Oops! You accidentally pressed “Forget This Device” on your iPhone.
What can you do to stop this from happening again? Is it even possible to undo it?
You’ve tried everything you can think of to get that device remembered again, but you’re having some difficulties.
How are you expected to unforget a device on your iPhone? It doesn’t come with an easy button that lets you restore that forgotten item, and it’s a lot more complicated than doing it on your Mac, so how are you supposed to accomplish it?
How Do I Recover A Forgotten iPhone Device?
On your iPhone, navigate to Settings, General, then Reset to undo a forgotten device. Reset All Settings, Reset Contact Settings, and Reset Network Settings are available under the Reset tab. Choose “Reset Network Settings” and then follow the on-screen instructions.
To unforget a Bluetooth item on your iPhone, what steps do you need to take? What other approaches could be beneficial?
And what should you do if all of your options fail?
Continue reading to find out.
You can’t “unforget” a device on your iPhone with a simple and quick remedy.
There are, however, some actions you can do to reclaim it.
The most straightforward technique to “unforget” a Bluetooth item is to return it to discoverable (pairing) mode and then re-pair it with your phone.
To make your iPhone “unforget” a specific Bluetooth device, try resetting your network settings.
How To Unforget A Bluetooth Device
To begin, go to your Settings and select General, then Reset.
Select Reset Network Settings from the drop-down menu.
To tell your phone that this is what you want to do, click confirm.
It merely takes a few minutes to reset all of your Bluetooth and WiFi settings using this method.
It should, in theory, allow you to reconnect your device without difficulty.
When the Apple logo appears on your screen and then goes blank, don’t panic.
This must occur in order for the reset to take place.
You’ll know the reset is complete when you see your normal Home screen.
While the system is reloading, the devices that have been forgotten should be gathered.
Open Settings > Bluetooth and look through the list of previously connected devices to make sure they haven’t been forgotten.
The long-forgotten device should suddenly be visible.
Connect it as soon as possible.
Turn your devices and Bluetooth on and off to see if that helps.
If changing the network settings doesn’t work, try turning off and on your devices (both the iPhone and the forgotten device).
Simply press and hold the power button on your iPhone, then slide the button to turn it off.
Wait about 30 seconds before doing anything else to allow the phone to completely shut off.
Then, to turn the phone on, hit the power button.
Once the phone is back up and running, you should be able to rejoin the forgotten device from the Bluetooth tab.
If the problem persists, go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle the button off and on again.
The button becomes gray when Bluetooth is turned on. The button is blue when it is turned off.
Switch the device pairing mode on and off.
Of course, simply turning off and on your gadgets may not solve the problem.
If it still doesn’t work, you should turn off Device Pairing Mode and then turn it back on.
A device may be unable to connect due to small software issues.
Examine your Bluetooth-enabled device.
It should have a button that allows you to pair it with your iPhone anywhere on it.
A switch is found on all Bluetooth headphones, speakers, and earbuds.
Find it and then turn it off.
This disables the Device Pairing Mode.
Allow 30 seconds for the device to shut down before flipping the switch to re-enable Bluetooth.
Then look in your iPhone’s recognized devices to see whether this device hasn’t been forgotten.
Will a Firmware Update for the Device Fix the Issue?
If your iPhone requires a firmware upgrade, the previous instructions may not be sufficient.
This problem might be resolved by doing a Device Firmware Update (DFU).
Before beginning this tough restoration process, make a backup of your data.
Your device will be reset to factory settings if you put it into DFU Mode.
This is why you must have a backup; otherwise, you will lose your contacts, apps, photographs, videos, bookmarks, passwords, and other important information.
To get started, connect your iPhone to your computer.
Open iTunes on your Mac or PC running MacOS Mojave 10.14.
Use Finder if you’re running MacOS Catalina 10.15 or later.
It makes no difference whether your phone is turned on or off.
On an iPhone 6s or lower, hit Sleep/Wake and the Home button at the same time.
If you have a 7, simultaneously press Sleep/Wake and volume up/down.
Release the buttons whenever you see your phone on iTunes or Finder.
The phone’s display will become black.
(If it doesn’t, repeat the process.) You may now use Finder or iTunes to restore your phone.
Put the phone into DFU Mode on an iPhone 8 or higher by pressing and releasing the volume up button, then the volume down button — and do it quickly.
Then, until the screen goes black, press and hold the side button.
Again, you can do this with your phone on or off.
Hold the volume up and down buttons down until the screen goes black, count out five seconds, then release the side button but keep holding the volume down button until Finder or iTunes appears.
If you see iTunes or Finder on your phone, you know it’s in DFU Mode. If the Apple logo appears, you’ve held the volume down button down for too long and will have to start over.
Also, keep in mind that, while DFU Mode clears the phone’s code and allows you to start over, it can potentially make an already broken phone worse.
As a result, proceed cautiously.
If Everything Else Fails, What Should You Do?
Regrettably, these techniques will not always be effective.
It’s possible that your iOS system is to blame.
If this appears to be the case for you, you should contact your device’s carrier to report the problem.
You could even want to take your phone to an Apple Store to have a specialist examine it over and fix the problem.
It’s conceivable that malfunctioning hardware or software is stopping you from pairing your iPhone with your Bluetooth device.
On the iPhone, there’s a feature called “unforgetting a device.”
Un-forgetting a device on an iPhone is a relatively minor issue with a straightforward remedy for most people.
Getting your iPhone to remember a device might be as simple as turning things off and on again.
That will not always be the case, however.
It’s possible that a DFU is required, or that your phone has a more severely damaged component that prevents the devices from pairing.
If this is the case, having your phone examined by a technician is your best bet.
But, in general, fiddling with your settings and performing some resets should cause your devices to couple up again.
