Selling or Giving Away Your iPhone or iPad: What You Need to Do

 

 

Before you sell, trade in, or give away your old device, you can transfer certain information to your new device and erase your personal information from the old one.

Important: If your Apple Account is connected to iCloud, do not manually delete your contacts, calendars, reminders, documents, or photos. Doing so will permanently delete them from iCloud servers and all your connected devices.

IF YOU STILL HAVE YOUR DEVICE

    1. Back up your device. Create a backup via iCloud or your computer so you can restore your data on a new device.
    2. Transfer information to your new device. If your device runs iOS 11 or later, use Quick Start to automatically transfer your data. On iOS 10 or earlier, use iCloud, iTunes, or Finder.
    3. If you have paired an Apple Watch, unpair it before proceeding.
    4. If you have an AppleCare plan, cancel it or transfer it to the new owner.
    5. Sign out of your Apple Account (iCloud, iTunes, App Store):
      • On iOS 26 or later: Settings > [your name] > Sign Out > choose Erase This Device or Sign Out Without Erasing.
      • On iOS 18 or earlier: Settings > [your name] > Sign Out > enter your password > Turn Off.
      • On iOS 10.2 or earlier: Settings > iCloud > Sign Out > Delete from My Device > enter your password. Then Settings > iTunes Store & App Store > Apple ID > Sign Out.
    6. If you are switching to a non-Apple phone, turn off iMessage to continue receiving text messages.
    7. Erase all content and settings: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. If Find My is enabled, enter your Apple Account and password. If you have an eSIM, choose whether to also erase the eSIM profile.
    8. If prompted for a passcode, enter it, then tap Erase Device.
    9. Remove your device from your trusted devices list in your Apple Account settings.
    10. If you are not using a SIM card, contact your carrier to transfer the plan to the new owner.

Note: Erasing the device automatically disables Find My iPhone and Activation Lock.

IF YOU NO LONGER HAVE YOUR DEVICE

  1. Contact the new owner and ask them to erase all content and settings following the procedure above.
  2. If your device is lost or stolen, erase it remotely via Find Devices on iCloud.com.
  3. Remove your device from your trusted devices list.
  4. Change your Apple Account password and enable two-factor authentication. This will not erase data from the device, but will prevent the new owner from accessing your iCloud.
  5. If you are switching to a non-Apple phone, turn off iMessage.
  6. If you use Apple Pay, remove your cards and passes from the Wallet app.
  7. If you have an AppleCare plan, cancel it or transfer it.


Source: Apple (updated December 2025). What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad. https://support.apple.com/en-us/109511