How to Erase and Factory Reset an iPhone Before Selling

Open a recent photo, an important file and your contacts on the replacement. Test a call or text and confirm that your main email, banking and authentication apps work. Store recovery codes securely away from the phone you are selling.

A completed backup message is useful, but it is not proof that every app can be accessed on a new device. Some work and banking apps require separate activation. Use our upgrade handover checklist before continuing.

Confirm that the replacement can receive calls and texts and use mobile data. Once service is working there, remove any physical SIM card from the old phone. During the full erase described below, choose the option to delete the old iPhone's eSIM profile too.

If transfer has failed, stop before deleting the old cellular plan and ask your carrier for help. If you are switching to Android, Apple's preparation guide also covers deregistering iMessage.

After the replacement passes those checks, follow Apple's preparation instructions for your iOS version. Unpair an Apple Watch if needed, then complete the account sign-out and erase prompts. The sign-out screens differ by iOS version.

For the factory-reset step, Apple's erase guide uses Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your credentials on your own device when prompted. Reset All Settings leaves your photos, messages and apps in place; it is not the preparation option for selling.

Do not manually delete iCloud-synced photos, contacts or documents to clean the phone. That can delete the synced copies on your other devices too.

The completed erase should leave the iPhone at the Hello screen. Do not sign back in to your personal account. A setup screen alone is not a substitute for resolving the former owner's account association: if an Activation Lock prompt remains, use Apple's official removal process. If the account belongs to someone else, that owner must resolve it; Apple may also review a support request with proof of purchase.

Do not put your Apple Account password, screen passcode, backup codes or SIM PIN in the box. The Carrier Lock entry under General > About concerns network use, not Activation Lock.

GadgetRenu accepts some nonworking phones when the model and condition are supported, but a dead phone is not proof that its data has been erased. Contact support before shipment if you cannot complete preparation. Account locks must still be removed; GadgetRenu does not accept Activation-Locked devices.

Tell support what you can verify: whether the phone powers on, whether you can use the screen, and whether the device is still associated with your account. Never send the password as a workaround.

Keep your device details and a private condition record for the quote. Confirm that the erase finished, your SIM is removed, account locks are resolved, and no personal credentials are included. If a check is incomplete, resolve it before shipping.

For transferring accounts and authentication apps, use the phone upgrade checklist.