Before you start
Allow about fifteen minutes and have your iPhone passcode and your Apple Account password to hand: you will be asked for the password to turn off Find My. Keep the iPhone plugged in during the backup and the erase.
Also note down the device's IMEI number (dial *#06# or open Settings > General > About). The buyback company will often ask for it, and it lets you prove which device you sent.
1. Unpair your Apple Watch
If an Apple Watch is paired with the iPhone, unpair it in the Watch app (All Watches > info button > Unpair Apple Watch). The watch is backed up to the iPhone in the process.
2. Back up your data
Make an iCloud backup (Settings > your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now) or a backup to a computer (Finder on a Mac, Apple Devices or iTunes on a PC). Check that the backup has actually finished before moving on: once the iPhone has been erased, it will be too late.
If you are moving to a new iPhone, you can also transfer your data directly from one device to the other with Quick Start, then go back to the old one to erase it.
3. Sign out of your Apple Account
Open Settings, tap your name at the top of the screen, then Sign Out. Enter your Apple Account password and confirm. This step turns off Find My and Activation Lock: it is what allows the next user to activate the iPhone with their own account.
Then check that Find My really is off: buyback companies will reject an iPhone that is still visible in Find My.
4. Erase all content and settings
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode, then your Apple Account password if asked.
If your iPhone uses an eSIM, it will offer to keep or erase it. For a sale, choose to erase the eSIM: contact your mobile operator beforehand if you want to move your line to another phone.
The erase takes a few minutes. When the welcome screen (“Hello”) appears, the iPhone is back to its factory state: do not set it up.
5. Tidy up your accounts
- If you are switching to an Android phone, deregister your number from iMessage so that you keep receiving your texts (iMessage deregistration page on Apple's website).
- On account.apple.com, in the Devices section, check that the iPhone you sold no longer appears in the list, and remove it if necessary.
- If a bank card was stored in Apple Pay, it is removed by the erase; you can check this from the same page.
6. Get the iPhone ready to send
- Remove the physical SIM card and put the SIM tray back in.
- Take off the case and the tempered glass screen protector: the buyback company needs to be able to inspect the screen and the frame.
- Clean the device with a soft, dry cloth.
- Photograph the iPhone switched on, from every angle: these photos protect you if there is a disagreement about its condition.
No longer have the iPhone?
If the device has already gone without being erased, sign in at icloud.com/find with your Apple Account, select the iPhone, choose Erase This Device, then remove it from your account once the erase is complete. The buyback company will then be able to activate it.