Whether you’re looking to buy a new iPhone or have your eye on one of the top Android phones, you should wipe your old phone before you sell or pass it on. Your old phone is probably full of important memories, so make sure you backup or transfer everything (especially photos) before following this guide to reset it. A factory reset will erase any personal data and return the phone to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box.
There are various ways to trade or sell your old iPhone or Android phone, but you have to erase it properly first. This isn’t just about late-night texts or embarrassing selfies falling into the wrong hands; failing to reset can land you in a world of pain. If you don’t sign out and remove accounts, you may miss new incoming messages, and factory reset protection on Android phones can lock consumers out even after the device has been wiped.
Updated September 2024: We confirmed the instructions and added a few useful links.
How to factory reset your iPhone
If you haven’t switched to a new iPhone or switched to Android, we recommend that you do so before you erase your old iPhone. Before you continue, make a backup of your iPhone. Remember to use the save function of a specific application (such as WhatsApp) and transfer codes from applications such as Google Authenticator.
Next, it’s a good idea to disconnect your Apple Watch if you have one. You can do this in the Watch app on your iPhone by going to My Watch tab. Tap All watches and select the info button next to the watch you want to unpair before tapping Unpair Apple Watch.
To avoid lost messages if you plan to switch from iPhone to Android, click Settings > Messages and convert iMessage turned off. Once that’s done, remove the SIM card from your iPhone.
We used to recommend turning off Find My iPhone and signing out of your Apple ID, but Apple has made this part of the factory reset process now, so people with iOS 15 or later can skip this next step.