However, our data and photographs can easily be lost if we don’t prepare our phones prior to reselling them.

Mobile phone recycler and retailer, Envirofone do complete data wipes and resets of all devices before selling them on to ensure your data is protected and your phone is ready for its new life. However, whatever you choose to do with your old phone or tech, Envirofone has complied a step-by-step guide on preparing your devices for selling with ease and confidence.

Back up your smartphone 

The first step you need to take when you decide to sell your phone is to have a complete backup of the device so that you do not lose any files in the process. This allows you to quickly restore the data to its original form when you buy a new phone.

Via iCloud: iCloud automatically backs up most of the critical data on your iPhone regularly. However, if you are planning to sell your phone, it is highly recommended to take a backup one last time before you delete all the personal data on the phone; this ensures that all the information is synced to the Apple Cloud servers allowing you for an easy restore.

Via iTunes: If you do not want to use iCloud for the backup and would rather have a backup on your personal computer, you can use the iTunes software on the computer or Mac to create a backup folder.

Android Backup: Google’s cloud service built into Android is the most straightforward backup solution. To find your backups, you can find them in the Google Drive app; tap the menu at the top left and select.

Unlink different accounts

It is essential to unlink all your services and personal apps to ensure that none of your personal information falls into the wrong hands. This includes apps such as WhatsApp, Find my iPhone, and your social media pages, to name a few. You will also want to turn off iMessage. Unlinking your Google accounts from your android and signing yourself out of your Apple ID is also important.

Before turning in your phone, you will want to turn off location tagging. You should also turn off the ‘Find my iPhone’ feature which can be some from the settings app after confirming your Apple ID password.

To do this, go to Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone > Turn off.

Erase/Reset the Phone

Finally, you can proceed to erase / factory reset the phone. You can reset the device with all the data backed up and features disabled and signed out. Make sure your phone has enough battery charge to do this.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter passcode if prompted

Remove SIM Card / SD Card

The last thing you’ll want to do before handing over your smartphone is removing your SIM card and SD card, as you’ll have some information on them. If you intend to give the SD card away with the phone, make a backup of the data on it and then erase everything on it before inserting it back into the phone.

Clean your phone and remove personal accessories 

After taking care of the inside of your phone, it’s a good idea to clean the outside. This will improve the device’s appearance to potential purchasers. Remembering to remove any phone cases and old screen protectors is a must too.

Denise Timmis, Brand Manager at Envirofone, said,   

“Device trade-ins, the rising second-hand phone market and longer recycling cycles are all reshaping the recycled smartphone market. Considering this, people need to be clued up on how to effectively backup their data before giving their phones in for trade-ins or selling. However, with the right steps, this is easily done without losing any personal information. Luckily, Envirofone undergoes thorough in-house checks to reset and erase data ready for our phone’s new life.”

To learn more about recycling and trading in your gadgets, visit Envirofone’s website.