How to Get Your iPhone or iPad Ready to Sell, Trade In or Give Away
Selling, trading in or giving away an iPhone or iPad? Follow these steps to back up, sign out, unpair your Watch and erase it safely.
Before you hand over an old iPhone or iPad, you want two things: your information safely copied to your new device, and nothing of yours left on the old one. There is a clear order to follow, and the order matters.
Take your time over the first step, because erasing cannot be undone.
A warning before you start
While you are signed in to iCloud, deleting things one by one removes them everywhere. That includes contacts, calendars, reminders, documents and photos, and they disappear from iCloud and from all your other devices too. So do not tidy up by deleting things by hand. Follow the steps below instead.
Step 1: Back up the device
Make a backup first, so you have a copy of everything on your iPhone or iPad. If you are replacing it, you can use that backup to move your information to the new one. Our guide to backing up an iPhone or iPad explains the options. Check the backup has finished before you carry on.
Step 2: Move your information to the new device
If your old device has iOS 11 or later, use Quick Start to move your information across automatically. On iOS 10 or earlier, use iCloud, iTunes or the Finder instead.
If your phone number is changing with your new device, add your new number to your Apple Account as a trusted phone number. That stops you being locked out of your account.
Step 3: Check for unfinished repairs
This only matters if you are trading the device in. Check Parts and Service History in Settings. If any part shows Finish Repair, you need to finish that repair before you can trade the device in.
Step 4: Remove your personal information
Back up the device again, then work through these in order. If an Apple Watch is paired with the iPhone, unpair it first. If the device has an AppleCare plan, you can cancel it or transfer it to the new owner.
Next, sign out of your Apple Account. On iOS 26 or later, open Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap Sign Out. You can then choose Erase this device, or Sign Out But Don’t Erase. On iOS 18 or earlier, tap Sign Out, enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off.
If you are moving to a phone that is not an iPhone, turn off iMessage for your number, so messages from iPhone users reach your new phone as normal texts.
Step 5: Erase the device
Go back to Settings and tap General. Tap Transfer or Reset, then tap Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode if you are asked.
Before you hand it over
Take out the SIM card if your phone has one. If you no longer have the device, or anything above does not go to plan, contact us and we will help you sort it out.
Need a hand?
If you would like help moving to a new iPhone and clearing the old one safely, see our Mac and Apple device setup and troubleshooting service, or contact Your Mac Tech.
