Skip to main content

    Erase Old Phone

    Wipe ALL your data before letting the phone go.

    Why this matters

    Old phones contain bank apps, photos, contacts, password managers, email. A buyer (or someone who finds a tossed phone) could access all of that. NEVER hand over a phone without wiping.

    iPhone wipe (do these IN ORDER)

    1. Back up first — Settings → tap your name → iCloud → "iCloud Backup" → "Back Up Now". Wait until done.
    2. Sign out of iCloud — Settings → tap your name → scroll down → "Sign Out". CRITICAL — without this, the phone is locked to YOU forever (Activation Lock).
    3. Sign out of iMessage and FaceTime — Settings → Messages → off. Settings → FaceTime → off. (Otherwise iPhone-to-iPhone messages won\'t reach the new owner\'s number.)
    4. Remove SIM card if you\'re keeping the carrier service.
    5. Now erase — Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → "Erase All Content and Settings".
    6. Phone restarts looking like new. Hand it over.

    If iPhone won\'t turn on — sign in to icloud.com/find from another device. Find your iPhone. "Erase This Device" → confirm. Then "Remove from Account".

    For computers

    • Mac: System Settings → General → "Transfer or Reset" → "Erase All Content and Settings". (Also signs out of all Apple services.)
    • Windows: Settings → Update & Security → Recovery → "Reset this PC" → "Remove everything" → "Clean drive".
    • Old hard drives (HDD) — physically destroy: drill, hammer, or use a $5 UPS Store shredding service.
    • Old SSDs — encryption + reset is sufficient if not physically destroyed.

    For peace of mind

    After wiping, walk through the new-phone setup briefly. If your old name appears anywhere — wipe again. Most modern wipes are thorough enough that even forensic recovery tools can\'t get data back.