How to Wipe Your Old Phone Before Selling It

Selling or trading in an old phone without properly wiping it can leave your photos, messages and accounts exposed to whoever buys it next. Here is a practical checklist to make sure your data leaves with you.

Back up first, always

Before you touch any reset option, make sure everything you want to keep is backed up somewhere safe. For iPhones, this typically means an iCloud backup or a local backup via a computer. For Android phones, Google's built-in backup tools generally cover contacts, photos and app data, though it is worth double-checking that photos and any locally stored files are actually included before you proceed.

Sign out of accounts and remove activation locks

This step matters more than people expect. If you sell a phone still linked to your Apple ID or Google account, the buyer may find it locked and effectively unusable, and you could be left fielding awkward messages from a stranger.

• iPhone: Go to Settings, tap your name, and sign out of Apple ID/iCloud. This removes Activation Lock, also known as Find My iPhone.
• Android: Remove your Google account from Settings, and disable any Factory Reset Protection tied to your Google login.
• Also sign out of any banking, email or social apps individually if you have time, as an extra precaution.

Remove the SIM card and check for storage cards

It is easy to forget the physical SIM card, and on some Android phones, a microSD card as well. Both can hold personal data or simply be worth keeping for your next device. Pop the SIM tray and check for any expandable storage before handing the phone over.

Double-check before you hand it over

Power the phone back on briefly after resetting to confirm it boots to the initial setup screen rather than asking for your old password. This one final check catches the rare case where a backup sync or account removal did not fully complete, and it takes less than a minute.