How to erase all data from phone

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I want to ensure that all data on my phone is completely wiped before I sell or dispose of it. What are the secure methods to perform a full reset, and how can I verify that the data is unrecoverable? Are there specific tools or steps for different operating systems?
Nov 26, 2024 in Cyber Security & Ethical Hacking by Anupam
• 10,090 points
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1 answer to this question.

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Before sale or disposal of a phone, erasing all of its data from a phone securely is quite vital to guard your privacy. Here is how to do it for several operating systems together with guidelines to guarantee unrecoverability of the data:

1. General Steps for All Devices

  1. Back Up Important Data:

    • Ensure you’ve saved photos, contacts, and other important files to a secure location, like cloud storage or a computer.
  2. Sign Out of Accounts:

    • Sign out of accounts (Google, iCloud, etc.) to remove device associations.
    • Turn off "Find My" or similar services to avoid activation lock for the next user.
  3. Encrypt the Phone:

    • Modern phones are often encrypted by default, but if not, enable encryption in settings. This makes wiped data much harder to recover.

2. Android Devices

  1. Factory Reset:

    • Go to Settings > System > Reset > Factory Data Reset.
    • Confirm and erase all data.
  2. Overwrite Data (Optional but Recommended):

    • Fill the phone's storage with dummy files (e.g., large video files) after the reset, then perform another reset. This ensures overwritten data cannot be recovered.
  3. Verify Reset:

    • Use tools like DiskDigger (or similar) to check if any data is recoverable. If nothing shows, the phone is clean.

3. iOS Devices

  1. Erase All Content and Settings:

    • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
    • Enter your passcode, and confirm the erase.
  2. Turn Off iCloud:

    • Before resetting, turn off Find My iPhone (Settings > Apple ID > Find My).
  3. Overwrite Data (Optional):

    • If extra security is needed, use the same method as Android: fill the device with dummy files, then reset again.
  4. Verify Reset:

    • After the reset, the phone will boot to the initial setup screen. No previous data should be accessible.
answered Nov 26, 2024 by CaLLmeDaDDY
• 16,200 points

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