How to Wipe Your iPhone
Before Selling It

How to Wipe Your iPhone Before Selling It (Step-by-Step, 2025 Guide)

Selling your iPhone without wiping it properly is a risk. Your photos, messages, accounts, and payment details sit on that device. Miss one step and you hand over access to someone else. However, if you are planning to sell your device with Vendi, our team double-checks every single device that arrives before reselling it, so you are in safe hands.

Here’s the exact process step-by-step to wipe your iPhone properly before selling it clean, secure, and ready for the next owner. Below is a 6-step guide and a list of what you need to start the process.

Before You Start: What You’ll Need

Here is everything you need to get the full iPhone reset. The whole process can take around 15 minutes, and also depends on the model you have and which operating system the device is running. Before the process, erase the information to factory state. What you need is the following:

• Your Apple ID and password
• Your iPhone fully charged or plugged in
• A stable Wi-Fi connection
• Access to a Mac or PC if you prefer local backups

If you don’t have your Apple ID details, stop here and recover them first. You’ll need them to remove the activation lock later.

Step 1: Back up everything you want to keep

Option A: iCloud Backup

This is the fastest option for most people and it runs directly from your phone.

Head into Settings, tap your name at the top, then go into iCloud. From there, tap iCloud Backup and hit “Back Up Now”. Keep the phone on Wi-Fi and ideally plugged in while it runs.

Give it a minute after it says complete. If your storage is full or connection drops, the backup might fail silently, so double check the latest backup time. This is the path:

Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now

Option B: Backup via Mac or PC

If you want a full copy stored locally, this is the better route.

Plug your iPhone into your computer. On Mac, open Finder. On PC, open iTunes. Select your device, then click “Back Up Now”.

Tick encrypted backup if you want passwords, Wi-Fi settings, and health data included. It takes longer, but it’s a complete snapshot of your device. This is the path:

Connect iPhone > Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC) > Select Device > Back Up Now

Step 2: Disable Stolen Device Protection (iOS 17.3+)

Apple added this layer recently, and it can block key actions like erasing your phone.

Go into Settings, open Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, then scroll to Stolen Device Protection and switch it off.

Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection > Turn Off

Step 3: Turn Off Find My iPhone

Open Settings, tap your name, go into Find My, then Find My iPhone. Turn it off and enter your Apple ID password when prompted.

Settings > Your Name > Find My > Find My iPhone > Toggle Off

If you skip this, the phone stays locked to your Apple ID. The next owner won’t be able to use it, and its resale value drops heavily.

Step 4: Sign Out of Your Apple ID (iCloud)

In order to fully disconnect your account. Go back into Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap “Sign Out”. Enter your Apple ID password to confirm.

Settings > Your Name > Sign Out

This removes iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and anything tied to your account. It’s what ensures your personal data isn’t still linked in the background.

Step 5: Remove Your SIM or eSIM Option A: Physical SIM card

Use a SIM tool or a paperclip to open the tray on the side of your iPhone. Take the SIM out.

It holds your number and carrier connection. Leaving it inside is an easy mistake.

Option B: eSIM card

If your phone uses eSIM, you need to remove it as well.

Go into Settings, tap Mobile Data, select your plan, then tap “Remove Data Plan”.

Settings > Mobile Data > Select Plan > Remove Data Plan

Step 6: Factory Reset

This is the final wipe, to reset the device to factory conditions. Open Settings, go into General, scroll down to “Transfer or Reset iPhone”, then tap “Erase All Content and Settings”.

You’ll be asked to confirm, and possibly enter your passcode or Apple ID again.

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings

Once done, the phone restarts and shows the setup screen. That’s your signal the device is fully wiped and ready to sell. You can get a direct instant quote on the value of your phone here on Vendi if you are planning to sell it.

What If You’ve Forgotten Your Passcode?

You can still reset the device, but it’s more involved.

Options:

• Use a Mac or PC to put the iPhone into recovery mode
• Connect it and restore via Finder or iTunes
• This erases the device and removes the passcode

Important: you’ll still need your Apple ID to remove activation lock after.

If you don’t have that, the device becomes very hard to sell.

Sell Your iPhone with Vendi

Once your iPhone is wiped, the next step is getting paid properly.

We give you an instant quote online. No guessing, no back-and-forth. You’ll know exactly what your iPhone is worth based on condition and model.

We cover £10 for secure postage, so sending your device costs you nothing.

When it arrives, we run a full AI-driven check, battery health, camera, audio, overall condition. If it matches what you told us, we pay you the same day.

No delays. No price drops. If something doesn’t match, we send it back for free. No pressure.

We built this to make selling tech simple and fair. No marketplaces, no time-wasters, no risk.

Sell your iPhone with us, get paid fast, and put that money straight towards your next device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a factory reset remove everything?
Yes. It wipes apps, data, accounts, and settings. But only if you’ve signed out of iCloud and disabled Find My.

Can someone recover my data after reset?
In normal cases, no. Apple encrypts data, and reset removes access keys.

Does condition affect price?
Massively. Screen, battery health, camera, and overall wear all impact value.

How fast can I get paid after selling?
That depends on where you sell. With the right platform, it can be same-day after receiving and inspecting the device.