Why You Should Use Swappa to Sell Your Used iPad
Swappa has a massive, passionate community of knowledgeable buyers waiting to get their hands on your gently used iPad. Listing your old iPad on Swappa is easy and only takes a few minutes. Why leave it sitting on a desk or in a drawer gathering dust? List and sell it Swappa to fund an upgrade or pay for some bills.
There are many reasons to sell your used iPad on Swappa. Here are just a few:
Fair fees – Keep more money in your pocket. All you’ll pay is a 3% fee to Swappa and the payment transaction fee.
Keep it out of the landfill – Unless it’s been run over by a truck, your iPad likely has years of life left and someone will give you good money for it.
Human-Powered support – Swappa has 24/7/365 people-powered support. If you email our support team, you will receive a quick response from a real person. It often takes less than 20 minutes to get a response.
Seller protections – Swappa uses PayPal as a primary payment processor giving sellers industry-leading seller protections.
Before Creating Your Listing
In this article, we’ll cover some basic tasks you’ll need to complete before starting the listing process on Swappa. We want to make sure you properly save your files and reset the device so when your buyer receives their newish iPad, they don’t have any problems adding their account and using it.
- Backup Your iPad
- Remove Your Apple Account
- Factory Reset the iPad
- Clean the iPad Before Listing
Is there anything worse than losing files, photos, or video? Just thinking about losing data makes our stomachs drop. Follow the instructions below to safely back up your iPad.
Backup Files on Your iPad
Send any files you have to your iCloud account or backup on a computer. We recommend finding a location in your home that has a strong WiFi signal and plug your iPad into a power source. The backup process can take a considerable amount of time depending on how much information needs to be transferred.
There are three ways to backup your iPad before you sell it
- iCloud
- Mac Computer
- Windows Computer
Backup Your iPad to iCloud Backup
Apple offers a cloud storage service to backup your files on your iPhone or iPad. It’s called iCloud Backup and it’s the easiest way to backup your iPad. Before factory resetting your iPad, make sure the backup process is completed properly and you have at least one copy of any important files.
Go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
Turn on iCloud Backup.
iCloud automatically backs up your iPad daily when iPad is connected to power, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi.
Note: On Wi-Fi + Cellular models that support 5G, your carrier may give you the option to use your cellular network. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup, then turn on or off Backup Over Cellular.
To perform a manual backup, tap Back Up Now.
Learn how to backup your iPad. Please note that the instructions above may differ slightly depending on the version of iPadOS that’s running on the iPad.
What files or settings does iCloud Backup store?
- Device settings, Home Screen layout, and app organization
- Photos, videos, messages, and app data
- iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages
- App data
Even if you haven’t enabled iCloud Photo to backup the photos on your device, iCloud Backup may include the photos and videos from your device in the backup to iCloud Backup.
If you don’t have enough iCloud storage you can purchase additional storage for a low monthly fee or you can free up more storage by choosing what is stored in the backup. Learn how to manage your iCloud storage
Backup Your iPad to Mac
If you have a Mac computer like an iMac or MacBook, you can connect the iPad to the Mac computer with a wired connection. If you have a weak wireless network connection, this may be a better option for you.
Connect iPad and your computer with a cable.
In the Finder sidebar on your Mac, select your iPad.
To use the Finder to back up iPad, macOS 10.15 or later is required. With earlier versions of macOS, use iTunes to back up iPad.
At the top of the Finder window, click General.
Select “Back up all of the data on your iPad to this Mac.”
To encrypt your backup data and protect it with a password, select “Encrypt local backup.”
Click Back Up Now.
Note: You can also connect iPad to your computer wirelessly if you set up syncing over Wi-Fi.
Backup Your iPad to Windows PC
If you have a Windows PC, you can connect your iPad with a wired connection and backup through the iTunes app.
Connect iPad and your computer with a cable.
In the iTunes app on your PC, click the iPad button near the top left of the iTunes window.
Click Summary.
Click Back Up Now (below Backups).
To encrypt your backups, select “Encrypt local backup,” type a password, then click Set Password.
How to Remove Your Apple Account from the iPad
You must remove your Apple account from the iPad before you sell it. If you don’t, you’ll have an unhappy buyer. They wont be able to add their Apple ID to the iPad and you’ll have to pay for a return and refund or a return and reshipment after you remove your Apple account.
Sign out of your Apple account (remove your Apple ID)
Go to Settings > [ your name], scroll down, tap Sign Out, enter your Apple ID password, then tap Turn Off.
How to Factory Reset Your iPad
There are two ways you can erase your iPad and reset it to factory settings. Resetting the iPad from settings is the easiest method. It doesn’t require additional software (iTunes) or hardware (cable to connect to the computer).
Before you reset the iPad, write down the specifications. It will make creating a listing easier.
Go to Settings > General > About
Write down the serial number or IMEI (if cellular), model name/number, and storage space
Reset from iPad Settings
Erasing the iPad from the settings on the device is the fastest, easiest way to reset it.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad.
You can transfer your files and settings to a new iPad. When you finish following the on-screen prompts, return to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
If you don’t need to transfer, you can Erase all of your data from the iPad – Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Reset the iPad from a Computer
You can use a Mac or Windows PC to erase all data and settings from your iPad, restore iPad to factory settings, and install the latest version of iPadOS.
Connect your iPad to your computer with a USB or USB-C cable. You may also need an adapter. See Connect iPad and your computer with a cable.
Turn on your iPad.
On a Mac (macOS 10.15 or later):
Click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window, click the iPad button in the Finder sidebar (below Locations), click General at the top of the window, then click Restore iPad.
On a Mac (macOS 10.14 or earlier) or a Windows PC:
Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes (see the Apple Support article Update to the latest version of iTunes). Open iTunes, click the iPad button near the top left of the iTunes window, click Summary, then click Restore iPad.
How to Clean an iPad Before Listing
Get your iPad ready to list by giving it a good cleaning. The condition of the iPad is one of the most important factors buyers consider when buying used. Buyers on Swappa want to see clean, gently used devices with no major cosmetic issues. Micro scratches and wear to the display and frame are normal. Any wear to your iPad should be accurately described in the listing description and well photographed.
The goal when cleaning your iPad is to remove dust, debris, and fingerprints. Get the iPad in the best condition you can before taking pictures.
If it’s in a case, remove the iPad from the case. If you have a glass screen protector on the iPad, you can leave it installed as long as it is intact with no chips or cracks. If the screen protector is cracked or chipped, you’ll need to remove or replace it.
Swappa does not allow devices with cracked glass and a cracked screen protector will delay the approval of your listing by our moderation team. A screen protector should not be used to ‘hide’ cosmetic wear to the screen. A screen protector can make microscopic scratches disappear so the listing description should mention the cosmetic wear to the display.
Use lint-free, non-abrasive cleaning clothes. Avoid paper towels. You can use a clean, soft, lint-free cloth without any cleaning agents to remove any oil from your skin (fingers).
Approved – You can use the following cleaning agents:
- 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipes
- 75 percent ethyl alcohol wipes
- Clorox disinfecting wipes
Tip: If you use an approved cleaning agent, spray it on the cloth and not directly on the device.
Gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your iPad including the display and exterior surfaces. Avoid excessive moisture around any openings including speaker grates and charge ports. You can use a lightly damp cloth to clear around the speaker holes and charge port as they are magnets for dust and debris.
DO NOT use the following cleaning agents/methods:
- bleach
- hydrogen peroxide
- compressed air
- window cleaners
- household cleaners
- aerosol sprays
- solvents
- ammonia
- abrasives
Don’t Want to Sell? Trade-In Your Used iPad for Quick Cash
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of listing, shipping, and communicating with a buyer, you can use Swappa’s Trade-in service. We have partners with offers waiting for your device.
You’ll make more selling the iPad yourself but if its screen is cracked or needs a battery replacement, we have Trade-in partners that will buy it from you.