop responding to any command. Turning the device off and restarting works in rare circumstances, but not always. In such bleak situations, you can try to fix your dead iPhone using these tips:

Keep a close watch over the charging cable or power adapter and fix the loose ends.
Put your dead iPhone on charge for at least an hour.
Connect your iPhone to iTunes or put it on Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode.
Seek immediate assistance from Apple Support Services.

If these attempts won’t bring your iPhone back to life, certainly it has some major technical glitch that only Apple experts can address. Before submitting your device for the same, recover all the data stored in it. Follow these DIY solutions to recover data from dead iPhone:

Use iTunes to Recover Data from Dead iPhone

iTunes is one of the most coveted options to recover data recovery from dead iPhone. However, to use this method, your iPhone should be in sync with iTunes, and you have to periodically take data backup on it. Observe the steps to keep data backup on iTunes:

Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes to login.
From the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window, select File > Library > Organize Library.
Next, select Consolidate files to organize the Library screen and press OK.
Once you do that, copies of any files that were not in the iTunes Media folder will be added to your iTunes Media folder.
At the same time, take the opportunity to eliminate all the duplicate files taking unnecessary space on your hard drive. However, before making this move, save a copy of the original files in your iTunes Media Folder.

If you have been practicing the above steps for long, then simply connect your device with your computer using a USB cable and follow steps to recover data from iTunes backup:

Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
Select your iPhone in the main iTunes window or select it from Finder.
The move will prompt a new set of instructions on iTunes with options to backup data. You need to click on Restore Backup to retrieve your dead iPhone’s data.
Several backup options will prompt on your computer. You can choose a selected set of files to restore a specific file or all of them.
Once selected, the desired number of files/data to restore, press Restore, and wait. The move may restart your iPhone. If not, your device will suffer a more serious hardware failure that only technical experts can fix.

Pro Tip: If found dead, let your iPhone remain off for as long as possible to avoid data overwriting.

Use iCloud to Recover Data from Dead iPhone

If you are proactively using iCloud to maintain data backup, there is a fair chance to recover your dead phone’s data from it. You can directly recover data from iCloud on another iPhone that doesn’t necessarily require connection to a laptop or computer. All you need is an iPhone that can be turned on at least and let you through the initial steps to login to your iCloud. Don’t forget to erase your dead iPhone before continuing on the new one; otherwise, you won’t get to perform the initial set-up. Follow the steps below to restore dead iPhone’s data from iCloud Backup:

Turn on the working iPhone and perform the initial setup procedures till you get through Apps & Data. Tap on Restore from iCloud Backup option and sign in with your Apple ID.

A window will prompt you with all backups available for restoring. Select the most recent one that contains all the data you wish to retrieve from your dead iPhone.
Patiently wait for the data transfer procedure to finish.
In the data transfer procedure, at some point, you might be asked to enter your Apple ID once again. Enter details to keep the action going.
Once done, you’ll get a notification of successful data transfer.

You can also transfer all your dead iPhone data to a new one by inserting its SIM card in the new iPhone. Learn here how to Transfer Data from Old iPhone to New iPhone .

Use a Reliable Data Recovery Software

Your last respite is a professional data recovery software in case a vast amount of data from dead iPhone, like photos, videos, messages, contacts, etc., remain missing after iCloud recovery. We recommend Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone because it guarantees absolute recovery of lost or deleted data from iPhone, iTunes, and iCloud. Listing some common situations where the software can help:

If iTunes fails to restore data after unlocking the disabled iPhone.
If some data is found missing after restoring data from iTunes or iCloud.
Instead of restoring all files from the iPhone, you wish to recover only some selected files.

You can download the demo version of the software for assessment and buy the software to activate its key functionalities. It will activate via activation key that will be sent on your email once you purchase the software. Read this KB to learn How to Activate Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone . Additionally, using the Toolkit version of the software, identified as Stellar Eraser for iPhone , you can permanently remove all the sensitive data stored in your dead iPhone so it won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Conclusion:

Avid iPhone users know when to stop playing with their iOS device to let it reset in case of a technical glitch. Nevertheless, not all iPhone users are aware of this practice. Consequently, we panic and keep on switching off and on our smartphones when it hangs.

If your phone turns blank or dead, don’t panic and stop using your device for some time. Let it rest and resume its function. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing all the memories stored in it. This blog aimed to help you understand the grim consequences and smart ways to recover data from iPhone if your device turns dead. In case you are unable to recover data on your own using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone, you can avail Data Recovery Lab-Services where our experts can recover all the data from your dead iPhone.

FAQs:

What to do if iPhone is not working?

If your iPhone has stopped responding to any command and you can’t even turn it off, then force shutdown and restart it. Swiftly press and release the volume up button first and repeat the same with volume down button. Now, press and hold the side button and once the Apple logo appears on the screen, release the side button too.

Why is my phone unresponsive?

Your iPhone’s touchscreen can be unresponsive for reasons like a brief hiccup or glitch that your smartphone’s inner system can’t detect or render it unresponsive. Sometimes, touch screen becomes unresponsive due to water damage or app glitch, or virus attack.

Why did my iPhone screen go black?

In iPhone, black screen appears due to software or hardware issues. Firmware modifications, dropping the iPhone, iOS upgrade/downgrade, and jailbreaking, are some other common reasons behind the black screen error. Learn some great solutions to overcome the black screen of death error .

How to Wipe iPhone Data Permanently?

Summary: Do you want to erase everything on your iPhone? But fear that it could be recovered. Learn about the best tool that wipes iPhone data permanently and makes it unrecoverable by any recovery software.

Your iPhone is a trove of personal data — photos, videos, passwords, ID proofs, bank details, chats, messages, contacts, and a lot more— which, naturally, you don’t want to fall into other hands. That’s why you prefer to delete all the information on your iPhone before selling it to others.

But several iPhone recovery software can easily restore deleted data from an old or discarded iPhone. So there’s always a fear that someone could recover your iPhone’s data and misuse it.

Here’s a solution — permanently wipe iPhone data beyond the scope of recovery by any software.

How do you permanently erase data from your iPhone?

Manual deletion is one of the ways to remove data. But it can be easily recovered by iPhone features like restoring ‘Recently Deleted’ or recovery software.

Then, Apple suggests resetting the content and settings of the iOS device. It’s effective as the deleted data is not accessible directly on your iPhone. But this also does not completely erase your data from iPhone storage.

So to wipe iPhones permanently, specialized erasure software should be used. The iPhone data erasure tool destroys all information on your storage by overwriting, thus rendering it unrecoverable.

Methods to erase everything on iPhone

Reset content and settings on iPhone (data gets inaccessible but recoverable)
Use iPhone data erasure software – Stellar Toolkit for iPhone (permanently wipes iPhone’s data, unrecoverable)

Method 1: Reset content and settings on iPhone

Apple provides a factory reset feature in iPhone with the ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ option. This method lets you bring your device to default settings by erasing iPhone data.

Apple’s factory reset will delete all settings, passcodes, photos, videos, notes, contacts, call history, messages, search history, app history, and other data on your iPhone.

However, erasing your iPhone with the ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ option does not delete your data permanently. All the personal data on iPhone is still recoverable with the help of advanced iPhone data recovery software.

Steps to Factory Reset iPhone:

Open Settings on your iPhone.
Tap and follow General > Reset.
Tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
A dialog box appears; click Erase Now.
Enter your Passcode and your Apple ID password when prompted. This will wipe iPhone completely and turn off the device.

Now your device is ready to use as new without any personal photos, videos, or other information.

Note: Back up your iPhone data on iCloud or iTunes before performing a factory reset. Even when you want to sell the iPhone, the old data remains in iCloud and iTunes. And you can access it anytime on your computer or new iPhone.

Method 2: Erase data permanently using Stellar Toolkit for iPhone

When you want to delete iPhone data permanently beyond the scope of any recovery software, use an iPhone erasure tool – Stellar Toolkit for iPhone.

The factory reset option by Apple does leave a chance of iPhone data recovery by using the software. But, Stellar Toolkit for iPhone software permanently resets iPhone. The software erases iPhone data from the storage drive by overwriting and setting it to the original default settings. The software leaves no possibility of recovering data by any means.

You can quickly remove iPhone’s settings, photos, videos, audio, music, contacts, messages, chats, installed apps, call history, reminders, search history, and other data.

The software works with all iPhones and iPads. It can wipe off data from iPhone 15, 14, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 11 Pro, 11, XS MAX, XS, XR, X, 8, 7, 7s, 6s, 6 Plus, 6, 5s, 5c, 5, 4s, and 4. It supports iOS 6.0 and up to iOS 16.x.

Stellar iPhone erasure lets you completely wipe data from an unlimited number of iPhones with the software.

Additionally, the Toolkit can also recover lost, or deleted data from iPhone, iCloud, and iTunes in various data lost cases such as water-damaged iPhones , broken iPhones , stuck at Apple logos , and so on.

Key benefits

Wipes complete iPhone data permanently
Erases data from multiple unique iPhones
Easy-to-use
Compatible with all iPhones and iPads

Steps to erase iPhone data permanently with software:

Step 1: Download and run Stellar Toolkit for iPhone on your computer.

Step 2: Select Erase Data.

Step 3: Erase the iPhone Data screen appears. Click Next.

Step 4: Plug your iPhone into the computer when prompted.

Step 5: Click Erase.

Step 6: An Erase Process dialog box appears. Select Yes to start the erasing process on iPhone. Next, you can view the process progress bar.

Step 7: Once the process finishes, the ‘Data Erase Completes’ message box appears. Click OK.

Your iPhone is now reset as new without any personal information, passwords, or settings.

When should you erase iPhone data with software?

Your data is sensitive and can be easily exploited by someone. So before giving away your iOS device to its next owner, it is better to wipe it off completely so that no one can recover it.

You can use iPhone erasure software when you are-

Selling an old iPhone
Exchanging an old iPhone with a new one
Donating an iPhone to someone
Fixing technical malfunctions in your iPhone

Final Words

Stellar Toolkit for iPhone comes to the rescue when you want to be sure about your iPhone data privacy.

If you have to use your iOS device as new, give it away, donate, or resell, you must use the erasure software to wipe iPhone data permanently. It’s 100% secure and easy to use.

A free trial is available for Stellar Toolkit for iPhone; you may try it yourself.

The 5 Best Methods to Track a Lost or Stolen iPhone

Summary: Lost your iPhone? Don’t worry, here we tell you how to track lost or stolen iPhone using various techniques. Also, learn how to erase your iPhone data permanently to prevent it from reaching in wrong hands or misuse, using Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

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Q. I cannot live without my iPhone. It was stolen yesterday and can’t recall where I lost it. It has been switched off. Can I track the location of my iPhone? Is there any way to track lost iPhones?

A. Don’t panic. Log in to ‘Find My iPhone’ via iCloud.com and set it to ‘Lost Mode’. To know what else you can do now to track the iPhone location, read this post.

Losing an iPhone (and for that matter any smartphone) is tormenting. Besides the upfront costs, there’s an incredible amount of personal data at stake. Today, smartphones not only store personal photos, videos, and music libraries but might also contain an incredible amount of sensitive information in the form of browsing history, social data, app traces, etc. So the apprehension of exploitation and misuse of the data stored in a stolen or lost iPhone is but real.

So, as soon as you discover that your iPhone has been stolen or lost, first, try to track the location of your missing device and lock it.

How to track a lost or stolen iPhone?

Try out the following methods

Use Find My iPhone
Track through Apple’s Family Sharing
Use Google Timeline
Try Google Photos
Use location-tracking apps

Method 1: Use Find My iPhone

If Find My iPhone is enabled on your stolen iPhone, you can do the following:

Locate your mobile phone
Protect your iPhone data by choosing Lost Mode or erasing the data remotely

How to use Find My iPhone when the phone is missing

Sign in to icloud.com on your computer.
Click on the Find My iPhone link at the bottom.
On the Find My iPhone’s map interface, select your lost iPhone via the All Devices drop-down menu. The app starts tracking your iPhone location on the map.

As you see the location of your device you can choose to do the following

Play sound (if your iPhone is nearby, you can trace it with sound)
Activate ‘Lost Mode’ (this locks your device and still tracks it)

What does Lost Mode do to your device?

Remotely locks your device
Displays a message with your phone number on the missing iPhone’s Lock Screen
Keeps track of your device location.
Erase iPhone remotely (with this action you won’t be able to track your iPhone but data is prevented from slipping into the wrong hands)

How to erase iPhone data remotely?

Choosing to erase the iPhone remotely deletes the complete data from it.

Note: Always remember to copy important photos, videos, music, and other data on iCloud backup before remotely erasing the iPhone.

Use a trusted and safe data recovery solution such as Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone to restore lost files from iCloud. The software allows the recovery of specific data rather than recovering the entire data.

If you have set up Family Sharing, use it to track your iPhone. Family Sharing helps the members to know each one’s device location. Ask another member in the Family Sharing group to trace your iPhone via the Find My iPhone app. The member can also sign into iCloud.com to locate the missing iPhone.

Is your missing iPhone switched off or offline?

If the missing iPhone is switched off or showing offline in Family Sharing, you can still activate Lost Mode or remotely erase its data via Find My iPhone.
Note: The iPhone’s last known location remains only for one day. In case your device is offline for over 24 hours, you cannot trace its last location.

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What to do when ‘Find My iPhone’ is NOT enabled or the missing iPhone is offline for more than one day?

Change your Apple ID passwords to prevent anyone from accessing your data.
Change your social media and other Internet account passwords like Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
Report the device as missing to the authorities.
Report your network carrier to disable the services like calls, messages, or data use.

Method 3: Use Google Timeline to find lost iPhone

If you have turned on Location Services and Location History on your iPhone, Google’s Timeline will record all the locations of your device.

When an iPhone goes missing, access the location information on a map and find the last location. Remember, Google Timeline records the location only when the iPhone is switched on with an internet connection.

How to see the last location of a lost iPhone in Google Timeline

Visit <com/maps/timeline> on your computer.
Sign in to your Google account.
Click Today or select Date.
Scroll down to see the last reported location of your iPhone.

Along with the location, note the time when your phone was last connected to Google. Taking clues from the location and time information, you can find your lost iPhone. If needed, take the help of cops.

Method 4: Take location clue from Google Photos

If anyone has captured a photo from your lost iPhone and you have the Google Photos location-sharing option enabled, then luck is on your side.

Visit <photos.google.com/>. Check, if any new photos were uploaded and view their upload location.

Method 5: Location tracking apps

If you have installed any location-tracking app such as GPS Location Tracker, CocoSpy Cell Phone Tracker, or iTrack on your missing device, use it to track the lost or stolen iPhone. These apps share the real-time location of your device on your computer or other connected devices.

Conclusion

Apple’s Find My iPhone feature is the best way to track the location of a stolen or missing device. If Find My iPhone is not enabled you can try Google Timeline or Google Photos. Other than these methods, third-party apps can also help track a lost iPhone, but only if you have installed them before the phone was lost.

Nevertheless, ensure that you copy the iCloud backup of the stolen iPhone before taking any of the above steps.

A smarter way is to filter out the data that you want to keep, with the help of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

Is this post helpful? Share your experience in the comments below, how you managed to track and get back your stolen iPhone.

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