So I'm selling my 4s this evening. I have done the erase content and setting like 5 times. I have filled the whole phone with movies I own from iTunes to write over any personal info. I am going to remove the sim. I will erase the phone one last time. Am I forgetting to do anything. I'm leaving it on 5.1.1 in case they want to jail break it though it isn't jail broken. Is that a bad plan? Do I need to do anything else?
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Selling my phone
- Thread starter tl01
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Why would you need to erase it 5 times? Flash storage isn't like a traditional HDD.
You're done. Just leave the iOS version as is and sell it.
You're done. Just leave the iOS version as is and sell it.
Erase all content & settings should be all that you need to do. If you're that worried, you can open up your apps like Contacts, Mail, Calenders or Settings to double check if there's any personal information lingering around, & delete them if necessary. The most important one would be the Apple ID in the App Store, make sure there're no traces of that.
1. Settings > Messages > Turn off iMessage
2. Settings >General >Reset >Erase all Content & Settings
3. Remove SIM card
4. Sell your phone
5. Relax
Your information isn't recoverable unless the phone is given to a government agency/security company.
Face it, you are not that important. No one want or needs your information. Don't worry about it.
Can anyone weigh in on whether it not not switching off iMessage will be problematic?
Yes I've read reports here of people being able to see new imessages because they didn't sign out of imessage so I'd recommend you sign out of imessage.
Also there are apps that secure overwrite free space. I can recommend ishredder pro.
Strange that that wouldn't be done when resetting all settings.... Too bad.. It's too late... He has the phone now.
As someone posted, you are probably fine. Unless the person is serious about computer forensics they will most likely just go on with their day.
Happened to my wife old iPhone 4S. Got water damaged wouldn't turn on. So obviously warranty voided. Sold it for $230 water damage.
1 month later. She gets text from apple that her old 4s imessage was just "activated" under some guy named Jason's iPhone.
I immediately iMessage my wife old iPhone 4S cause iMessage wasn't turned off. And guy responded he didn't know what was going on.
He than said he would turn off iMessage and do a restore.
No other problems since than.
Strange that that wouldn't be done when resetting all settings.... Too bad.. It's too late... He has the phone now.
You can remove the phone from your Support Profile. Some report that disassociates the phone from iMessage.
I sold a 4S a few nights ago on Craigslist and forgot to wipe my phone. I have bought and sold about 15 iPhones on Craigslist so this was just a brain fart on my end.
The guy texted me about an hour later and I had to give him my password to unlock the phone. I was in the process of doing this while we were meeting but I got distracted by something else and we parted ways without me doing it. I told him to make sure he reset and erased the device. He was shipping it to a relative overseas to use.
I went ahead and immediately changed my email password and my Twitter password. He seemed like an honest guy so I wasn't too worried about it.
The guy texted me about an hour later and I had to give him my password to unlock the phone. I was in the process of doing this while we were meeting but I got distracted by something else and we parted ways without me doing it. I told him to make sure he reset and erased the device. He was shipping it to a relative overseas to use.
I went ahead and immediately changed my email password and my Twitter password. He seemed like an honest guy so I wasn't too worried about it.
I don't want to add to the paranoia but....
I just recently changed my old 3gs for an i5. Erased the 3gs and gave it to my GF. Turns out, when she installed the FB app it automatically logged to my account.
Never hurts to change twitter and FB passwords once in a while lol.
I just recently changed my old 3gs for an i5. Erased the 3gs and gave it to my GF. Turns out, when she installed the FB app it automatically logged to my account.
Never hurts to change twitter and FB passwords once in a while lol.
Lol the OP erased his phone 5 times already, already well over the limit. If he still get this kind of issue, either he's really unlucky or Apple's screwing with him.