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What to do before selling iPhone 5. What to do before selling iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. How to erase all data from iPhone or iPad remotely

Apple has long put the production of new iPhone models on the conveyor belt and every year delights its customers with a new model of the coveted phone. But when buying a new iPhone 7 model, the question arises of what to do with the old iPhone 6. The most profitable solution would be to sell it. But if you don't want your sensitive data and personal files to fall into the wrong hands, then you need to wipe your device first. In this article you will learn how to delete everything from an iPhone before selling it.

If you decide to sell your iPhone, then first you should learn how to properly delete information from it. The correct process for cleaning an Apple smartphone consists of three steps:

  1. Data backup
  2. Account deactivation
  3. Reset data

We will talk about each stage in more detail below.

Backing up data before selling your phone

Before deleting data from your smartphone, it is a good idea to create a backup copy of it. There are two available options: via iCloud and via iTunes. Let's consider both options.

If you decide to create a copy via iCloud, you need to do the following:

After this, the data transfer process will begin. Do not turn off the Internet until the download is complete.

  1. Connect your phone to your PC.
  2. Enter your password and mark your computer as a trusted device.
  3. Sign in to iTunes.
  4. Here, click on the phone icon.
  5. Click on the blue “Create a copy now” button.

After this, your data will be backed up on your PC. To carry out this procedure, you must have the latest version of iTunes.

Once the copy has been created, you can safely proceed to cleaning the phone without worrying about losing something important.

Account deactivation

The next step is to log out of all accounts and accounts. You can do this manually, but it will be much easier to do it through the settings.

If your phone is running iOS 2, then you need to do the following:

  1. Open device settings.
  2. Click on your username.
  3. Scroll the section to the very bottom.
  4. Click “Exit”.
  5. Then enter your Apple ID password and click “Turn Off.”

This is how easy it is to sign out of all major Apple services.

If you have iOS 3 or higher on your phone, the instructions will be different.

  1. Open settings.
  2. Find “iCloud” in the list.
  3. Click “Logout”.
  4. Then click on the same button again and select the “Delete from iPhone” option.
  5. Enter your AppleID password.
  6. Then find the “iTunesStore and AppStore” section in the settings
  7. Click on the “Apple ID” button.
  8. Then click “Log Out”.

Also nothing complicated, but accounts in all services will be deactivated.

Reset data

The last step of the instructions is, of course, resetting all data from the device. In order to delete everything at once, you need to do the following:

  1. Open settings.
  2. Enter the “Basic” section.
  3. Then to the “Reset” subsection.
  4. In the list, select the “Erase content and settings” option.
  5. Enter the requested password.
  6. Confirm deletion.
  7. Wait for the operation to complete.

Once the operation is completed, all data on your device will be deleted.

Disconnecting your Apple Watch from your phone

For owners of an Apple Watch synced with their phone, there is one additional step. They need to disconnect the watch from the device. You can do this as follows:


After this, all that remains is to check whether the device is disabled and the phone is ready for sale.

How to delete data from a device that has already been sold

If you forgot to delete all data before selling your phone and realized too late, then all is not lost. There is also a way to delete all data from a sold device. To do this, you will need another device (computer or smartphone). On this device you need to do the following:

  1. For starters, iCloud.
    a. If you are using a PC, open icloud.com; if you have a smartphone, use the Find My iPhone app.
    b. Log in.
    c. Find your old device.
    d. Click on the “Erase” button.
    e. Then click on the “Remove from account” button.
  2. Then Apple Pay (if used).
    a. Let's go to icloud.com.
    b. Open “Settings”.
    c. We find the old device.
    d. Click on the “Delete” button opposite the “Apple Pay” item.
  3. And finally, Apple ID.
    a. Open the official Apple website.
    b. Go to the “Security” section.
    c. Click on the “Change Password” button.
    d. Enter your old password.
    e. Then a new one.
    f. Confirm the action.
  4. You can also delete all contacts from iMessage, but only together with the account.
    a. To do this, you need to fill out the official form on the application website.
    b. An SMS will then be sent to the registered number.
    c. This message will contain a code that must be entered on the site to confirm the action.

This is how you can clear all confidential data on your Apple device without having direct physical contact with it.

Unfortunately, there is no way to delete contacts from iMessage without losing your account. If only manually.

These options are suitable for all Apple phone models, starting with IOS 5 and higher, as well as their branches (for example, the iPhone 5S). Unfortunately, these instructions are not suitable for smartphones with iOS 4 or older, since they do not yet have iCloud.

In this case, you will have to contact the buyer and ask him to clean the smartphone himself, or meet with you so that you can do this.

Every user should know how to delete everything from an iPhone before selling it. Developers from Apple foresaw a similar situation and introduced special functions to facilitate the removal process. With their help, delete all data and all contacts from the device at once.

Preparing iPhone for sale

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Nothing complicated.

Now it's time to say goodbye to the old iPhone, passing it into the hands of a joyful buyer. But how to properly transfer the device into the wrong hands so that no one can use your data? This is what we will talk about today, we will look at how to remove an iPhone from iTunes, properly clear the device of your data and erase information from your smartphone about your Apple ID.

The above steps are required when selling an iPhone. Not only are they good manners, but they will also save you from having to receive tons of activity alerts from your old smartphone (especially if the person who bought it turned out to be very active).

The first step is to create the most recent backup of your device data. It is recommended to do this immediately before selling or transferring the iPhone, since within a few days this same backup copy can become “overgrown” with information. We wrote in detail about how to backup an iPhone using iTunes in this article, but for completeness of the instructions we will still briefly describe this process.

How to Backup iPhone

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes. If iTunes is not installed on your computer, you can download the latest version of the utility at official Apple website.

Step 2. Select iPhone in iTunes, go to the " tab Intelligence", check the box " This computer" and press " Create a copy now».

Note: If you are used to backing up to iCloud, you can skip the previous step. Instead, on iPhone, go to the menu Settings» → « iCloud» → « Intelligence» → « Backup copy" and press " Create a backup».

Step 3. In the menu " File» → « Devices" Press " Move purchases" By performing this operation, you will save all purchases (applications, games, music, movies, etc.) on your computer, which will allow you to restore all content in the future, in the event of a failure.

Ready! A complete backup of your iPhone has been successfully created.

Now you need to work with the iPhone, namely, reset all settings and clear the device of downloaded content. We do not recommend manually deleting all photos, videos, contacts and applications, but is it even necessary? iOS has an excellent automatic reset feature built in that is designed to help us in exactly this situation.

How to reset all data from iPhone

Attention! Before resetting your data, make sure you have backed up your iPhone.

Step 1. Go to menu " Settings»→ « Basic» → « Reset».

Step 2. Click on the button Erase content and settings" Attention - to continue you will need to enter a password for restrictions, of course, if you set one.

Step 3. Confirm the reset and wait for the process to complete.

It would be a good idea to warn again - all data will be destroyed! Don't forget to back up your iPhone before resetting it.

Also, do not delete contacts, documents, photos, calendars and other iCloud data if you are connected to an iCloud account. In this case, the content will be deleted not only from this device, but also from the Apple cloud service, and therefore from all your other devices associated with the same iCloud account. To prevent such an incident from happening, it is better to immediately log out of iCloud from your iPhone by going to the “ Settings» → « iCloud» → « Delete your account».

Some users may need to unlink their iPhone from the Support Profile, but in the CIS countries this is not very relevant at the moment, since the Apple Store is not open in our country yet. However, if you want to say goodbye to your old device completely, you can read about this process in this instruction .

Well, that's all. All that remains is to remove the SIM card from the phone, thoroughly polish the screen of your iPhone with a cloth, put the documents and available accessories in a box and go to sell.

Currently, smartphones and tablets contain a lot of personal information - financial data, photos and videos, personal correspondence, passwords for Internet services, applications and digital documents. Therefore, before you sell your device, you need to erase all content from your iPhone and iPad.

When preparing to sell or transfer your mobile device to another user, you may need to delete all or some of the files. However, you should first back up your content and disable some features and services. We recommend that you complete all the necessary steps in the order below.

If you still have an iPhone or iPad

Before you give your gadget to another user, make sure that you have deleted all personal data from it. To protect your content and restore your device to factory condition before handing it over to a new owner, follow the steps below.

Create a backup. To do this, open iTunes and connect your gadget to your computer and click on its icon in the upper left corner. Scroll down and click "Create a copy now."

Depending on the amount of data stored on the device, creating a backup may take up to 10 minutes. It will contain all your files and personal information currently on your mobile device. After purchasing a new device, you will need to do the same sequence of actions on it, but use the “Restore from copy” button.

Disable Apple services. To avoid SMS delivery issues, you need to sign out of iMessage. To disable iMessage, go to Settings -> Messages and move the “iMessage” toggle switch to the “Off” position. It is also recommended to disable the FaceTime service in Settings -> FaceTime.

Sign out of iCloud. Your account may store a large amount of personal information, including photographs, documents, and mail. To delete all iCloud data from your gadget and disconnect from your account, you need to go to Settings, select the iCloud tab and click the “Sign Out” button. This way, you will delete all personal information, but at the same time it will be saved in remote storage and will become available again after entering your account settings on a new device.

Erase the contents of your device. To delete content from iPhone and iPad, select Settings –> General –> Reset, and then select “Erase content and settings”. The operating system will warn you: “Are you sure you want to continue? All media files, data and settings will be erased. This action is irreversible." This will remove all data from your device, including photos, contacts, music, apps, and credit and debit cards added for Apple Pay. All services will be disabled. When you delete data from your device, its contents will not be deleted from iCloud storage.

After turning on, the iPhone or iPad will ask the new owner to perform activation, just like on a new device after purchase.

If you no longer have an iPhone or iPad

If you have not completed the instructions above before selling or giving your device to another person, please follow the steps below.

Ask the new owner of your iPhone or iPad to erase all content and settings as described above. If you use iCloud and Find My iPhone is turned on, you can erase your data remotely and remove the device from your account. To do this, go to icloud.com/find, select your gadget and click the “Erase” button. After deleting the data, click the “Remove from account” button. After you delete content, you must wait 24 hours before you can activate iMessage on your new device.

If you can't complete the suggested steps, change your Apple ID password. Changing your password doesn't delete any personal data stored on the device, but it does make it impossible for the new owner to delete the information from iCloud.

If you use Apple Pay, you can also delete your credit or debit card information on iCloud.com. To do this, tap Settings to view iPhones that use Apple Pay, then select the device and tap the Remove button next to Apple Pay.

Sales of the iPhone 6s are about to start, and if you are, then it's time to get rid of it. You can simply put up an ad and sell the smartphone as is, but there is every chance of giving the new owner your personal data and a credit card in addition. Below I'll tell you what you need to do to prepare your iPhone before selling it and avoid being cursed for "".

Disable iCloud (Find My iPhone and Activation Lock)

After this, the data of those applications that were stored in iCloud will be erased from the device, and the Find My iPhone function will be disabled. This is very important not only for you, but also for the buyer, as you will save him from problems with Activation Lock. Just in case .

Reset your iPhone

Last step - . Once again, make sure that the backups are safe and sound, as after this you will lose all information.

After erasing content and settings, the iPhone will need to be reset. You don't need to enter your Apple ID and password (unless you've previously turned off Find My iPhone).

Finally

After the steps described above, you can safely sell your iPhone, all you have to do is publish an ad and wait for the call. The main thing is to meet the buyer in a public place and avoid dubious offers in the style of “money in the morning, chairs in the evening.” For those who, on the contrary, want to buy an iPhone second-hand, I advise you not to buy a “brick” or a copy on Android.

Any gadget needs to be cleared of unnecessary information from time to time. It is recommended to pay special attention to the process before selling devices. Otherwise, the new user will take over someone else's data. The article will tell you how to completely clean an iPhone 4 before selling it. What instructions are recommended to use to bring your idea to life?

Before the process

First of all, it is important to understand that the device must have a "non-verlock" status. It indicates that the iPhone has never been unlocked. This means that after all the described actions, the gadget will work normally with communication.

After formatting, it turns into the most ordinary gaming gadget - it stops catching the network and the Internet. If the status of the device is unknown, then the user performs all actions at random. It is impossible to say exactly how the process will turn out.

Via phone

How to clean iPhone 4 completely before selling? The first way is to work with a mobile device. The most common scenario. Deleting data from iPhone without additional applications is the simplest action.

Just a few clicks and the task will be completed. How to clean iPhone 4 completely before selling? You must follow the instructions:

  1. Turn on your mobile device and wait for it to load.
  2. Go to the "Settings" menu item. There you need to visit “Basic” - “Reset”.
  3. Select "Erase content and settings".
  4. Confirm your intentions several times. To do this, select the "Delete" button.
  5. Enter your Apple ID code. This step cannot be skipped. It appears if Find My iPhone is enabled in iCloud.

Once all the described steps are completed, the smartphone will reboot. After this, the information will be erased. It is important to ensure that the gadget has enough battery power. To format, you need to leave about 25% of the battery.

iTunes to the rescue

How to clean an iPhone 4 completely before selling it through iTunes? It's not that difficult to do. Perhaps, bringing your idea to life is as easy as when working with a mobile phone.

How is iPhone formatted? Necessary:

  1. Download and install on your computer the current version of iTunes for a particular operating system of your mobile device.
  2. Connect your smartphone to your PC using a USB cable.
  3. Launch iTunes. Wait until the connected device is detected by the operating system.
  4. Select the "Browse" tab in the smartphone menu.
  5. Click on "Restore...".
  6. Select the desired item. The firmware will have to be prepared in advance.

From now on, it’s clear how to completely clean an iPhone 4 before selling it through a computer. As a rule, the subscriber himself chooses which formatting method to choose. In fact, everything is simpler than it seems.

Remote formatting

The following advice is perfect for those who decide to act from a distance. In some cases, you have to think about how to clean an iPhone 4 completely before selling it remotely. Is it even possible to do this?

The answer is simple: yes, every iPhone owner is able to format their gadget remotely. To do this, you just need to be connected to iCloud. This service allows you to bring your idea to life without much difficulty! It is advisable to work with the data cloud via a computer.

Formatting via iCloud will proceed as follows:

  1. Open the icloud.com page in any browser on your computer.
  2. Log in to the service.
  3. Launch the Find My iPhone application.
  4. Click on the "All devices" button. Select the desired gadget from the list that appears.
  5. Click on the "Erase iPhone" button. The message will appear on the right side of the display.
  6. Click on "Erase".
  7. Re-enter your Apple ID information. You only need your account password. This step is needed to ensure that the actions are performed by the owner of the smartphone.
  8. To complete the operation, click on “Next” and then on “Finish”.

How to clean an iPhone 4 completely before selling it remotely? Answering this question will no longer be a hassle. The proposed technique works even when the smartphone is turned off.

After formatting

What's next? After the subscriber formats the smartphone’s memory, he will be asked to either restore the data or start working with a new account. The first option involves returning information for a particular date. It is suitable only when the smartphone is not planned to be sold. Otherwise, you need to stop at the second sentence. It allows you to perform a 100% reset of user data.

Now it’s clear how to completely clean an iPhone 4 before selling it. If you forgot your password, you must restore factory settings using iTunes. Otherwise, you can act as is convenient for the subscriber. Most often, working with iCloud or a mobile device is used in practice. Once you select the option to completely reset your data, you will no longer be able to get it back.