If you have broken the screen of your Apple iPhone and cannot access the menus, you still have options if you wish to wipe data from the device.
Option 1 – iCloud
If you used your iPhone with an iCloud account, you may be able to sign into your iCloud account from a web browser and wipe the phone with these steps.
- Visit icloud.com and sign into your account.
- Select “Find iPhone“.
- Select the “All Devices” option at the top of the screen, then select your device.
- Choose the “Erase iPhone” option.
Option 2 – iTunes
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to any computer that has iTunes installed.
- Press and hold the “Home” and “Sleep/Wake” buttons simultaneously for about 30 seconds
- Open iTunes and it should provide a message that your device is connected in Recovery Mode. Select the “Restore” option.
Tia Hays says
May 24, 2019 at 10:40 pmI have 2 iphones – one cracked and broken, the other my new replacement. I would like too erase my old broken one. When I do option one under find my phone, it only finds my new replacement phone. I can see my old phone under the settings app but not the find my phone app so I can erase it. How do I erase the old broken phone but not the new replacement one. Thank you.
Kristine says
February 13, 2019 at 8:05 pmSorry, didn’t work for me, my screen must to be to bad!
Ashkan says
November 18, 2018 at 6:01 amWow, it was super easy and smooth wiping the data from icloud.com, thanks!
baba says
November 9, 2018 at 8:12 pmOption 2 worked for me as my screen is blacked out except for the odd blue display. I worked around it by just tapping where the prompt could be located on the screen since the touch screen sensors still worked.
Thanks~
Marinette says
September 4, 2018 at 1:18 pmI was hopeful, but this didn’t work. My screen is totally shattered and non-responsive (or randomly responsive, which is worse). iTunes gets to a place where it asks for access to the phone and requires that I “respond” from the phone. All I’ve got is the Home screen button and the Sleep/Wake button. Apparently those aren’t good enough because iTunes isn’t acknowledging my pressing either of those.
I guess I’ll remove the SIM card and run it over with my car. 😬
Tony Skrobot says
July 30, 2018 at 5:14 amAs I couldn’t use the screen and it wouldn’t connect to WiFi, I couldn’t wipe using the find my phone app. Luckily, I popped the SIM card back in and the phone could be seen by FMF and I wiped it that way
nlpprs says
July 29, 2018 at 3:17 pmNo 2. Worked like a charm / Werkt perfect!
TJ says
July 24, 2018 at 4:27 amI have a broken screen and my insurance company want me to send them the phone (6s)
I want to do a factory reset obviously before I send it to them. It still works (I can hear the alarm ringing) but I can’t get is to connect to iTunes. Also, it won’t connect to the internet to erase through find my phone. Is there a way of erasing all data given the above or do I just hit the thing and destroy it?
Christopher McNeece says
July 11, 2018 at 8:11 pmOption two worked. Thanks.
Kman says
June 16, 2018 at 3:39 pmYep Opt 2 worked I was able to restore to factory default to sell this broken phone. Thanks so much!
DD says
June 2, 2018 at 8:08 amThank you sooooo much. Used second option on my cracked ipad and I was able to delete all contends.Can now sell it .
jimmy says
April 14, 2018 at 2:27 pmlooking for hours a solution
Finally i got your info
Thanks very very much
Juan Luis Rosario Mena says
March 23, 2018 at 9:45 amThis really help me, thanks :)
KM says
March 17, 2018 at 4:17 pmThank you!
Pieni Sieni says
October 27, 2017 at 8:11 amOption 2 worked for me — thank you!