How to clean your used mobile completely if you want to sell or give it away

Rear Huawei P20 pro with triple camera

Do you want to sell or give away your used mobile? It is highly recommended that before doing so you completely clean your terminal and erase all your personal data. Don't know how to do it? In this simple guide we explain the steps you have to follow to clean your used mobile completely.

Make a backup of your data

The first step and one of the most important: make a backup of your data. This way you will not lose any of the information on your device. On iPhone you can make a backup using iCloud. In Android there are several options depending on the manufacturer, but it is best to do it through your Google account if there is the option. In case you have a Samsung or Huawei device, you can also do it through their services. In many cases, a micro SD or a cloud account will be necessary to save the data. You can see the options in the system settings, looking for 'Backup and reset'.

Another option is to transfer all your images and data to a computer manually, although it takes a little longer and is somewhat confusing.

Remember to remove the SIM and SD card

Don't forget to remove the SIM or micro SD tray.

It may seem obvious, but it is possible that among so many things to do to your smartphone before selling it or giving it away, you forget to remove the SIM and micro SD card. Remember to remove it before resetting the device, but keep it for backup. To remove it, depending on the device, you will have to remove the casing or remove the tray using the extractor spike.

Reset network and settings settings first

Before resetting the terminal completely, it is recommended to reset the settings and network settings. In this way, the mobile will be free of any WI-FI signal or conductivity data and then reset the device completely.

Of course, not all devices have the ability to reset network settings. Head into system settings, look under 'backup and reset' and check that the option is available. Resetting the settings will not require a reboot of the device.

Reset the device completely

Now, it's time to do one of the most important steps: resetting the device to its factory state. Remember that here all the data that you have saved on the phone will be deleted, although in some we can, if a specific option is not selected, the images and other files are not deleted.

Factory reset will require a reboot and may take a few minutes to apply. Be patient, and above all enough battery. Now, we only have to go to 'Settings', 'Backup and reset' and click on the option that says 'Reset to factory data' or something similar. It will ask for the unlock code for confirmation and then it will restart.

Reset your phone and make sure to remove all your accounts, photos, and personal information from the device.

Start the device without configuring your data

After the device is reset, start and configure it anonymously. That is, do not configure your data, or your email account, or put codes. Skip all the steps and head to the home screen to verify that it has reset successfully. Afterwards, you can leave it like that or reset it again for the user to do the configuration. If you are going to sell the device, it is recommended to leave it turned on and configured anonymously and without data. This way you can test the terminal and see that everything works correctly.

Check that all files have been deleted

When you've started the terminal and configured, check the applications to see if all data has been erased. Above all, check in the gallery, since some terminals do not delete photos or personal files after resetting the mobile.

Don't forget to clean it on the outside too

It is important to clean it inside, but also outside. Check that there are no traces on the screen, if you have a protector and it is somewhat damaged, replace it with a new one. It is also important that you clean the connectors and lenses carefully.