Whether your iPad has frozen mid-swipe, is running painfully slow, or you’re getting ready to sell it and want a clean slate, knowing how to reset an iPad properly is a handy skill to have. There isn’t just one “reset” — Apple actually gives you several options depending on what you’re trying to fix, from a simple restart all the way through to a full factory wipe.
This guide walks you through every type of iPad reset, when to use each one, and what to do if something goes wrong along the way.
1. Soft Reset (Restart Your iPad)
This is the gentlest option and should always be your first step when an app is misbehaving or the iPad feels sluggish.
For iPads with Face ID (no Home button):
- Press and quickly release the volume up button
- Press and quickly release the volume down button
- Press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears
For iPads with a Home button:
- Press and hold the top (or side) button until the “slide to power off” appears
- Slide to power off, wait 30 seconds, then hold the top button again to turn it back on
A soft reset clears temporary glitches without touching any of your data, so it’s always worth trying first.
2. Force Restart (When Your iPad Is Frozen)
If your iPad won’t respond to touch at all, a standard restart won’t work because you can’t access the power-off slider. A force restart bypasses this.
iPads with Face ID:
- Quickly press and release volume up
- Quickly press and release volume down
- Press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears
iPads with a Home button:
- Press and hold both the Home button and the top button together
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears
This won’t delete anything — it simply forces the device to reboot. If your iPad regularly freezes and needs this fix, it’s often a sign of a deeper software issue, and sometimes even a battery or hardware fault, that’s worth having looked at.
3. Reset Settings (Without Losing Data)
If your iPad is acting oddly — Wi-Fi won’t connect, Bluetooth accessories won’t pair, or your keyboard layout has gone haywire — you can reset just the settings without wiping your photos, apps, or files.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset, where you’ll find several targeted options:
- Reset All Settings – restores default settings but keeps your data
- Reset Network Settings – fixes stubborn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth pairing problems
- Reset Home Screen Layout – puts app icons back to their original arrangement
- Reset Keyboard Dictionary – clears learned autocorrect suggestions
These are great middle-ground options when something specific is broken, but you don’t want to start from scratch.
4. Factory Reset (Erase All Content and Settings)
This is the “full reset” most people mean when they say they want to reset their iPad. It wipes everything — apps, photos, accounts, and settings — returning the device to its state fresh out of the box.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Erase All Content and Settings, then follow the prompts. You’ll need your Apple ID password to confirm and disable Activation Lock.
Before you do this, make sure you’ve:
- Back up your data (iCloud or your computer)
- Signed out of iCloud and iMessage
- Noted down any important passwords or accounts
If you’re preparing the iPad for someone else — whether that’s for initial setup for a new user or for a household member getting their first device — this is the reset you want.
5. Resetting via a Computer (iTunes or Finder)
If your iPad won’t turn on, is stuck in a boot loop, or the touchscreen isn’t responding well enough to navigate the Settings app, you can reset it using a computer:
- Connect the iPad to a Mac or PC using a cable
- Open Finder (macOS Catalina and later) or iTunes (Windows and older macOS)
- Select your iPad when it appears
- Choose Restore iPad and confirm
This process reinstalls the operating system and erases the device completely, which makes it especially useful when the iPad is unresponsive or won’t reset through the on-screen menu.
6. Recovery Mode (For Serious Software Issues)
If your iPad is unresponsive to a force restart or gets stuck showing the Apple logo, recovery mode is the next step. It requires a computer and a cable, and the button combination to enter it is the same as the force restart steps above — except you keep holding until you see the recovery mode screen (a computer icon) rather than letting go at the Apple logo.
From there, Finder or iTunes will offer to update or restore the device.
What If You’ve Forgotten Your Passcode?
If you’re locked out because you can’t remember your passcode, the only way in is through a factory reset via recovery mode, which will erase the device. This is exactly why regular backups matter — if you’ve been backing up to iCloud or a computer, you can restore your apps, photos, and settings straight after the reset.
After the Reset: Setting Everything Back Up
Once your iPad has been reset, you’ll be taken through Apple’s setup assistant to reconnect Wi-Fi, sign back into your Apple ID, and restore from a backup if you have one. If you’d rather not deal with the back-and-forth of account logins, Wi-Fi passwords, and app reinstalls yourself, our team offers hands-on iPad and tablet setup to get everything running smoothly again — the same service we offer for iPhones and other smartphones.
When a Reset Isn’t Enough?
Sometimes a reset won’t fix the underlying problem. If your iPad is still misbehaving afterwards, the cause might be something a software reset can’t touch:
- Unresponsive or cracked buttons — see our iPad button repair service
- Cracked back panel or housing — we handle iPad back glass replacement
- Distorted or silent audio — check out iPad speaker repair
- Persistent pop-ups, slowdowns, or suspicious behaviour even after resetting — this could point to malware, and our iPad virus removal service (or tablet virus removal more broadly) can help diagnose and clean it up
And if you ever suspect someone has gained remote access to your device — for example, after clicking a suspicious link or falling for a support scam — don’t just reset and hope for the best. Read our guide on what to do if a scammer got remote access and our broader overview of remote access scams to make sure your accounts and personal information are properly secured.
Need a Professional?
Resetting an iPad is usually straightforward, but it can feel daunting if you’re worried about losing photos, contacts, or important files — or if the device won’t even respond. If you’d rather have someone experienced take care of it, get in touch with our team, and we’ll walk you through it or handle the whole process for you.
