Before Upgrading to a New Smartphone: How To Remove Your Private Information From Your Previous Mobile Device

Contemplating on buying a new smartphone by the end of the year? If you’re thinking of passing on your old mobile phone or selling it to someone, it’s just necessary to clear all your personal data. We have gathered some useful steps to follow so you can securely wipe your data whether for Android, Windows or iOS device.

For Android Phone

An android phone comes in different settings depending on the phone manufacturer’s preference. Good thing, all general options appear the same. But before anything else, make sure to sync everything first to your Google account. This will serve as your backup so you can recover your files and store everything back on your new smartphone.

Some manufacturer provides backup service so you better check for that as well. What’s important is that all your media files are saved to the computer while some data are synched safely to the cloud drive. Here’s what you should do to perform a FACTORY RESET to wipe all your data:

• Go to SETTINGS
• BACKUP & RESET
• FACTORY DATA RESET
• ERASE PHONE DATA
• RESET PHONE

If you want to be extra cautious, you can encrypt your phone. However doing this will make it harder to retrieve the data you just deleted.

• Go to SETTINGS
• SECURITY
• ENCRYPT PHONE

Using an SD Card for encryption is also another possible option. All it takes is a fully charged battery, as the process will take a little bit longer. Better yet, just plug your mobile phone to a charger since you probably have too much data to store.

For Windows Phone

Since Windows phones are not supported by encryption technology, it does not mean you can’t safely backup your files. All you have to do is to sync your mobile to OneDrive and Microsoft accounts before erasing completely.

• Go to SETTINGS
• ABOUT
• RESET
• Choose YES 2X when warnings appear on the screen

For iOS Device

First Step: Create a backup for your mobile. You can either use iTunes or iCloud Drive to sync with your data. All iPhones from 3Gs to the latest models come with hardware encryption. When using iTunes, simply connect your device to your PC. The Software must be up to date before performing this.

• Choose FILE
• DEVICES
• BACKUP

You should know that using iTunes Sync could simultaneously backup your files. Your other option is to use the iCloud, which goes with the following steps:

• Go to SETTINGS
• Tap iCLOUD Backup
• Tap BACKUP NOW

To finally get rid of your data:

• Go to SETTINGS
• GENERAL
• RESET
• ERASE ALL CONTENT and SETTINGS