Cleaning your Apple gadget iPhone, iPad or iPod. What you need to do before selling your iPhone: step-by-step instructions Preparing your iPad for sale

More recently, new iPhone models have been released, attracting with their improved characteristics. Of course, the first thought of any user will be: “Buy quickly!” But before that, you need to decide what to do with your old iOS device, which is in good condition? It’s a pity to throw it away, sell it for spare parts, or simply put it on the back of your home shelves, so the most common solutions are sale and gift. But before selling or transferring your iPhone, you need to take care of two important things: 1) create a backup copy of all your data so that you can later restore it to your newly purchased device; 2) erase all confidential data from your iPhone and reset it to factory settings, i.e. actually bring it closer to its original state. It is the second task that will be discussed in our article. How to erase an iPhone before selling or transferring it, how to reset all iPhone settings, how to use iTunes and iCloud for these purposes, how to erase data if you forgot your password - read on.

4 Ways to Erase iPhone Data

Method 1. How to erase content on iPhone

One of the easiest ways is to use the settings of the device itself. This function, like other basic settings, is initially included in the phone. For this method, you do not have to install any programs on your PC or remember complex schemes, but you need to remember your device password or Apple ID account password. So, to erase content through iPhone settings, follow the instructions below.

Step 1: On your device, go to Settings > General > Reset.

Step 2: Select the “Erase content and settings” option.

Step 3: When prompted, enter your device password or Apple ID account password.

Step 4: Click "Erase iPhone" to confirm the task of erasing all data from the device, then simply wait for the process to complete.

Step 5: Once your iPhone has restarted, you will need to activate it (which will require Internet access). Of the two options: “Set up iPhone as new” or “Restore from backup” – you need to select the first one and wait until the device settings are completed.

Method 2. How to Erase iPhone Content Using iTunes

You can also reset your iPhone and erase personal files using your computer. To do this, you will need to use the iTunes program, well known to users of Apple products, which is usually used to exchange files of various types between Apple devices and PCs. To erase iPhone using iTunes, follow the instructions below. Before you begin, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone using a USB cable to the PC where you previously synchronized with the phone, and launch iTunes on the PC.

Step 2. Select your device in the window that opens by clicking on its icon at the top of the screen.

Step 3: In the left pane of the window, select the “Browse” tab and click on the “Restore iPhone” button located on the right side of the screen. At this point, you may see a warning that you need to disable Find My iPhone.

Step 4. After disabling this function on your phone (to do this, go to Settings > iCloud > Find iPhone on your phone), you will be asked to confirm starting the process. Click on the “Restore” button again. After this confirmation, all personal data will be erased, and the latest version of the system will be installed on the iPhone itself.

Step 5: Open the icloud.com cloud storage page in your web browser and enter your Apple ID account password. In the “Find iPhone” section, delete this device so that it is no longer linked to your Apple account.

Method 3. How to erase iPhone data using Find My iPhone app

If the Find My iPhone function is set up on your iPhone, then you can erase personal data stored on it without even picking up the device! To do this, you will need to go to the Find iPhone app on iCloud.com. In this case, activation lock will remain enabled on the device itself, and to reactivate it you will need your Apple ID and password for it. To remotely erase the contents of your iPhone, follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Open your web browser to iCloud.com, sign in to your account, and select the Find My iPhone app.

Step 2. Select “All devices”, click on your iPhone icon.

Step 3: In the device information window, select Erase iPhone.

Step 4: Enter your Apple ID account password. At this stage, security questions may appear or a verification code may be sent to another device. If you want to avoid this step in subsequent operations, select “Trust”. If you are using someone else’s computer or do not want to be linked to your computer, select “Do not trust.” Then wait until the phone data deletion process completes.

Method 4. How to Erase iPhone Contents Using ReiBoot

Users of Apple devices will undoubtedly appreciate the program, which can also be used to reset the current iPhone settings to factory settings and delete personal files. At the same time, a very important and often very necessary ability of this utility is the ability to work even with a disconnected device (for example, if you forgot your password or the lock screen is frozen). To erase all content on your iPhone using ReiBoot, follow the steps below.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to PC using a USB cable. Launch the program.

Step 2. Select the “Fix Operating System (Solve All iOS Freezes”) function.

Step 3. In the next window, click on “Deep Recovery”.

Step 4. Click on “Start” to fix the system problem.

Step 5. Check your device model information and select “Download” to download the firmware package. Once the firmware package is downloaded, click “Start Recovery.”

Step 6: Once the restore process is complete, your iPhone will be restored to factory settings and all sensitive data on the device will be completely erased. Click "Finish" to finish working with the program.

So, this article offers you the simplest and most effective ways to erase data on your iPhone if you plan to sell it or give it to a loved one or friend. Some of them can be used if the phone is in your hands, with the help of others (for example, via iCloud), files can be deleted even remotely, and, for example, the ReiBoot program allows you to erase your iPhone and restore the original settings even when the phone screen is locked . And, of course, do not forget to sign out of iCloud, iTunes and the App Store on your iPhone before transferring the phone to another person.

how to erase an iPhone before selling or transferring it

All user data is stored on the iPhone. Before transferring the device to another person, they must be erased or first moved using a backup. Only after this can the smartphone be given to the new owner. Next, we will tell you in detail how to clean your iPhone before selling it.

What needs to be removed

If you do not unlink all accounts from the iPhone and do not disable associated services, then even after resale of the device, it can be tracked and returned. To prevent the buyer from accusing you of fraud, you must:

Turn off FaceTime and iMessage. This can be done through the iPhone settings.
Unlink your iCloud account from your phone. Directly or remotely.
Disable import of media files in applications.
Delete credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other payment information.
Turn off Find My iPhone and last location sharing.

Additionally, you should completely clear the device of other user information (notes, calendar data, contacts). But only after creating a backup and disabling the iCloud account.

Deleting media files

Before you can clean up your photos, videos, and other personal data, you need to transfer them to the cloud or another device. You can do this in several ways:

Via iTunes. To do this, connect your iPhone to your computer via USB and create a backup copy of the device. After that, it can be transferred to another Apple device.
Via iCloud. To do this, activate the “Data backup” option in the device settings. After this, wait until all the data is transferred to the cloud storage.
Using other services. To do this, you can synchronize photos and videos with another cloud or simply by sending them to yourself via email. In this case, contacts, notes and other information will have to be copied manually or via iCloud.

Only after making sure that important data has been moved can you delete it from the iPhone. If you moved them to iCloud, then first log out of your account. Otherwise, the information will disappear from the cloud.

Before you buy an iPhone, make sure that there are no linked accounts on it and that other user information has been deleted.

Disable Find My iPhone service

The Find My iPhone service is used to remotely locate a device. To prepare your iPhone for sale, you must disable it. For this:

On your device, go to the Settings menu.
Find the "iCloud" section. The name may differ depending on the version of iOS you are using.
A list of applications that are synchronized via iCloud will be displayed.
Here, select “Find iPhone” (usually at the very bottom).
Move the slider to Off.
Additionally, deactivate the “Last geolocation” option.

After this, you will not be able to track your old iPhone through your Apple ID account. Here you can disable synchronization of other services.

Removing Apple ID

After all the data has been copied, you can unlink your Apple ID account from your iPhone. Step-by-step instruction:

Connect your iPhone to the Internet and go to the Settings menu.
Open the “iTunes and Apple Store” section. Your account information will be displayed.
Click on the blue lettering with your email address.
From the list that appears, select “Log Out.”

After this, your account information will be reset, and to use official services you will need to sign in to a different Apple ID account.

How to reset an iPhone to factory settings

It is not necessary to disable all accounts and delete files manually. There are several ways to completely reset the device and erase user information. After this, you will not be able to restore the information, so be sure to synchronize important data.

Method 1: Via iPhone

The easiest way is to erase all information directly through your smartphone. How to delete all data from iPhone:

Go to Settings and open the General section. At the very bottom of the list, find and click on the “Reset” item.
A list of available options will open. Select "Erase Content and Settings." Confirm the action. To do this, re-enter your account information.
Confirm the reset again and click Erase iPhone. If you have not disabled Find My iPhone, you will additionally have to provide your Apple ID password.

After this, the screen will go dark and the smartphone will begin to clear user data. The operation time depends on the number of files stored in memory, and progress will be displayed below on the status bar.

Before wiping your device of user data, copy all important information to another phone or computer.

Method 2: Via iTunes

The program is available for download from the official Apple website and allows you to backup data and reset the device to factory settings. Instructions:

Download and install iTunes on your computer. Launch the program and connect your iPhone via USB cable.
If, after connecting, a window for entering a password appears in the program window, then enter it. Wait for the drivers to sync and install.
Click on the iPhone icon and in the “Settings” menu go to the “Overview” tab.
On the right side of the window, find and click the “Restore iPhone” button. Confirm the operation and wait until it is completed.

The program will delete all user information from the device and install a new version of iOS from the official website. After this, the iPhone will be prepared for resale.

Method 3: Via iCloud

Using this method, you can even erase your iPhone remotely. For example, if it was lost or stolen. To do this, follow these steps:

Make sure your mobile device is connected to the Internet. If it was lost, the data will be deleted immediately after data transfer is turned on on the iPhone.
From your computer, go to the official iCloud website and sign in using your Apple ID account.
From the list of available services, select Find My iPhone. A list of devices connected to your account will be displayed.
In the “All Devices” menu, select the desired iPhone. After that it will appear on the map.
Click on the “Erase iPhone” button and confirm the action.

After this, all user information will be deleted, and the Find iPhone service will be disabled (as well as other related services and accounts). Therefore, searching for a device on the map and performing additional actions with it will no longer be possible.

Once the device is wiped and all user data is removed, it can be resold. After this, the new buyer will need to register a new Apple ID account and connect other official services on the smartphone.

No matter how old your iPhone is, it is still worth money. Remember, there is always a person who wants to join the world of Apple technology, but still does not have enough money to buy a new device. And although your smartphone model may already be a couple of years old, and there may already be quite a few new models on the market, rest assured that there will definitely be a buyer for your model. But before you throw your beat-up iPhone on online platforms or take it to a store, you need to take care of something. So what should you do with your old iPhone before selling it? This is exactly what we will tell you about in our material today.

In general, smartphones cost a lot more money if you don't buy them from a specific carrier. This has not yet become widespread in our country. But in Europe, buying smartphones with a package of services from some mobile operator can help save quite a considerable amount of money. If you bought an unlocked smartphone, then you can safely skip this point. But if you bought your iPhone from AT&T, Verizon, or another carrier in the world, you'll have to request it be unlocked directly from the company. Each carrier has different rules, including contract status and sometimes fees for breaking the contract. Check your carrier's terms and conditions to see what their unlocking policy is.

If you're not sure whether your iPhone is unlocked, contact your current carrier and ask customer service to clarify the status.

Step 2: Disconnect your Apple Watch from your smartphone

Before your iPhone can pass on to another happy owner, you must disable your Apple Watch so that you can easily pair it with another iPhone without having to go through a bunch of unnecessary steps.

To disconnect Apple Watch from iPhone, you need to do the following:

Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap My Watch at the bottom of the screen.
Click "Watch".
Click the "Info" button to the right of "Watch Details." It looks like an “i” with a circle around it.
Click Disconnect Apple Watch.
Click "Disconnect [watch name]" to confirm.
When prompted, enter your Apple ID password.
Click Disable.

Step 3: Backup your iPhone

It's important to have the latest version of your iPhone - a backup - before you delete everything from your smartphone. This ensures that you can easily upgrade to a new iPhone without wasting a ton of your time.

How to Manually Run an iCloud Backup

If you back up your iPhone data to iCloud, it happens automatically when your device is online and connected to local Wi-Fi. However, you can manually run a backup at any time.

Open the app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap your Apple ID banner at the top of the screen.
Click iCloud.
Launch the Settings app, then tap the Apple icon, then tap iCloud.
Tap iCloud Backup.
Click "Back".
Click iCloud Backup, then click Back Up

How to manually run a backup through iTunes

If you use iTunes on your computer to back up your iPhone, you'll need to run one final backup before you turn it off completely.

Connect your iPhone to your Mac or Windows computer using a Lightning cable.
Launch iTunes.
Click on the iPhone icon in the menu bar when it appears.
Check the "Encrypt backup" checkbox and add a password.
Click "Back".
Confirm that you want to back up apps if asked.
Tap the phone icon, then tap Encrypt Backup, then tap Back.

Step 4: Sign out of your iCloud account

To ensure that no one can access your iCloud data after you sell your iPhone, you should sign out of everything associated with your Apple ID. Although we recommend that you erase everything on your iPhone in the next step, you must sign out of iCloud first.

To sign out of your iCloud, you need to follow these steps:

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap your Apple ID banner.
Scroll down and click Sign Out.
Launch Settings, then click the Apple icon, then click Sign Out

Note that if you use a separate account for iTunes and the App Store, be sure to sign out of them. To do this, go to Settings> Apple ID banner> iTunes and App Store> your Apple ID> Sign out.

Step 5: Clean your iPhone

Once you've set up a backup and signed out, it's time to make your iPhone look like new again. That is, clean it completely!

Step 6: Clean up the outside of your iPhone thoroughly

To get the most out of your product, you need to keep your iPhone looking as new as possible. You may not be able to get rid of all the scratches and scuffs (or cracked screens), but you can get it nice and shiny with a good cleaning.

Step 7: Gather all accessories (especially cables)

If you're selling your iPhone yourself, you'll be able to list the top price for your device as long as you include all original peripherals, such as the Lightning cable (unused) EarPods and power adapter. Still have the original box? It is even better. If you have additional accessories that you don't want to use with your new iPhone, then add it to the smartphone lot. If you sell it at an online auction, you may be able to get a little more money when you include your case or other accessories.

Summary

That's all you need to successfully prepare your iPhone for sale. Now all you have to do is just take the plunge and sell it :) Rest assured that you won’t have to wait long for an offer to purchase. The most important thing is to delete all your personal data very carefully so that it does not fall into the wrong hands. That's all. Thank you for being with us and good luck with your transactions.

Many users of Apple products prefer to sell their old device when buying a new one in order to save a little and not have a whole pile of boxes with iPhones 4s, 5s, 6s, and others at home. It is very important to “clean” your iPhone before selling it - completely erase all personal information from it. Let's figure out what needs to be done for this.

How to clean your iPhone before selling it

Before you sell, transfer, or trade-in your iPhone, let’s start deleting your personal data. But don't erase them right away while your device is signed in to iCloud with your Apple ID. Because of this, the information will be deleted on all devices with this account.

What is the best way to proceed?

Please note that if you perform these steps, the ability to lock activation using the Find My iPhone feature will be disabled.

How to clean an iPhone after sale

If for some reason you forgot to perform these steps to clean your iPhone, or simply did not know about their necessity and sold the gadget, then there are several useful actions in this situation:

Ask the new owner to erase your data and settings by following the steps in the first section.
If your device uses iCloud and Find My iPhone, sign in to your account on another device in Find My iPhone or at iCloud.com (for example, if you're signing in on a computer). Select the desired device from the list and select the “Erase” and then “Remove from account” functions.
If you can't complete these steps, change your Apple ID password. Information from the iPhone will not be deleted, but the new owner will not be able to damage its copies in iCloud.
If you no longer plan to use any other Apple phones, unenroll from iMessage.
If you use Apple Pay, clear your device data by using iCloud.com to clear your credit and debit card information. Select "Settings", find the device you need. And click “Delete” next to the Apple Pay feature.

If you have problems with these actions, you can always call our technician for help (in Moscow and the region), at the same time ordering diagnostics of the device, which can also be useful before selling.

This step simply needs to be done before advertising for sale. The reason is very simple: with the help of a backup, you can transfer absolutely all the data from your old iPhone to, starting with contacts, mail, notes, applications and ending with the location of icons on the desktop.

First, save a local backup. To do this, connect the iPhone to the computer, open it in “Devices” and in the “Backups” section select “This computer”. Next, click on the “Create a copy now” button and wait for the backup process to complete.

Now you need to save the backup to iCloud. Directly on the iPhone go to “Settings” → iCloud → “Backup”. Here we need to turn on the “Backup to iCloud” toggle switch and click the “Create a backup” button.

Step 2. Remove the SIM card

The most obvious and banal advice when selling a phone, which is nevertheless neglected by some users. Losing your number and other hassles associated with paying bills is not something anyone wants, so be sure to remove your SIM card before handing over your iPhone to its new owner.

If you are the owner of a CDMA version, it will be a little more difficult for you: you will have to visit the nearest communication store of your operator to unlink your number from your old iPhone.

Step 3. Delete all data and reset settings

Last on the list, but not least important. The iPhone has taken over many of the responsibilities that other devices used to perform. Contacts, mail, SMS, notes, calendars, reminders, photos, payment information - all this is confidential information not intended for prying eyes. This means that it should be removed before your iPhone falls into the wrong hands.

Open “Settings” → “General” → “Reset” and click “Erase content and settings.” The removal process will begin, after which your iPhone will be as good as new. All that remains is to turn off the iPhone and provide its initial setup to the new owner.