Since the creation of the iPhone in 2007, iTunes has provided the portal through which you can manage and restore your device.
But change is in the air. Not only has iTunes barely been adequate for several years, but Apple announced in mid-2019 that it will finally end the application and replace it with three separate pieces of software.
So if you don't have access to iTunes for any reason, or if you wonder how to restore an iPhone without iTunes once the application ceases to exist, read on.
Restore an iPhone vs. Restart an iPhone
Often, people use "restore" and "reset" interchangeably. However, it is incorrect to do so; The two words refer to different processes. Of the two, resetting your device is the lightest approach. It will erase your phone data, but it does not affect the firmware or the operating system version.
The reset also offers a more detailed list of options. In addition to changing all of your device's settings to the default value, you can also choose to erase all content and settings. If you prefer, it is also compatible with resetting network settings, keyboard dictionary, home screen layout or location and privacy options.
Restoring an iPhone is the process you should follow if your iPhone has major problems. For example, you may not be able to remove the device from recovery mode or device firmware update mode (DFU), or continue to see error codes (the most common are 3194, 4013, 4014, 9, and 51) .
You can subdivide the restoration process into two categories: restore your iPhone to a working state with a new firmware or restore a backup of your iPhone data.
How to restart without iTunes
It is easy to factory reset an iPhone without iTunes. Assuming your device is working correctly, you can do so from the Phone Settings application. To reset your iPhone, follow these steps:
Turn on your device and make sure it is not connected to iTunes.
Open the Settings application.
Go to General> Restart.
Here you will see a list of the different restart options available. If you wish to restore the factory state of your iPhone, click on the option Delete all content and settings. Otherwise, click on the option that best suits your needs.
Before the restoration process begins, you must enter your access code. The procedure will take several minutes to complete.
How to restore an iPhone without iTunes
If you want to restore an iPhone without iTunes, the situation is a bit more complicated. To do this, you must use third-party software. Three of the leading brands are FonePaw, dr.fone and Tenorshare.
For this guide, we will focus on the FonePaw software. Feel free to try the other two applications if there is something in the FonePaw process that you don't like.
How to restore a disabled iPhone without iTunes
As we mentioned, there are two situations in which the restoration process is used. FonePaw has solutions available for both problems:
If your phone is deactivated, blocked or does not answer
Let's first see how to restore an iPhone that does not work without iTunes. This is also the method you should follow if you have forgotten your iPhone password, if you are stuck in recovery / DFU mode or if iTunes is making mistakes during the restoration process.
To get started, you need to download the FonePaw iOS System Recovery application, which has a free and paid version. The free version has some limitations, but for the purposes of this process, it will work fine. If you want to buy the full application, you have to pay $ 50. It is available for both Windows and MacOS.
Once the application is running, connect your iPhone to your computer. It needs to be a cable connection; The process does not work through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. In the next step, the process differs depending on whether your phone is deactivated or stuck in recovery mode:
Recovery mode: The iOS System Recovery application will detect that your device is in recovery mode. Click Confirm to continue.
Disabled: If your phone is disabled, you must click Advanced Mode. It will provide on-screen instructions to put your iPhone into recovery / DFU mode.
Whatever the process you have followed, you should arrive at a screen that will ask for your phone information. You must enter the category, type and model of your device. You must also select the version of iOS that you want to install during the restoration process.
Once you are satisfied with all the details, click on the Repair button.
How to restore iPhone data without iTunes
If you have deleted an important photo, message, document or file from your iPhone, you may be able to restore it if you act quickly. Again, FonePaw has an application to help. There is a free version and a $ 60 paid version, available on both Windows and macOS.
The application has a couple of significant benefits over using iTunes to recover files. First, unlike iTunes, you can (hopefully) recover files directly from your iPhone; It is not necessary that you have made a backup.
In addition, you can restore data on a case-by-case basis from an iTunes backup, instead of having to deal with an all or nothing approach.
To restore iPhone data without iTunes, follow the steps below:
Download and install the FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery application. Select Recover from iTunes backup file, Recover from iCloud backup file or Scan iPhone data, depending on what you want to achieve.
Select the files you want to recover and / or restore.
Click on the Recover button.
How to reset and restore your iPhone: A summary
The iPhone reset will return it to its factory settings. You can do it directly from the device without iTunes, but the process will not be available if your phone is disabled or stuck in Recovery mode.
Restoring an iPhone is a usable method if the device does not respond or if you want to recover data.
To restore your iPhone without iTunes, you need to use a third-party application. We recommend FonePaw.