Removing Data From My Phone

Mobile phones are still worth a lot of money, even if they're a few years old or have faults. But before you sell with a company like us you may be thinking how do I clear my iPhone before selling it?

Well you'll want to know how to prepare your iPhone for trade in. We've provided a helpful step-by-step for this below.

How do I wipe my iPhone before selling it?

1. If you've paired an Apple Watch with your iPhone, unpair your Apple Watch.
2. Back up your IOS device.
3. Sign out of iCloud and the iTunes & App Store.
   If you're using iOS 10.3 or later,
   • Tap Settings > [your name].
   • Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
   • Enter your Apple ID password.
   • Tap Turn Off.
   If you're using iOS 10.2 or earlier,
   • Tap Settings > iCloud > Sign Out.
   • Tap Sign Out again.
   • Then tap Delete from My [device] and enter your Apple ID password.
   • Then go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Apple ID > Sign Out.
4. Go back to Settings and tap General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. If you've turned on Find My iPhone, you might need to enter your Apple ID and password.
5. If asked for your device passcode or Restrictions passcode, enter it. Then tap Erase [device].
6. If you're switching to a non-Apple phone, deregister iMessage.
7. Remove your old device from your list of trusted devices.

How do I wipe my Samsung phone before selling it?

1. Go to Settings Select System > Advanced > Reset options. You'll see three choices.
2. You'll want to choose "Erase all data (factory settings reset)".
3. A warning screen will remind you that your data and all the accounts you're currently signed into will be erase. Select "Reset phone". If you have a PIN or another security setup, the system will ask you to enter it.
4. You'll get another screen asking if you're sure this is what you want to do. Then hit the "Erase everything" button.

Both of these processes perform a factory reset which is recommended doing before trading in your iPhone or Android phone. This way things like your personal data, Apple account, iCloud. Apple store will all remain safe.

Finally, you should remove your SIM card to ensure that any personal information remains protected. Please note your sim card can contain various different personal data.

UPDATED JULY 2025