Completely Wiping Personal Data?

[Agent 21]

So I have an appointment with a "Genius" tomorrow to have my 4S replaced (speaker in earpiece just crackles for about a month now). I already restored to factory then loaded up a restore point, so I got rid of the jailbreak but still have my contacts and such. What happens to my phone when I give it to them? Do they restore it in front of me? How do I know they don't just take it in back and go through texts/pics/whatever?

Should I just restore it to factory before going up? I was thinking that but then I thought maybe it'd look suspicious haha. Not that it matters, but still, seems like they'd automatically think I was a JBer.

And is there a way to COMPLETELY wipe personal data? Emails, contacts, texts, pics, web logins/passwords, notes, whatever other sensative material? I read a story of how some guy got a recieved phone and was able to recover all the previous owner's personal pics and Facebook login and all that, even though it was factory restored when he got it. Granted the chances of that are extremely slim, but I'd much rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Apple OC]

Apple is not interested in the stuff on your phone ... just restore it to factory

 

[labman]

some of the other stories out there! Not saying it's not possible just very unlikely. Just like these Myth's.

 

[Applejuiced]

Take the hat off

 

[BlizzardBolt]

Apple is not interested in the stuff on your phone ... just restore it to factory

That is the mindset that all identity theft hackers would love for all people to have.

 

[Kayan]

Apple is pretty trustworthy, however, even I have these doubts sometimes, and the last time that I had a problem with my phone and Apple gave me a new one, the Genius was about to take my phone away for good and I just said,"Do you mind if I wipe it?", he gave it back to me and I just hit the Erase All Things Good and Wonderful button then gave it back, no problem, no biggie. So quit worrying and just do that if you happen to get a new phone.

 

[Agent 21]

That is the mindset that all identity theft hackers would love for all people to have.

Exactly. I don't think this is an Apple conspiracy or any sort of paranoia conspiracy. I don't think APPLE combs them for data. The story, which was in a video on CNet, or some gadget site that I was on earlier, said the person who bought the phone as a refurb was able to restore all the previous owners info. That IS a big concern if it is possible to do because then identity theft people just start buying returned iPhones/iPods and boom.

And as far as my Apple store employee comment, I think that is also a valid question. Do I think theyre combing it for financial information or the like? No, but who's to say they don't get bored on a slow shift, or on break, and sit in the back seeing if there's any interesting pictures or whatnot on the pile of returned iPhones they have sitting back there waiting to go to Apple.

Am I losing sleep over it? No, I was just wondering if there were a way to completely wipe it because I would do it as to be safe than sorry. If not, OK, doesn't really concern me all that much, obviously it's not a well known issue or it'd be reported all over, so the chances of it happening to my particular phone are very slim.