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Removing Financial Data Before Selling a Phone or Computer

This guide presents selected U.S. government consumer education from Federal Trade Commission. References to “we” or “us” in the source material refer to the issuing agency. Source dates and links appear below.

How To Remove Your Personal Information Before You Get Rid of Your Phone

Before you trade in, sell, give away, or recycle your phone, remove your personal information.

Removing Your Personal Information

If you’re going to upgrade, sell, give away, or recycle your phone, follow these steps to remove your personal information from it.

1. Back Up Your Phone

First, back up your phone so you have a copy of your information. You’ll need it when you set up a new phone.

2. Remove SIM and SD cards

If your phone has a SIM card, it may store your personal information. Remove the SIM card. If you’re going to keep the same phone number, you may be able to transfer your SIM card to your new phone. If you’re not going to reuse the SIM card, destroy it. If your phone has an SD memory card for storage, remove it.

3. Erase Your Personal Information

To erase all the data and information from your phone — including your contacts, text messages, photos, videos, search history, and browsing history — restore or reset it.

If you’re not keeping your phone number, update the number on file with any accounts or services that use it to identify you. If you use an authenticator app to log in to any accounts, you may have to reactivate it.

Recycling Your Phone

If you aren’t going to trade in, sell, or give away your phone, recycle it. See the Environmental Protection Agency’s advice about recycling your phone. Or check with the manufacturer, your wireless provider, or a local electronics store.

How To Remove Your Personal Information Before You Get Rid of Your Computer

Your personal computer may have a lot of sensitive information on it. That could be financial information like your account numbers or tax returns. Or it could be personal information like email messages or photos. Before you get rid of your old computer, follow these steps to delete your personal information from the hard drive so it doesn’t end up in the hands of an identity thief. 

Step 1: Back Up Your Information

Think about what important information you want to save, like photos, videos, or important documents. How much storage space will you need to save that information? Knowing what you want to save and how much space you’ll need will help you choose the best solution for backing up your data. Here are some options: 

Option 1: Transfer Your Files to Your New Computer 

If you bought a new computer, one option is to transfer information from your old computer to the new one. Most operating system manufacturers have support articles that tell you how to do this. 

Option 2: Save Your Files in the Cloud 

Another option is to save your files and data online. You might be familiar with some of these services — like Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, or iCloud — but there are many others out there. Many providers give you some free storage space and let you pay for more. 

Providers of cloud storage use encryption to protect your data — encryption is the process of scrambling the information to hide the contents of the file. 

If you’re thinking about using cloud storage, find out what level of privacy or security the different services offer. Look for one that offers multi-factor authentication to protect your information. 

Option 3: Save Your Files to an External Storage Device 

A USB flash drive is an affordable option that offers a moderate amount of storage. Another option is an external hard drive. It might cost a little more than a USB drive, but it gives you more storage capacity and transfers data faster. You choose which files or folders to back up. You also might be able to schedule automatic backups.

Step 2: Erase Your Hard Drive

Next, erase your computer’s hard drive. Your operating system will come with a program that will let you erase all your files from the hard drive and reset it to factory settings. 

Step 3: Dispose of Your Computer

Most computers contain hazardous materials that don’t belong in a landfill. See the Environmental Protection Agency's Electronics Donation and Recycling page to learn about recycling or donating your computer. Or check with the computer manufacturer or a local electronics store.

You backed up your personal information, erased your hard drive, and safely disposed of your old computer. Now learn how to protect your new computer from hackers.

How To Protect Your Phone From Hackers

Your cell phone holds some of your most sensitive personal information. Things like your passwords and account numbers, emails, text messages, photos, and videos. If your phone ends up in the wrong hands, someone could steal your identity, buy stuff with your money, or hack into your email or social media accounts. Here’s how to protect your phone.

1. Lock Your Phone

Set your phone to lock when you’re not using it and create a PIN or passcode to unlock it. Use at least a 6-digit passcode. You also might be able to unlock your phone with your fingerprint, your retina, or your face.

2. Update Your Software

Updates to your operating system often include critical patches and protections against security threats. Set your phone to update automatically. Otherwise, keep an eye out for updates, and don’t delay in running them. Update your apps, too.

3. Back Up Your Data

Regularly back up the data on your phone to the cloud or your computer. That way, if you lose your phone, you’ll still have access to your personal information.

4. Get Help Finding a Lost Phone

Mobile operating systems have a program that helps you find your phone if you lose it, or lock it or erase it if you think someone stole it. Go to your settings and turn on this feature.

Sources and publication details

The federal agency source text is U.S. government work in the public domain. Fynoptic selected, adapted, and formatted it for this guide. No agency endorsement is implied. Follow the linked sources for current program details and the rules applicable to your circumstances.

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