How to Factory Reset an iPhone or Android Properly Before Selling

A factory reset sounds simple — tap Erase and you’re done. But do it in the wrong order and you create two problems at once: your accounts can stay attached to the phone, and the buyer ends up with a device that’s locked to you by Activation Lock (iPhone) or Factory Reset Protection (Android).

The fix is easy: sign out first, erase second. Here’s the correct routine for iPhone, Google Pixel and other Android phones, Samsung Galaxy, and a quick look at Xiaomi and other brands.

Why the order matters

Modern phones are built to be useless to thieves. If a phone is erased while your account is still on it, it assumes it might be stolen:

• iPhone: with Find My on, Activation Lock asks for your Apple Account after the reset.
• Android: with a Google account on the phone, Factory Reset Protection (FRP) asks for that Google account after a reset that wasn’t done from Settings by the owner — for example, a reset from recovery mode.
• Samsung: a Samsung account can add its own reactivation lock on top of Google’s.

Removing accounts before erasing switches these protections off cleanly. Today’s phones also encrypt storage by default, so a proper reset makes your old data unreadable — no special wiping app needed.

Before any reset: the 5-minute prep

1. Back up. iPhone: iCloud Backup or a computer. Android: Settings › Google › Backup (or Settings › System › Backup), plus photos in Google Photos. Samsung: Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch also work.
2. Move two-factor codes. Transfer authenticator apps to your new phone and make sure banking apps are set up there before you wipe.
3. Unpair accessories — Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, earbuds.
4. Remove the SIM and memory card. They aren’t erased by a factory reset.
5. Note the IMEI. Dial *#06# — buyers will ask for it, and it’s useful for your records.

How to factory reset an iPhone

1. Turn off Find My: Settings › [your name] › Find My › Find My iPhone › Off.
2. Sign out: Settings › [your name] › Sign Out.
3. Erase: Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Erase All Content and Settings. Remove the eSIM when prompted if you’re selling.
4. Stop at the Hello screen.

Stolen Device Protection may ask for Face ID and an hour’s delay if you’re away from home. Our detailed guide on turning off Find My before selling covers that and removing the phone from your Apple Account online.

How to factory reset an Android phone (Pixel and most brands)

1. Remove your Google account

Go to Settings › Passwords & accounts (on some versions Settings › Accounts or Passwords, passkeys & accounts), tap your Google account and choose Remove account. Repeat for every Google account listed.

2. Remove the screen lock (optional but helpful)

Setting the screen lock to None isn’t required for FRP, but it confirms you can still change security settings and avoids prompts during the reset.

3. Erase from Settings

On a Pixel: Settings › System › Reset options › Erase all data (factory reset). Other brands use similar paths, often under Settings › System or Settings › Additional settings › Back up and reset. Confirm with your PIN.

How to factory reset a Samsung Galaxy

1. Remove the Samsung account: Settings › Accounts and backup › Manage accounts › Samsung account › Remove account (or tap your name at the top of Settings and choose Sign out). Enter your Samsung account password.
2. Remove Google accounts from the same Manage accounts screen.
3. Turn off Samsung Find if it’s still on: Settings › Security and privacy › Lost device protection.
4. Erase: Settings › General management › Reset › Factory data reset › Reset.

Buyers often run a Samsung info check to confirm the model, region and warranty — knowing your phone’s details up front makes the sale smoother. See what buyers check on a used Samsung.

Xiaomi, Tecno, Infinix and other brands

• Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO: sign out of your Mi Account first (Settings › Mi Account or Xiaomi Account › Sign out) and turn off Find device — otherwise the phone stays locked to your Mi Account. More in our Mi Account check guide.
• Tecno, Infinix, itel: remove Google and any brand cloud accounts, then reset from Settings.
• Huawei, Honor: sign out of the HUAWEI ID or HONOR ID and turn off Find Device.

Verify the reset worked

Turn the phone on and go through the first few setup screens, connecting to Wi-Fi:

• iPhone: no “iPhone Locked to Owner” screen. You can also check remotely with a Model + Find My status check — Find My should be OFF. The All-in-one Basic Info report gives a buyer-friendly summary.
• Android: setup should offer to sign in with any Google account, not “Verify your account” with a hint of your old email. Pixel sellers can share a Google Pixel info check.
• Blacklist: a GSMA blacklist check showing Clean reassures buyers that the phone isn’t reported or financed.

Want to practice with the numbers? In the terminal below, type help to see the commands, or type imei followed by your 15-digit IMEI (for example imei 356938035643809) and press Enter to validate it:

Quick checklist

1. Back up, move 2FA codes, unpair accessories.
2. Remove SIM and memory card.
3. Sign out of Apple / Google / Samsung / Mi accounts and turn off Find My.
4. Factory reset from Settings, not recovery mode.
5. Check setup reaches the welcome screens without asking for your account.

Already reset it with your account still on?

No problem, as long as the phone is still with you or you can reach it. On an iPhone, sign in at icloud.com/find, open All Devices and choose Remove This Device — this works even if the buyer already has it. On Android, complete setup with your own Google account, then remove the account in Settings and reset again from Settings. Never give a buyer your account password to “sort it out” themselves.

Selling soon? Read how to sell a phone safely for meeting and payment tips, and point buyers to our check before buying page so they can verify everything themselves.