How to Erase an iPhone Before You Sell It or Pass It On

To erase an iPhone, or factory reset it, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Before you start, back up your data, unpair your Apple Watch if you have one, and sign out of your Apple Account. Once it's done, check that the phone no longer asks for your account, so the buyer can set it up straight away. This guide is from Talata, a Thai marketplace for buying and selling second-hand goods.

Menu names and the order of the screens change between iOS versions. Follow the wording on your own phone, with the steps below as your guide.

Erase, reset or restart: which one actually wipes your iPhone?

Erasing an iPhone means using Erase All Content and Settings, the option most people call a factory reset. When it finishes, the phone returns to the Hello screen ready to be set up again. "Reset" on its own covers several different options, and most of them leave your personal data where it is.

Restart and force restart only clear a freeze, and the button combination differs by model. The two settings resets leave your photos and app data untouched. To sell or pass a phone on, use Erase All Content and Settings or restore it with a computer, then check Activation Lock before you hand it over.

What gets deleted, and what stays in iCloud

Whatever is stored on the phone is deleted. Whatever is synced or backed up to iCloud stays.

Photos, contacts, music, apps and app data on the device are removed, along with any cards in Apple Pay, and services tied to the phone such as iCloud, iMessage and FaceTime are switched off. If you erase through Settings and pass the checks the phone asks for, Find My and Activation Lock are turned off as well.

What stays is the content in iCloud: photos and contacts sync back once you sign in with the same account and turn those services on, while an iCloud backup has to be chosen during setup of the next phone. Your eSIM is erased or kept depending on the option you pick during the erase.

Apple's Platform Security guide explains that Erase All Content and Settings destroys the encryption keys that unlock the data on the device, which leaves the old data unreadable. Anything you want back has to come from a backup or from data you synced before erasing.

Four things to do before you erase

Sort out your data and your accounts in this order.

1. Back up to iCloud or a computer.
2. Unpair your Apple Watch and deal with AppleCare, if you have it.
3. Save the details and screenshots you'll need for the listing.
4. Sign out of your Apple Account, and deregister iMessage if you're moving to Android.

Back up, and don't delete things one by one

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now and stay on Wi-Fi until it finishes. If iCloud storage is tight, connect the phone to a computer and back up with Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on Windows.

Moving to a new iPhone? Prepare for New iPhone, at the top of the Transfer or Reset iPhone screen, gives you temporary iCloud storage for the move. Chat apps are a separate job: LINE, which almost every seller and buyer here uses, says it can't guarantee restoring the app from an iCloud device backup, so run LINE's own chat backup too.

Don't delete photos, contacts or notes one at a time while iCloud sync is still on. Anything you delete goes from iCloud and from the other devices on the same account. Back up first, then use Erase All Content and Settings once.

Unpair your Apple Watch and deal with AppleCare

In the Watch app, go to All Watches > the info button next to your watch > Unpair Apple Watch, then follow the steps on screen. The watch resets to factory settings and its Activation Lock comes off at the same time. If the phone still has AppleCare cover, check the terms before you cancel or transfer it, because some plans and some countries can't be transferred at all, monthly and annual plans tied to an Apple Account in particular. If the cover can be transferred and you intend to pass it on, say so in the listing.

Save the details you'll need for the listing

Screenshot three things: the About page with the model and storage, the battery health page, and Parts and Service History if your phone shows it. Do this before you erase, because none of it is reachable afterwards until the phone is set up again.

Take the screenshots before you sign out. If you use iCloud Photos, check they have synced to your other devices, or AirDrop them across before you erase. Blur your phone number, email, serial number and IMEI before the images go anywhere near a listing.

Sign out of your Apple Account (and deregister iMessage if you're switching to Android)

Go to Settings > [your name] > Sign Out. On iOS 26 or later, if you plan to erase through Settings in the next step, choose Sign Out But Don't Erase. If the phone asks which services to sign out of, choose Sign out of iCloud and Store, then follow the wording on screen. On iOS 18 or earlier, enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off.

Moving to an Android phone? Turn off iMessage in the Messages settings before you move your SIM, or texts from iPhone users may never reach you. If you're changing number as well, add the new one as a trusted phone number on your Apple Account first, so you can still receive verification codes.

How to erase your iPhone, step by step

This is the factory reset that leaves an iPhone ready to sell. It works on any model running iOS 15 or later, including the iPhone 17. Plug the phone in if the battery is low, and check that your backup has finished.

1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Tap Erase All Content and Settings, then tap Continue.
3. Enter your passcode. If you use Screen Time, you may also need your Screen Time passcode (some Apple pages call it the Restrictions passcode).
4. If the phone has an eSIM, choose whether to erase or keep it (see below).
5. If you haven't signed out yet, enter your Apple Account password to turn off Find My and Activation Lock.
6. Tap Erase iPhone and wait for the Hello screen. Don't press any buttons or switch the phone off while it runs.

On iOS 14 or earlier, start at Settings > General > Reset. The wording of the erase command varies by version.

Erase or keep your eSIM?

If you're selling or giving the phone away, erase the eSIM so your mobile plan doesn't stay on a phone that belongs to someone else. The safe order is to move your number to the new phone and check it works, then erase the old one. Once the eSIM is gone, getting the same plan back on that phone may mean contacting your carrier again. If you're leaving Thailand but keeping your Thai number, settle that with your carrier before you erase anything.

Stolen Device Protection: what to sort out first

By default, the extra conditions from Stolen Device Protection apply when the phone is away from familiar places such as home or work. In that case, erasing the phone or transferring an eSIM needs Face ID or Touch ID, with no passcode fallback, while signing out of your Apple Account or turning the feature off can mean waiting about an hour.

Check it in Settings > Face ID & Passcode, or Touch ID & Passcode, then Stolen Device Protection. If it is set to Always, the extra conditions apply at home too, so don't assume that going home solves it. If Face ID or Touch ID no longer works well enough to pass the check, contact Apple Support before you arrange the handover.

Erasing with a Mac or Windows PC

Use a computer when you want to wipe the phone and reinstall iOS. Connect the iPhone to a Mac and open Finder, or use the Apple Devices app on Windows; on macOS 10.14 or earlier, or Windows without that app, use iTunes. Select the iPhone, choose Restore iPhone and confirm on screen. Normally Find My has to be off first. If you can't get into the phone or you've forgotten the passcode, use recovery mode as described in the next section.

Is it ready for the buyer? Final checks

Once the erase finishes, the phone returns to the Hello screen. Before you hand it over, check three more things.

• Take the SIM card out and put the tray back in, if the phone uses a physical SIM.
• Remove the phone from your Apple Account device list: on your new phone, go to Settings > [your name], tap the old phone and choose Remove from Account.
• Take the case off and check nothing personal is tucked inside.

Test Activation Lock by continuing the setup from the Hello screen and connecting to a network. The phone must not ask for the previous owner's Apple Account to activate. The Hello screen on its own isn't proof that a phone is clear.

If you're handing the phone over in person, erase it beforehand, then let the buyer set it up and connect to the internet in front of you. Once it's set up they can check the camera, speakers, Face ID and battery health, with none of your photos or messages on the phone. If you agree to erase it in front of the buyer instead, check the Stolen Device Protection conditions first and allow time for the identity checks.

Forgot your passcode or Apple Account password?

What you do depends on which one you've lost, and erasing a phone doesn't always release the Apple Account it is tied to.

If you've forgotten the passcode, work down this list:

1. Changed the passcode in the last 72 hours, on iOS 17 or later: if the option appears, tap Forgot Passcode? > Enter Previous Passcode, then set a new one. Nothing is erased.
2. On iOS 15.2 or later, with the phone online, Find My on and your Apple Account password to hand: you can reset from the Lock Screen. On iOS 17 or later, tap Forgot Passcode? > Start iPhone Reset when the option is shown, then follow the screens.
3. If neither works: use a Mac or a Windows PC and recovery mode, and allow up to about an hour for the process, as Apple suggests.
4. No computer: contact an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Options 2 to 4 erase everything on the phone. If you have a backup, restore it after setup.

If you've forgotten your Apple Account password, recover access to the account through Apple before you erase anything. With Find My still on, the phone can keep asking for that account at activation even after a computer has wiped it.

If you bought a second-hand phone that is locked to someone else's account, ask the previous owner to remove it, either on the phone or through iCloud.com/find. If you have proof of purchase, you can submit an Activation Lock support request to Apple, which reviews it against its own conditions. The easier route is to check the phone before you pay, as covered in Talata's guide to checking a second-hand iPhone.

Already sold it without erasing? What to do now

Pick the route that matches your situation, then tidy up your account.

1. If you can reach the buyer, ask them to run Erase All Content and Settings. If the phone asks for your Apple Account password, don't send it over chat: handle it from your own account or meet up and type it in yourself.
2. If the buyer sees "iPhone Locked to Owner", sign in at iCloud.com/find and select the phone. If your data is still on it, erase it first and wait for the erase to complete, then choose Remove This Device. Meeting up and entering your password on the phone works too.
3. If you can't reach the buyer and Find My was on, erase the phone from Find Devices on iCloud.com. An offline phone starts erasing the next time it connects, and it's worth waiting for that to finish before you remove it from Find My.
4. Lock down the account: change your Apple Account password, turn on two-factor authentication if it's off, and remove the old phone from your trusted devices. Deregister iMessage if you've moved to Android. Changing the password on its own doesn't delete anything still sitting on the old phone.

If the phone was lost or stolen rather than sold, you can erase it the same way, but don't remove it from Find My. That turns off Activation Lock and makes the phone easier for someone else to use and resell.

Why sell your iPhone on Talata

Talata brings second-hand mobile phone listings from many sellers into one category. Buyers browse by province, compare models, storage and prices, and message the seller directly. A listing that states the phone has been erased and signed out of its Apple Account makes it easier for them to arrange a viewing.

As a seller, you post the listing yourself: real photos of the phone, the storage, the battery health figure and the parts and service history you saved, plus a note that you'll hand it over erased. Check every detail before you list your iPhone on Talata, then arrange for the buyer to inspect it.

Frequently asked questions

If I erase my iPhone, do I still need to sign out of iCloud?

When you erase through Settings and pass the checks the phone asks for, Find My and Activation Lock are switched off for you. Apple's checklist for selling a device still has you sign out first, and following that order costs nothing. Restoring with a computer is different: it does not release Activation Lock on its own.

How long does erasing an iPhone take?

The part that really takes time is finishing the backup before you start, especially with a lot of data or a slow connection. If you have to erase through a computer after forgetting the passcode, Apple suggests allowing up to about an hour for the process.

Does erasing an iPhone cost anything?

Doing it yourself is free, through Settings or through a computer. You'd only need help if you've forgotten the passcode, can't reset from the Lock Screen and have no computer, in which case contact an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider and ask about charges before you hand the phone in.

Do I need to erase my iPhone before trading it in?

If you're leaving the phone with a shop and won't be there, back up, sign out and erase it yourself first. If you're doing it in person, back up beforehand and make sure you know your Apple Account password, because the shop may need it. Any message in Parts and Service History asking for a repair to be completed has to be dealt with before an Apple trade-in. Which channel pays better is covered in Talata's iPhone trade-in guide.

The seller has already erased the phone. Should I erase it again?

If it starts at the Hello screen and sets up with your Apple Account without asking for the seller's, there's no need. If you're handed a phone that opens straight to the Home Screen, erase it yourself before adding your account.

I'm taking over a phone from a parent or partner. Do I need to erase it, and can I keep using their Apple Account?

Erase it and set it up with your own Apple Account. Sharing one account mixes up photos, messages and purchases, and anything you delete while iCloud sync is on can disappear from the original owner's other devices. If you want to share apps or iCloud storage, look at Family Sharing instead.

Can I erase an older iPhone, like an iPhone 6 or 7, the same way?

The result is the same; only the menu moves. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 run up to iOS 15, so once updated they have Transfer or Reset iPhone. The iPhone 6 stops at iOS 12, where the option sits under Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

Does erasing an iPhone often wear out the battery?

Erasing doesn't restore battery health either way. Apple puts battery ageing down to chemical age, charge cycles and how the battery is cared for. After you restore a backup the phone keeps downloading apps and photos in the background for hours or even days, so it uses more power than usual during that window. Wait until that has finished before judging how worn the battery is.

My iPhone is stuck on the Apple logo after erasing. What now?

If there's a progress bar under the logo, wait. If it hasn't moved for more than an hour, connect the phone to a computer and enter recovery mode as Apple describes, choosing Update first and Restore only if that fails. If the phone still won't start, contact Apple or an authorised service provider.