Reset your iPhone before selling it: 6-step guide (also for iPad & Mac)

In short: Back up your data, unpair Apple Watch, tap your name at the top of Settings and sign out, then erase the iPhone under General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. Time required: around 15 minutes plus backup time. The iPhone will then display the "Hello" screen and be ready for sale.

An iPhone that is still connected to your Apple Account cannot be used by anyone - including a buyer. Activation Lock remains active until you properly sign out. That's why the order is important: sign out first, then erase. Anyone who only "resets" it without signing out sends in a locked device - and gets it back.

Contents: iPhone · iPad · Apple Watch · MacBook, iMac & Mac · Frequently asked questions

Reset iPhone - in 6 steps

You need this

• Your Apple Account password (formerly Apple ID). Forgot it? Go to iforgot.apple.com reset it before you start.
• Wi-Fi and at least 50% battery - or keep the iPhone connected to power.
• Around 15 minutes. An iCloud backup may take longer depending on the amount of data.

Step 1: Create a backup

Anything that is not in the backup after erasing will be gone. The easiest way is through iCloud:

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap iCloud → iCloud Backup.
3. Tap Back Up Now and wait until the backup is complete.

Not enough iCloud storage? When switching to a new iPhone, Apple offers you, under Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Get Started, as much iCloud storage as the backup requires free of charge for three weeks. Alternatively, back up the iPhone using a cable to a Mac (Finder) or Windows PC (iTunes or Apple Devices). Our guide to transferring data to a new iPhone shows you how to move your data to the new device afterward.

Step 2: Unpair Apple Watch

Only necessary if an Apple Watch is paired with this iPhone. Unpairing via the iPhone is the only way to also remove the Watch's Activation Lock - and it automatically creates a backup of the Watch.

1. Place the Watch next to the iPhone and open the Watch app.
2. Tap All Apple Watches, then tap the ⓘ next to your Watch.
3. Tap Unpair Apple Watch. On a Cellular model, select Remove mobile plan if you are also selling the Watch.
4. Enter your Apple Account password to disable Activation Lock.

If you're only selling the Watch and keeping the iPhone, the process is the same. If you no longer have the iPhone, you can erase the Watch directly (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset), but you'll then have to manually remove Activation Lock under «Devices» at account.apple.com.

Step 3: Sign out of iMessage and FaceTime

If you're switching to an Android phone, this step is crucial: If iMessage remains active, SMS messages from iPhone users will continue going to your old Apple ID instead of your new phone. If you're staying with Apple, this step won't do any harm.

1. Open Settings → Apps → Messages (up to iOS 17: Settings → Messages) and turn iMessage off.
2. Open Settings → Apps → FaceTime and turn FaceTime off.

Step 4: Sign out of your Apple Account

This step disconnects the iPhone from your account and turns off «Find My». Without it, Activation Lock remains active.

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Scroll all the way down and tap Sign Out.
3. Enter your Apple Account password and tap Disable. This turns off «Find My iPhone».
4. When asked whether data should be kept on the iPhone: leave everything switched off - you're about to erase everything anyway.
5. Tap Sign Out and confirm.

Is «Stolen Device Protection» active? Then the iPhone may require a one-hour security delay here if you're not in a familiar location (home, office). So do this step at home - or disable the protection beforehand under Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Stolen Device Protection.

Step 5: Erase All Content and Settings

The iPhone will now be reset to factory settings. This permanently deletes your data from the device - a backup from step 1 is the only way back.

1. Open Settings → General and scroll all the way down to Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Tap Erase All Content & Settings. Not “Reset” - that only resets individual settings and leaves your data on the device.
3. The iPhone shows what will be deleted. Tap Continue and enter your passcode.
4. If you use an eSIM: Select Delete eSIM when the iPhone is being sold. Transfer your number to the new device through your provider. Simply remove a physical SIM card at the end.
5. If you are asked for your Apple Account password again, enter it - this permanently removes Activation Lock.
6. Tap Erase iPhone.

The iPhone restarts and, after a few minutes, displays the “Hello” screen in several languages. Do not set anything up here - leave it as it is. Now remove the SIM card.

Step 6: Check Activation Lock

One final remote check shows that the iPhone is no longer linked to your account:

1. Open on another device account.apple.com and sign in.
2. Open Devices.
3. If the iPhone still appears there, select it and click Remove from Account.

If the iPhone no longer appears in the list, Activation Lock has been removed. The device is ready for sale.

Resetting iPad for sale

The process is the same on iPad as on iPhone, just without Apple Watch and iMessage concerns. The four steps that matter:

1. Backup: Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now.
2. Sign out: Settings → your name → Sign Out at the very bottom, enter your Apple Account password, and deactivate “Find My iPad”.
3. Erase: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPad → Erase All Content & Settings, then confirm with your passcode. For a Cellular model, remove the SIM card or delete the eSIM.
4. Check: On account.apple.com, under “Devices”, check that the iPad is no longer listed.

A paired Apple Pencil or Magic Keyboard does not need to be disconnected separately - pairing is removed when the device is erased.

Resetting MacBook, iMac, Mac mini & Mac Studio for sale

The same applies to Mac: first sign out of the Apple Account, then erase it. Otherwise, Activation Lock remains active on Macs with Apple Silicon or a T2 chip.

1. Create a backup

The easiest way is with Time Machine to an external hard drive (System Settings → General → Time Machine). How to transfer the data to a new Mac afterward is explained in the guide to transferring data to a new Mac.

2. Sign out of the Apple Account

1. Open the Apple menu  → System Settings and click your name at the top of the sidebar.
2. Scroll down and click Sign Out.
3. When asked whether copies of your data should be kept: keep nothing - you are about to delete everything anyway.
4. Enter your Apple Account password. This turns off «Find My» and removes Activation Lock.

3. Erase All Content and Settings

Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 and newer) or a T2 chip (Intel from 2018), macOS Monterey or newer:

1. Open System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset (on Monterey: System Settings → «System Settings» menu → Erase All Content & Settings).
2. Click Erase All Content & Settings and enter your administrator password.
3. The Erase Assistant shows what will be removed. Follow the steps until the restart.

Older Intel Macs without a T2 chip (2017 and older):

1. Restart the Mac and immediately hold down ⌘ + R until the Apple logo appears.
2. Open Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD, and click Erase (Format: APFS or Mac OS Extended, as suggested).
3. Close Disk Utility and select Reinstall macOS.

After restarting, the Setup Assistant («Hello») appears. Do not set anything up here; instead, shut down the Mac with ⌘ + Q - this keeps it in its factory state.

4. Check Activation Lock

Check under «Devices» on account.apple.com that the Mac is no longer listed. If it is, select it and click Remove from Account.

And if you forget something?

At Revendo, every purchased device is additionally erased according to the NIST 800-88 standard before being resold or recycled - the erasure certificate is always included and free of charge. So a forgotten photo is not a risk. However, we cannot bypass an active Activation Lock: a locked device is returned to you free of charge, and you complete the sign-out afterward. That's why the one step that really matters is signing out.

Frequently asked questions

Reset or “Erase All Content and Settings” - what's the difference?

“Reset” only restores individual areas, such as network settings or the Home Screen - your photos, messages, and accounts remain on the device. To sell it, you need “Erase All Content and Settings”. Only this resets the device completely to factory settings.

I don't remember my Apple Account password. What now?

Reset it at iforgot.apple.com or directly on the iPhone under Settings → your name → Sign-In & Security → Change Password. Without the password, Activation Lock cannot be removed, and a locked device cannot be sold.

The iPhone asks for a Screen Time passcode when erasing the device.

This is the four-digit code from Settings → Screen Time, not your passcode. Forgot it? Under Screen Time → Change Screen Time Passcode → Forgot Passcode?, you can reset it using your Apple Account.

Do I need to remove the SIM card?

Yes, a physical SIM belongs to you and your provider, not the buyer. Remove it after erasing the device. You erase an eSIM directly during the erasure process and have your provider transfer it to the new device.

Do I really need to erase the device before sending it in?

Yes, please. For one thing, it protects your data in transit; for another, we cannot buy a device with an active Activation Lock. Erasing itself takes a few minutes; the time is spent on the backup.

How long does the whole process take?

Backup: 10 minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of data. Sign out and erase: around 10 to 15 minutes. It's best to start the backup the evening before.

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