You get data back after a factory reset by signing in to the same Google account or Apple Account during setup and choosing to restore from your latest backup. If there was no backup, be prepared: on a modern phone, data wiped by a reset is almost always gone for good.
Restore from Google or iCloud
Android: when the phone starts its setup screens, connect to Wi-Fi, sign in with the same Google account, and choose to restore from the cloud. Pick the newest backup from your old phone and select what to bring back: apps, contacts, call history, SMS, settings.
- Do it during setup. The full restore, especially SMS, is offered on the setup screens. If you skipped it, the usual way back is to reset again and redo setup.
- Google deletes backups from a phone that hasn’t been used for a while, so don’t wait weeks.
- Contacts saved to Google come back by syncing even without a full restore; see restoring contacts from Google.
iPhone: on the Apps & Data (or Transfer Your Apps & Data) screen, choose From iCloud Backup, sign in, and pick the latest backup. Stay on Wi-Fi and power until it finishes; apps and photos keep downloading afterwards. You can also restore a computer backup through iTunes or Finder.
Photos from Google Photos or iCloud
Photos backed up to the cloud aren’t part of the phone reset; they’re still in your account.
- Android: install or open Google Photos, sign in, and your backed-up photos appear. Check the Bin too: deleted items stay there for a limited time.
- iPhone: turn on iCloud Photos in Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Details: getting photos back from iCloud.
If photos were only on the phone (not backed up) they are not coming back from the cloud.
WhatsApp from backup
Install WhatsApp and verify the same phone number. It finds the backup on Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iPhone) as long as you’re signed in to the same account, and offers Restore. Tap it before skipping, because the offer only appears at this step.
If it finds nothing, the backup was on another account, or chat backup was switched off before the reset.
No backup: realistic options
Modern Android phones and iPhones encrypt storage, and a factory reset destroys the key. Recovery software can’t read what’s left. Places worth checking anyway:
- Memory card: if your photos were saved to an SD card and you removed it before resetting, they’re still on it.
- Your other accounts: Gmail, Google Drive, OneDrive, Facebook and Instagram keep copies of what you uploaded.
- WhatsApp chats: media you sent is often still on the other person’s phone; ask them to forward it.
- A computer you once copied the phone to.
Beware paid “recovery” offers promising to “restore everything” after a reset. With encryption, they can’t, and some want your account passwords. Don’t hand those over.
For next time, set up automatic backups with how to back up your phone, and use the checklist before a factory reset.
Quick answers
During setup, sign in with the same Google account or Apple Account and choose to restore from the latest cloud backup.
Open Google Photos or turn on iCloud Photos with the same account. Backed-up photos reappear; photos that were only on the phone don’t.
Almost never on a modern phone. A reset wipes the encryption key, so recovery tools can’t read the old data.
