How to Prepare iPhone, iPad before Selling or If Stolen your iPhone then Erase it Remotely

There are many things you should be doing before selling it to another person, besides, you can remotely erase iPhone from anywhere.

Erase all data on your iPhone, iPad in the easiest way to clean or wipe personal and important data from your iOS device. This tip might be very useful when you bought used iPhone and iPad. Apple set your iPhone, iPad clean without any extra App installation and iTunes connection. Using this trick you can clean your Contact, Messages, Mail, Downloaded Songs, Music, Videos, TV shows from iTunes, Extra apps from App Store. With this option, you can make your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch for Sell to an unknown person. If you are used iOS device buyer then you must wipe all the data that’s not useful for you.

Before you go into the tutorial, make sure that it is applicable to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, in short, all the iOS devices can be prepared to sell from the given steps.

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How to Prepare the iPhone, iPad before Selling It?

Step 1: Unlock iPhone from Carrier

Usually, most people tend to buy carrier locked iPhones from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or from any other carrier, as they are going to stick with the same carrier services and most importantly buying carrier-locked iPhone is pocket-friendly. On the other note, when you buy a carrier locked device, it comes with few restrictions, like you cannot use another carrier SIM and so on.

If you don’t know whether the iPhone is locked or carrier-free, then contact the current carrier provider and ask them. You may be asked for Fee to unlock the phone.

Step 2: Unpair the Apple Watch

Up next, removing the Apple Watch from the iPhone is necessary before you sell the iPhone to the new owner. Unpairing the Apple Watch merely takes a few minutes, once the process is done, you can use the Apple Watch with another iPhone without any hiccups.

  1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, in which the iWatch is currently connected.
  2. Tap on the My Watch tab at the lower end of the screen.
  3. Select the Watch that you want to unpair.
  4. Next to the Apple Watch tap on (i)info
  5. And then choose Unpair Apple Watch.
  6. Confirm by entering the Apple ID Password and tap Unpair.

Step 3: Backup iPhone

Its no doubt that you are going to give the iPhone only after erasing the personal data and settings from the device. Thankfully, Apple lets you transfer all of your data to the new iPhone, but it can only be done if you have the latest backup of your iPhone. The older backup can also be restored in the new iPhone, however, you’ll have no latest data of your iPhone that’s why the latest backup helps.

How to Backup in iCloud

If you don’t want to rely on automatic backup, then follow the steps to manually back up the iPhone to the iCloud. Dont forget to connect iPhone with Wi-Fi and also check the iCloud has sufficient storage to backup the iPhone.

  1. Go to the Settings app.
  2. Tap on your name.
  3. Select iCloud.
  4. Go to iCloud Backup.
  5. Lastly, tap Back Up Now.

How to Backup via iTunes

If you don’t like iCloud, then back up the iPhone to the PC via iTunes. Make sure the iTunes is updated to the latest version.

  1. Launch the iTunes on your PC.
  2. Connect the iPhone to the PC using the lightning cable.
  3. Select your phone from the menu bar.
  4. For safety, check the Encrypt Backup box, add a password to encrypted backup and click Back Up Now.
  5. Confirm Back Up Now and may be asked to Back Up Apps, choose whatever you want.

Step 4: Sign Out of iCloud

I presume you know how much iCloud Account is important, as it contains all of your personal data. So before handing off the iPhone to anyone, make sure to remove the iCloud, and lastly, you’ll have to factory reset the iPhone.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap on your name.
  3. In the end, tap Sign Out.
  4. Besides, many users use the different Apple ID with iTunes & App Store, if you do so, it needs to be separately signed out of the iPhone.
  5. From the same screen, tap on the iTunes & App Store > then on your Apple ID and choose Sign Out.

Step 5: Factory Reset iPhone

Finally, that’s the end of the tutorial, once you erase all content and settings, the iPhone is as fresh as new. It leaves no trace of Apps, Settings, Personal Data, just neat and clean iPhone that needs to be set up as new if someone wants to use though.

  1. Go to the Settings app.
  2. Select General.
  3. Swipe down and tap Reset.
  4. Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
  5. Enter the iPhone Passcode and tap Erase iPhone.
  6. If Find My iPhone is enabled, then you will be asked to enter the Apple ID password to remove the activation lock and also from the Find My iPhone.
  7. Lastly, tap Erase.

How to Erase iPhone when Lost?

What to Do If Your iPhone is Lost or Stolen? That’s quite a huge question usually we have seen over the web. The answer can’t be cover in one line, but if you don’t have any hope to get back the lost or stolen iPhone, prefer this tutorial and learn how to delete the data on your lost iPhone remotely. Besides, the Find My may ask you to enter your contact number or message that you’d like to display on stolen or lost iPhone, which can be used to contact you. Without wasting time let’s see how to factory reset your iPhone or iPad: A simple guide to wiping your iOS device.

  1. Sign in to the iCloud to remotely erase the iPhone.
  2. Click on All Devices. If you don’t see All Devices, then it might be possible iCloud is showing the default iPhone, if so, then click on the selected iPhone and then switch the iPhone to start the further process.
  3. From the list choose the iPhone which you want to erase remotely.
  4. Then, click Erase iPhone.
  5. You’ll be asked to enter the Apple ID Password and also if you are using the PC/Browser for the first time to access the iCloud, it may ask you to answer the security questions or require to enter the verification code which you can find from the trusted device that you have added for your iCloud. If it is your personal PC then you can choose to Trust, so from next time iCloud won’t ask for verification code or security answers.
  6. Also, there is an option to display your contact info like phone number or message to the lost or stolen iPhone, once you do so, the details will be displayed on the locked iPhone screen.

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Now, For your iOS device installed iOS, the same process you have to follow to Erase all data in your iPhone, iPad that’s make you free to sell any strange person.

I appreciate apple that giving awesome options on wipe data and settings in our iOS device later on iOS.

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Karly Wood

Karly Wood is a journalist based in Ohio who specializes in covering Apple and technology trends. With a varied experience in reporting on public safety, government, and education, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, providing readers with a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at [email protected] or through (Facebook)

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