If you own an iPhone, (when this article was last updated) you might want to consider upgrading to the latest model, which is probably the iPhone 13. However, if your current iPhone is still fine, you may be wondering what to do with it. Should you sell? Is it trade? to give?
Well – any of the above. This guide will walk you through the process of preparing your old phone and what your best alternatives are for getting rid of it.
Transferring to a new iPhone?
If you’re transferring to a new iPhone – or even if you don’t – you probably want to back up your phone before doing anything else (see below). Backing up to iCloud is probably the easiest – it also gives you the option to transfer your data directly from your old phone to your new phone or from iCloud.
After doing that, go ahead and copy all your data to your new phone. If you want, you can also try going to “Settings” > “General” > “Transfer or Reset iPhone”. Depending on the version of iOS you’re running, you may have access to a wizard called “Prepare for the New iPhone” that will walk you through all the necessary steps to transfer your data to your new phone. (Also lets you check your phone’s swap Status.)
Back up your phone
As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to have an up-to-date backup of all your data saved in iCloud, your laptop or any other local/cloud storage. Backing up your phone in iCloud Backup is probably easiest. If it’s been a while and you want to make sure backup is turned on in your phone’s iCloud settings:
- Tap “Settings” > [your name] top button > “iCloud” > “iCloud Backup”.
- If “iCloud Backup” is off, turn it on. If it’s already on and you’re getting ready to wipe your old iPhone, you might want to tap “Back Up Now” just in case.
Moreover Back up your iPhone to a computer: either to your Mac using your Finder (if your Mac is running a macOS version earlier than 10.15, you’ll use iTunes) or to a Windows PC (again using iTunes).
wipe your phone
Once you are sure that all your data is stored and you have transferred all your data to your new phone, it is time to delete your old phone.
First, you have to make sure you get rid of a few identifiable features:
- Disable “Find My iPhone” by going to “Settings” > “Find” > “Find My Phone” and toggling off “Find My Phone” and “Find My Network”.
- Unpair all devices on your phone, including your Apple Watch.
- Turn off iMessages (just in case).
Then you need to sign out of your Apple ID:
- Select “Settings” > [your name] top button > “Sign Out” (bottom of page).
- Enter your Apple ID password.
- You will be asked if you want to keep a copy of your data on this iPhone. Assuming you have backed up everything and are about to wipe your phone, you don’t need to open anything.
- Click “Sign Out” in the top right corner and then “Are you sure?” Tap . popup window.
Finally, get ready to delete:
- Remove the SIM card from the phone.
- Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Transfer or Reset iPhone” and select “Erase All Content and Settings”.
Clean
Before you even consider selling your phone, you need to make sure it looks its best. Remove the case and/or any stickers and assess any damage you can see, including any scratches or dents that you should have noted when selling the phone. Next, clean your phone using a screen wipe or screen cleaner. (You might want to leave your screen saver on if it’s fine.)
It’s also a good idea to take pictures of your phone. You will need them for listing when selling the phone online; they are also useful if the buyer reports further damage.
sell your phone
There are several places you can try to sell your used phone. A few of them are listed here along with my estimates for a good condition iPhone 11 with 256GB of storage.
The first thing that might come to mind would be to trade your phone. Apple. This can be especially useful if you haven’t bought your new iPhone yet and want to see if you can save some money on your new device. If you’ve already bought your new phone, you can go to Apple’s trade page and see the value of your phone. Note that in return, you’ll receive a gift card for your future Apple purchases. The price of the iPhone 11 was $390 as a trade-in value at the time of publication.
Decluttr buys the phone from you and then sells it again. The company gives you a price online; you send your phone to Decluttr within 28 days. The phone will be examined; If there are problems, you will be offered a revised price, which you will have 14 days to accept or reject. A good condition iPhone 11 with 256GB got a quote for $401.
best buy allows you to mail it to your phone or bring it to the nearest Best Buy retail store; either way, you can exchange it for an e-gift card. My iPhone 11 was given an estimated value of $360 (increased to $400 if traded for certain tech items).
flippsi deals with various retail sites; It will let you know which vendors are offering how much, and then you have 14 days to ship the device. Seller pays shipping cost. If the seller does not accept your evaluation, he will send a revised offer; It’s a good idea to check before shipping, as each seller has their own return policies. iPhone 11 received pricing from two vendors; the highest was $455.
With swap, you create a list with a price; When your device is sold, you get paid from Swappa and then send the phone directly to the buyer. Swappa charges the buyer a fee based on the price of the phone, but you are responsible for shipping costs. The average price at which a 256 GB iPhone 11 can be sold was determined as 543 dollars.
And of course there is eBay. Selling here can be a bit complicated, but basically you get up to 250 free listings every month; When you sell your item, there is a 10.2 percent fee plus a $0.30 transaction fee.
Places where you can sell your phone for free (excluding shipping, of course) include: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslistand subdirectories r/Phone swap, r/Apple swapand r/Hardware swap.
play it safe
Most of these transactions take place via mail. However, if you decide to do the procedure in person, it’s safest to meet in a public place – and these days, if you’re concerned about infection, do so either outdoors at a park or other public place, or at a cafe or other indoor location that follows current safety advice. place.
And if you decide you don’t want to sell or trade your old phone, there are other things you can do with it, including using it as a webcam or letting it be your kids’ first adult phone.
Whatever you decide to do with your old phone, first make sure you’re happy with your new phone. You don’t want to return that brand new phone for problems (or because you don’t like it) and suddenly you find yourself desperately looking for a temporary replacement.
Update September 10, 2021 at 2:00 PM ET: This article was originally published on January 14, 2020 and has been updated to account for differences in iOS and available services and websites.