Getting your phone ready to sell or trade in
Before you sell or trade in your old phone, do these five things. They protect your data, unlock the best price, and stop the buyer hitting a locked device.
Selling your old phone or trading it in? Five minutes of prep protects your data and gets you the best price. Do these in order.
1. Back it up
Save your photos, messages and contacts first — once you wipe the phone, they’re gone. On iPhone use iCloud or a computer; on Android use Google One or your Google account. Our back up before a repair guide walks through it.
2. Sign out of your accounts
This is the step people forget, and it’s the most important. If you don’t sign out, the phone stays locked to you and the buyer can’t use it.
- iPhone: Settings → tap your name → Sign Out (this turns off Find My and Activation Lock).
- Android: Settings → Accounts → remove your Google account; also remove any Samsung/manufacturer account.
3. Remove your SIM and SD card
Take out the SIM (and any microSD card on Android). They hold your number and can hold data.
4. Factory reset
Once it’s backed up and signed out, erase it: iPhone Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. Android Settings → System → Reset → Erase all data. The phone restarts as if new.
5. Know its grade
Condition drives the price. Be honest about scratches, cracks and whether everything works — it sets expectations and avoids haggling later. Our grade guide on the Sell your iPhone page shows what Excellent, Good and Fair mean.
Selling to us
We buy iPhones outright with instant payment — bring photo ID. See current buy-back prices, or message us with your model and condition for a quote.