There are lots of reasons you might want to sell your old phone. Perhaps you’ve upgraded early and still have a newer model phone worth a bit of money. Are you looking to switch from Android to iPhone? Tap or click here for a list of Androids you can trade in.
Sometimes we forget that our old phones are worth anything, and suddenly you have a drawer of phones collecting dust that you don’t know what to do with. Whatever the reason, if you have a phone lying around you, it may be worth some money.
But before you go to sell it, there are a few things you should consider first. Here are five steps to take before you turn in that phone for good.
1. Backup your device first
Our phones contain our entire lives in one place. Pictures, contacts and other important personal information are all stored on that one piece of technology. Losing it can be devastating. Prevent any lost data by backing up your device before you go to sell it. Here’s how:
On iPhone
- Open Settings.
- Tap your Name > iCloud.
- Select iCloud Backup.
- Turn on iCloud Backup.
- Press Back Up This iPhone.
On Samsung
NOTE: These steps for for Android 12 and later.
- Go to Settings, then tap Accounts and backup.
- Under Samsung Cloud tap Back up data.
- Select what you would like to back up, then tap Back up now.
- Your data will be backed up. The time it takes will depend on how much data is being saved. Tap Done when finished.
On Google Pixel
- Open the Settings app.
- Select Google > Backup.
NOTE: If this is your first time, turn on Backup by Google One and follow the on-screen instructions. - Tap Back up now.
If you choose to back up your device to the cloud, it might cost a monthly fee to cover extra storage space from the provided free amount. You’re better off using a backup service that you can trust. We recommend our sponsor, IDrive.
IDrive lets you back up all of your devices, whether you have a Mac, PC, Android, iPad or iPhone, and you can conveniently manage your backups through a single online account.
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2. Factory reset your device
Backing up your data is essential, but you don’t want the new user of your device to have your data either. You’ll want to factory reset your phone to ensure all your personal stuff stays, well, personal.
On iPhone
- Open Settings
- Select General
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset
- Select Erase All Content and Settings
- Wait for your device to erase
On Samsung
- Open Settings, and then tap General management.
- Swipe to and tap Reset, then tap Factory data reset, and then review the information.
- Swipe to and tap Reset.
- If you have a security lock set, you will be asked to enter the credentials.
- To continue with the reset and delete all information stored on your phone or tablet, tap Delete all.
- From there, you will be required to enter your Samsung account’s password if you have added a Samsung account.
- Your device will reset; when it turns back on, it will start from the initial setup screen.
On Google Pixel
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Tap System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).
- To erase all data from your phone’s internal storage, tap Erase all data.
- If needed, your phone asks for your PIN. Enter your PIN and then tap Erase all data.
- When your phone finishes the reset, pick the option to restart.
3. Protect your personal information
Along with factory resetting your phone, your iCloud or GoogleDrive stays linked unless you manually unlink it. This is another pesky way for people to get your personal info.
Remove personal info from iPhone
- If you’ve paired an Apple Watch with your iPhone, unpair your Apple Watch.
- Sign out of iCloud and the iTunes & App Store.
- If you’re using iOS 10.3 or later, tap Settings > [your name]. Scroll down and tap Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
- If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier, tap Settings > iCloud > Sign Out. Tap Sign Out again, then tap Delete from My [device] and enter your Apple ID password. Then go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Apple ID > Sign Out.
- Go back to Settings and tap General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings > Continue. If you’ve turned on Find My [device], you might need to enter your Apple ID and password. Did you forget your Apple ID or your Apple ID password?
- If asked for your device passcode or Restrictions passcode, enter it. Then tap Erase [device].
- If you’re switching to a non-Apple phone, deregister iMessage.
- Contact your network provider for help transferring service to a new owner. If you aren’t using a SIM card with your device, you can contact them to get help transferring service to the new owner.
- Remove your old device from your list of trusted devices.
Unlink Google Drive
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Users & accounts
- Tap the account you’d like to remove
- Tap Remove account
- To confirm, tap Remove account
4. Clean your device
You wouldn’t buy a dirty device, so you shouldn’t sell one dirty either. It can be hard to clean your phone correctly without damaging it. You can pay for a service to do it for you, but that can be pricey.
For tips on how to clean your phone correctly before you sell it, tap or click here. Don’t forget to remove your Sim card and any external microSD cards.
5. Check the value of your device
Finally, before you sell your device, double-check you’re getting the best value for it. You can check Apple’s current trade-in value program or reputable sites like Decluttr to make sure you are getting the best price.
If you like the phone you have, but haven’t figured out how to use it yet, here are 15 tech tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner.