How do i delete everything off my old iphone

How to wipe your iPhone before selling it or trading it in

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Delete all of your data before getting rid of your old phone

Apr 13, 2020, 9:01 PM UTC|

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How do i delete everything off my old iphone

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Whether you’re trading in your old iPhone for a discount on a new one, selling it, giving it away, or recycling it, you’re going to want to erase all of your data first. Not only do you want to keep personal information from falling into the wrong hands, but let’s face it: nobody’s going to want a phone with your old selfies on it.

After you’ve transferred all of your data to a new phone (or, if you’re not getting a new phone, backed your data up), here’s how to wipe your iPhone:

Get rid of a few identifiable features

  • Disable “Find My iPhone” by going to “Settings” > “Find My” > “Find My Phone” and toggling “Find My Phone” and “Find My Network” to off.
  • Unpair any devices from your phone, including your Apple Watch.
  • Toggle iMessages off (just in case).

Sign out of your Apple ID

  • Select “Settings” > [your name] top button > “Sign Out” (at the bottom of the page).
  • Enter your Apple ID password.
  • You’ll be asked if you want to keep a copy of your data on this iPhone. Assuming you’ve backed everything up and are about to wipe your phone, you don’t need to toggle anything on.
  • Tap on “Sign Out” in the upper-right corner and then again on the “Are you sure?” pop-up window.

Get ready to erase it

  • Remove the SIM card from the phone.
  • Go into “Settings” > “General” > “Transfer or Reset iPhone” and select “Erase All Content and Settings.”

If you’re wiping your phone, you don’t want to keep any data on it.

You’ll get one last chance to change your mind.

Update September 15th, 2021, 3PM ET: This article was originally published on April 13th, 2020, and has been updated to add more info and account for changes in the OS.

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Will erasing my old iPhone affect my new one?

Don't worry, reset old iPhone will not affect the new one. It will only erase content on old iPhone where the operation is done. The data that have been transferred to the new iPhone or the files that have been saved to iCloud will not be affected in any way.

How do I wipe my old iPhone before selling it?

Go back to Settings and tap General > Transfer or Reset [device] > Erase All Content and Settings. If you turned on Find My [device], you might need to enter your Apple ID and password. If your device uses eSIM, choose the option to erase your device and the eSIM profile when asked.

How do I delete everything from my iPhone from another iPhone?

In Find My iPhone on iCloud.com, click All Devices, then select the device you want to erase. If you don't see All Devices, it's because you've already selected a device. Click the name of the current device in the center of the toolbar to access the Devices list, then select a new device. Click Erase [device].

How do I clear my phone before returning it?

Before returning or exchanging your phone, you'll want to back up your personal information and then clear it off the phone..
Tap Settings > General Management > Reset..
Select Factory Data Reset..
Tap Reset Device..