How to Wipe Your iPhone Before Selling It
Updated June 2026 · 5 min read
Before you sell or trade in an iPhone, you need to back it up and fully sign out — otherwise Activation Lock will leave the device useless to the buyer (and worth $0). Here's the exact, safe order.
1. Back up your data
Go to Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now, or back up to a computer. Confirm the backup completed before erasing.
2. Sign out (this is the critical step)
Go to Settings → [your name] → Sign Out. Signing out of your Apple ID turns off Find My and removes Activation Lock, which is what lets the next owner set the phone up. Skipping this is the #1 reason trade-ins get rejected.
3. Remove your SIM / eSIM
Eject the physical SIM, or for an eSIM go to Settings → Cellular and remove the plan (you may want to transfer it to your new phone first).
4. Erase the iPhone
Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. When it finishes you should see the 'Hello' setup screen with no Apple ID prompt. If it asks for an Apple ID, Activation Lock is still on — sign back in, sign out properly, and erase again.
What BuyBackBear does next
When your iPhone arrives we wipe it again to the NIST 800-88 standard and email you a free Certificate of Data Erasure — so you have proof your data is gone.
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