When it comes time to say goodbye to your older smartphone and bring a new model into your life, one of the best ways to let go is to sell it to an electronics recycling company.
While the amount you receive will vary based on the age of your equipment, it can still be a rewarding experience to know that you’ve reduced the amount of e-waste in the environment and helped out the economy.
Although environmental and economic benefits are great, you’ll still want to ensure that your phone is properly prepped and your personal data is secure. Here’s a close look at the steps you can take to make your electronic recycling effort a pleasant and digitally safe experience.
Back-Up Important Information
Before purchasing a new phone and recycling your old one, it’s important to back up all of the data that you want to transfer over to your new device.
If you are working with an iPhone, backing up is as easy as enabling the iCloud backup feature on your phone and uploading all of your old phone’s data into the cloud where you can retrieve it later.
Android users also have an easy way to back up data through Google Sync, which automatically backs up your photos and files into Google Drive.
Of course, there is always the old-fashioned way of backup using a USB cable to connect your old phone to your computer and backing up data manually.
Sign Out of Every Account Possible
Go into your phone’s settings and sign out of all possible accounts that could have any important personal information on them. Once you sign out of everything and delete all saved credentials on your phone, you’ll be one step closer to a safer recycling process or refurbishment.
However, keep your passwords written down somewhere safe so that you can easily access these accounts from your new phone.
Perform a Factory Reset
After you’ve backed up your phone and signed out of all of your accounts, performing a total factory reset is a great way to completely clear any remaining trace of your identity from your phone. Returning your phone to factory settings returns the phone to the condition it was when you first removed it from the box; a blank slate with no trace of your former activity.
Encrypt Data
Keep in mind that with Android phones a factory reset may not be enough to keep your phone free of photos, email addresses, and other personal information. Make sure that before you perform your total wipe that you go into your phone’s settings and encrypt your data.
iPhones automatically encrypt data. So, if you have one, this is a manual step you won’t have to take.
Ditch Your SIM Card
Finally, have your SIM card or SD card removed from your phone. From there, you are free to either implement them into your new phone or have a certified recycling company perform a data destruction shred that guarantees no prying eyes will access your information.
Recycle Your Smartphone for Cash Today, With RetirePC
If you have a smartphone that is just taking up space in your home after replacement, make the most of your old technology at RetirePC. At RetirePC, not only can we offer the best prices for your old technology, but we will also use our data destruction process to ensure that any SIM card or memory card left behind never falls into the wrong hands.
Reach out to us today to learn more about our recycling process and schedule a drop-off!