Use this guide before passing on any phone or tablet, whether it is working or not. Have your new device set up first if you have one, plus your account passwords and a charger for the old phone.
Step by step
Back up everything you need
Run a full backup to your cloud account or computer and check photos, messages, contacts and chat app history have copied across. Many chat apps have their own separate backup setting, so check each one. Write down anything stored only on the phone, such as authenticator app accounts.
Move 2-step verification and banking apps
Set up your authenticator app and banking apps on the new phone before wiping the old one. Log in to key accounts and confirm codes arrive on the new device. Remove the old phone as a trusted device in account security settings.
Sign out and remove activation lock
On an iPhone, sign out of your Apple Account and turn off Find My so Activation Lock is removed. On Android, remove your Google account and any manufacturer account so factory reset protection does not lock the next owner out. Also unpair any smartwatch or earbuds linked to the phone.
Remove SIM and memory cards
Take out the SIM card and any microSD card, as these can hold contacts and photos. If you use an eSIM, contact your network or follow the phone settings to transfer or delete it. Keep the SIM if you are keeping your number.
Factory reset the phone
Use the phone's settings to erase all content and settings, which resets it to how it left the factory. Wait for it to restart to the welcome screen, then switch it off without setting it up. Modern phones encrypt data, so a proper reset makes old files unreadable.
Choose where it goes
Sell or trade in through a reputable retailer, network or recycling scheme, or pass it to family. If it no longer works, take it to a household waste recycling centre or an electronics take-back point rather than putting it in the bin. Check with your local council for nearby electrical recycling options.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Full backup completed and checked
- Chat app histories backed up
- Authenticator and banking apps moved to new phone
- Signed out of Apple or Google account
- Find My or factory reset protection off
- SIM, eSIM and memory card dealt with
- Factory reset completed
- Phone removed from your account's device list
Practical tips
- Take a photo of the phone's condition and its screen showing the welcome page before sending it for trade-in.
- Dial *#06# before resetting to note the phone's IMEI number, which is useful if a trade-in dispute arises.
- If the screen is broken and you cannot reset it, use your Apple or Google account online to erase and remove the device remotely.
Common problems
The buyer says the phone is asking for my account password.
Activation lock or factory reset protection is still on. Sign in to your Apple or Google account on another device and remove the phone from your device list, or ask the buyer to return it so you can sign out. Never share your password with the buyer.
My photos did not transfer to the new phone.
Do not reset the old phone yet. Check your cloud storage has enough space and that photo syncing is turned on, then leave both phones on Wi-Fi and charging until the upload finishes. Alternatively copy the photos to a computer with a cable.
I have lost the password for the old phone's account.
Use the official account recovery process for Apple or Google, which may take a few days. Retailers and recyclers usually cannot accept locked phones. Keep the phone until the account is recovered and removed.