How do I wipe a device properly before selling it?
The order of sign-outs and resets that removes your data and unlinks the device from your accounts.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 1 hr
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Back up first, then sign out of every account — particularly the activation lock account — before performing a factory reset. A device still linked to your account is unusable to the buyer and traceable to you.
A factory reset alone is not enough. Modern devices are locked to the account that set them up, and signing out in the wrong order leaves the device unusable for the buyer and your account still associated with it.
What you'll need
- The device
- Backup destination (optional)
- Account passwords (optional)
Step by step
- Back up everything first.Photos, messages, documents, authenticator apps. Once wiped, none of it is recoverable. Verify the backup before continuing.
- Move two-factor authenticator apps to the new device first.This is the step people forget and it can lock you out of accounts entirely. Do it before anything is wiped.
- Sign out of the activation lock account.iPhone: turn off Find My and sign out of the Apple account. Android: remove the Google account. This must be done before the reset, not after.
- Sign out of every other account and app.Email, banking, social media, streaming. Also deauthorise any licensed software on a computer.
- Remove the SIM and any memory cards.They are not wiped by a factory reset and they contain data and, in the SIM's case, your phone number.
- Perform the factory reset from the settings menu.Not by deleting files. A proper factory reset overwrites or destroys the encryption key, which makes the data unrecoverable.
- For a computer, use the built-in secure erase and reinstall.Windows: Reset this PC with the remove-everything and clean-data option. Mac: Erase All Content and Settings.
- Check the device is no longer listed in your account.Look at the devices page of your Apple, Google or Microsoft account and remove it if it is still there.
Tips
- Modern phones and computers are encrypted by default, so a factory reset makes the data unrecoverable. Older unencrypted drives may need a secure wipe tool.
- Do not sell a device still linked to your account. It cannot be activated by the buyer and it stays associated with you.
- For an old mechanical hard drive being disposed of rather than sold, physical destruction is the only certain method.
Common mistakes
- Factory resetting before signing out of the account — The device stays activation-locked, which makes it unusable for the buyer and difficult to unlock afterwards.
- Forgetting authenticator apps — Wiping them without moving the codes first can lock you out of your own accounts permanently.
- Deleting files instead of resetting — Deleted files are recoverable. A factory reset destroys the encryption key, which is what actually protects the data.
Questions people ask
Is a factory reset enough to remove my data?
On modern encrypted phones and computers, yes — the reset destroys the encryption key. But you must sign out of the activation lock account first, or the device stays locked to you.
What should I do before selling a phone?
Back up, move authenticator apps to your new device, sign out of the activation lock account, remove the SIM and memory card, then factory reset from settings.