How to Backup, Master reset and Restore On iPhone 7 Plus

This content is designed to help you learn how to back up apps, contacts, and media files from your Apple iPhone 7 Plus (#iPhone7Plus), perform a master reset, and restore your iPhone either as new or from a previous backup.

Three of the most important procedures smartphone owners regularly do with their devices are creating backup, doing a hard reset or master reset, and system restore. Creating a regular backup of your mobile device like with the latest Apple iPhone 7 Plus is highly recommended to ensure all your important contents are secured whenever things go wrong.

Meanwhile, a master reset is often needed when the device encountered some serious errors on the software, such as corrupt applications, invalid processes, and other system glitches that could hinder or affect your iPhone’s overall function. A master reset will erase your device and revert it back to factory default settings. This means that all added contents, applications, as well as customized settings will be deleted. After the hard reset, you can set up your device as new or restore from a backup.

How to back up apps, contacts, photos and other media files on your iPhone 7 Plus

There are different options for you to back up your iPhone. Among the widely used methods are done through iCloud, iTunes, and iOS data transfer applications available through the App Store. The following steps demonstrate how each of these backup methods is done.

Backup your iPhone 7 Plus via iCloud

Follow these steps to back up your favorite apps from your iPhone 7 Plus using iCloud. Remember that this process will require a wireless connection (Wi-Fi) to complete.

1. Go to the Home screen.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Select iCloud.
4. If prompted, enter your Apple ID to sign in.
5. Now tap the slider next to the apps you want to back up.
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and then tap on the option to Backup app.
7. Turn on or enable iCloud Backup if necessary.
8. Proceed by tapping on the option to Back Up Now.

Wait for the backup to complete. Backup time may vary depending on the number of apps as well as the file size.

Follow these steps to back up all your important contacts from your iPhone 7 Plus using iCloud. Again, this process will require a wireless connection (Wi-Fi) to complete.

1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
2. Select iCloud to continue.
3. If prompted to sign in, enter your Apple ID to proceed.
4. Tap the slider next to Contacts to turn it on.
5. If prompted with the merge contacts screen, select Merge contacts with iCloud.
6. Scroll down to and tap to select Backup app from given options.
7. If necessary, tap on iCloud Backup to enable the function.
8. Tap on Back Up Now to start the backup process.

Wait for the contacts backup to complete. It could take a longer depending on the number of contacts you are trying to backup through iCloud.

Follow these steps to back up all your favorite photos and other media contents stored on your iPhone 7 Plus via iCloud. Please note that this process will also require a wireless connection (Wi-Fi) to complete.

1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
2. Tap iCloud to continue.
3. If prompted to sign in, enter your Apple ID.
4. Tap Photos.
5. Tap the slider next to My Photo Stream to turn it on or enable it.
6. Go back to the previous screen by tapping on iCloud.
7. Scroll down to the bottom and tap to select Backup app from the list.
8. If necessary, tap on iCloud Backup to enable the function.
9. Tap Back Up Now to initiate media files backup process.

Wait for the backup to complete. Again, it could take a while for the process to finish especially if you are attempting to backup media files of bigger file size.

Backup your iPhone 7 Plus via iTunes

If iCloud is not your option, then you can back up your new iPhone using iTunes. In this process, you will need a computer with the latest version of iTunes app installed. Here is how to save a copy of all important information from your iPhone and keep them secured on to your computer.

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer using the Apple-supplied USB cable.
2. Wait for the computer to recognize or detect your iPhone.
3. Once your phone is detected, go to your computer and open iTunes.
4. From the iTunes screen, click on File, then go to Devices.
5. Locate your iPhone 7 Plus from the list.
6. Click on Back Up to start the backup process.

Important Notes:

• While iTunes is a good tool, its backup functions are limited. There are some files that iTunes may not be able to backup. Among them are movies, music, podcasts, and some apps. In this regard, you may opt for another backup tool that is compatible with your new iPhone.
• As an alternative solution, you may head on to the App Store and start searching for the best data transfer tool for you to use in completing the process. Generally, these iOS data transfer tools are already packed with the backup and restore functionalities.

How to master reset, factory reset, or hard reset your iPhone 7 Plus

A hard reset or master reset is a known solution to various errors and system glitches in mobile devices like the iPhone 7 Plus. This reset will erase your device, thereby eliminating all corrupted files within the phone system that had caused certain errors and program malfunctions. Having that said, backing up your iPhone is highly recommended before doing a master reset.

You can perform a master reset or factory reset through your iPhone Settings or Find My iPhone. Here’s how these reset procedures are done.

Master reset your iPhone 7 Plus through Settings

You may opt for this method if your iPhone is still responding to input commands/gestures. Otherwise, consider other options. Make sure that you already have a backup of your device information before proceeding with the following steps:

1. Start by tapping on the Settings app from the Home screen.
2. From the Settings screen, scroll to and tap General from the given options.
3. Next, scroll down to and tap on Reset.
4. Select the option to Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Continue by tapping on Erase iPhone from the pop-up message.
6. Confirm action by tapping on Erase iPhone again.
7. If prompted, enter your Apple ID Password and then tap Erase to continue.
8. Wait for the reset process to complete. When it’s all done, you may opt to set up and use your iPhone as new or restore from a previous backup.

Master reset your iPhone 7 Plus through Find My iPhone

The following steps will help you learn how to master reset your iPhone remotely through Find My iPhone. This is especially important when you accidentally lost your iPhone. Please note though that you will first need to enable the Find My iPhone feature on your device in order for you to remotely reset your device. Here’s how you it works.

Note: You will need a computer in this process.

1. Go to your computer.
2. Open the browser and navigate to iCloud.com.
3.  When you are already on the page, you will be asked to sign in to iCloud. Enter your Apple ID and Password, and then click the Sign In button to proceed.
4. On the next screen, you will find various apps icons. Click on Find iPhone from the given items.
5. If prompted to enter your Apple ID password, do so and then tap on Sign In.
6. Next, click the All Devices tab.
7. You will see a list of all devices connected to your computer. Locate your iPhone 7 Plus and then click on it.
8. The last known location of your iPhone will show up on the screen. To continue with the reset, click on the option to Erase iPhone.
9. Click Erase to confirm action.

Note: If by any chance your iPhone is offline or turned off, the master reset will begin the next time your device connects to the internet.

1. Continue by entering your Apple ID password, then click Next.
2. If prompted, enter a phone number to be displayed on your iPhone, then click Next.
3. Enter a message you want to be shown on your iPhone then click Done.
4. Click OK on the pop-up screen.

After that, your iPhone will reset remotely.

Alternative method to perform a master reset on unresponsive iPhone 7 Plus

If your iPhone is unresponsive or frozen, then you can try to force your device to restart instead. This process won’t erase current contents on your device. To force restart your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, simply press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down keys for at least 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo.

How to restore your iPhone 7 Plus

A system restore is typically done after the master reset. You may opt to restore your iPhone to factory settings and set it up as a new device or restore from a backup. Here’s how each of these iPhone restore methods works.

Restore your iPhone 7 Plus via iTunes

The following steps will restore contents including apps and contacts. A Mac or Windows computer with the latest version of iTunes installed is required in this process.

1. Go to your computer and open iTunes.
2. Connect your iPhone to the computer with the supplied USB cable.
3. If prompted, enter your device passcode or click on the option to Trust This Computer and then follow the onscreen instructions.
4. Locate your iPhone 7 Plus from the list that appears in the iTunes screen and then click on it.
5. Go to the Summary panel, and then click on Restore [your device name].
6. Click on Restore again to confirm action.

iTunes will then begin to erase your device and then installs the latest iOS firmware. Just wait until the entire restore process is complete. After your iPhone restores to factory settings, you can now set it up as new or restore from a backup.

Restore your iPhone 7 Plus via iCloud

If iTunes restore is not your choice, then you can proceed with iCloud restore instead. Here’s how you do it. You will need an Internet connection to proceed with this process.

1. After performing a master reset, turn on your iPhone. You should see a Hello screen.

Note: In case you already set up your iPhone, you need to erase its entire content first so you can proceed with the steps to restore from a backup.

1. Follow the onscreen setup instructions until you reach the Apps & Data screen. On that screen, tap the option to Restore from iCloud Backup.
2. Sign in to iCloud using your Apple ID and password.
3. Select a backup you prefer to load. Be sure to look at the date and size of each backup files and select the most relevant. The transfer begins after you select a backup file.
4. If prompted with the message that requires a newer version of iOS, follow the onscreen instructions to update iOS.
5. If asked to sign in, enter your Apple ID account credentials to restore your apps and purchases.

Note: If you have used multiple Apple IDs for your previous iTunes or App Store purchases, you will be required to sign in to each. You may opt to skip this process by clicking on Sign In Later.

1. Stay connected to the Internet and wait for the progress bar to complete. It could take a while for it to complete depending on the size of the backup and the network speed. Usually it may need a few minutes up to an hour to finish. If by any chance you’ll get disconnected from your Wi-Fi network, the progress will pause until your iPhone is reconnected.

Once the setup process is complete, you can now start using your iPhone again. Restoration of other contents such as apps, photos, music and other files will continue in the background for the next several hours or days depending on the amount of information there is to load, for as long as your device is connected to the Internet.

In case you will encounter certain errors while attempting to restore your iPhone 7 Plus, be sure to take note of the error messages or error codes as they are useful hints when troubleshooting.