- Back up Your Device
- Unpair AirPods & Apple Watches
- Transfer Your Information to Your New Phone
- Sign Out of iCloud, iTunes, & App Store
- Wipe Your Old iPhone Clean
- De-Register iMessage: For Android Users
- Remove Your SIM Card
- Remove Your iPhone from Your List of Trusted Devices
- Trade In Your iPhone & Save Money on a New One
Whether you plan to sell, trade in, or give away your iPhone, you’re going to want to protect your personal information.
First, you need to transfer your personal information, such as contacts, reminders, calendars, photos, and apps, over to your new device using iCloud, iTunes, or Quick Start—or, you can transfer information directly between iPhones. Then you’ll want to wipe your old iPhone clean and sign out of iCloud, among other things.
Back up your device
The first thing to do before selling your iPhone is back up your personal information so that you don’t lose it when activating your new phone. You can back up your iPhone via iCloud or using your computer.
How to back up your iPhone using iCloud
You can change your settings so that iCloud automatically backs up your iPhone every day. Here’s how:
- Go to “Settings.”
- Click your name at the top of the screen.
- Select “iCloud.”
- Scroll down and click “iCloud Backup” then toggle it on.
- Connect your iPhone to a power source and a WiFi network.
- Make sure your iPhone’s screen is locked.
- Check that you have enough storage in iCloud (if you need more storage, you can buy more.)
If you want to back up your iPhone once, you can do the following:
- Connect your iPhone to WiFi.
- Click “Settings.”
- Select your name at the top of the screen.
- Click “iCloud.”
- Select “iCloud Backup.”
- Tap “Back Up Now.”
- Stay connected to WiFi until you complete the back up.
How to back up your iPhone using your computer
If you prefer the old fashioned way, you can use your computer to back up your iPhone and preserve all of your personal information. Here’s how:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer. If you have a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15, open Finder. If you have a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier, or a PC, open iTunes.
- Enter your iPhone passcode, if prompted.
- Follow the onscreen steps to activate “Trust This Computer.”
- Locate your iPhone on your computer.
- Select “Encrypt [device] backup” if you want to back up your Health and Activity data. Otherwise, click “Back Up Now.”
Unpair AirPods & Apple Watches
If you have other Apple devices like AirPods and Apple Watches, you’ll need to unpair them from your old iPhone. Unpair your AirPods by doing the following:
- Place your iPhone and AirPods next to each other.
- Click “Settings.”
- Tap “Bluetooth.”
- Tap the small information icon next to the AirPods.
- Click “Forget This Device.”
Here’s how to unpair your Apple Watch:
- Place your iPhone and Apple watch beside each other.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Click “My Watch.”
- Choose your watch.
- Click the small information icon next to the watch.
- Click “Unpair Apple Watch.”
- Tap to confirm.
- You may be prompted to enter your Apple ID password.
This will unpair and reset your Apple Watch.
Transfer your information to your new phone
There are two ways of transferring your personal information from your old iPhone to your new device, including:
- Quick Start: If you’re using iOS 11 or later, Quick Start automatically transfers information from your old iPhone to your new phone.
- iCloud or iTunes: If you’re using iOS 10 or later, both iCloud and iTunes enable you to transfer your information.
- Device-to-device migration: You can transfer data directly from your old iPhone to your new iPhone (wirelessly or with a cable).
Add your new phone number to trusted phone numbers
If you’re going to have a new phone number associated with your new phone, you’ll want to add trusted phone numbers to your Apple ID account to make sure you don’t lose access. Here’s how:
- Go to appleid.apple.com.
- Sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click “Security.”
- Select “Edit.”
- Click “Add a Trusted Phone Number.”
- Type in your new phone number.
- Choose whether you want to verify it with a phone call or text.
- Click “Continue.”
Sign out of iCloud, iTunes, & App Store
Before selling or giving away your iPhone, you’ll want to make sure you sign out of accounts like iCloud, iTunes, and the App Store so that the new owner can’t access your stored information. If you’re using iOS 10.3 or later, follow these steps:
- Click “Settings.”
- Select your name.
- Scroll down and select “Sign Out.”
- Enter your Apple ID password.
- Tap “Turn Off.”
If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier, follow these steps to sign out of everything:
- Tap “Settings.”
- Click “iCloud.”
- Select “Sign Out.”
- Click “Sign Out” again.
- Tap “Delete from My [device].”
- Enter your Apple ID password.
- Click “Settings” again.
- Tap “iTunes & App Store.”
- Tap “Apple ID.”
- Click “Sign Out.”
Wipe your old iPhone clean
Wiping your iPhone clean is a vital step in preparing to sell it. Wiping your phone means deleting all of your data on the device, not just cached data, so make sure you've backed everything up. Luckily, it’s quick and easy. Here’s how:
- Tap “Settings.”
- Click “General.”
- Scroll down and select “Reset.”
- Click “Erase All Content and Settings.”
- If you had Find My turned on, you may be prompted to enter your Apple ID and password.
- Enter your iPhone passcode or “Restrictions” passcode, if prompted.
- Click “Erase [device].”
De-register iMessage: for Android users
If you are now an Android convert, you’ll need to de-register iMessage, since iMessage is only for iPhones. Follow these simple steps:
- If you put your SIM card in your Android, put it back in your iPhone.
- Make sure you’re connected to your cellular network.
- Click “Settings.”
- Tap “Messages.”
- Turn off iMessage.
You can also de-register iMessage online by doing the following:
- Go to https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/.
- Scroll down to the section labeled “No longer have your iPhone?”
- Enter your phone number in the box.
- Click “Send Code.”
- Enter your confirmation code in the box.
- Select “Submit.”
Remove your SIM card
Your SIM card stores personal information like your phone number, contacts, security data, text messages, billing information, and more. As such, you’ll want to remove your SIM card before selling your iPhone since you don’t want a new owner getting ahold of your data. You can remove your SIM card by locating the SIM ejector on your phone. It’s typically on the right side. Insert a paperclip until the SIM card tray comes out. Remove the SIM, push the tray back in, and you’re ready to go.
The new owner will be able to get their own SIM card from their carrier. If your iPhone has a Dual SIM, meaning you have a physical SIM and an eSIM, then you’ll want to transfer your eSIM to your new device.
The following iPhone models have Dual SIMs:
- iPhone XS, XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
You can transfer your eSIM during setup using Quick Start or you can wait until you’ve already activated your phone. If you’d rather not transfer your eSIM yourself, you can always contact your carrier to transfer your cell phone plan to your new device.
You don't necessarily need to unlock your phone when selling it, especially if you are trading it in or selling to a company that handles phones—they'll typically take care of this for you. However, if you are selling it to a private party, you should make sure it's unlocked before handing it over.
Remove your iPhone from your list of trusted devices
Last but not least, you’ll want to remove your iPhone from your list of trusted devices. You can do this on iOS, macOS Catalina or later, macOS Mojave or earlier, or online via your Apple ID account.
From your iPhone:
- Select “Settings.”
- Click your name at the top of the screen.
- Select the iPhone you want to remove.
- Click “Remove from Account.”
On macOS Catalina or later:
- Click the Apple menu.
- Select “System Preferences.”
- Choose “Apple ID.”
- Choose your iPhone from the sidebar.
- Remove it from your account.
On macOS Mojave or earlier:
- Select the Apple menu.
- Tap “System Preferences.”
- Click “iCloud.”
- Select “Account Details.”
- Click “Devices.”
- Choose your iPhone from the list and remove it.
Through your Apple ID account:
- Go to the Apple ID sign in page.
- Sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click “Devices.”
- Choose the iPhone you want to remove.
Trade in your iPhone & save money on a new one
As an alternative to selling your iPhone online, you can always check out trade-in deals offered by Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. All you have to do, once you’ve wiped your iPhone clean, is compare trade-in deals and find the one that best suits your needs. Depending on your iPhone model, you might even be able to get a new free phone!
Whether you’re looking to stay with an iPhone or venture off into the land of Android devices, here are a few helpful guides to get you started on your search for the perfect deal:
You can also visit these carriers that are always taking in iPhone trade-ins:
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#1
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 100%
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Plans from $15+ $10 Upfront
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#2
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 46%
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Plans from $35/mo
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#3
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 36%
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Plans from $25+ $0.99 Upfront
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Chris Holmes
Staff Writer
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