Selling or giving away an old phone or laptop? Back it up, sign out and wipe it first

If we sent you this link, you probably have a new phone or computer and an old one sitting in a drawer. Before it goes to a grandchild, a buyer or the recycling, it needs four things done, in order: back it up, sign out, erase it, then pass it on. The steps below are the makers’ own. If you’d like a hand, we offer help moving everything to the new device before the old one is cleared.

What should you do before you sell or give away a phone or laptop?

Back it up, sign out of your account, erase it, then sell, give or recycle it. The backup keeps your photos and contacts, signing out lets the next person use it, and the erase removes everything that was yours.

Pick a step

Back up Sign out Erase Recycle or pass on Still signed in

Hello Hello

1. Back up
2. Sign out
3. Erase
4. Recycle or pass on

Back up

First, a copy. The photos, contacts and files go to iCloud, your Google Account or a drive, and you check they arrived before anything is erased.

Sign out

Your account comes off the device: Sign Out of your Apple Account, or remove your Google Account. That switches off the lock that keeps a lost phone useless to anyone else, so the next owner can set it up.

Erase

Erase All Content and Settings, a factory reset, or Reset this PC with Remove everything and Clean data. The device starts again like new, at its Hello or setup screen.

Recycle or pass on

Hand it on, sell it, or recycle it free: a phone through MobileMuster, a computer or tablet through the national recycling scheme.

Still signed in

Erased, but still signed in. Apple's Activation Lock or Google's device protection stays on, so the next owner is asked for your password and can't use it. Sign out first, or sign in on it again and remove your account.

The four steps, and what each one is called on your device

Step	iPhone or iPad	Android phone	Windows laptop	Mac
1. Back up	iCloud Backup, or a computer	Backup to your Google Account, and Google Photos	Windows Backup, or a drive	Time Machine and a drive
2. Sign out	Sign Out of your Apple Account	Remove your Google Account	Remove it from your Microsoft account, after the reset	Part of Erase All Content and Settings
3. Erase	Erase All Content and Settings	Factory reset (Erase all data)	Reset PC, Remove everything, Clean data	Erase All Content and Settings
4. Pass it on	A new owner, or MobileMuster	A new owner, or MobileMuster	A new owner, or the national scheme	A new owner, or the national scheme

One warning: don’t delete photos or contacts one by one to “clean” the phone. Apple says that while you’re signed in to iCloud, deleting items by hand removes them permanently. Erasing is the safe way, and Apple says it leaves your iCloud content intact.

How do you factory reset an iPhone or iPad?

Back it up, sign out of your Apple Account, then erase it from Settings. These are Apple’s steps from its page on what to do before you sell, give away or trade in your iPhone or iPad (opens in a new tab).

Back up the iPhone first

Connect to your home WiFi, open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, then iCloud Backup, and tap Back Up Now. Apple says the date and time of your last backup then show under Back Up Now, which is how you know it worked. How to back up your phone photos to iCloud, Google Photos or a drive goes through it in more detail.

Sign out of your Apple Account

Open Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap Sign Out. What happens next depends on how up to date the phone is:

• If it offers two choices, “Erase This iPhone” or “Sign Out But Don’t Erase”: pick one, and if it asks which account to sign out of, tap Sign out of iCloud and Store. Sign Out But Don’t Erase leaves the erase for the next step.
• If it asks for your Apple Account password, type it and tap Turn Off.

If you’ve paired an Apple Watch with the phone, Apple says to unpair it first. And if you can’t remember your Apple Account password, stop here: what to do if you’re locked out of your Apple Account has Apple’s own recovery steps.

Erase All Content and Settings

1. 1

   Open the reset menu

   Open Settings, tap General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone (or iPad).

2. 2

   Erase

   Tap Erase All Content and Settings.

3. 3

   Confirm

   Enter your passcode if asked. If Find My was on, Apple says you may need your Apple Account and password.

4. 4

   Wait for the Hello screen

   The phone restarts. Apple says a device is ready for its next user when it shows the Hello screen.

Apple says that when you erase an iPhone or iPad, Find My and Activation Lock are turned off. If the phone uses an eSIM, Apple says to choose the option to erase the device and the eSIM profile; check your number works on the new phone first.

Already given it away without erasing it?

Apple says to ask the new owner to erase all content and settings, and to change your Apple Account password, which stops them deleting your iCloud data.

How do you factory reset an Android phone?

Back it up, remove your Google Account, then factory reset it from Settings. Google says a factory reset erases all your data from the phone, so the order matters here too.

1. 1

   Back up

   Open Settings, tap Google, then All services. Under Backup and restore, tap Backup, then Back up now. Photos are backed up by the Google Photos app.

2. 2

   Have your details ready

   Know your Google Account and its password, and the phone's PIN, pattern or password. Google says if you've just reset the Google password, wait 24 hours.

3. 3

   Charge it and connect

   Charge it to at least 70% and keep it on WiFi or mobile data. Google says a reset can take up to an hour.

4. 4

   Remove your Google Account

   Open Settings, tap Passwords and accounts (or Users and accounts, or Manage accounts). Tap the Google Account, tap Remove account, then Remove account again and Delete.

5. 5

   Factory reset

   On a Google Pixel: Settings, System, Reset options, Erase all data (factory reset), then Erase all data.

6. 6

   Take out the SIM and memory card

   Remove the SIM card and any memory card. If the phone has a downloaded SIM (an eSIM), erase it.

Google says removing an account deletes its email, contacts and settings from the phone, which is why the backup comes first. It is also what switches off Google’s device protection, covered below. On a Samsung or another make, Google says to check the maker’s own support site for the exact reset steps.

How do you wipe a Windows laptop before selling it?

Back up, have your BitLocker key, reset it with Remove everything and Clean data, then remove it from your Microsoft account. These are Microsoft’s steps from its Reset your PC page (opens in a new tab), for Windows 11 and 10.

Back up first

Microsoft says to back up anything you want to keep using Windows Backup. A copy of your documents and photos on a portable drive as well doesn’t depend on any account. The first drive below comes set up for Windows; the second is for a Mac.

We earn a small commission if you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Gear mentioned here, on Amazon Australia

Product	What it is for	Link
Toshiba Canvio Advance 2TB	Portable backup drive, set up for Windows	View on Amazon for the Toshiba Canvio Advance 2TB (opens in a new tab)
WD My Passport for Mac 2TB	Portable backup drive, Mac-ready	View on Amazon for the WD My Passport for Mac 2TB (opens in a new tab)

Before you erase, open a few of the photos from the drive on the new computer.

Have your BitLocker recovery key

Microsoft says that if the computer is encrypted, make sure you have your BitLocker recovery key before you reset. If you’re not sure, where to find your BitLocker recovery key shows where it is usually saved and how to keep a copy.

Reset this PC, and choose Remove everything

1. 1

   Open Recovery

   On Windows 11, open Settings, then System, then Recovery. On Windows 10, open Settings, then Update & Security, then Recovery.

2. 2

   Start the reset

   On Windows 11, under Recovery options, select Reset PC. On Windows 10, under Reset this PC, select Get started.

3. 3

   Choose Remove everything

   Microsoft says this removes all your personal files, apps and settings. Keep my files is for a computer you're keeping.

4. 4

   Turn on Clean data

   This setting under Remove everything cleans the drive. Microsoft says to use it if you're planning to donate, recycle or sell the PC, and that it takes longer.

5. 5

   Pick how to reinstall Windows

   Cloud download gets a fresh copy of Windows from the internet, with the latest updates. Local reinstall uses the files already on the computer. Microsoft offers both.

6. 6

   Leave it running

   Follow the screen. Microsoft warns it can go black for a long time, sometimes more than 15 minutes. Keep it plugged in.

Cloud download needs the internet; Local reinstall doesn’t. If nothing in the house can get online, that is a separate job for an internet technician who finds why the connection is down.

Remove it from your Microsoft account

Once the reset has finished, go to account.microsoft.com/devices on any device and sign in. Find the old laptop, select Show details, then More actions, then Remove. Tick I’m ready to remove this device, and select Remove. That takes it off your account’s list of devices.

If you’re replacing the laptop because Windows 10 has reached the end of its updates, what Windows 10 end of support means for you goes through the choices before you buy.

How do you erase a Mac?

On a newer Mac, use Erase All Content and Settings, which signs you out and erases everything in one go. Apple says it needs macOS Monterey 12 or later on a Mac with Apple silicon or with the Apple T2 Security Chip.

First, back up with Time Machine: plug in a drive, open System Settings, then General, then Time Machine. Click Add Backup Disk, choose the drive and click Set Up Disk.

1. 1

   Open Transfer or Reset

   From the Apple menu, choose System Settings, click General, then Transfer or Reset.

2. 2

   Erase

   Click Erase All Content and Settings.

3. 3

   Enter two passwords

   When asked, type the password you use to unlock the Mac, then your Apple Account password.

4. 4

   Confirm

   Click Erase All Content & Settings. The Mac erases, restarts, activates and restarts again.

When the setup assistant appears, as on a new Mac, leave it there for the next owner. If Erase All Content and Settings isn’t there, the Mac is older or not on Monterey; Apple’s steps for those are to sign out of iCloud and Messages, then erase the drive with Disk Utility from Recovery and reinstall macOS.

What does “still signed in” mean for the next owner?

It means the phone or tablet still belongs to your account, so the next owner can’t set it up. It is a safety feature doing its job.

On an iPhone or iPad, Apple’s Activation Lock turns on with Find My, and Apple says your Apple Account password is then needed before anyone can erase it or set it up again. On Android, Google’s device protection (opens in a new tab) means that after a reset, only someone with your Google Account or screen lock can use the phone. Google says that to turn it off, you remove your Google Account from the phone.

So if a phone you gave away is asking for your password:

• An iPhone or iPad: Apple says the previous owner can remove it from their account in a web browser. If it’s with family, type your password on it, then sign out and erase it.
• An Android phone: get it back, sign in with your Google Account, remove the account and reset it again.

Buying second-hand? Apple’s advice is not to take any used iPhone or iPad protected by Activation Lock. Ask to see the Hello screen before you pay.

What to do with an old laptop or phone you don’t want

Wipe it, then hand it on, sell it, or recycle it free: phones through MobileMuster, and computers, tablets, printers and TVs through the national recycling scheme.

Recycling an old phone: MobileMuster

MobileMuster is the telecommunications industry’s official phone recycling program, accredited by the federal government, and it’s free. It takes old and broken mobile phones, chargers and accessories. Drop them at an Optus or Vodafone store or another point on its map, or post them free with its prepaid label or a satchel from some Australia Post outlets.

MobileMuster’s own advice is to back up, sign out, factory reset, and take out the SIM and memory card first. It says data on a phone too damaged to erase is destroyed in the recycling, but that it isn’t responsible for your data. Loose phone batteries don’t go in its bins. The details are on MobileMuster’s recycle a mobile page (opens in a new tab).

Recycling an old computer or laptop: the national scheme

The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme takes televisions, computers (laptops and tablets included), monitors, printers, and computer parts such as keyboards and hard drives. The government’s page for the scheme says its services are free for households and small businesses, often at local waste transfer stations, some shops, and council collection days.

Not every drop-off point is part of the scheme, and the page warns that some charge, so ask before you go. It points to Planet Ark’s RecyclingNearYou and the Recycle Mate app to find the nearest one.

When to call us, and when you don’t need to

You don’t need us if the backup worked and you know your passwords: the steps above are yours to do. A trade-in is the shop’s to explain, and a phone that has stopped working is the maker’s or a repair shop’s.

Call us when you’d like everything moved across and checked before anything is erased. That’s moving the photos, contacts and email to the new computer, and checking they arrived, part of a home tech support visit, and we go through the erase on the old one with you. You type your own passwords, and the accounts stay yours.

If the old device won’t start, getting the files off it is data recovery, which we don’t do. A visit covers setup and help, not repairs or data recovery.

Not sure where to start? Send us a message saying which devices you have, or ring 02 9188 1577.