When you are in a dilemma of choosing between the hard reset iPhone and a complete factory reset, then keep in mind that they are not similar in purpose. A hard reset merely causes a reboot with the help of hardware buttons when your screen does not respond, and it does not lose any of your information. A factory reset, on the other hand, kills all the data on your phone and returns it to default. It is possible to avoid unintentional data loss by knowing what is required.