When Apple first released the iPhone, the best way to reset or restore your device was to connect it to a computer running iTunes. But in 2019, Apple discontinued iTunes for the Mac, replacing it with the Music app instead, and iTunes isn’t installed on every Windows PC. So what’s the best way to reset or restore an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max without using iTunes?
Resetting vs. Restoring an iPhone
People often use “reset” and “restore” interchangeably. However, it’s incorrect to do so; the two words relate to different processes.
Of the two, resetting your device is the lighter approach. It might wipe data off your phone, depending on the reset option you choose, but it doesn’t affect the firmware or the operating system version.
Resetting also offers a more granular list of options. In addition to changing all the settings on your device back to their default state, you can also choose to erase all your content and settings. If you prefer, you can choose to just reset the network settings, keyboard dictionary, Home Screen layout, or location and privacy options, keeping the rest of your data intact.
In contrast, restoring an iPhone is the process you need to undertake if your iPhone is having major problems. For example, perhaps you can’t get your device out of Recovery mode or Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode, or maybe you keep seeing error codes (the most common are 3194, 4013, 4014, 9, and 51).
When you restore an iPhone, it erases all your data and reinstalls the operating system from scratch. You can further subdivide the restore process into two categories: restoring your iPhone to a working state with no data, or recovering a backup of your iPhone data.
How to Reset an iPhone 18 Pro Max Without iTunes
It’s easy to reset an iPhone without iTunes. Assuming your device is working correctly, you can do it from within the phone’s Settings app. To reset your iPhone, follow these steps:
- Turn on your iPhone.
- Open the Settings app.
- Navigate to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- If you want to erase all your data and reset your iPhone to its factory state, tap on the Erase All Content and Settings option. Otherwise, tap Reset and select the option that best fits your needs.
- Follow the prompts on the next screens to sign out of your Apple Account, create a backup, or enter your passcode, depending on the reset option you chose.
If you can’t follow these steps because your iPhone 18 Pro Max isn’t working, you’ll need to follow the instructions to restore your iPhone without using iTunes instead.
How to Restore an iPhone Without iTunes on a Mac
If you have a Mac and can’t use iTunes because Apple discontinued it, you can restore your iPhone using Finder instead. The process for this is exactly the same as it used to be for iTunes:
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
- Open Finder and select your iPhone from the sidebar.
- If prompted, enter your passcode and tap Trust on your iPhone screen.
- From the General tab in Finder, click Restore iPhone to completely erase your device and reinstall the software. Alternatively, click Restore Backup to restore data from a previous backup on your Mac.
Depending on the problem with your iPhone 18 Pro Max, you may need to restore the firmware as well. You need to put your iPhone into DFU mode to do this.
How to Restore an iPhone Without iTunes on a Windows PC
Open Apple Devices and select your iPhone in the sidebar. Select Trust [your device] if necessary, then select General. Select Restore and follow the onscreen instructions.
