Getting Rid Of Your Cell Phone? Wipe It Clean First

May 27, 2015

Cell phones have become so common in our world today that we forget how much sensitive information is contained on these innocuous devices. Such information in the wrong hands could give an unscrupulous person access to private information, including links and passwords to financial accounts and statements. I recently switched cell phone providers to reduce my cost and increase my coverage and reliability, but I was not prepared to make sure the data that had accumulated on my old phone was cleared out before passing it on to the next user.

The good news is that it doesn’t take much to make sure your data becomes inaccessible to those you do not wish to see it. But as I found out recently, you should really start this process before you terminate your cell phone coverage. Here is a step-by-step guide to protecting your data before surrendering your phone:

Step 1: Activate your new service

You don’t want to be without cell phone service so it’s better to have two lines active for a short period of time rather than none.

Step 2: Encrypt your data on your old phone

The encryption method is different for iPhones and Android devices, but the functionality is pretty much the same. By encrypting your data, a person would have to know your PIN or password in order to be able to access it. As long as you don’t inscribe your password into the back of your phone, the next user will unlikely be able to hack it.

[A word of caution: you will want to encrypt your data while you still have active coverage. I tried to encrypt my data after I terminated my service, and I was not able to because I could not access the data through my network. Also, encryption does take a while, so don’t plan on doing this on your coffee break. ]

Step 3: Restore your phone to the original factory settings

Again, this process is a little different for iPhones and Android devices, but completing this process will wipe any data off of your device.

Step 4: Remove (or reformat) the microSD card

Most phones allow you to expand the memory by inserting a microSD card. Contacts, pictures, and other important information may be stored on this card so unless you’re feeling generous and want to leave the card in the phone for the next user (in which case you should reformat it), I suggest removing it altogether.

Step 5: Remove your SIM card

Your SIM card is how your cellular provider identifies your phone on their system so find it (it is usually located above or behind the battery) and remove it since the new user will have no need for it.

Taking these steps in and of themselves does not guarantee with 100% certainty that your data will not be compromised, but it will make it really, really difficult. Of course, if you are looking for 100% certainty, you can always take Lifehacker’s advice and simply keep your phone to yourself. Just make sure it doesn’t get lost or stolen.