How to prepare an iPhone for sale

[Chuchichan]

What should I do to my iPhone to prepare it to be sold on eBay? Should I remove the sim card and format it? Anything else to do?

Thanks.

[BHP41]

Sign out of all accounts first. Go through settings and do this. Then a restore. The you're ready to sell.

[wxman2003]

Remove sim card, use with your next phone or destroy it. Reset all settings and restore as new through itunes.

[macingman]

Originally Posted by Chuchichan

What should I do to my iPhone to prepare it to be sold on eBay? Should I remove the sim card and format it? Anything else to do?

Thanks.

1. Remove sim.
2. Log out of all accounts (email icloud etc.)
3. Restore as new.
4. Profit.

[Davejprince]

Originally Posted by macingman

1. Remove sim.
2. Log out of all accounts (email icloud etc.)
3. Restore as new.
4. Profit.

This, but you never profit from an iPhone resale .

[wrkactjob]

If you have sensitive data on the phone then resetting etc etc will not protect it or prevent it being available to whoever you sell it to.

You need to run something like ishredder....depends how 'sensitive' your data is really.

[Ste Nova]

turn off imessage first!

[david100]

I think you should remove your sim first and then log out of all accounts and reset all setting. Now your iPhone is ready to sell.

[sulpfiction]

Originally Posted by Davejprince

This, but you never profit from an iPhone resale .

Can't tell if this is sarcastic or not, but I've profited from every iPhone since the 3G.

[macingman]

Originally Posted by Davejprince

This, but you never profit from an iPhone resale .

Do you even Internet? It was in keeping with a meme.

[Davejprince]

Originally Posted by sulpfiction

Can't tell if this is sarcastic or not, but I've profited from every iPhone since the 3G.

Are you aware of the fact that the "purchase on constract" value isn't the amount of money you're paying for it?
No matter what, you'll pay the price for phone, if not instant than you will over 24 months.

[dave420]

Originally Posted by Davejprince

Are you aware of the fact that the "purchase on constract" value isn't the amount of money you're paying for it?
No matter what, you'll pay the price for phone, if not instant than you will over 24 months.

I've heard plenty of people who are able to sell the old iPhone for more than the new iPhone costs. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

[SuperSnake2012]

Make sure you turn off iMessage, especially if you're moving to an-iPhone. Otherwise, you will have issues receiving SMS from iPhone users.

[Davejprince]

Originally Posted by dave420

I've heard plenty of people who are able to sell the old iPhone for more than the new iPhone costs. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

When it's the case that a second hand iPhone ( 4s ) for example is sold for over 600$ than it is profited.
On-topic:
Restore device and all data and remove the Sim-Card and you're fine.

Dave,

[sulpfiction]

Originally Posted by Davejprince

Are you aware of the fact that the "purchase on constract" value isn't the amount of money you're paying for it?
No matter what, you'll pay the price for phone, if not instant than you will over 24 months.

Wrong!

Are u aware that my monthly bill doesn't change whether I buy the phone subsidized or not. So if I bought a 32gig iPhone 4S for $299 on launch day, and then a year later sold it for $375 when iPhone 5 was launched, I use that money to pay for my 32g 5, and pocket the rest. And all the while my bill remains the same. So yes, I profit from my old phones. Every. Single. Year.

[Davejprince]

Do you realize the only thing I want to say that you pay the phone back, the whole 600$ or how much it is, no matter if its paid upfront or within your contract.
Americains with their free iPhones *facepalm*

[PNutts]

Originally Posted by wrkactjob

If you have sensitive data on the phone then resetting etc etc will not protect it or prevent it being available to whoever you sell it to.

You need to run something like ishredder....depends how 'sensitive' your data is really.

Not true.

[wrkactjob]

Originally Posted by PNutts

Not true.

Oh really? that's interesting to know.

So when you reset the device to factory settings does it overwrite the existing data so that third party recovery tools will not be able to extract the data?

Do you know what deletion algorithms are used and to what standard? EG just DoD 5220.22 or all the way to Gutmann?

Does this also apply when you loose a device and take the reset option?

Thanks.

[adam044]

Settings, general, reset, erase all data, and then connect to itunes and click restore. I dont do this sign out of all account stuff never had any problems and Ive sold 3 personal iphone and many friends.

[SAD*FACED*CLOWN]

Originally Posted by Davejprince

Do you realize the only thing I want to say that you pay the phone back, the whole 600$ or how much it is, no matter if its paid upfront or within your contract.
Americains with their free iPhones *facepalm*

hmmm...my son who has a 32 GB iPhone and I who have the 16 GB iPhone pay back the same amount? Seems he should pay back more than me since his costs more.... our monthly bills are identical as we have the same plans...his iPhone was only $100 more than mine, we both have 2 year contracts... it would appear my son is the one coming out ahead from a resale because his has more value and his can be sold for more...the two year contract does not really make a difference because no matter what the service will cost the same....there is no discount on cellular service for paying the full price of a phone in the US...you'll pay the same amount to the carrier for it's services over a two year period

I love how foreigners think they understand every detail of American society

[PNutts]

Originally Posted by wrkactjob

Oh really? that's interesting to know.

So when you reset the device to factory settings does it overwrite the existing data so that third party recovery tools will not be able to extract the data?

Do you know what deletion algorithms are used and to what standard? EG just DoD 5220.22 or all the way to Gutmann?

Does this also apply when you loose a device and take the reset option?

Thanks.

I had a longer answer and shouldn't have shortened it but my kid started screaming and I didn't have time to finish my thought. My given answer was worthless. The real response is, "It depends." The OP didn't say which iPhone he has so I assume a newer one (3GS or later) that has hardware encryption.

So I don't gum it up trying to restate it, here's a link to a nice generic article on iPhone security and here's a link to Apple's site on Erase all Content and Settings for the various iPhones. Here's a slightly more in depth article that still just scratches the surface since it sounds like you know what you're talking about.

With 256-bit AES encryption at rest, "the copy of the encryption key in the computer’s accessible memory is erased" when it's turned off deters a forensic image. They keys themselves are protected by the PIN code, so a strong PIN code is recommended for the existing brute-force attacks used to attempt to get the keys necessary to access data.

I looked at the iShredder's website and it's a little light in technical details and I think some of their claims wouldn't stand up under scrutiny, but if you want to securely erase files on an iPhone it says it will. But the (next) step everyone should take is to erase the phone using the Erase All Content and Settings which destroys the keys necessary to unencrypt the files. So a purest would say the files are still there or they are only overwritten which is technically true, but they are also AES encrypted (with other security implementations) and no keys.

So someone could purchase something like iShredder and hope/trust that it does what it claims to do and then hand over their phone as is. Persionally, I'll trust what's built into the phone. There is no credible source that claims to be able to get the iPhone's data. Whether a state-nation can get to it is a different (interesting) discussion. But someone asking what to do to it sell on eBay probably isn't at risk for that.

I am interested if folks have a different opinion than mine.

[wrkactjob]

Originally Posted by PNutts

I had a longer answer and shouldn't have shortened it but my kid started screaming and I didn't have time to finish my thought. My given answer was worthless. The real response is, "It depends." The OP didn't say which iPhone he has so I assume a newer one (3GS or later) that has hardware encryption.

So I don't gum it up trying to restate it, here's a link to a nice generic article on iPhone security and here's a link to Apple's site on Erase all Content and Settings for the various iPhones. Here's a slightly more in depth article that still just scratches the surface since it sounds like you know what you're talking about.

With 256-bit AES encryption at rest, "the copy of the encryption key in the computer’s accessible memory is erased" when it's turned off deters a forensic image. They keys themselves are protected by the PIN code, so a strong PIN code is recommended for the existing brute-force attacks used to attempt to get the keys necessary to access data.

I looked at the iShredder's website and it's a little light in technical details and I think some of their claims wouldn't stand up under scrutiny, but if you want to securely erase files on an iPhone it says it will. But the (next) step everyone should take is to erase the phone using the Erase All Content and Settings which destroys the keys necessary to unencrypt the files. So a purest would say the files are still there or they are only overwritten which is technically true, but they are also AES encrypted (with other security implementations) and no keys.

So someone could purchase something like iShredder and hope/trust that it does what it claims to do and then hand over their phone as is. Persionally, I'll trust what's built into the phone. There is no credible source that claims to be able to get the iPhone's data. Whether a state-nation can get to it is a different (interesting) discussion. But someone asking what to do to it sell on eBay probably isn't at risk for that.

I am interested if folks have a different opinion than mine.

Thanks for your informative reply and links, I work in DLP and we are always looking at the pro's and cons of BYOD and protecting company information on a device and what happens when an employee looses their device/to what extent is the information vulnerable etc...

[Davejprince]

Originally Posted by SAD*FACED*CLOWN

hmmm...my son who has a 32 GB iPhone and I who have the 16 GB iPhone pay back the same amount? Seems he should pay back more than me since his costs more.... our monthly bills are identical as we have the same plans...his iPhone was only $100 more than mine, we both have 2 year contracts... it would appear my son is the one coming out ahead from a resale because his has more value and his can be sold for more...the two year contract does not really make a difference because no matter what the service will cost the same....there is no discount on cellular service for paying the full price of a phone in the US...you'll pay the same amount to the carrier for it's services over a two year period

I love how foreigners think they understand every detail of American society

That's the small subsidy, besides that you pay the full price.
That is my point.

[Ste Nova]

so what contract do people put 2nd hand iphones onto in the us? a cheap sim only deal?

[SAD*FACED*CLOWN]

Originally Posted by Davejprince

That's the small subsidy, besides that you pay the full price.
That is my point.

I can't feel the diffrence my friend because even if I paid the full price at retail...I WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY THE SAME AMOUNT TO THE CARRIER OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD! why is this so hard to understand? the only advantage of paying full price and having no contract is the ability to switch carriers...this does not matter to me because I'm pleased with my carrier's service...sorry for yelling if you KNOW you'll be with the same carrier for two years why on earth would you buy a full priced device? what do you gain?...think logically before you respond