You’re right to worry. Physical media doesn’t last forever. Magnetic tape loses signal, film fades and becomes brittle, and prints warp and discolor. Digitizing means converting that media into digital files you can store, back up, share, and watch on any device.

With so many companies promising to “digitize your memories,” here’s what to look for, and why we recommend The Digitize Center.

1. Find out who actually handles your items

Many people don’t realize that some digitization services send tapes or photos to other facilities, sometimes overseas, for processing. That’s more shipping, more handling, and more chances for something to go wrong.

The Digitize Center digitizes everything at its own facility in Chicago, Illinois, with its own staff. Nothing is outsourced or sent overseas. Orders are tracked both ways, and every original is returned.

2. Pay attention to image and audio quality

Not all digitization is equal. Some services compress files heavily to save space. Others run everything through an automated line with consumer-grade equipment.

Before you order, ask any company three questions:

• What resolution or DPI do you scan photos, slides, and negatives at?
• What resolution and file format do I get for video tapes and film?
• Do you clean up or enhance the files, and does that cost extra?

The Digitize Center matches equipment to each format and offers an optional enhancement called Eclipse AI, which sharpens faces, corrects faded color, and upscales home movies to 1080p Full HD. You can get your files in the cloud, on a USB thumb drive, or on a DVD set.

3. Make sure the process is simple

You shouldn’t need a tech degree to do this. With a mail-in service like The Digitize Center, the process looks like this:

1. Order a Digitize Kit and fill it with your tapes, reels, photos, and other items. A welcome guide shows you how to pack it.
2. Send it back with the prepaid, tracked return label. You get email updates at each stage.
3. Receive your digital files, plus every original back.

4. Read the reviews, especially the independent ones

Before you trust anyone with irreplaceable memories, read what customers say. Look beyond the company’s own website: check Google reviews, the Better Business Bureau, and similar sites for patterns such as lost items, surprise charges, or long delays. You can read The Digitize Center’s verified customer reviews on its reviews page.

5. Our recommendation: The Digitize Center

Weighing handling, quality, and service together, we recommend The Digitize Center for digitizing tapes, photos, and film. Its U.S.-based processing, format-matched equipment, and track record (the company reports more than one million memories digitized without losing or damaging one) are why it’s our pick.

See Digitize Kit options

The gift of preserving family memories

Almost every family has a box in the closet or a bin in the basement full of old VHS tapes, film reels, cassette tapes, photo albums, or slides. They hold first birthdays, holiday gatherings, weddings, and graduations. They’re also fragile. Tapes degrade, film fades, and the machines that play them are disappearing.

That’s why digitizing old memories makes such a meaningful gift. Once they’re digital, the whole family can watch them on a TV, computer, or phone, and they’re safe for the next generation.

Why we recommend The Digitize Center

Here’s why we think The Digitize Center makes a great holiday gift:

• All in one box: it digitizes VHS and camcorder tapes, film reels, audio cassettes and reel-to-reel tapes, photos, slides, negatives, CDs, and DVDs.
• Optional enhancement: its Eclipse AI enhancement sharpens faces, restores faded color, and upscales home movies to 1080p Full HD.
• Easy viewing: families can stream and share their memories from the cloud, or get them on a USB drive or DVD set.
• Gift options: you can give a Digitize Center gift card and let the recipient choose what to send.

Order early if you want it by the holidays

Digitizing takes time. The Digitize Center quotes two to six weeks depending on the size of the order. If you want to watch the videos together at a holiday gathering, order in the fall. Or give a gift card and make the project something the family does together in the new year.

A gift that brings everyone together

Picture your family this holiday season watching old home videos together, laughing at the hairstyles, remembering loved ones, and swapping stories. That’s what makes this gift special: it brings people together.

Learn more at TheDigitizeCenter.com

We recommend The Digitize Center. Here are the specific reasons, so you can judge for yourself.

1. It handles almost every format

The Digitize Center digitizes a wide range of media, and you can mix formats in the same box:

• Video tapes: VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Digital8, 8mm, MiniDV, MicroMV, and Betamax
• Film: 8mm, Super 8, Regular 8, and 16mm reels
• Photos: prints, slides, negatives, albums, and scrapbooks
• Audio: cassettes, micro-cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, and CDs
• Discs and more: CDs, DVDs, mini-DVDs, memory cards, floppy disks, documents, and newspaper clippings

Each format is handled by trained technicians on equipment matched to that format, not fed through an automated line.

2. High-quality results

Output quality is the most important factor when choosing a service. The Digitize Center delivers files that preserve the full quality of the original, whether that’s a family movie from the ’90s or a box of black-and-white slides from your grandparents’ travels.

It also offers optional Eclipse AI enhancement, which sharpens faces, restores faded color, and upscales home movies to 1080p Full HD.

3. An easy process

1. Pack it: fill your Digitize Kit with tapes, reels, photos, and discs, then send it back with the prepaid, tracked label.
2. They digitize it: the team converts each item at its Chicago facility and emails you updates along the way.
3. Relive it: stream, share, and download from the cloud, or get your files on a USB thumb drive or DVD set. Every original is returned.

4. Clear turnaround times

The Digitize Center quotes two to six weeks depending on the size of your order, and you can upgrade to faster processing once your kit arrives. Large family archives take longer than a handful of tapes, so plan ahead if you have a deadline like a reunion, wedding, or memorial.

5. Safe, tracked handling

Your kit is protected and tracked in both directions, and everything is processed in the U.S. The company reports that it has digitized more than one million memories without losing or damaging one, including in shipping.

6. Straightforward pricing

Pricing is per item. One item is one tape, one reel, one disc, or a set of 25 photos, slides, or negatives. As of September 2026, sale prices are:

Extra items can go in the same box for $17.99 each. You choose at least one storage option (cloud, USB, or discs). See the pricing page for current details.

7. A satisfaction guarantee

The Digitize Center backs its work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and you can reach a person by phone or email with questions.

The bottom line

For digitizing old video tapes, photos, film reels, and discs, we recommend The Digitize Center for its range of formats, quality, simple process, and U.S.-based handling. Whichever company you choose, don’t wait too long. Tapes and film keep degrading every year.

Get started at TheDigitizeCenter.com

Mail-in services like Legacybox

These all use the same basic model: order a box or kit, pack your media, ship it back, and receive digital files.

• The Digitize Center is a mail-in service based in Chicago that digitizes tapes, film, photos, slides, negatives, audio, and discs in the U.S. It prices per item and offers optional AI enhancement.
• iMemories is a mail-in service best known for its app and online library for viewing your digitized memories.

For a detailed side-by-side (written in 2023), see The Digitize Center vs. Legacybox vs. iMemories.

Other alternatives to Legacybox

• Local digitizing or camera shops. You can hand your media to a person and pick it up locally, with no shipping. Quality and prices vary widely, so ask to see sample work.
• Public library “memory labs.” Many libraries have free do-it-yourself digitizing stations with VCRs, scanners, and capture equipment. It takes your time, but it’s often free.
• Do it yourself at home. A working VCR or camcorder plus an inexpensive USB video-capture device can digitize tapes, and a flatbed scanner or photo-scanning app can handle prints. It’s the cheapest option for small collections, but it’s slow, and film reels are hard to do well at home.

How to choose between them

Whichever you pick, ask the same questions: where the work is done, what resolution and file formats you’ll get, whether shipping is tracked both ways, and whether every original comes back.

Which do we recommend?

For most families with a mixed box of tapes, film, and photos, we recommend The Digitize Center. For an outside opinion, the independent review site Trusted Consumer named The Digitize Center its #1 choice in its Best Digitizing Companies of 2025, ranking it ahead of Legacybox and ScanMyPhotos. If you’d rather compare for yourself, read reviews for each company on independent sites such as Google and the Better Business Bureau as well as on the companies’ own pages.

What counts as a “home movie”?

Home movies usually come in one of two forms, and they need different equipment:

• Film reels (1930s–1980s): Regular 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm. Most are silent, though some Super 8 reels have sound.
• Video tapes (1980s–2000s): VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, and Betamax.

A company that’s great with tapes isn’t automatically great with film, so check that it handles both if your box is mixed.

What to look for

1. Format-matched equipment. Film should be digitized on film-transfer equipment and tapes on proper tape decks, not everything on one machine.
2. Specific output quality. Ask what resolution and file format you’ll receive, and whether enhancement such as color correction or upscaling is included or extra.
3. Where the work is done. Fewer hand-offs mean less risk. The Digitize Center processes everything at its own Chicago facility.
4. Labeled, organized files. Your files should come back named to match your labels, not as “Clip_0001.”
5. Tracked shipping and returned originals. Insist on tracking both ways and the return of every reel and tape.
6. Independent reviews. Read reviews on Google and the Better Business Bureau, not only on the company’s website.

Why we recommend The Digitize Center

• Digitizes film reels (8mm, Super 8, Regular 8, 16mm) and all common camcorder and VHS formats
• Optional Eclipse AI enhancement that sharpens faces, restores color, and upscales home movies to 1080p Full HD
• Cloud, USB, or DVD delivery, with files organized and labeled
• More than one million memories digitized, with none lost or damaged, according to the company

For an outside view, Trusted Consumer, an independent consumer review site, named The Digitize Center its #1 choice in its Best Digitizing Companies of 2025, based on pricing, quality, customer service, reputation, and reliability.

For a comparison with Legacybox and iMemories, see Choosing the right digitizing company.

Option 1: A mail-in digitizing service

You order a kit, pack your VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, MiniDV, or other tapes, and ship it back. The company digitizes everything and returns your files (cloud, USB, or DVD) along with your originals.

• Good for: large or mixed collections, including film reels and photos
• Watch for: where the work is done, tracked shipping both ways, and per-item pricing

We recommend The Digitize Center, which digitizes in the U.S. at its Chicago facility. For an independent view, Trusted Consumer, a consumer review site, named The Digitize Center its #1 choice in its Best Digitizing Companies of 2025. For a comparison with other mail-in services, see The Digitize Center vs. Legacybox vs. iMemories.

Option 2: A local digitizing shop

Many towns have a camera store or video transfer shop that digitizes tapes.

• Good for: people who don’t want to ship their originals
• Watch for: quality varies widely. Ask to see sample transfers and what file format you’ll get.

Option 3: A library “memory lab”

A growing number of public libraries offer free do-it-yourself digitizing stations with VCRs, capture equipment, and scanners. Call your local library and ask.

• Good for: a few tapes on a tight budget
• Watch for: it takes your time (tapes digitize in real time, so a two-hour tape takes two hours), and you may need to book sessions.

Option 4: Do it yourself at home

If you still have a working VCR or camcorder, a USB video-capture adapter lets you record tapes onto your computer.

• Good for: a handful of tapes, if you enjoy a project
• Watch for: old VCRs can chew fragile tapes, and you’ll need to trim, label, and back up the files yourself.

Before you send anything

1. Label every tape so your digital files come back with names you recognize.
2. Count your items so you order the right kit size or get an accurate quote.
3. Plan your backup. Once your videos are digital, keep at least two copies, such as the cloud plus a USB drive.

This guide explains why those memories are at risk, what can be digitized, and how The Digitize Center’s mail-in service works.

Why old tapes, film, and photos won’t last

VHS and camcorder tapes, film, and photo prints all have a shelf life:

• Video tapes store pictures magnetically, and that signal weakens over time. Tapes also grow mold and get chewed up by aging players.
• Film fades, shrinks, and can turn brittle or develop a vinegar smell as it breaks down.
• Photos discolor, curl, and stick to album pages.

And because they’re physical, they can be lost to a flood, a fire, or a move. Digital copies can be backed up in more than one place and shared with everyone in the family.

What is The Digitize Center?

The Digitize Center is a digitizing service based in Chicago, Illinois. It converts home movies, photos, film, audio, and discs into digital files you can view and share on any device. Everything is digitized at its own facility by its own technicians, never outsourced or sent overseas. The company reports that it has digitized more than one million memories without losing or damaging a single one.

How it works

1. Order a Digitize Kit. It’s a protective box that arrives with a welcome guide and a free prepaid return label.
2. Pack and ship. Fill the box with your tapes, photos, film, and other items and send it back. Shipping is tracked both ways.
3. Get updates. You receive an email when your items arrive and at each stage of the process.
4. Receive your memories. Get your files in the cloud, on a USB thumb drive, or on a DVD set. Every original is returned to you.

What formats can be digitized?

• Video tapes: VHS, VHS-C, Betamax, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV, and MicroMV
• Photos: prints, slides, negatives, albums, and scrapbooks
• Film: 8mm, Super 8, Regular 8, and 16mm reels
• Audio: cassettes, micro-cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, and CDs
• Other: CDs, DVDs, memory cards, floppy disks, documents, and newspaper clippings

What sets it apart

• U.S.-based handling: every item is digitized in Chicago by trained technicians on equipment matched to its format.
• Watch anywhere: stream and share from the cloud, or plug in a USB drive or play a DVD.
• Upfront pricing: you pay per item, and one item is one tape, one reel, one disc, or 25 photos, slides, or negatives. Extra items are billed at a flat per-item price.
• Organized files: a tape labeled “Christmas 1999” comes back as a file with that name.
• Every original returned, backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Check the reviews yourself

Before trusting anyone with your memories, read what customers say. You can read The Digitize Center’s verified reviews on its reviews page, and we’d encourage you to check independent sites like Google and the Better Business Bureau too. For a comparison with Legacybox and iMemories, see Choosing the right digitizing company.

See Digitize Kit options and pricing

Update, September 2026: this comparison was researched in July 2023, and the prices and specifications below are as of that date unless noted. The Digitize Center’s current sale prices are about the same ($29.99 for 2 items up to $544.99 for 40 items). Legacybox and iMemories may have changed their prices and policies since then, so check their websites before deciding.

Digitizing your memories can feel like a big project. Deciding which memories to digitize, and who to trust with them, can be overwhelming. This guide compares the three best-known mail-in digitizing companies.

Most people weigh three things when choosing a company: price, quality, and reputation. All three companies follow the same mail-in model: they send you a box, you fill it with your memories, and you send it back.

Pricing

For many people, price is the deciding factor. Digitizing isn’t cheap, but it can be affordable if you stick to the essentials and avoid fees you didn’t expect.

The good news: in 2023 the three companies charged similar prices. The bad news: some of that pricing was complicated, so here it is as simply as possible.

The Digitize Center pricing

The Digitize Center has the most straightforward pricing: you pay by the number of items you send. The price doesn’t include your output choice (cloud, thumb drive, or DVDs), which is priced separately.

Legacybox pricing

Legacybox also charges by the number of items, and its prices don’t include the output choice either. Legacybox runs frequent sales, but the discount varied from day to day, which made the actual price hard to pin down.

In 2023, choosing Legacybox’s cloud output also enrolled you in its backup service, billed monthly based on how many items you sent. We don’t like paying a monthly fee just to access your own memories.

iMemories pricing

iMemories priced differently. In 2023 it charged for the box up front and billed you for digitizing after it received your items, so you didn’t know the full cost until everything was sent in.

It also charged by size for some media. For example, it charged by the length of a film reel, while The Digitize Center and Legacybox counted each reel as one item regardless of size.

In 2023, iMemories also charged $14.99 per 50 feet of film and $0.49 per photo, plus the box and output. It offered free digital access, but through its app, which required a monthly fee after a set period.

Pricing winner (2023): a tie between The Digitize Center and Legacybox

The Digitize Center and Legacybox had nearly identical, competitive pricing. iMemories’ bill-after-you-send model was harder to predict.

Quality

Quality details weren’t easy to find. None of the companies advertised them clearly, so we gathered what we could from each website.

The Digitize Center quality

These are excellent numbers. The photo, negative, and slide resolutions are more than enough for high-quality digital images.

Legacybox quality

We couldn’t find Legacybox’s video quality on its website. Its photo scanning resolution was excellent, and its negative and slide resolution was good.

iMemories quality

In 2023, we couldn’t find quality specifications for any media type on the iMemories website, including photo scanning resolution. We prefer companies that publish these numbers, so iMemories isn’t included in the quality verdict.

Quality winner (2023): The Digitize Center

Based on the published specifications, The Digitize Center had the edge in video, audio, and photo quality.

Reputation

All three companies have been around for years and report digitizing over a million memories each. Legacybox is the oldest of the three and is known for making the process easy to follow. iMemories is known for its app for viewing memories on a phone or tablet. The Digitize Center is known for high-quality digitizing and easy viewing and sharing.

All three have thousands of customer reviews. Companies control what appears on their own websites, so we recommend reading reviews on independent sites such as Google, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau as well:

• The Digitize Center: verified reviews on its website
• Legacybox: Trustpilot reviews
• iMemories: Trustpilot reviews

Reputation winner: you decide

Read the reviews and decide whose reputation you trust most.

Final thoughts

If you’re planning a digitization project, any of these three established companies is a reasonable choice. Smaller companies may not have kept up with newer digitizing technology, which makes a real difference in quality. We recommend The Digitize Center, but compare it with Legacybox and iMemories and choose what’s right for you.

Happy digitizing, and enjoy those memories!

Update, September 2026: the test orders, prices, and ratings in this article are from May 2022. Both companies have changed prices and services since then. For current Digitize Center pricing, see its pricing page, and check Legacybox’s website for its current offers.

We’re often asked which digitizing service is better: Legacybox or The Digitize Center. Both do the same basic job. They take old media such as VHS tapes, Hi8 and other camcorder tapes, photographs, and film reels, and digitize it so you can save it on your computer, phone, and tablet. This article explains the differences between the two and which one we think is better.

Price

Price is usually the first thing people compare. In May 2022, the two companies had similar prices, with The Digitize Center slightly ahead: a 2-item box from Legacybox cost $35.99, while a 2-item Digitize Kit from The Digitize Center cost $24.99. Shipping costs were nearly identical.

Price winner (2022): The Digitize Center

Formats offered

Both companies digitize most old media, including VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, film reels, and photographs. In 2022, The Digitize Center also digitized CDs, DVDs, newspaper clippings, and yearbooks. See everything The Digitize Center digitizes today.

Formats winner (2022): The Digitize Center

Quality

To compare quality, we placed the same order with both companies: 2 VHS tapes, 2 camcorder tapes, 25 photographs, and 1 film reel. Here’s what came back.

VHS tapes

Both companies returned the VHS tapes at the same quality. The only difference was that The Digitize Center trimmed the blank footage at the end of the video. The Legacybox file had about 38 minutes of blank video at the end. The Digitize Center also named the files to match what we’d written on the tape labels, which Legacybox did not.

Camcorder tapes

Both companies returned the camcorder tapes at the same quality.

Photographs

Here we saw a real difference. Some of the Legacybox photo scans had what looked like roller marks, which didn’t appear on The Digitize Center’s scans. The Digitize Center also offered to restore the photos.

Film reel

Both companies returned the film reel at similar quality.

Quality winner: tie

Speed

We compared how long each company took to complete the same order using its standard, free processing option. Legacybox took 16 days from receiving our media to its arrival back in our mailbox. The Digitize Center took 13 days.

Speed winner (2022): The Digitize Center

Turnaround times vary with order size and the season. The Digitize Center currently quotes two to six weeks.

Customer service and reviews

We didn’t have any support issues with either company, so we looked at their verified customer reviews instead. In May 2022, Legacybox averaged 4.84 out of 5 stars and The Digitize Center averaged 4.9 out of 5.

The most common Legacybox complaints were items that couldn’t be digitized, lost packages, and unexpected costs. The most common Digitize Center complaints were items that couldn’t be digitized and longer-than-expected turnaround.

It’s hard to judge customer service from reviews alone, so we’ll call this one a tie. We were surprised by the number of Legacybox reviews reporting lost items. The Digitize Center states that it has never lost an item or package.

Customer service winner: tie

Overall winner

Based on our 2022 comparison, we believe The Digitize Center is the better choice for digitizing home media. It came out ahead on price, formats, and speed, and tied on quality and customer service. We encourage you to read both companies’ reviews on independent sites before deciding.

For a three-way comparison that includes iMemories, see The Digitize Center vs. Legacybox vs. iMemories.

About this comparison: it was written in January 2020 and compares the editions available then. Both books have been updated for newer iPhones since, so page counts and prices have changed.

Two of the best-selling books about using an iPhone are the iPhone Manual for Beginners by Joe Malacina and iPhone: The Missing Manual by David Pogue. People often ask which one is better, so we compared them.

First, both books do an excellent job of explaining the iPhone’s many features. They take different approaches, though, and there are other things to consider, such as price and extras.

Which book is easier to read?

Winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners

By this we mean illustrations, font size, formatting, and style. Both books use color illustrations to show exactly how to do things on your iPhone. The Missing Manual has more illustrations, but the iPhone Manual for Beginners’ illustrations are larger and easier to follow. Some readers find the Missing Manual’s index hard to navigate, so the index advantage also goes to the iPhone Manual for Beginners. With its large font and generous spacing, it’s the easier read.

Which book contains more information?

Winner: iPhone: The Missing Manual

The Missing Manual has far more information. In 2020 it ran about 720 pages at 6″ × 9″, compared with 144 pages at 8.5″ × 11″ for the iPhone Manual for Beginners. If you want a reference book with every possible detail, the Missing Manual may be right for you. The iPhone Manual for Beginners takes a different approach: you can read it in a day, and it builds skills step by step, which works well for people learning from scratch. More information doesn’t automatically make a better book, but on depth the Missing Manual wins.

Which book is best for different skill levels?

Winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners

Few beginners, or even intermediate users, will read a 700-page book cover to cover. A complete beginner would find the iPhone Manual for Beginners easy to read and finish. Concepts introduced in early chapters are built on in later ones, and the book works up to intermediate and advanced features. The exception: if you’re already very comfortable with technology, the Missing Manual’s depth may suit you better.

Which book is cheaper?

Winner (2020): iPhone: The Missing Manual

Despite being much longer, the Missing Manual was usually cheaper in 2020, typically between $16.99 and $29.95 depending on the day. The iPhone Manual for Beginners was usually $19.95 to $24.95, with a larger page size and full-color printing. Check current prices before you buy.

Which book is easier to get?

Winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners, just barely

The iPhone Manual for Beginners is available in most countries, including the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia, and ships from within those regions. The Missing Manual is stocked by more bookstores, but we couldn’t confirm which book is available locally in more countries.

The verdict

Overall winner: iPhone Manual for Beginners

For most people learning the iPhone, especially beginners and seniors, we recommend the iPhone Manual for Beginners for its step-by-step approach, illustrations, clear table of contents, and index. Its only downside in 2020 was a few dollars’ higher price. If you want an exhaustive reference and are comfortable with technology, choose the Missing Manual.

Where to buy

• iPhone Manual for Beginners at Infinity Guides (the publisher)
• iPhone Manual for Beginners on Amazon
• iPhone: The Missing Manual on Amazon

Using a Fire tablet is different from using other tablets. It runs Amazon’s own version of Android, called Fire OS, with its own layout and navigation, and it uses Amazon’s Appstore instead of the Google Play Store. It’s also closely tied to your Amazon account, which you need to set it up. So we recommend that new Fire owners get comfortable with their Amazon account first to get the most out of the tablet.

What to learn first on a Fire tablet

1. Getting around: the home screen, swiping between the For You, Home, and Library screens, and the quick settings menu that opens when you swipe down from the top
2. Your Amazon account: signing in, Prime benefits, and where your purchases appear
3. Apps: finding and installing apps from the Amazon Appstore
4. Reading and watching: Kindle books, Prime Video, and downloading content for offline use
5. Safety and settings: screen lock, parental controls with Amazon Kids, and Wi-Fi

The book we recommend: Fire HD Manual for Beginners

The Fire HD Manual for Beginners by Joe Malacina is a complete guide to using a Fire tablet.

• It explains everything in simple terms, so a complete beginner can follow along.
• Color illustrations show exactly what your Fire’s screen should look like at each step.
• Chapters on apps and Amazon services help you get more out of the tablet.
• A tips-and-tricks chapter at the end covers features many experienced owners don’t know about.

Fire tablets change with each generation, so check that the edition you buy matches your model.

Prefer to watch instead of read?

Infinity Guides also offers a video course, How to Use the Amazon Fire Tablet for Beginners, for people who learn better by watching.

Where to get it

• Fire HD Manual for Beginners at Infinity Guides
• Fire HD Manual for Beginners on Amazon

Before you start

Keep trying the passcodes you might have used. There’s no other way to get in without erasing the iPhone. After too many wrong attempts, your iPhone shows an iPhone Unavailable or Security Lockout screen with a timer. On older versions of iOS, the screen said iPhone is disabled.

If you do need to erase it, your photos, messages, and other data can come back only if you have a backup. Many people have iCloud Backup turned on without realizing it, so check after you reset.

Option 1: Use your old passcode (if you changed it in the last 72 hours)

This works on iOS 17 and later.

1. Enter a wrong passcode until the iPhone Unavailable screen appears.
2. Tap Forgot Passcode? at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap Enter Previous Passcode, type your old passcode, and follow the steps to set a new one.

Option 2: Reset the iPhone from the lock screen (no computer needed)

This works on iOS 15.2 and later. Your iPhone must be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, and you need your Apple Account password.

1. Enter a wrong passcode until the iPhone Unavailable or Security Lockout screen appears.
2. Tap Forgot Passcode? (on iOS 15.2–16, tap Erase iPhone).
3. Tap Start iPhone Reset to confirm.
4. Enter your Apple Account password to sign out of your account on the device. If you use an eSIM, choose whether to keep it or delete it.
5. The iPhone erases itself and restarts. Follow the on-screen steps to set it up, restore from a backup, and choose a new passcode.

Option 3: Restore the iPhone with a computer (recovery mode)

Use this if you don’t see the reset option, your iPhone isn’t connected to the internet, or you’re on an older version of iOS. You’ll need a Mac or Windows PC, a charging cable, and up to an hour.

1. Get the software ready. On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, you’ll use the Finder. On an older Mac, use iTunes. On a Windows PC, install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. On older Windows versions, use iTunes.
2. Turn off the iPhone and make sure it isn’t plugged into the computer.
   • iPhone with Face ID (no Home button): press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it.
   • iPhone with a Home button: press and hold the side button (or the top button on older models) until the power-off slider appears, then drag it.
3. Hold the correct button and, while still holding it, plug the iPhone into the computer:
   • iPhone 8 and later (including iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd generation): the side button
   • iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: the volume down button
   • iPhone 6s and earlier, and iPhone SE (1st generation): the Home button
4. Keep holding until the recovery mode screen appears on the iPhone, showing a computer and a cable. If you see the passcode screen instead, turn the iPhone off and try again.
5. On the computer, find your iPhone in the Finder sidebar, the Apple Devices app, or iTunes. When asked, choose Restore (not Update).
6. Wait for the computer to download the software and restore the iPhone. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, the iPhone may leave recovery mode. Let the download finish, then repeat steps 2–5.
7. When it’s done, unplug the iPhone and set it up. Restore your data from a backup, and sign in with your Apple Account.

For the full official instructions, see Apple’s guides to resetting a forgotten passcode without a computer and using a computer to reset your iPhone.

How to avoid this next time

• Use your passcode now and then. Face ID and Touch ID make it easy to forget, and your iPhone will still ask for the passcode after a restart or a few days without using it.
• Write it down somewhere safe, or store it in a password manager.
• Turn on iCloud Backup in Settings › [your name] › iCloud › iCloud Backup, so a reset never costs you your photos and messages.
• Know your Apple Account password. You’ll need it to reset and set up your iPhone again.

If you’re new to the iPhone, a beginner guide such as the iPhone Manual for Beginners walks through passcodes, Face ID, and backups step by step.

The iPhone is your first smartphone

This is the most common situation, and the hardest one to find good help for. By “smartphone,” we mean a phone that uses a touch screen for most things and can browse the internet and download apps. Flip phones don’t count.

The best approach depends on how you like to learn. We suggest one of two routes:

• If you like to read: the iPhone Manual for Beginners teaches the iPhone step by step with detailed illustrations, and it doubles as a reference when you need a refresher. Many seniors prefer this route.
• If you’d rather watch: the video course How to Use the iPhone for Beginners covers the most important parts of the iPhone in about 30 minutes.

Apple’s built-in Tips app, which is already on your iPhone, is also worth a look once you know the basics.

You’re switching from Android

If you’re coming from a Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, or other Android phone, learning the iPhone will be much easier. It works a lot like other smartphones, and you’ll pick up the differences quickly. Apple’s free Move to iOS app for Android can transfer your contacts, photos, and messages. Most people in this group don’t need a book or video. If you want a quick tour of the iPhone’s ins and outs, the video guide is a good fit.

You’ve used an iPad or iPod touch

You probably don’t need outside help. The iPhone works almost exactly like an iPad or iPod touch, so there’s very little to adjust to.

Usually not. Most slow computers need a cleanup, not a replacement. Start with the steps below, in order. They’re free, safe, and work on both Windows PCs and Macs.

Why computers slow down

• Too many programs start automatically and run in the background, using memory you need for everything else.
• Old software piles up, including programs you no longer use, outdated utilities, and browser extensions.
• Storage is nearly full, leaving no room for the system to work.
• Malware or adware is running without your knowledge.
• The hardware is older, especially a spinning hard drive instead of a solid-state drive (SSD).

8 ways to speed up your computer

1. Restart it

It sounds too simple, but restarting clears out stuck programs and finishes pending updates. Many people only ever put their computer to sleep, so it hasn’t fully restarted in weeks.

2. Install updates

Updates fix bugs and security holes that can slow you down. On Windows, go to Settings › Windows Update. On a Mac, go to System Settings › General › Software Update.

3. Stop programs from opening at startup

On Windows, open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and choose Startup apps, then disable anything you don’t need right away. On a Mac, go to System Settings › General › Login Items.

4. Uninstall programs you don’t use

Old trial software, toolbars, and “PC optimizer” apps often do more harm than good. On Windows, go to Settings › Apps › Installed apps. On a Mac, drag unused apps from the Applications folder to the Trash.

5. Free up storage space

Aim to keep at least 10–15% of your drive free. On Windows, turn on Storage Sense under Settings › System › Storage. On a Mac, check System Settings › General › Storage. Move old photos and videos to an external drive or cloud storage.

6. Scan for malware

Windows includes Windows Security. Run a full scan from Settings › Privacy & security › Windows Security. Be wary of pop-ups claiming your computer is infected and urging you to call a number or buy software. Those are scams.

7. Tidy up your web browser

Dozens of open tabs and unused extensions can slow everything down. Close tabs you don’t need and remove extensions you don’t recognize or use.

8. Consider a simple upgrade

If your computer is several years old and still slow after all this, the biggest improvement usually comes from replacing a spinning hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD), or adding memory (RAM). A local repair shop can tell you whether it’s worth it or whether it’s time for a new computer.

Prefer a guided walkthrough?

If you’d rather follow along step by step, Infinity Guides offers the Clean Your Computer Easy Guide, a video course that walks through a full cleanup.

Note: this article was written in 2017, when the iPhone 7 was new. The iPhone 7 can’t update past iOS 15, and many apps no longer support it. If you have a newer iPhone, see Learning your new iPhone or our guide to resetting a forgotten passcode.

When the iPhone 7 launched, it flew off the shelves at Apple Stores and retailers around the world. Here’s what was new.

iOS 10

The iPhone 7 shipped with iOS 10, and our favorite changes were in the Messages app. When you paste a link into a message, it now shows a preview of the page with a short description.

Messages also gained sending effects. Press and hold the send arrow to send a message with effects like fireworks or lasers.

The Home button that doesn’t move

This one takes some getting used to. The iPhone 7’s Home button looks like a button, but it doesn’t physically press down. Instead, the iPhone vibrates slightly when you press it, so it feels like a click. This freed up space inside the phone, and you can choose how strong the click feels in Settings.

Still no printed manual

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus don’t come with an instruction manual, but there are plenty of ways to learn. We recommend the beginner video course from Apple Video Guides.

Part 1: Getting started

• Signing up and setting up a basic profile
• Understanding the layout: the top bar, menu, and news feed
• Viewing photos, posts, and updates from friends

Part 2: Your profile

• How your profile works and how to update it
• Adding photos and videos
• Finding and adding friends
• Posting updates and sharing posts

Part 3: Connecting with people

• Visiting friends’ profiles
• Messaging and chatting with Messenger
• Creating and joining events
• Following Pages and joining Groups

Part 4: Privacy and safety

• Choosing who can see your posts
• Reviewing your privacy settings
• Spotting scams, fake friend requests, and suspicious messages
• Managing your account and notifications

Learn it with a video course

If you’d like someone to walk you through each of these steps, the Complete Facebook Tutorial for Beginners from Infinity Guides is a video course you can watch at your own pace, as many times as you like. Facebook changes its design often, so check the course description for what’s currently covered.