How to prepare your phone before selling it

Why the order of steps matters

Phones have anti-theft locks built in. On an iPhone it is Activation Lock, which is part of Find My. On Android it is Factory Reset Protection, which is tied to the Google account (and on Samsung phones, also the Samsung account). If you reset the phone while still signed in, the lock stays on and the next person cannot set it up without your password. A locked phone is close to unsellable, so unlink first, erase second.

The other risk is losing data. A factory reset is permanent, so make sure you have a backup you have actually checked, ideally restored to your new phone, before you erase the old one.

Preparing an iPhone

Apple's own checklist for selling or trading in an iPhone comes down to these steps, in this order.

1. Unpair your Apple Watch if you have one, from the Watch app on the iPhone.
2. Back up the iPhone to iCloud or to a computer.
3. Sign out of your Apple Account: Settings > [your name] > Sign Out, then enter your Apple Account password. This turns off Find My and Activation Lock.
4. Moving to an Android phone? Deregister iMessage first, or messages from iPhone users may not reach your new number.
5. Erase the phone: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. If the phone uses an eSIM, choose the option to erase the device and the eSIM profile. Talk to your operator first if you still need that number on your new phone.
6. Remove the phone from your trusted devices on your Apple Account, so it is no longer used for two-factor codes.
7. Take out the physical SIM card, if it has one.

If you have already handed over an iPhone without signing out, you can still remove it remotely: sign in at iCloud.com/find, select the device and erase it, then remove it from your account.

Preparing an Android phone

Menu names differ between brands and Android versions, but the sequence is the same on Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and others.

1. Back up. Turn on Google backup, confirm your photos have finished uploading to Google Photos (or copy them to a computer), and back up chats inside apps that keep their own backup, such as WhatsApp.
2. Write down your Google account email and password. If anything goes wrong, you will need them to get past the lock.
3. Remove your Google account: Settings > Passwords & accounts (on Samsung, Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts), select the account and tap Remove account. Google says removing your Google account is how you turn off device protection before giving a phone away.
4. On a Samsung phone, also remove your Samsung account from the same Manage accounts screen. Samsung says a signed-in Samsung account will ask for its password during a reset.
5. Take out the SIM card and microSD card. A factory reset may not erase a memory card.
6. Factory reset: on Samsung, Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset; on a Pixel, Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). Other brands are usually under System or Additional settings.
7. Sign the phone out remotely as well: in your Google account's device list, check the old phone no longer appears, or sign it out from there.

Google's Pixel help warns: "If you remove your Google Account, your backup will be deleted." Do your backup first, check it on your new phone or on the web, and only then remove the account from the old one.

Quick checklist

What affects the price you are offered

Model, storage and age set the starting point. Within that, the buyer adjusts for condition and how easy the phone is to resell. These are the things you can check or gather yourself before asking for a quote.

• Screen. Cracks, dead pixels, lines, burn-in or a non-original replacement screen all lower the offer. On iPhone XR and later models with iOS 15.2 or later, Settings > General > About shows a Parts and Service History section if the phone has been repaired.
• Battery health. On an iPhone, see Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Apple says batteries in iPhone 14 and earlier are designed to keep 80% of original capacity at 500 full charge cycles, and iPhone 15 and later at 1,000, under ideal conditions. A lower figure is normal for an older phone, but it does affect the price. Many Android phones show battery health in Settings or the maker's support app, though not all do.
• Body. Dents, deep scratches, a bent frame or a cracked back glass.
• Everything works. Cameras, Face ID or fingerprint, speakers, microphone, charging port, buttons, Wi-Fi and network.
• Box and bill. The original box and the purchase bill show the phone is genuine and yours, and the bill shows whether any warranty is left. Many buyers in India will not take a phone without a bill, or will offer less.
• Accessories. The original cable or charger, if it came with one.

Describe the phone honestly when you ask for a quote. A price that drops at inspection because of an undisclosed crack wastes everyone's time. If you are in Bengaluru, you can get an estimate from SwapMyTech and put it towards a new phone through exchange, or keep the value as Swap Credits.