You may need to reset your Apple devices to factory settings when troubleshooting, or when selling, giving away, or recycling devices. In this article, we look at resetting other Apple devices: the Apple TV, HomePod, AirTags, AirPods (all types), and Beats headphones. All these devices are linked to your Apple ID, and if you don’t reset the Apple TV and HomePod, someone could access your content and data.
Here’s how to reset these devices to factory settings. In another article, we look at how to reset any Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch.
Resetting an Apple TV is easy. Go to Settings > System > Reset. You have two options, and different Apple TV models use slightly different terminology. See this Apple support document to identify your Apple TV model.
For the Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD:
For the Apple TV (3rd generation) or earlier:
You may want to try one or the other when troubleshooting, though if your Apple TV is old, then the Reset option will only install the version of tvOS that was available when it was sold. You won’t need an internet connection for the basic reset option, though you will need internet access to download and install the latest software.
After you’ve reset an Apple TV, if you’re not setting it up again for yourself, it’s a good idea to check that it’s no longer linked to your Apple ID. Go to appleid.apple.com, then click on Devices. If you still see your Apple TV, click it, then click Remove from Account.
You can reset any HomePod with the Home app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Find your HomePod in the Home app, click on it, then click on the gear icon and scroll down to the bottom of the screen.
Click or tap Reset HomePod then click or tap Reset.
If you are unable to reset a HomePod with the Home app, you can do the following:
The large HomePod has no way to connect it to a computer, but you can connect a HomePod mini to a Mac or PC with a USB-C cable. The HomePod mini will show up in the Finder sidebar (on a Mac) or in iTunes (on a Windows PC). Click it, then click Restore HomePod; this resets the device.
After you’ve reset a HomePod, if you’re not setting it up again for yourself, it’s a good idea to check that it’s no longer linked to your Apple ID. Go to appleid.apple.com, then click on Devices. If you still see your HomePod, click it, then click Remove from Account.
AirTags are a special case. You may have AirTags of your own, that you want to reset, or you may have found an AirTag. In the former case, you need to remove that AirTag from your Apple ID; in the latter, you need to do a full reset.
To remove an AirTag from your Apple ID:
If you’ve found an AirTag, you can reset it, and it will no longer share its location with its owner. However, you won’t be able to associate it with your Apple ID and use it.
Since you cannot reuse someone else’s AirTag that you find, assuming that you don’t know the owner and can’t return it to them, it’s best to dispose of it correctly. You can keep the battery, in case you have other AirTags (or a non-smart watch, or other device that uses a CR2032 battery), but take the AirTag itself to a recycling collection point.
To reset any AirPods (other than AirPods Max), do the following:
To reset AirPods Max, press and hold the noise control button and the Digital Crown for 15 seconds until the LED flashes amber, then white.
For any AirPods, you can then re-pair them with a device, or sell them or give them away.
If you have connection or sound problems with your Beats headphones, resetting them may help. This will also remove them from your Apple devices. For on-ear and over-ear models, such as the Solo Pro, any of the Solo Wireless or Studio Wireless models, you press and hold one or two buttons for ten seconds. This Apple support document specifies which buttons to use for each model.
For Beats earphone models, such as any Powerbeats, Beats Flex, BeatsX, or Beats Fit Pro, the procedure is similar to that for on-ear and over-ear headphones. You press and hold one or two buttons for ten seconds. This Apple support document specifies which buttons to use for each model.
Beats Studio Buds are similar to AirPods; to reset them, do the following:
After you’ve reset your devices, you can sell them, give them away, or recycle them.
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