The smartphone market is dynamic, the older the phone, the lesser its value becomes. Newer models are released more frequently and if you’re planning to upgrade it’s always a good idea to consider selling your old or unused mobile devices to get some extra money and finance your next purchase.
Whether you’re planning to upgrade to the latest iPhone 12 Pro or need extra cash for a new Samsung Galaxy S model, before you trade, sell, or give away your old smartphone, you might want to secure your personal information and data first and wipe it off your old handset through factory reset. Although it may sound technical, the good news is that factory resetting your phone is a simple task that doesn’t require expert tech services. Factory resetting your phone won’t harm your device or remove your device’s operating system, but does the job of effectively removing all data stored in your mobile device.
For starters, think of it as permanently deleting all your personal information in your old device including confidential messages, private contacts, files, documents, installed apps, stored videos, and of course those embarrassing selfies that you don’t want anyone to see. Why is this important? Handing in a phone that hasn’t been factory reset is sorta like handing someone a complete file of your browsing history – big mistake. The great part about a factory reset is that you don’t need to do it manually. Let’s take a look at the quick and easy factory reset steps you can follow.
FOR APPLE DEVICES
Before factory resetting your old iPhone, make sure you transfer all your personal information to your new mobile device. You can do this through QuickStart if your phone is on iOS 11 or later to efficiently transfer all your information from your old smartphone. You can also do this through iCloud or iTunes if your device operates on iOS 10 or earlier versions. Aside from transferring your personal information to another mobile device, you can also opt to manually backup your device using your iCloud or through your computer. When that’s done, follow these simple steps to factory reset your iPhone:
1. Go to the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on General.
3. Find and tap Reset.
4. Select Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Tap on Erase Now.
6. Enter your Passcode.
7. If you’ve set up your device in Find my iPhone, go to Activate Lock to turn off or remove this setting which might require your Apple ID and password.
8. Make sure to also remove your old device from the list of trusted devices.
For a more comprehensive guide to factory resetting and choosing backup methods for your iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices, check out this Apple support page.
FOR SAMSUNG DEVICES
Similar to Apple devices, wiping data and resetting your old Samsung mobile phone is pretty straightforward and you can do it in just a few minutes. But first, always make sure your personal data is backed-up before wiping clean your old mobile device. To factory data reset your old Samsung smartphone, follow these quick steps:
1. Go to Settings
2. Select and tap Factory data reset.
3. Review the information before tapping Reset.
4. Enter password credentials if your phone has a security lock.
5. Then tap Delete all to delete all information and downloaded apps on your old mobile phone.
Samsung support also offers great tips on performing a factory reset on your Galaxy phone and other insights for other samsung-related mobile device problems.
Your phone is an extension of your daily life and probably knows a lot of your secrets. Factory resetting your phone gives you ease in selling out your mobile device. So before saying goodbye to your old smartphone, make sure that none of your personal data goes with it and that all your confidential information is completely wiped clean from it.
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