Before You Sell or Donate an Old Device, Do These Things

Tech Editorial Team Staff Writer · May 17, 2026 · 5 min read

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Protect your accounts and personal data before your old phone or laptop changes hands. A step-by-step checklist for a clean handover.

Key Takeaways

Back up your data before doing anything else — once a device is wiped, recovery is rarely possible.
Sign out of every account before the factory reset, not after, to avoid activation lock issues.
A factory reset alone may not be enough on older devices — check whether encryption is needed first.
Deauthorize apps and services that are tied to device limits, such as music or e-book libraries.
Remove SIM cards, memory cards, and any paired accessories before handing the device over.

Why This Checklist Matters

Handing off an old phone or laptop feels simple — but skip the right steps and you could leave personal photos, saved passwords, payment methods, or account access sitting on a device you no longer control. This checklist walks you through every step in plain language, whether you're selling on a marketplace, donating to a school, or passing a device to a family member.

If you're moving to a new device at the same time, our guide to setting up a new smartphone covers the receiving end of this process. For broader privacy habits, see Online Privacy for Beginners — it provides useful context on why account hygiene matters beyond just old devices.

Authenticator Apps Need Special Attention

If you use an authenticator app (such as one that generates one-time login codes) on this device, migrate it to your new device before signing out or resetting. Wiping the old device without doing this first can lock you out of accounts that rely on two-factor authentication. Check your authenticator app's settings for a 'transfer' or 'export' option.

Tools You'll Need

You don't need special software for most of these steps — just a few accounts and a bit of time. Review what's listed below before you start so you're not hunting for passwords mid-process.

Required

Cloud backup account

Used to back up photos, contacts, and app data before wiping the device.

Optional

External hard drive or USB drive

Provides a local backup option for large files or anything not suited to cloud storage.

Required

Your Apple ID, Google, or Microsoft account credentials

Required to sign out of the device properly and remove activation or device locks.

Required

Authenticator app backup codes

Needed to migrate two-factor authentication to a new device before signing out of the old one.

Optional

SIM card removal tool (or a small paperclip)

Used to eject the SIM tray on phones that require a pin tool.

The Full Handover Checklist

Work through these groups in order. Each builds on the last — backing up before signing out, signing out before resetting. Rushing the sequence is where most mistakes happen.

Back Up Your Data

Back up photos and videos to a cloud service or external drive before touching any other setting. Must

Export or sync contacts, calendar entries, and notes to your new device or a cloud account. Must

Save any app-specific data (game progress, health records, authenticator app codes) that doesn't back up automatically. Should

Confirm the backup actually completed by checking the backup date in your account settings. Must

Sign Out of Accounts

Sign out of your Apple ID, Google account, or Microsoft account directly on the device — this removes activation lock and prevents the next owner being locked out. Must

Log out of email, social media, and banking apps individually before the factory reset. Must

Deauthorize the device from any service with a device limit, such as digital book or music libraries. Should

Remove saved payment methods from digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) and any shopping apps. Must

Prepare the Device

Remove your SIM card and any inserted memory card before you reset or hand over the device. Must

Unpair Bluetooth accessories such as headphones, smartwatches, or keyboards from this device. Should

On Android devices running older versions (pre-Android 6), manually encrypt the device before performing a factory reset to ensure data cannot be recovered afterward. Should

Charge the device to at least 50% so the reset process completes without interruption. Nice to have

Factory Reset

Perform a full factory reset using the device's official settings menu — not a third-party app. Must

On iPhones and iPads, use 'Erase All Content and Settings'; on Android, find 'Factory Reset' under General Management or System settings. Must

After the reset, power the device back on to confirm it's returned to the initial setup screen with no personal data visible. Must

Final Checks Before Handover

Verify that Find My (iOS) or Find My Device (Android) is no longer linked to your account — a new owner shouldn't be blocked by your location lock. Must

Include original accessories (charger, cable, box) if you agreed to them in the sale or donation — and remove anything you didn't. Nice to have

For laptops, clear the firmware password if one was set, so the new user can access BIOS or recovery mode without issue. Should

Don't Reset Before Signing Out

Running a factory reset while still signed into an Apple ID or Google account can trigger activation lock — a security feature that ties the device to your account. The next owner may find the device unusable until you intervene remotely. Always sign out first, then reset.

Once you've confirmed the device is clean, you're ready to hand it over. For context on what good long-term device care looks like — relevant if you're keeping any devices — see Keeping Your Devices Running Well for Years.

Tech Editorial Team

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