Do this first before selling your smartphone

By Rick Rouse

Note: Rick's Tech Tips provides helpful tech tips for all levels of Tech.   Sign up for this newsletter.

You probably know how important it is to wipe all of your personal information from your computer’s hard drive before selling it or giving it away.
But did you know it’s just as important to wipe away every trace of your digital life from your smart phone before selling it as well?
Lets face it, there’s really no way to know whether the person who answered your Craigslist ad is honest or not.
And what if the buyer is simply curious by nature and decides to take a gander at the photos you’ve taken and the text messages you’ve sent and received over the years?
Believe me when I tell you that whatever information is on your phone when you hand it over to a new owner will almost certainly be viewed and read.
That’s why it’s extremely important to digitally wipe your phone clean of any and all personal files and information before handing it over to the buyer after you sell it. Here’s what you need to do:
1 – Back up your contacts and photos so you’ll be able to restore them onto your new phone.
If you have an Android phone you’ll find instructions for backing it up right here.
If you have an iPhone, click here.
2 – If your phone has a SIM card, remove it and keep it. The new owner can (and should) procure one of his/her own.
3 – If the phone has an SD card installed in it, remove it and keep it.
Note: Be sure to let the buyer know you’re selling the phone without SIM card or SD card.
That should prevent them from being upset later if they bought the phone expecting it to have those items.
4 – Reset the phone back to its factory settings.
You’ll find instructions for resetting the phone in its user manual.
If you no longer have the manual you should be able to download or access a digital copy from the “Support” section of the manufacturer’s website.
Now that you have removed all of your personal information and photos, you can safely hand over the phone to its new owner with no worries.