I have an iPhone 3gs and a 5s, and I had them with T Mobile pre paid, but have long since stopped using them. I do not think they are recognized anymore by T-mobile, but they still have phone numbers, and the sim cards in them. How would I go about resetting them, wiping them clean?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 5 or earlier Old iPhones what to do with them
- Thread starter Sossity
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If you internet search “how to reset iPhone” you’ll get lots of links to tutorials
Restore them as new with no setup on iTunes/Finder or use erase all content and settings... Remove the SIM cards and your done
Once they are wiped clean, what do you plan to do with them? I live in the WDC metro area and am trying to collect older gear like to give to resettled Afhan refugees. Children can still use them/connect them to the WiFi and play games on them...or can't they? Would they be about the same an an iPod?
I have always donated mine to women's shelters as they seem to be the most in need.
I think they might be able to play games on them, I am just not sure about current games, since these are older models, and they would need an iTunes account to download them, and some of the games would probably not be free.
After I have wiped them, I might try to sell them on eBay, although, I do not think I would really get anything for the 3gs phone.
Are you interested in them?
Just to check, do I do the reset erase first before removing the SIM cards? or remove the SIM cards first? should I check with my carrier t-mobile to be sure they are properly disconnected from their service first?
I never really properly disconnected them from the service, I kind of just let the service lapse, since I thought my mother and aunt would want the phones, but they prefer flip phones, so they just went into my desk drawer for some years. So now when I try to log into my t-mobile with the numbers they have, they are not recognized.
They still have phone numbers from when I had a pay as you go plan from t-mobile.
I never really properly disconnected them from the service, I kind of just let the service lapse, since I thought my mother and aunt would want the phones, but they prefer flip phones, so they just went into my desk drawer for some years. So now when I try to log into my t-mobile with the numbers they have, they are not recognized.
They still have phone numbers from when I had a pay as you go plan from t-mobile.
My daughter learned how to use an iPhone via a Disney paint app on a 3GS. That was probably 2013 or so. I would imagine there are still older apps on the app store that can do things like that.
You're right. I paid $20 for my current 3GS in January 2021. And that was for the 32GB model.
So... I am correct in my assumption that even those oldest iPhones that will no longer work because they only work with 3G networks which are being sunsetted could be of some use to children for games, etc., so long as they have a WiFi connection?
An old phone can still be a clock or a timer or a calendar or a camera or recording device or a note taking device or calculator … etc.
Old iPhones don’t have to connect to anything to be useful in some way.
Old iPhones don’t have to connect to anything to be useful in some way.
You can still install old version of apps on those old models provided you have downloaded them before but if not you can download the newer versions using iTunes 12.6.5 on Windows then download the latest compatible version on the device... You can use it as an alarm clock or pocket calculator... You can also use it as pocket camera then transfer the files to the computer or log in to the App Store then download an app like Send Anywhere or use AirDrop to transfer the files from the old to the new device...
What iOS version are they on? Since they have been rarely used I believe they are close to the stock version of these devices but I may be wrong... I want an iPhone 5s/6s/6s Plus/SE on iOS 10.x and iPhone 5/5c on iOS 8.x
What iOS version are they on? Since they have been rarely used I believe they are close to the stock version of these devices but I may be wrong... I want an iPhone 5s/6s/6s Plus/SE on iOS 10.x and iPhone 5/5c on iOS 8.x
Definitely.
But the issue with older phones will be the battery. Not only the battery health would already be bad, there's questionable reliability of old lithium ion batteries. Then there's the risk of them swelling up, etc. It's sad that our advance tech are still being limited by chemistry.
ok, well now it looks like nobody is going to benefit from them now, I cannot seem to get them to charge, I have had them plugged in a a few hours now, and no signs of life from the 5s, and the 3gs screen will flash every now and then with a battery showing with a little bit of red, but it has not progressed beyond that.
I think I might of had some photos on the 5s, is there any way I can revive it to get the photos off it at least?
I think I might of had some photos on the 5s, is there any way I can revive it to get the photos off it at least?
My son uses my old iPhone 6S loaded up with virtual bass-amp sims and an iRig Pro interface as part of his gigging rig. Literally no one listening cares the tone isn't 100% accurate to the tone of a mic'd-up 30kg bass amp, and he can DI it straight into the venue's mixing desk and get consistent bass sound at every venue. Downsides? The battery in the 6S is shagged, so he needs to have it plugged in to a lightning charger all the time unless the set is very short, otherwise the band suddenly becomes notably sans a bassman after about 45 minutes.
Last edited:
Batteries always were and always will be consumables. Old tech isn't obsoleted because it needs a battery replaced. It is purposefully obsoleted by its manufacturers. And that's not even a conspiracy, it's just business, and has been that way since Joe Consumer decided he wasn't paying money for OS upgrades. So the money has to come from hardware sales, which a lot of people will only buy when their old hardware becomes critically unsupported. So it becomes in the manufacturers' best interest to hurry that date along.
If I could do a do over I'd have sold or made it a hand me down after backing them up and doing a factory reset.
If I lost the current iPhone I'm using I'd just buy a replacement.
Last thing I would want is be a burden to my partner by being an aspiring hoarder.
If I lost the current iPhone I'm using I'd just buy a replacement.
Last thing I would want is be a burden to my partner by being an aspiring hoarder.
Last edited:
Are there good places online I could send it in for a replacement? I am not sure about apple, it is fairly old.
A little off topic but I’m curious if anyone else would rather have more easily replaceable batteries and pay for OS upgrades instead (fully acknowledge this is a very hypothetical trade off)? I started OS X in 2007 and for a while I remember buying a physical dvd to upgrade before the App Store came along. It was only maybe 20 or 50 dollars? I can’t remember. I’d honestly rather purchase that upgrade and have a more eco friendly device anyday. I do agree with the sentiment of the quote tweet. Either you pay for the product or you are the product. I mean with Apple’s profit, I don’t see why we couldn’t have free upgrades AND more eco friendly devices. But they are a company that is out to make a profit.
Boy do I sometimes miss the old days when you could pop a battery out of your phone and just insert a new one.
I have an old iPhone 6 that my elderly mother was using. When the battery wouldn’t hold a charge, I bought her a replacement. I kept the iPhone 6 and decided to try and replace the battery myself. So I purchased a cheap replacement battery, followed the tutorial and successfully replaced the battery. It has been six months and the phone is holding a charge well. So I plan to keep it for an emergency replacement.