Guides

How to wipe your phone before you sell it

May 28, 2026 · Techtree Team · 2 min read

Before you send a device to Techtree, you want two things to be true: your personal data is gone, and the phone is ready to be checked and resold. The good news is that a proper wipe takes about ten minutes. Here is how to do it the right way.

1. Back up anything you want to keep

Once you reset a phone, the data is gone for good. Take a minute to back up first.

iPhone: Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, then iCloud Backup, and choose Back Up Now. You can also plug into a computer and back up there.
Android: Open Settings, search for Backup, and make sure your Google account backup is on. Photos sync to Google Photos if you have it enabled.

2. Sign out of your accounts

This is the step people forget, and it is the most important one. If you skip it, the phone can stay locked to your account and we cannot complete the trade-in.

iPhone: Settings, tap your name, scroll to the bottom, and tap Sign Out. This turns off Find My iPhone and Activation Lock.
Android: Settings, Accounts, remove your Google account. This clears Factory Reset Protection.

3. Factory reset the device

Now you can erase everything.

iPhone: Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings.
Android: Settings, System, Reset, Erase all data (factory reset). The exact wording varies by brand.

4. Remove your SIM and any cards

Pop out the physical SIM card and remove any microSD card before you pack the device. These do not travel with your trade-in.

You are done

Once the phone restarts to the setup screen, it is clean and ready to ship. Pack it safely, drop it in the mail with your prepaid label, and your payout follows once we receive and inspect it.

Still have a question about your specific device? Our team is happy to help. Reach out from the Need help page and a real person will walk you through it.