"Erase all content and settings" vs itunes restore

[FatPuppy]

What is the difference between "erase all content and settings" and a full and clean restore from itunes? Is the OS the same, I mean the performance. Is one more efficient than the other?

 

[richwoodrocket]

No. Should accomplish the same thing.

 

[madsci954]

Erase all resets the device back to brand new out of the box. iTunes restore downloads and reinstalls iOS.

 

[Applejuiced]

If you have issues an itunes restore would be recommended instead of an erase all.
It reinstalls the ios and its a more clean process to make sure all your previous info is off the device also.

 

[random name]

after an iphone 5 has been restored to factory settings, is it possible to recover the data?
like with programs like this?
http://download.cnet.com/Tenorshare-iPhone-Data-Recovery-iPhone-5-5s-5c/3000-18551_4-75893005.html

 

[Newtons Apple]

after an iphone 5 has been restored to factory settings, is it possible to recover the data?
like with programs like this?
http://download.cnet.com/Tenorshare-iPhone-Data-Recovery-iPhone-5-5s-5c/3000-18551_4-75893005.html

This and other software can recover "some" of your files if they we not over written in the restore process. Once over written it is gone forever. You will still need a little bit of luck to recover the ones that were not written over.

 

[random name]

So if you wipe a phone and sell it, someone can recover your data?

 

[Jaguarr40]

I believe your best bet is to restore it through iTunes for the in the box state with the OS reinstalled. this would be best if you are selling it or doing it for yourself. If for yourself don't forget to do a backup first.

 

[PNutts]

So if you wipe a phone and sell it, someone can recover your data?

If by "wipe" you mean "Erase all Content and Settings" then the data cannot be recovered on the latest generations of iPhones.

 

[scaredpoet]

So if you wipe a phone and sell it, someone can recover your data?

It depends.

Your best bet is to put a passcode on your iPhone. This ensures that data protection is enabled.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4175?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

When enabled, file system encryption is turned on, and all data not he phone is encrypted. When a phone set up like this is wiped, the encryption key gets scrubbed, basically turning the rest of the data into meaningless random gibberish.

Could such data be recovered? Not by your average buyer or user. Maybe an entity on the order of the NSA could crack the encryption. But if the NSA was really that interested in you, then they probably already have the data they want, and don't need to be scraping your phone's wiped filesystem to get it.