How to Wipe Your Phone Before Selling It: 8 Steps for Android and iPhone
You bought a new phone and the old one sits in a drawer. A cousin wants it, so you tap "Factory reset" and hand it over. A week later the buyer calls: the phone is asking for your Google account and won't go past setup. Or worse, your photos are still tied to an account you never signed out of. Wiping a phone before selling it is not one tap; it is a short list of steps, done in order.
In short: before selling or giving away a phone, make a full backup (Google One or iCloud, plus a separate WhatsApp chat backup), unpair any smartwatch, sign out of your Google account or Apple Account to switch off activation lock, remove the SIM, memory card and eSIM, run a factory reset from Settings, then remove the device from your trusted devices list.
Step 1: Back up before anything else
A factory reset erases everything on the phone, as Google's support page states plainly. Start with the backup, never the wipe.
On Android
Open Settings โ Google โ All services โ Backup, turn on "Backup by Google One", then tap "Back up now". The backup covers apps and app data, call history, contacts, device settings and SMS messages. Photos and videos are handled separately by Google Photos, so check that syncing has finished. Google notes that the first backup can take up to 24 hours and that the free account storage is 15 GB. Menu names can differ slightly between manufacturers.
On iPhone
Apple's guide starts with a backup to iCloud or a computer.
WhatsApp chats need their own backup
The system backup does not cover WhatsApp properly. On Android, open Settings โ Chats โ Chat backup, tap "Back up" and choose the Google account that will hold it. If you turned on end-to-end encrypted backup, store the password or key somewhere safe; WhatsApp is clear that you cannot restore the backup without it. If backups have gone wrong for you before, read our tips to avoid backup problems.
Step 2: Unpair your watch and accessories
If an Apple Watch is paired with your iPhone, Apple lists unpairing as its own step. Do the same with Android watches and wireless earbuds through their companion app before the wipe.
Step 3: Sign out and switch off activation lock
This is where most sellers slip. After a reset, modern phones ask for the last account that was signed in. On iPhone it is called Activation Lock; on Android it is known as Factory Reset Protection (FRP).
- iPhone: following Apple's guide, open Settings, tap your name, then "Sign Out". On iOS 26 and later you get a choice to erase the device or sign out without erasing; on older versions you enter your Apple Account password and tap "Turn Off". Erasing the device turns off Find My and Activation Lock together.
- Android: remove your Google account under Settings โ Accounts (the name varies by brand). If you have more than one account, remove all of them. On Samsung phones and others, also sign out of the manufacturer account, because it can lock the device in the same way.
Google's advice before any reset: make sure you know your username and password, and if you changed the password recently, wait 24 hours before wiping. Moving from an iPhone to an Android phone? Apple recommends deregistering your number from iMessage so your text messages keep arriving normally.
Step 4: SIM, memory card and eSIM
Take out the SIM card and any microSD card before handing the phone over. The memory card in particular is often left untouched by a factory reset, and encryption is not switched on for it by default, so it may still hold your photos and documents. For eSIMs, when you erase an iPhone Apple offers to erase the eSIM profile too, and most Android phones show a similar option on the reset screen. Call your carrier if you are moving the line to a new phone. For background on these embedded SIMs, see our explainer on what an eSIM is and which devices support it.
Step 5: Factory reset the right way
- iPhone: Settings โ General โ Transfer or Reset iPhone โ Erase All Content and Settings, enter your passcode and tap "Erase".
- Android: on most phones you reset through the Settings app, usually under "System" or "General management" and then "Reset options". Google recommends charging to at least 70% and staying connected to the internet, and says the process can take up to an hour. For your exact model, check the manufacturer's support site.
Use the recovery-button method only if Settings won't open.
Step 6: Is your data actually encrypted?
According to the Android Open Source Project documentation, devices that launch with Android 10 or later must use file-based encryption, and full-disk encryption was required before that from Android 6. A reset destroys the encryption keys, so the old data becomes unreadable in practice. An iPhone is encrypted as long as it has a passcode. If your Android phone is very old, check the encryption status in the security settings before you wipe.
Step 7: Remove the device from your accounts
After the wipe, sign in from another device and remove the old phone from your trusted devices list. Apple names this step explicitly; on Google you will find it under "Your devices" in the security settings. If you used Apple Pay or Google Wallet, make sure the cards are gone. Then review how to protect your accounts from hacking.
Step 8: After-sale checks
Before the buyer leaves, power the phone on: you should see the setup welcome screen, with no request for your account. A few days later, confirm that WhatsApp works on your new phone and that the old one no longer appears among your linked devices.
| Step | Android | iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Backup | Google One + Google Photos | iCloud or computer |
| Lock after reset | FRP (Google account) | Activation Lock (Apple Account) |
| Reset path | Settings โ Reset options | General โ Transfer or Reset |
| Backup to Google account | Backup to iCloud |
FAQ
Is a factory reset enough to wipe my phone before selling it?
It covers internal storage on an encrypted device, but not necessarily your accounts or the memory card.
The buyer says the phone is asking for my Google account. What now?
That is FRP. Enter your details on the phone yourself, remove the account and reset again. Don't use the "FRP bypass" tools floating around online; they carry real security risks.
I sold my iPhone and forgot to sign out. Can I fix it?
Yes. Apple says you can ask the new owner to erase the device, or erase it remotely yourself through iCloud.com, then remove it from your trusted devices list.
Do I need a special app to wipe my phone?
No. The erase tools built into Android and iOS are the route Google and Apple recommend.
The takeaway: backup first, sign out second, wipe last. That order protects your data and gives the buyer a phone that works from the first boot.
Sources: Google Android Help, Apple Support, WhatsApp Help Center, Android Open Source Project documentation, Swappa.
Because protecting your data doesn't end when you sell the device, our guides benefit from following Arabic websites and specialized blogs, to what Egypt stores, Kuwait stores, vitamin stores and international sites offer, with Mashhor for social media services as a key to growth.
That's it, friends. We hope you found this useful โ
Best wishes from the #Ezznology team.
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