How to sell an iPhone and delete all data. How to completely clean an iPhone

Apple devices are in good demand in the secondary market. The Apple corporation has been supporting the iPhone, iPad, MacBook and other of its products at the software level for several years, which makes it attractive to purchase a device that has previously been in use. With careful use, externally and internally, Apple devices may not undergo changes over years of active use. Before you sell your iPhone or iPad, you need to completely clear it of accumulated information and reset its settings. This article will look at three ways to erase all data from an iPhone or iPad.

Formatting iPhone via iTunes

The best way to delete information from an iPhone or iPad involves using the iTunes application. This is because when connected to a computer, the user has the option to take a full backup of their device before wiping it. The backup will contain all the information from the iPhone:

  • Individual settings for key system applications, including fingerprint information (Touch ID), data from medical programs, information about bank cards in Apple Pay;
  • PDF files that were downloaded to the iBooks app on your device;
  • Applications from the App Store;
  • Videos, music and other content from the iTunes Store;
  • Information synchronized with iTunes: books, photos, videos, music and more;
  • Data saved in iCloud.

To create a backup in iTunes, you need to connect your iPhone to your computer, synchronize and select the appropriate item in the program menu. Later, the backup copy can be used on another iPhone to instantly set it up for normal use.

Once the backup is made, you can begin to clear the device of the information on it and reset the settings. To completely erase your iPhone you need to:


Important: While restoring your iPhone, you should not remove the wire from the device, otherwise a software glitch may occur that will cause errors.

Also, if you delete all data, you can revert to earlier versions of the software.

How to erase all data from iPhone or iPad remotely

Apple services allow you to remotely interact with devices if you know your Apple ID. If you want to erase all data from your iPhone or iPad, you can do it via iCloud as follows:


In this way, you can delete all information from the device, even if it is turned off. The signal will be sent through iCloud, and it will work the moment the iPhone or iPad turns on and connects to the Internet.

How to erase everything from iPhone or iPad

Completely clearing an Apple device of information is possible without connecting to a computer or remote control via iCloud. To carry out a full formatting you need to:


Note: Depending on the total amount of memory on the device, smartphone model, firmware version and other parameters, the formatting procedure can take from several minutes to half an hour or more. It is important that the smartphone is not discharged at this moment, otherwise it will have to be restored after

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 crowded 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.

If you are planning to sell your iPhone, it is advisable to prepare it for sale. We need to prepare the iPhone externally and programmatically for the next owner. It is very important to save all data and other important information before selling your iPhone. Our collection of tips will help you prepare your iPhone for sale.

Make a backup


Before you take any steps to prepare your iPhone, you should first back up your data. They can then be restored when purchasing a new iPhone.

  1. Connect iPhone to computer
  2. Open iTunes
  3. Click on the iPhone icon that appears
  4. Click “Create a copy now”

It's worth waiting a few minutes while iTunes backs up your iPhone. When you buy a new iPhone, you can restore all your data in a few clicks.

If you don't have your computer nearby or don't want to use it, you can back up your iPhone to iCloud.

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Go to the iCloud section
  3. Click on “Backup”
  4. Enable the creation of backups and click on the “Create backup” button

Disable Apple services

In order to eliminate problems with the operation of iMessage, FaceTime and other Apple services on the iPhone, it is worth disabling them before selling them.


  1. Open “Messages”
  2. Pull the lever in the iMessage line to turn off

  1. Return to the main menu of the Settings application
  2. Open “FaceTime”
  3. Pull the lever in the FaceTime bar to turn off

Sign out of iCloud

This is a very important point, because if you do not sign out of iCloud, the next owner of the iPhone will not be able to use the device.

  1. Go to the Settings app
  2. Open “iCloud”
  3. Scroll to the very bottom of the list and click “Exit”.

Reset all your data


After we have backed up all our data, disabled Apple services and signed out of iCloud, we can do a hard reset of the iPhone.
Attention: All data on your iPhone will be deleted, so make sure you have a backup of it.

  1. Go to the Settings app
  2. Open “General”
  3. Scroll to the very bottom of the list and click “Reset”
  4. Select “Erase content and settings”

Clean your iPhone

To sell, the iPhone must be clean not only in software, but also in appearance. Agree that the buyer who comes to pick up the long-awaited iPhone will not be very happy about the stained screen, dust and dirt. Gently wipe your iPhone from all sides. Clean it from streaks and stains. Blow out all the connectors and carefully clean any dirt that has collected there with a toothpick. It wouldn't hurt to spend

A gadget for a new owner. And it goes without saying that you have an important question about what you need to do before selling your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch without losing or leaking personal information, including content stored on the device. To answer this question that concerns everyone briefly, all you need to do is create a backup copy, then delete all personal information from the device, including content, and unlink it from your iCloud account

Only after these steps will the gadget be completely clean, with factory settings installed, that is, it can be said to be like new, but only in the software part and is ready to be transferred to the new owner. Of course, there is no need to manually delete contacts, reminders, calendars, documents, photos, Apple has taken care of this.

Now about all these actions in a little more detail, do not be afraid of the voluminous text, in fact, everything is so simple that you may be very surprised. The only thing I would like to draw attention to is that owners of the iPad and iPod touch must begin pre-sale preparation immediately from the 2nd stage; the first must be skipped, since it is intended for iPhone owners.

Let's say you bought an iPhone XR and want to sell your old iPhone. If you don’t clean your phone before this, you can lose all your data or even lose money by transferring your payment cards and passwords to the new owner with the phone.

In this post, I will tell you how to properly clean your iPhone before selling it so that both you and the buyer are satisfied. Of course, all of the following is also true for the iPad.

1. Back up your data

To avoid having to set up your new iPhone again, back up all your data and then restore from the backup. You can back up your iPhone to iCloud, as well as locally via iTunes.

How to Backup iPhone to iCloud

Only 5 GB are given for free in iCloud, so additional gigabytes in the cloud will have to be purchased separately.

Apple ID ▸ iCloud ▸ Change storage plan

To back up to iCloud, there must be enough free space there

I have a 32 GB iPhone 7, which means 50 GB iCloud is more than enough. If you have a 64 GB version, then you need to take 200 GB iCloud, otherwise photos from your phone simply won’t fit there.

If you have enough memory in iCloud and your phone is connected to a WiFi network, you can make a backup copy:

Apple ID ▸ iCloud ▸ Backup ▸ Create Backup


iCloud backups are created every day, but you can start the process manually

How to Backup iPhone via iTunes

If there is not enough space in iCloud, you can make a backup copy via iTunes to your computer. Just don't forget to encrypt it.


Backing up iPhone via iTunes

2. Unlink your Apple ID from your “old” phone

Apple ID ▸ iCloud ▸ Sign Out


You can unlink Apple ID in iPhone settings

This is very important because “signing out” of iCloud will also turn off Find My iPhone. If you do not do this, then after complete cleaning, the new owner simply will not be able to turn on the phone without your iCloud password.

Be sure to ensure that this step is completed before buying an iPhone in person, otherwise you will receive the “brick”.

3. Reset iPhone to factory settings

All that remains is to finally clean the iPhone, after which it can be safely transferred to the new owner. You can do this in:

Settings ▸ General ▸ Reset ▸ Erase content and settings


Factory reset iPhone

Wait for the reboot. That's it, now your iPhone is clean, as if it came straight out of the box. Good luck with your transaction!