Wipe your data safely before selling a device
4 min read · Updated on June 16, 2026
You're about to sell your phone or laptop, and one question keeps popping up: what if the buyer recovers your photos, emails and passwords? Good news, it's 100 % avoidable. But dragging your files to the trash isn't enough. Here's how to wipe them for real.
Deleting isn't wiping
When you move a file to the trash and empty it, the device doesn't actually destroy your data. It just forgets where it lives and marks the space as reusable. As long as nothing has overwritten it, recovery software can pull it right back. That's why a simple delete won't protect you before a sale.
Truly wiping makes the data unreadable, mainly through encryption. iPhone, iPad, recent Macs, most Androids and Windows with BitLocker keep your data encrypted at all times. A factory reset doesn't rewrite every file: it destroys the encryption key. Without the key, what's left is just an unreadable blob. On a modern device, a proper factory reset is enough, as long as you do it by the book.
Before the reset: accounts and two-factor authentication
The most forgotten step, and the most important. Before wiping, sign out of your main accounts to release the device from anti-theft locks. iPhone/iPad: Settings, your name, Sign Out of your Apple Account. Mac: sign out of your Apple Account and turn off Find My. Android: Settings, Accounts, remove your Google account to lift the reset protection (FRP). Otherwise the device stays locked after the reset, so it's unsellable.
Think about two-factor authentication (2FA). If your phone acts as a second factor, you could lock yourself out of your accounts once the device is wiped. Move your 2FA codes to your new device before wiping the old one, and write down your backup codes. Sign out of sensitive services (bank, messaging apps, password manager) and remove the device from your online accounts.
Factory reset by device
iPhone/iPad: Settings, General, Transfer or Reset, Erase All Content and Settings. Once your Apple Account is signed out, the device destroys the encryption key and reboots like new. Android: Settings, System, Reset, Erase all data. Check that encryption is on (it's the default on every recent Android).
Windows: Settings, System, Recovery, Reset this PC, Remove everything and the Clean data option. Mac with Apple Silicon/T2: System Settings, General, Transfer or Reset, Erase All Content and Settings, which destroys the key in seconds. On an older Mac, boot into recovery, erase the drive, then reinstall macOS.
Don't forget the SIM and SD card
The reset wipes internal storage, but not always the removable kind. Take out your SIM card before shipping: it holds your number and you'll need it in your next phone. On eSIM models, delete the eSIM profile in the network settings. Mind the SIM tray, it's easy to overlook.
If you use a microSD card, it often stores photos and videos outside the encrypted memory. Remove it or format it from the device. Same logic for computers: an external drive, USB stick or second partition aren't touched by the reset. Take a peek inside cases and sleeves: sometimes there's a forgotten card or a slip of paper tucked in there.
Checklist before you list it
In order: back up your data, move your 2FA and write down your backup codes, sign out of your Apple/Google/Microsoft accounts, sign out of sensitive apps, run the factory reset with the most thorough cleaning option, then pull the SIM and SD card. On reboot, the device should show the initial setup screen without asking for a password: that means it's properly released.
On the privacy side, you can relax: on an encrypted device that's been reset cleanly, your data is now unreadable, the key destroyed. At Renlevo, we check every device we receive and run it through a professional wipe before putting it back in circulation. If you're unsure, do the reset yourself before shipping. Free round-trip shipping, price locked for 14 days, payment within 48 hours.