iPhone 5 or earlier 5S hard reset without itunes or any third party software?

[jmm55]

I bought a used iphone 5S at a second hand store to use as a spare to my 7+. It's locked, so I'd like to do a hard reset. I've been reading online about how to do it, but it seems every webpage says it either has to be connected to itunes through a computer or it has to be done with some third party software. What am I missing here? Isn't there some way to hard reset without itunes or a third party app?

 

[eyoungren]

A hard reset is the power button and home button pressed and held simultaneously until the device restarts.

I suspect what you're asking about is a RESTORE. Yes, that is possible to do on the device…as long as you can open the Settings app and start the process.

But you can't, because the device is locked and you do not apparently have access to the code or password.

So that's going to require iTunes.

But there's another problem. Have you asked yourself yet, did the former owner have Find My iPhone set on?

Because if they did and you restore, guess what you're going to be faced with next? iCloud Activation Lock. You'll need the email and password of the person who set this up before you can go any farther.

 

[jmm55]

Hmmm... The store I bought it at is a re-use store that does not buy things but only accepts donations, and thus I assume the phone was donated by someone who didn't want to discard it. The most important question is if there could be any issue with me attempting to reset the phone using my itunes account.

I have icloud on my computer. Is this the same as itunes, or rather do I access itunes through icloud? I have to confess I'm not remotely iphone savvy.
[automerge]1582774211[/automerge]
I just downloaded itunes on my pc.

 

[jschnee21]

Yes, you’ll want to do a DFU restore through iTunes. Search for a YouTube that shows you how.

The duration and timing of holding down the volume and screen lock buttons is a little tricky.

Once in DFU mode, iTunes can easily install a clean, current version of iOS.

But as others have said if the previous owner did not disable find my phone you may still be stuck

 

[jmm55]

Thanks for the replies. Got error codes on hard reset. Called Apple, but it looks like the previous owner did not disable find my phone. I asked Apple if they could run the serial number to see if it had been lost or stolen, but apparently they don't do that, at least on the phone as the rep said they might do it in an Apple store.

It's Unusual for a reuse (secondhand) store, but they have a return policy, so I'll take it back.

 

[eyoungren]

Thanks for the replies. Got error codes on hard reset. Called Apple, but it looks like the previous owner did not disable find my phone. I asked Apple if they could run the serial number to see if it had been lost or stolen, but apparently they don't do that, at least on the phone as the rep said they might do it in an Apple store.

It's Unusual for a reuse (secondhand) store, but they have a return policy, so I'll take it back.

If this had been iOS 6 you would have been ok, but the minimum version of iOS for the 5s is iOS 7. And iOS 7 is when Apple introduced iCloud Activation lock.

 

[oVerboost]

The second hand shop you bought it from probably didn’t bother testing much as they won’t have paid much at all to even buy it/ value against trade in. I’d return it, and try another one.

 

[jmm55]

Thanks for the replies. I was all set to return it but on a lark I tried resetting though itunes one last time, this time connected to a different USB port on my computer, and to my surprise, it worked. The phone is reset and working fine. The phone only supports IOS 12.4.5, but it will do just fine for taking places I might not normally want to take my 7+.