Donate A Device - Not Your Data

No matter how awesome the latest and greatest new piece of technology is when you first purchase it, it inevitably becomes obsolete. Something smarter, faster and shiner is always looking for its turn as the “Next Biggest Thing”.

So when the day comes that you find yourself planning on reselling, donating or even gifting your old iPhone or iPad, be sure to not give away your personal data, as well as the device.

Below we provide 6 easy steps you should follow to ensure your data is removed from the device.

1. If you have an Apple Watch paired to your iPhone, you will need to un-pair it using the Watch app.

2. Next up, you need to back-up your data. You can do this by connecting the iDevice to a PC or Mac with iTunes installed, or to iCloud (iOS 8 users can check the status of this at Settings > iCloud > Backup, while iOS 7 or earlier users need to go to Settings > iCloud >Storage & Backup).

3. Next, you need to sign out of iCloud. Tap Settings > iCloud and then scroll down and tap Sign Out. In iOS 7 or earlier, tap Delete Account.

4. You will be asked to confirm the action. Tap Sign Out again, then tap Delete from My iPhone (you will be asked to enter your password).

5. Now to delete your data. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. If you have Find My iPhone enabled then you may need to enter your Apple ID and password. If you are asked for your passcode or restrictions passcode, enter it and then tap Erase iPhone (or Erase iPad). Warning -There is no recovery possible - apart from reloading from a backup - after this step.

6. Congratulations! You have removed any personal data from the device. The next time the device is powered up, the Setup Assistant will guide the user through the setup process.

#HowTo