Selling an iPhone without properly wiping it has two consequences: your personal data stays on the device, or the buyer cannot activate it because Activation Lock is still on. This guide walks through every step in the correct order so neither problem occurs. This is the canonical reference for iPhone data wipe and selling prep across the Swappa content network.
Quick Answer
Back up your iPhone, sign out of iCloud (this turns off Find My and clears Activation Lock), handle your eSIM, then go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Do these in order. Skipping or reversing steps is the most common reason iPhone sales result in returns.
Step 1: Back Up Your iPhone First
Do not start the wipe until your data is safely stored somewhere else. Once you erase, there is no recovering photos, messages, or app data from the device itself.
You have two backup options.
iCloud Backup: Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Make sure you are on Wi-Fi and allow a few minutes to complete. A timestamp confirms when the last backup finished.
Mac or PC backup: Connect your iPhone via USB. On a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, open Finder and select your device. On a PC, open iTunes. Right-click your device and choose Back Up Now. Local backups include a bit more data than iCloud and do not count against your iCloud storage.
What gets backed up: photos and videos, messages (iMessage and SMS), app data and settings, health data, call history, and device settings.
What does not back up automatically to iCloud: some third-party app data, balances in payment apps, and authenticator codes. Before wiping, screenshot any two-factor authentication setup keys, export or transfer your authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, and 1Password all have export or transfer flows), and manually save anything critical.
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Step 2: Sign Out of Your Apple Account and Turn Off Find My (the Critical Step)
This is the step that prevents the most common selling problem: a device the buyer cannot activate. Activation Lock ties an iPhone to your Apple Account (formerly called Apple ID) whenever Find My is on. Signing out first cleanly removes that tie before you wipe, so the buyer gets a phone ready to activate as their own. On Swappa, a locked device is grounds for a return, and sellers are required to accept it.
A note on current iOS: when you run Erase All Content and Settings (Step 4) on a phone where Find My is still on, iOS now makes you enter your Apple Account password during the erase and turns Activation Lock off as part of the wipe. So you cannot accidentally ship an activation-locked phone that you erased from Settings. One condition matters here: the phone must be online (Wi-Fi or cellular) during the erase. Activation Lock lives on Apple’s servers, not just on the device, so the phone has to reach those servers to clear it. Signing out first is still the cleaner, more reliable order, and it is the only way to be certain the device is fully detached before you start.
For full detail on what Activation Lock is and how buyers verify a device is clean before purchasing, see iCloud Activation Lock: How to Avoid It on a Used iPhone.
Steps to sign out (iOS 26 and later):
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Sign Out.
- Choose Erase This iPhone (since you are wiping it anyway) or Sign Out But Don’t Erase.
- If you are asked which account to sign out of, tap Sign out of iCloud and Store.
- Enter your Apple Account password if prompted to confirm.
On iOS 18 and earlier: tap your name > Sign Out, enter your Apple Account password, and tap Turn Off. iOS asks which data to keep on the device, which does not matter since you are wiping it.
Once you sign out, Find My turns off and Activation Lock is cleared. The device is no longer associated with your Apple Account.
Prefer to turn off Find My without fully signing out? Go to Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggle it off. You will need your Apple Account password. Signing out completely is still the cleaner approach before a wipe.
After signing out, you can verify the Activation Lock status using Apple’s coverage checker at checkcoverage.apple.com [VERIFY URL: checkcoverage.apple.com]. Enter the IMEI or serial number. If Activation Lock shows as off, the device is clear to ship.
List your iPhone on Swappa https://www.swappa.com/sell/iphone
Step 3: Transfer or Remove Your eSIM
Starting with iPhone 14, all iPhones sold in the United States are eSIM-only, with no physical SIM tray. If your line is on an eSIM and you do not remove it before selling, the buyer may receive a device with your active eSIM still installed, which prevents them from setting up their own carrier service.
For a full explanation of how eSIM works on used phones, what carriers support, and what buyers should confirm before purchasing, see eSIM and Used Phones: What to Know Before You Buy.
Transfer the eSIM to your new phone: Go to Settings > Cellular > [your plan name] > Transfer eSIM or Convert to eSIM. The exact label depends on your carrier. Most major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) support direct eSIM transfer from Settings. Some require a call to customer service or their carrier app.
Delete the eSIM from the device you are selling: Go to Settings > Cellular > [your plan name] > Delete eSIM. Confirm the deletion. Your number and plan return to your carrier account. You can activate it on your new device separately. On current iOS you can also handle this during the wipe itself: when you run Erase All Content and Settings, iOS asks whether to erase the device and the eSIM profile, and you choose to erase both. Either way, make sure you have transferred the line to your new phone first so you do not lose service access.
Physical SIM (iPhone 13 and earlier, or international models): Eject the SIM tray, remove the card, and keep it. Do not ship the device with your SIM still inside.
If you already erased the device and the eSIM is still on it, contact your carrier. Most networks can remove it remotely.
Step 4: Factory Reset and Erase All Content and Settings
With your data backed up, iCloud signed out, and the eSIM handled, you are ready to wipe the device.
On the device (iOS 15.2 and later):
- Make sure the phone is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular. Clearing Activation Lock during the erase requires reaching Apple’s servers, so the device must be online.
- Go to Settings > General.
- Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Follow the on-screen prompts. If Find My is still active at this point, iOS will ask you to enter your Apple Account password and will turn off Activation Lock as part of the erase.
- If the phone uses an eSIM, iOS asks whether to erase the device and the eSIM profile. Choose to erase both.
- The phone will erase and restart. This takes a few minutes.
When the process finishes, the device shows the “Hello” setup screen in multiple languages. That is exactly what the buyer needs to see.
If the device is unresponsive or you cannot access Settings: Connect it to a Mac (Finder) or PC (iTunes) and put it into recovery mode. On iPhone 8 and later: press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears. From Finder or iTunes, choose Restore. This wipes the device and installs the latest version of iOS.
What Erase All Content and Settings does:
| What it removes | Result |
|---|---|
| Photos, videos, and messages | Permanently deleted from the device |
| All accounts and Apple Account | Signed out, not recoverable |
| App data and settings | Cleared, apps removed |
| Activation Lock | Cleared during erase (enter your Apple Account password when prompted) |
| iOS version | Returns to factory state with current iOS |
The buyer gets a clean device with no trace of your data, ready to activate as new.
Step 5: Final Check Before You Ship
Before you pack the box, power the phone on and run through this confirmation checklist.
The “Hello” screen appears. If you see a setup screen asking for your Apple Account or showing your name, stop. The device is not fully wiped. Sign out of your Apple Account before shipping.
No Apple Account prompt during setup. Walk through the first couple of screens. If it asks for your credentials at an Activation Lock screen, the lock is still active.
Confirm Activation Lock is off. Check checkcoverage.apple.com [VERIFY URL: checkcoverage.apple.com] using the IMEI. You can find the IMEI on the original box, in Finder or iTunes when connected, or in Settings > General > About before the wipe. Swappa requires listings to show a clean IMEI and ESN with no activation lock. Buyers verify this before completing a transaction.
For a deeper look at what the IMEI reveals about any used iPhone, including blacklist and financing lock status, see IMEI Check: What It Reveals About a Used Phone.
Charge to 40 to 60 percent. Shipping a fully charged or fully depleted lithium battery adds wear. The 40 to 60 percent range is the standard shipping recommendation.
Clean the screen and body. A clean device photographs better and signals to the buyer that it was cared for. A microfiber cloth takes thirty seconds and improves perceived value.
Include original accessories if available. Original charger, cable, and box add value and can tip a buyer’s decision between two similar listings.
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Do I need to sign out of iCloud before factory resetting my iPhone?
Signing out first is the cleanest order, but on current iOS it is not the only safeguard. Running Erase All Content and Settings on a phone with Find My on makes you enter your Apple Account password and turns off Activation Lock as part of the wipe. The real risk is resetting through recovery mode on a computer without your credentials, which can leave the device locked. Sign out first, then erase, to be certain the buyer can activate it.
What happens to Activation Lock when I erase my iPhone?
If you sign out before erasing, Activation Lock is cleared when the device resets. If you erase from Settings without signing out first, iOS prompts for your Apple Account password and clears Activation Lock as part of the erase, as long as the phone is online so it can reach Apple’s servers. The lock only stays active if the device is reset without your credentials, for example through recovery mode on a computer. In that case the buyer cannot use the phone until you remove the lock remotely at iCloud.com/find.
How do I check if Activation Lock is off after wiping my iPhone?
Go to checkcoverage.apple.com [VERIFY URL: checkcoverage.apple.com] and enter the device’s IMEI or serial number. Apple’s tool shows the current Activation Lock status. If it shows as off, the device is clear. You can find the IMEI on the original box or in Finder and iTunes when the phone is connected.
What do I do with my eSIM before selling an iPhone?
Transfer the eSIM to your new phone or delete it from the device you are selling. Go to Settings > Cellular > [your plan] and choose Transfer eSIM or Delete eSIM. On iPhone 13 and earlier with a physical SIM slot, remove the card from the tray before shipping. All iPhone 14 and later models sold in the US are eSIM-only, so the eSIM must be explicitly deleted or transferred.
Can I erase my iPhone if I forgot my Apple ID password?
If you know your passcode but forgot your Apple Account password (formerly called Apple ID), reset it at iforgot.apple.com before signing out. If the phone is fully locked, connect it to a computer in recovery mode and restore through Finder or iTunes.
Will a factory reset delete everything on my iPhone?
Yes. Erase All Content and Settings removes all personal data, photos, messages, app data, accounts, and settings, and returns the device to factory iOS. This is why backing up before you erase matters. Once the wipe is complete, that data is not recoverable from the device itself.
Sell Your Wiped iPhone on Swappa
Swappa requires all iPhone listings to have a clean IMEI and ESN, no OS or Activation Lock, and no cracked glass or water damage. Listings are reviewed by staff before going live. Payment runs through PayPal with buyer and seller protection on every transaction. Swappa charges a flat 3% seller fee, lower than typical auction-site fees. Listing is always free.
A properly wiped iPhone is a faster-selling iPhone. Buyers look for devices with clean IMEIs, no locks, and sellers who know what they are doing. Following this checklist puts you in that category and eliminates the most common reason iPhone deals fall through.
Back up. Sign out. Handle the eSIM. Erase. Confirm. Ship.
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