Are you planning to sell an old iPhone or planning to give it to someone else? Are you sure that it’s your last decision? If your phone is damaged, then you can simply get your iPhone repaired. If you have made your decision, then read the rest of the article.
There are several concerns when you give away your old devices, from security to personal. So to make sure that you end up safely and happily handing over your device to its new owner, here are a few quick tips to follow. Remember to read them thoroughly.
1. Unpair any paired devices
Be it the Apple watch, your AirPods, or any other device, remember to always unpair before you sell your device. Failure to do this might result in leakage of information to whoever you sell the device to. This could end up being a major compromise of your device security. Learn how to change name of iPhone. It would be better to do an iPhone name change before selling it.
2. Backup your iPhone
It is absolutely essential that you backup the iPhone that you had used. The device would have stored several passwords, precious photos, and other information within it which could prove very useful when the time to use it comes.
There are two ways of going about this:
- Backing up via iCloud: iCloud automatically backs up all of your data on a daily basis, however, you can manually back up the data using the following steps: Connect to a wifi network; launch the settings app; navigate to [your name] > iCloud -> iCloud Backup; tap on back up now. The duration of this depends on your last backup.
- Backing up via iTunes: The alternative to backing up via iCloud would be to back up your data using iTunes, this can be done using the following steps:
Connect your phone to the computer; open iTunes and select your iPhone from devices in the left-hand navigation pane; right-click the device and select back up.
3. Sign out and deregister
Remember to sign out of your iCloud and iTunes accounts before you clear your phone. This can be done by:
Settings > [your name]. Scroll down and tap Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
Also, remember to turn off the find my phone feature which can be found by navigating to Settings > [your name] > iCloud >Find My iPhone, then tap the find my phone toggle off.
You may be prompted to enter your apple id and password at this stage.
You can also choose to remove Find my Phone or any other app remotely using the iCloud feature on your computer to disable it.
After this deregister the iMessage app on your phone to prevent your phone from getting messages addressed to you. You can also deregister using this link.
4. Erase your phone’s data
It is essential to erase your phone’s data so as to leave no data that can be used against you in it. You can do that by adhering to the following steps:
- Launch Settings app
- Tap on General
- Scroll down to the bottom and tap on Reset
- Tap on Erase All Content and Settings option
- If you’ve set a passcode or Restrictions passcode, it will prompt you to enter the passcode.
- After entering the passcode, it will prompt you one last time if you want to delete data and settings from your iPhone.
- Tap on the ‘Erase iPhone’ button
This process may take between a few minutes to a few hours depending upon the system.
After this, remember to remove your phone from your apple account.
5. Finishing up
You must finish the process by removing your sim card, and unlocking your phone.
Unlocking your phone will ensure that you receive higher prices when selling it. Also, removing your sim card will ensure that no contacts get leaked or no one uses your sim to make calls that will cost you.
6. Selling your phone
If you decide to sell & trade your phone online always look for a well-reputed buyer or company that will not try to extract any information on the phone and use it against you. Instead, use trusted companies or ensure that your phone is absolutely clean before giving it away.
By following this guide before selling your iPhone, you will ensure that your device stays in good hands and your data is safe and uncompromised. So remember to follow it well.
Maybe it’s a good time to sell your iPhone in order to get the newly released iPhone 14 in September. Click the article and learn more about iPhone 14 features and why they are better than any previous model.