Whether you're trading in your old iPhone for credit toward a new model, selling it privately, donating it, or recycling it, securely erasing all personal data is essential. Safeguard your privacy and make the device more appealing to its next owner—nobody wants your old selfies showing up.
After backing up or transferring your data to a new device, follow these proven steps, based on Apple's official guidelines, to wipe your iPhone clean:
Get Rid of Identifiable Features
- Turn off Find My iPhone: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone, then toggle it off and enter your Apple ID password.
- Unpair connected devices, like your Apple Watch, from the iPhone.
- Disable iMessage: Go to Settings > Messages and turn off iMessage.
Sign Out of Your Apple ID
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] (at the top) > Sign Out (at the bottom).
- Enter your Apple ID password to confirm.
- When prompted, choose not to keep a copy of data on the iPhone—assuming you've already backed up everything.
- Tap Sign Out in the top-right corner, then confirm in the pop-up.
Prepare and Erase the Device
- Remove the SIM card if possible.
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Confirm and enter your passcode if prompted.
Updated September 15, 2021, 3pm ET: This article was originally published on April 13, 2020 and has been updated to add more information and reflect changes to the operating system.
