What Should You Do Before Selling Your Phone?

These steps apply to every selling route — private buyer, eBay or Facebook Marketplace, a postal trade-in company, another second-hand retailer or the PhonesForCash counter. The order matters: sign accounts out before erasing, or you'll re-introduce problems a factory reset can't fix.

1. Before removing any data

• Confirm the exact model and storage — see identify your iPhone or find your Samsung model number
• Photograph the phone front, back and edges so you have a record of its condition
• Record the IMEI privately for your own records — see how to find your phone's IMEI. Don't publish the full IMEI online
• Back up photos, messages, contacts and files — see how to back up before selling
• Transfer authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy) before the device is wiped — these codes don't restore from a normal backup
• Open banking and payment apps on the new device, sign in and confirm they work
• Move WhatsApp or other messaging history using the in-app transfer tool
• Confirm the new phone is working properly before erasing the old one
• Unpair watches, earbuds and other linked devices where necessary

2. Accounts and security — the part most people get wrong

A factory reset performed before removing accounts can leave Apple Activation Lock, Google Factory Reset Protection or a Samsung account check active. The new owner — or a buyer like us — then can't fully set the phone up.

• Apple Account — sign out from Settings → [your name] → Sign Out. This clears Find My and Activation Lock from that device
• Confirm Find My iPhone is off after sign-out
• Google account — remove every Google account in Settings → Accounts before resetting an Android phone, or Factory Reset Protection will block setup
• Samsung account — remove separately in Settings → Accounts → Samsung account
• Check for OPPO / HeyTap and HUAWEI ID accounts where applicable and sign out using official menus
• Remove any work or school management profile or MDM enrolment
• Remove payment cards and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet)
• Review trusted devices in your account and remove the device you're selling
• Full brand-by-brand instructions: how to remove phone accounts before selling

3. SIMs and storage

• Remove the physical SIM with a SIM-eject tool — keep it safe
• Remove any microSD card from Android phones
• Transfer or remove the eSIM before erasing — full detail in SIM and eSIM before selling
• Deleting an eSIM does not cancel your mobile contract — your line and bill continue with the network
• If you want to keep the number, contact your network before deleting the eSIM so they can reissue a fresh activation

4. Erasing the device — in the right order

• Confirm accounts have been removed before you reset
• Use the manufacturer's normal Settings reset path — see factory reset before selling
• Do not rely on manually deleting photos or apps — that leaves recoverable data and signed-in accounts behind
• Avoid resetting through recovery mode as a shortcut: it can wipe data without removing ownership protections, so the device boots back into Activation Lock or FRP
• After the reset, confirm the phone reaches the initial setup / welcome screen — that's the proof the next owner can use it

5. Selling privately or on a marketplace

• Don't publish the full IMEI in a listing — partial is fine for confirming authenticity, full IMEI can be misused
• Don't hand over the device before cleared payment is confirmed (bank-transfer received in your account, not just a screenshot)
• Be cautious with PayPal goods-and-services chargebacks and overpayment scams
• Meet in a public place — many UK police stations now have safe-exchange zones
• Keep a basic proof-of-sale record: buyer name, date, agreed price, IMEI, signature if possible
• Describe faults, previous repairs and battery health honestly — disputes almost always start with undisclosed condition
• Never sell a device reported lost, stolen, or subject to an unresolved insurance claim — every legitimate buyer runs an IMEI check

6. Selling to PhonesForCash

• You can prepare the phone in full at home using the steps above
• Or the legitimate owner can bring it to the counter and we'll guide you through the official Apple, Google, Samsung, OPPO or HUAWEI sign-out steps
• The customer enters their own credentials — we never ask you to disclose passwords, passcodes or two-factor codes
• Identification and proof of ownership may be required, especially for higher-value or recently-released devices
• PhonesForCash cannot bypass account locks, security delays or device-ownership protections — an account-locked phone may not be accepted as a normal working device, only at parts value
• Counter details: PhonesForCash St Helens

Printable checklist

• ☐ Model and storage confirmed
• ☐ Photos taken of condition
• ☐ IMEI noted privately
• ☐ Backup completed and verified on new device
• ☐ Authenticator apps transferred
• ☐ Banking and payment apps signed in on new device
• ☐ Apple Account / Google / Samsung / OPPO / HUAWEI accounts signed out
• ☐ Find My / Find Hub / SmartThings Find / Find Device disabled
• ☐ Stolen Device Protection considered (iPhone)
• ☐ Work / MDM profiles removed
• ☐ Payment cards removed from wallets
• ☐ Physical SIM removed, microSD removed, eSIM dealt with
• ☐ Factory reset completed via Settings
• ☐ Phone reaches setup / welcome screen
• ☐ Proof of sale prepared (if private)

Common questions