The short version

  • Back up first — once a device is collected, anything left on it is gone.
  • Erasing an iPhone with Erase All Content and Settings signs you out of iCloud and clears Activation Lock for you.
  • On Android the order matters the other way round: remove your Google account before you reset, or the phone locks itself.
  • Take your SIM, and move your eSIM off the phone — it isn't part of the sale.

Before you hand over a phone, your data needs to be off it and the device needs to be unlinked from your account. Do this yourself — once a device is collected, anything left on it can't be recovered. Here's the safe order, and the one step where iPhone and Android disagree.

1. Back up everything you want to keep

Save your photos, videos, contacts, chats and files first. On iPhone, back up to iCloud (Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Backup) or to a computer. On Android, use Google One backup (Settings → Google → Backup) and check your photos are synced in Google Photos.

WhatsApp is the one people forget

Run a manual chat backup — WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat backup — before you log out. Your message history doesn't travel with a Google or iCloud backup on its own.

2. Sign out of your accounts

Log out of every account tied to the device: Google, Apple Account, Samsung, Mi/Xiaomi, email, and any banking or UPI apps. On Android this is also what disables the anti-theft lock in the next step, so don't skip it.

3. Clear the activation lock

This is the step that decides whether the phone is usable by anyone else — and it works differently on the two platforms.

iPhone and iPad

You don't have to turn Find My off by hand. Erasing the device with Erase All Content and Settings signs you out of iCloud and removes Activation Lock as part of the erase. Doing it that way is enough.

Turn Find My off manually — Settings → your name → Find My → Find My iPhone — only if you can't complete a normal erase, for example if the screen is broken. If the phone has already left your hands, you can remove it from your account at iCloud.com, which also clears the lock.

Android

Here the order is reversed. Android's Factory Reset Protection keys off the Google account that was on the phone, so remove the account first: Settings → Passwords & accounts (or Accounts) → your Google account → Remove account. On a Samsung, remove the Samsung account too.

Reset first and you'll lock the phone

If you factory-reset before removing the account, the phone demands that same Google login on the next setup screen and is unusable until it gets it — including by us. It's the single most common reason a pickup stalls.

4. Take your SIM — including the eSIM

Pop out the SIM tray and take out your SIM and any microSD card. If your number is on an eSIM there's nothing to pop out: transfer it to your new phone, or delete it from Settings before you erase, and keep your operator's transfer QR or details so you can restore the number.

5. Erase it

On iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. On Android: Settings → System → Reset options → Erase all data (factory reset) — the exact wording varies a little by brand.

When it restarts, check that it boots to a fresh setup screen with no account still signed in. That's how you know it's ready to hand over.

Do I still need to reset it if you wipe it anyway?

Yes. Every device we collect goes through a data-wipe as a second safeguard, but you should never rely on that alone. Resetting it yourself is the only way to be certain your data is gone and the phone is unlinked from your account — and a device that's still activation-locked can't be verified or paid for until the lock is cleared.

What if the screen is broken and I can't reach Settings?

Sign in at iCloud.com for an iPhone, or Find Hub for an Android, and remove the device from your account there. That clears the lock without needing the screen. Tell us it's a non-working device when you get your quote and the price accounts for it.

Will a factory reset really remove everything?

On any modern phone, yes. iPhones and recent Android devices are encrypted, and the erase throws away the key — the data doesn't just get unlinked, it becomes unreadable. Removing your SIM and memory card covers the parts a reset doesn't touch.

Should I remove my Google account before or after resetting?

Before. Removing it afterwards isn't possible from the phone — Factory Reset Protection will already be asking for that account on the setup screen.