How to Wipe Your Phone Before Selling It

Let’s learn How to Wipe Your Phone Before Selling It! If you’re considering switching to a new mobile device, it’s important to learn how to properly erase your phone’s personal data to ensure that your information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands during the transfer process.

In this guide, I will show you a straightforward way to wipe off your phone with a Factory reset and how to back up data safely. 

Before hopping on to the details, let’s understand why you must wipe your phone before selling it.

Why Wipe Your Phone Before Selling? 

It’s crucial to thoroughly remove as much data as possible from your device before selling it. While a factory data reset can be a helpful step, it may not be sufficient on its own.

Sometimes, a simple factory data reset may not completely erase all data on your Android or iPhone device. That will leave the possibility of data recovery by the new owner, including files, messages, and photos. Additionally, certain apps and browsers may store login details and passwords, posing a security risk.

Therefore, it is quite substantial to erase all data before selling your device. However, before proceeding with a factory reset, we recommend uninstalling all applications from your device, including VPN apps, if applicable. To ensure a complete wipe of your device before selling it, follow these steps carefully.

How to Completely Wipe Android Phone Before Selling

The steps may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer to perform a factory reset on an Android phone. Here’s a general guide that can be followed for many Android devices:

1. Access the “Settings” menu and navigate to “System.”
2. Tap on “Reset Options.”
3. Select “Erase all data (factory reset).”
4. Tap on “Reset phone.”
5. Confirm by selecting “Erase everything.” This will restore your phone to its original state when you first purchased it.
6. Lastly, remove the device from your Google account. Go to the “Recently Used Devices” section in your Google account, locate the phone you are selling, click on it, and then choose “Remove” to unlink it from your account.

Please note that these are general guidelines, and the exact steps for performing a factory reset may vary depending on your specific device. It’s recommended to refer to your device’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website for detailed instructions to ensure a proper and complete data wipe before selling your device.

How to Backup your Android Phone? 

Make sure to back up all your data, including documents, files, and photos, before performing a Factory Reset. It will help you safely save your phone’s data without losing anything. Here’s how to back up your Android phone:

Step 1: Connect to Wi-Fi

Ensure your Android device is connected to a Wi-Fi network for a stable and secure data transfer.

Step 2: Access Backup Settings

Go to “Settings” on your Android device and tap on “System” or “Backup & reset,” depending on your device’s settings menu.

Step 3: Enable Backup

Under the “Backup & reset” section, enable the “Back up my data” option. You may also need to enable “Automatic restore” to restore app settings and data when you reinstall apps later.

Step 4: Choose Backup Account

Tap on “Backup account” to choose the Google account you want to use for your device backup. If you don’t have a Google account, you’ll need to create one.

Step 5: Select Data to Back Up

Next, tap on  “App data,” “Call history,” “Contacts,” “Device settings,” “SMS,” or any other data types you want to back up. You may also have the option to select “Photos” or “Videos” for backup.

Step 6: Initiate Backup

Tap on “Back up now” to start the backup process. It may take some time to complete depending on the amount of data you have.

Step 7: Verify Backup Completion

Once the backup is complete, you can verify it by going to your Google account settings and checking the “Backup” section. You should see the backed-up data listed there.

Note: These steps are general guidelines, and the exact backup settings and options may vary depending on your specific device and Android version. It’s recommended to refer to your device’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website for detailed instructions on how to back up your data on your particular Android device.

How to Remove Your Personal Information on iOS Phone Before Selling 

Make sure to follow these steps before selling or handing over your iPhone to anyone.

1. Sign out of your Apple ID

Go to “Settings” > [Your Name] > “Sign Out.” Enter your Apple ID password and tap “Turn Off” to disable Find My iPhone.

2. Erase all content and settings

Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Reset.” Tap “Erase All Content and Settings” and confirm your choice. This will erase all data and settings on your iPhone and restore it to factory settings.

3. Remove SIM card

If your iPhone has a SIM card, make sure to remove it before selling your device. The SIM card may contain personal information; you may want to transfer it to your new device or dispose of it securely.

4. Disable iCloud

If you were using iCloud on your iPhone, go to “Settings” > [Your Name] > “iCloud” and turn off all the toggles to disable iCloud services such as iCloud Drive, Photos, Contacts, and more.

5. Reset Network Settings

 To ensure that all network-related settings are removed, go to “Settings” > “General” > “Reset” > “Reset Network Settings.” This will reset all network-related settings, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and VPN configurations.

6. Remove All Accounts

 If you have added any email or other third-party accounts to your iPhone, remove them. Go to “Settings” > “Mail” > “Accounts” and remove all accounts associated with your device.

7. Disable Activation Lock

If you have enabled Activation Lock on your iPhone, make sure to disable it. Go to “Settings” > [Your Name] > “Find My” > “Find My iPhone” and toggle off “Find My iPhone.”

8. Erase Any Additional Data

Double-check your iPhone for any additional data, such as photos, videos, messages, contacts, or other files, and manually delete them to ensure all personal information is removed.

9. Reset All Settings

To reset all settings on your iPhone, go to “Settings” > “General” > “Reset” > “Reset All Settings.” This will reset all settings to their default values.

Once you have completed these steps, your iPhone will be wiped clean and ready to be sold. It’s always a good practice to double-check and confirm that all personal data has been erased before selling your device to protect your privacy.

How to Back up Your iPhone

Before wiping your iPhone, it’s important to back up your data so that you can restore it on your new device. If you have an Apple watch, click here to find out how to back it up. To back up your iPhone,  use iCloud or iTunes. Here are the steps to back up an iPhone:

Back up with iCloud:

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network.
• Step 2: Go to “Settings” on your iPhone and tap your name at the top to access your Apple ID settings.
• Step 3: Tap “iCloud” and tap “iCloud Backup.”
• Step 4: Toggle on the “iCloud Backup” switch if it’s not already enabled.
• Step 5: Tap “Back Up Now” to start the backup process. Ensure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi and plugged in to charge during the backup process to ensure it completes successfully.
• Step 6: Wait for the backup to complete. You can check the progress under “Settings” > [Your Name] > “iCloud” > “iCloud Backup.”

Back up with iTunes:

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
• Step 2: Open iTunes on your computer. If you’re using a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, you must open Finder instead of iTunes.
• Step 3: Trust the computer if prompted on your iPhone.
• Step 4: In iTunes or Finder, select your iPhone.
• Step 5: Click “Back Up Now” to start the backup process.
• Step 6: Wait for the backup to complete. You can check the progress in the iTunes or Finder window.

Once the backup is complete, you’ll have a copy of your iPhone’s data, including app data, contacts, photos, messages, and more, stored either in iCloud or on your computer via iTunes. You can use this backup to restore your data to a new iPhone or to recover your data if you need to reset your iPhone to factory settings. It’s a good practice to regularly back up your iPhone to ensure your data is safe and can be easily restored if needed.

Conclusion 

Wiping your mobile device before selling is crucial to protect your personal information and ensure privacy. Whether you’re selling an iPhone, Android device, or any other mobile device, following the proper steps to completely wipe the device is essential. By erasing all data and settings, disabling accounts and features such as Find My iPhone or Activation Lock, can prevent your personal data from falling into the wrong hands. Additionally, backing up your data before wiping the device allows you to transfer it to a new device. Taking the time to properly wipe your mobile device is a responsible and necessary action to safeguard your information and ensure a smooth and secure selling process.