Recovering iPhone data after a factory reset without a backup can be challenging:
For iPhones (iPhone 8, X, and later), recovering data directly from the device after a factory reset is nearly impossible due to built-in encryption. This means that recovery tools relying on direct device scanning won't work.
However, all hope is not lost.
Many of your data might be synced to iCloud, and also, certain recovery tools can help you retrieve some recoverable data. In this guide, we'll show you how to recover as much of your lost data as possible and restore your iPhone to its original state.
Recover iPhone Data from iCloud Account
If you think you never made a backup, don't panic yet. Your iPhone might have synced more data to iCloud than you realized automatically. This method walks you through how to pull every recoverable file from your iCloud account and rebuild your device.
Step 1. Skip Other Transfer Options
During the initial setup, you'll reach the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen. Choose Don't Transfer Anything. Since you don't have a backup or another device, this option lets you continue with a clean setup first.
Step 2. Sign in With Your Apple Account
Finish setting up the device. Once on the home screen, go to Settings and sign in with your Apple ID if you haven't been prompted to do so already.
Step 3. Redownload Your Previous Apps
Open the App Store and tap your profile photo in the top right corner.
Go to Apps, then switch to the Not on This iPhone tab. It shows every app you've ever downloaded with your Apple ID but haven’t installed on the current device. Choose the apps you want and redownload them.
Most apps will bring your data back the moment you sign in, since many store information on their own servers instead of your phone. Apps that use end-to-end encryption, like WhatsApp, may need extra steps to restore chat history.
If you have apps you downloaded or purchased with a different Apple ID, switch to that account in the App Store and repeat the process.
Step 4. Restore iCloud-Synced Data
Go to Settings and tap on your Name/Apple ID at the top. Go to iCloud. In the Apps Using iCloud section, manually toggle ON the categories you want to restore, such as:
Photos: Turn on iCloud Photos (your full photo library will download in the background).
Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Reminders: Turning these on will instantly download the synced versions.
iCloud Drive: Files and documents saved here will become accessible.
Messages: Some messages are stored on your iCloud.
Give your device some time. iCloud will begin downloading your synced data in the background.
Step 5. Retrieve Messages From Your Carrier
Text messages stored by your carrier (depending on your region and plan) can be restored automatically after you sign in with your SIM card and connect to the network.
With these steps, you can recover a large portion of your important information even without a full device backup. iCloud sync and app-level cloud storage often hold far more data than users expect, and using them correctly can get your iPhone surprisingly close to its original state.
Recover Factory Resetted iPhone from Gbyte Recovery without Backup
Gbyte Recovery is a professional iOS data recovery tool that allows you to restore iPhone data without a backup. It can deeply scan your iCloud and find recoverable files, even deleted data, using iCloud snapshot extraction technology. Unlike traditional iCloud recovery methods, Gbyte can retrieve data that is otherwise inaccessible. Best of all, it offers a free scan. Here's how to use it:
Step 1. Install and open Gbyte Recovery on your computer, or visit its mobile web version.
Step 2. Choose Select All to choose any type of data to recover and click "Scan".
Step 3. Sign in with your Apple ID to connect your iPhone to the Gbyte Recovery tool.
Step 4. Wait for the scan to complete. You’ll see all recoverable files listed on the results page.
Step 5. Preview and save the items you want directly to your computer or phone.
What Gbyte Can Recover:
Photos and Videos
Messages & FaceTime
Messages from WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Teams, and 30+ other apps
Final Check: Did You Really Not Backup?
Before giving up on data recovery, it’s worth doing a final check. Sometimes, we forget that we’ve backed up our iPhone, especially to iCloud or to a local Finder/iTunes backup. To avoid losing any chance of recovering your data, double-check these backups—just in case you have one that you forgot about.
Taking a moment to look through your iCloud backups or local backups on your computer could make all the difference in recovering your important files.
