How to reset your phone before selling it (2024)

FAQs

How to reset your phone before selling it? ›

On most phones, you can factory reset your phone through the Settings app. Go to Settings >> General Management >> Reset >> Factory Data Reset, as shown in Figure 3.0 below. You may check your manufacturer's support site for device-specific instructions.

Performing a factory reset will erase all data on your Android phone. Go to Settings > System > Reset > Factory data reset. Confirm the action and wait for the process to complete. This will remove all personal data, apps, and settings from the device.

Android's factory reset is a good start for securing your phone, but data recovery is still possible. I'm not a tinfoil conspiracy theorist by any means, but smartphone data privacy has been on my mind for quite some time.

A factory data reset erases your data from the phone. While data stored in your Google Account can be restored, all apps and their data will be uninstalled. To be ready to restore your data, make sure that it's in your Google Account.

Yes, it will clear all of your personal data from your phone. Doing a factory reset of your Android phone will make the phone look and operate exactly as it did when you bought it. That means that your contacts, photos, messages, and any installed apps will be deleted.

Does a factory reset remove accounts? No. Resetting a device to factory settings will log you out and might delete the apps associated with your account from your device's memory. Factory reset won't delete your Google, Facebook, Instagram, or any other accounts.

While there are many differences between Android and Apple models, the general process is relatively similar. A complete factory reset will allow you to save your data and remove all links to the phone, including passwords, credit card information, paired devices and any other sensitive information.

Go to Settings > [ your name], scroll down, tap Sign Out, enter your Apple ID password, then tap Turn Off. Erase all content and settings that contain personal information. If you previously turned on Find My for your iPhone, Activation Lock is removed when you erase iPhone, making it ready for a new owner.

A simple factory reset won't ensure that everything is wiped out from your phone, so all your files could be easily recovered. Encrypted data means that even if the new owner of your device tries to restore all your data, they won't be able to access it. Go to “Settings, Security & location.”

Should I remove my SIM card before doing a factory reset? ›

Remove SIM and SD cards

If your phone has a SIM card, it may store your personal information. Remove the SIM card. If you're going to keep the same phone number, you may be able to transfer your SIM card to your new phone. If you're not going to reuse the SIM card, destroy it.

You can usually perform a factory reset in Settings, but it can take up to an hour to complete. Make sure your phone is plugged in while you're going through the process.

It's important to wipe the slate clean. Whether you're selling a used smartphone or trading it in, you should first clear off all your personal information. A factory data reset should remove photos, email, apps, and so on that you don't want to fall into other hands.

The short answer is “yes,” you can trade in a phone that you're still paying for. Whether we're talking about an iPhone or an Android model, this should work just fine. The long answer is that there are a lot of factors that you have to take into consideration.