How to prepare your device for trade-in: back up, sign out and reset

Before you send your device, back it up, remove your accounts and factory reset it. A device that's still locked to your iCloud, Google or Samsung account can't be bought or reused, so this step matters most. It takes about 15 minutes.

Checklist before you ship

1. Back up your photos, contacts, messages and 2FA apps.
2. Remove your accounts: iCloud and Find My on Apple, Google and Samsung accounts on Android.
3. Factory reset the device.
4. Take out your SIM card and any memory card. If you use an eSIM, erase it during the reset.
5. Remove the case. A screen protector can stay on.
6. Turn it off before you pack it.

iPhone

1. Back up. Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Or back up to a computer.
2. Unpair your Apple Watch if you have one (see Apple Watch below).
3. Move 2FA codes. If you use an authenticator app, move your codes to your new phone first.
4. Sign out and erase. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode and Apple Account password when asked. This signs you out of iCloud, turns off Find My and Activation Lock, and wipes the phone.
5. Check it worked. The phone restarts to the Hello screen. Don't set it up again.

Model-by-model steps, button combinations and what to do if you forgot your passcode: how to factory reset an iPhone.

iPad

Same steps as iPhone: back up, then Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Erase All Content and Settings. Remove your SIM card if your iPad has one. Full guide: how to factory reset an iPad.

Apple Watch

Unpair it from your iPhone. This removes Activation Lock and erases the watch.

1. Keep your watch and iPhone close together.
2. On your iPhone, open the Watch app and tap All Watches.
3. Tap the info button next to your watch, then Unpair Apple Watch.
4. For a cellular model, choose to remove your plan. Contact your carrier to cancel the watch line.
5. Enter your Apple Account password to turn off Activation Lock.

No iPhone? See how to factory reset an Apple Watch.

Mac

1. Back up with Time Machine or iCloud.
2. Open System Settings > [your name] and click Sign Out to sign out of your Apple Account.
3. Go to System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. This is available on Macs with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 chip.

Selling a Mac? Contact us first for a quote.

Forgot to sign out before you erased it?

You can still remove it from your account without the device:

1. Go to icloud.com/find and sign in.
2. Pick the device from All Devices.
3. Choose Remove This Device (or Remove from Account).

Do this before you ship. If the device arrives still locked, we email you and can't pay until the lock is off.

Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android phones

Android phones have Factory Reset Protection (FRP). If you reset the phone while your Google account is still on it, the phone asks for that account on the next setup and nobody else can use it. Remove your accounts first, then reset.

1. Back up. Settings > Google > Backup, or Samsung Cloud / Smart Switch on a Galaxy.
2. Remove your Google account. Settings > Passwords, passkeys & accounts on a Pixel (or Accounts and backup > Manage accounts on a Samsung) > your Google account > Remove account. Repeat for every Google account on the phone.
3. Samsung only: remove your Samsung account. Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts > Samsung account > Remove account.
4. Factory reset. Samsung: Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset. Pixel: Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).

Full guides with recovery-mode steps: Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel.

PlayStation and Xbox

PlayStation 5: turn off Console Sharing and Offline Play (Settings > Users and Accounts > Other), then reset: Settings > System > System Software > Reset Options > Reset Your Console.

Xbox Series X|S: Settings > System > Console info > Reset console > Reset and remove everything.

SIM, eSIM and memory cards

Take out your physical SIM with a SIM tool or paper clip. Remove any microSD card. If the reset asks about your eSIM, choose to erase it. If you're keeping your number on a new phone, transfer the eSIM to the new phone first.

Next step

Your device is ready. Now pack it and ship it. Not sure how the whole process works? Read how trade-in works.