The proper way to do it
Modern smartphones store vast amounts of personal information—from text messages and call logs to banking details, passwords, and sensitive emails. This wealth of data can be a treasure trove for fraudsters and identity thieves. When you decide to sell or recycle your device, it’s essential to ensure your private details aren’t left behind. While many recyclers simply process your phone, they aren’t obligated to safeguard any personal data you forgot to remove. Therefore, securely wiping your handset before posting it off is crucial for protecting your personal information.
The good news is that thorough mobile phone wipe data procedures are straightforward. Follow the steps below to safely clear your device, earn some extra money, and help the environment by keeping your old tech out of landfill.
Before erasing anything, save copies of your contacts, photos, and other important files. Many devices allow you to back up data to cloud services or a computer—this helps you maintain continuity when switching to a new handset.
Sign out of all accounts, including email, social media, and financial apps. If possible, clear browser histories and other app data. It’s also wise to revoke access for these apps from within their account management tools (e.g., on Google or Facebook) to prevent any lingering connections.
Your SIM card and any microSD cards can store contacts, messages, photos, and other data. Eject them before selling or recycling the phone. If discarding them completely, physically destroy them (for example, by cutting them) to ensure the data can’t be retrieved.
The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is your phone’s unique 15-digit code. Dial *#06# on most devices to retrieve it. Keep a record of this number in case you need to check on your device’s status later.
If your device runs Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer, it likely has FRP enabled. FRP prevents thieves from resetting and using stolen phones without the original login details. However, you need to switch it off before selling your device, or the buyer (or recycler) won’t be able to access it.
A factory reset alone doesn’t always fully erase your data—it may just remove the references. By encrypting your phone first, you ensure any leftover information is unreadable.
Newer Android devices may be encrypted by default, but if yours was upgraded from an older version of Android, you should double-check your settings.
Once you’ve switched off FRP and encrypted your device, go to Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset and confirm. On many Samsung devices, you’ll find this under Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
If you have an Apple Watch, keep it close to your phone and unpair it via the Watch app before any reset.
Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Find My iPhone (on newer iOS versions) and switch it off. This stops the device from being Activation Locked after a reset.
For iOS 10.3 and later, go to Settings > [Your Name] > scroll down to Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password, then tap Turn Off. On older iOS versions, you may need to log out of these services individually.
Navigate to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings, enter any necessary passcodes or Apple ID details, and confirm. This wipes your data and returns the phone to its factory settings.
Finally, visit appleid.apple.com to remove the device from your account, ensuring it won’t remain linked to your Apple ID for future services.
Sometimes a handset won’t power on or boot normally, but you’d still like to sell it for parts or a reduced price. Here’s what you can do to protect your data in those situations:
Power off the phone fully (if possible). Then press and hold a specific combination of keys (often Power and Volume Down, or Power and Home) to access Recovery Mode. Once you see the Android robot, navigate with the Volume buttons to Wipe data/factory reset and confirm with the Power button.
After this process, your phone will reboot cleared of personal data. If it starts up again successfully, you can opt to encrypt it and wipe it once more for extra peace of mind.
On an iPhone or iPad that won’t turn on, try forcing it into Recovery Mode. Switch the device off, then connect it to a computer with iTunes open, pressing and holding the Home button (for older devices) or following instructions for newer models (e.g., the volume buttons). iTunes should recognise the device in recovery and offer to restore the OS, effectively completing a factory reset.
If your device is completely unresponsive and can’t enter Recovery Mode, you might be unable to erase it or even sell it for much. However, if it’s that badly damaged, a malicious party is unlikely to glean data from it.