Selling & ownership

Before you sell your iPhone, Android phone or Mac: the checklist that stops the buyer getting locked out

Erasing a device isn't always enough. Here are the steps Apple, Google and Samsung give for handing over a device cleanly, and what to do if you have already sold it and forgot.

By the OwnVouch team16 Sep 20268 min read

Quick answer: Before you hand over a device, remove it from your account, not just your data. On an iPhone, unpair any Apple Watch, back up, sign out, then use Erase All Content and Settings, which Apple says turns off Find My and Activation Lock. On Android, remove your Google Account (and Samsung account) before a factory reset so the buyer isn't blocked by Factory Reset Protection. On a Mac, use Erase All Content and Settings where available. Then take out the SIM and keep a record of the sale.

Why a simple reset isn't always enough

Phones and Macs are built to be useless to thieves. That protection is tied to your account, and it can't tell a thief from a buyer.

iPhone, iPad and Mac: while Find My is on, Activation Lock asks for your Apple Account password or device passcode before anyone can turn off Find My, erase, reactivate or use the device.
Android: Google explains that if a protected phone is reset, the person setting it up must unlock it with the old screen lock or sign in with the Google Account that was on it. If they can't, Google says they won't be able to use the device at all.

Skip these steps and the buyer ends up with a locked device. The buyer's side of that story is covered in iPhone locked to previous owner and used Android asking for the previous owner's Google account.

iPhone or iPad

These steps follow Apple's guide on what to do before you sell, give away or trade in an iPhone or iPad.

Back up to iCloud or your computer.
Unpair your Apple Watch if one is paired. In the Watch app on your iPhone, go to All Watches, tap the info button next to the watch and choose Unpair. Apple says unpairing erases the watch and removes Activation Lock. If you are selling the watch too and it has a cellular plan, choose to remove the plan.
Deal with AppleCare if you have a plan. Apple says you can cancel it or transfer it to the new owner.
Sign out. Go to Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap Sign Out. The exact prompts depend on your iOS version. If you are moving to a non-Apple phone, also deregister iMessage.
Erase. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, and enter your passcode or Apple Account password if asked. Apple says that erasing turns off Find My and Activation Lock.
eSIM: if the phone uses an eSIM, Apple says to choose the option to erase the device and the eSIM profile when asked.
Remove the physical SIM card. If you don't use a SIM card, Apple suggests contacting your carrier about transferring service to the new owner.
Remove the old device from your Apple Account's list of trusted devices.

At handover, the phone should show the setup screen, ready for the buyer's own Apple Account.

Android phones, including Samsung

Back up. Google notes that a factory reset erases your data; data stored in your Google Account can be restored, but apps and their data are uninstalled. Samsung suggests Smart Switch for backing up a Galaxy phone.
Remove your Google Account. Google says Factory Reset Protection is turned off by removing your Google Account from the device. Google's steps: open Settings, tap Passwords & accounts (on some phones it is called Users & accounts or Manage accounts), tap the account and choose Remove account. If it is the only Google Account, you will be asked for your PIN, pattern or password. On a Galaxy phone, Samsung gives the path as Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts. Repeat for every Google Account on the phone.
Remove your Samsung account on a Galaxy phone, from the same Manage accounts screen.
Changed your Google password recently? Google says to wait 24 hours after resetting your Google Account password before doing a factory reset.
Factory reset. On a Galaxy phone, Samsung's path is Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset. Other brands vary; Google recommends checking your manufacturer's support site. Google suggests charging to at least 70% first, as a reset can take up to an hour.
Take out the SIM and any memory card. Samsung specifically advises removing the SD card when selling or transferring a device.

Mac

Back up your files, or transfer them to your new Mac.
AppleCare: as with iPhone, Apple says you can cancel the plan or transfer it to the new owner.
If your Mac supports it, use Erase All Content and Settings. Apple says this needs macOS Monterey 12 or later on a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings, and follow the prompts for your login password and Apple Account password. Apple notes this signs you out of Apple services.
Leave it at the setup screen. After the Mac restarts, Apple says that if you are selling it and want it in an out-of-box state, don't go through the setup assistant; press and hold the power button until it turns off.
Older Macs that can't use that feature need Apple's manual steps: sign out of iCloud and Messages, deauthorise the computer in iTunes if it runs macOS Mojave or earlier, unpair Bluetooth accessories you are keeping, then erase the disk and reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery. On an Intel Mac, Apple also suggests resetting NVRAM. To turn off Activation Lock on a Mac manually, Apple's path is System Settings > your name > iCloud, then turn off Find My Mac.

If you have already sold it and forgot

Apple devices: Apple's iCloud guide says to go to icloud.com/find, select the device and erase it. Because it isn't lost, don't enter a phone number or message. Once it has been erased, choose Remove This Device. Apple says Activation Lock is then removed, so the new owner can activate it. Apple also suggests removing it from your trusted devices and changing your Apple Account password.
Android: Google's account help lets you see where your Google Account is signed in (myaccount.google.com, then Security & sign-in, then Manage all devices under Your devices) and sign out of a device remotely. That protects your account. If the buyer's phone has already been reset and is asking for your Google Account during setup, the reliable fix is to contact them and sign in on the phone yourself, then remove your account.

Handover checklist at a glance

Step	iPhone	Android	Mac
Back up	iCloud or computer	Google Account, Smart Switch on Galaxy	Backup or transfer to new Mac
Accessories	Unpair Apple Watch	Remove SD card	Unpair Bluetooth accessories you keep
Accounts	Sign out of Apple Account	Remove Google (and Samsung) account	Signed out by Erase All Content and Settings, or manually
Lock off	Erasing turns off Find My and Activation Lock	Removing the Google Account turns off Factory Reset Protection	Erase, or turn off Find My Mac
Erase	Erase All Content and Settings	Factory data reset	Erase All Content and Settings or Recovery
SIM	Remove SIM; erase the eSIM profile	Remove SIM	Not applicable
Record	Receipt with IMEI, serial, date, price, names	Receipt with IMEI, date, price, names	Receipt with serial, date, price, names

Keep proof of the sale

Once the device leaves your hands, you want a record that it left. Lawyers writing for sellers in India commonly suggest a short receipt signed by both parties, and keeping your original bill and IMEI details. What to include, and how to take payment safely, is covered in selling a used phone privately.

Where OwnVouch fits

OwnVouch doesn't sign you out of anything and can't remove Activation Lock or Factory Reset Protection. Only the steps above, done by you on the device, do that.

What it can add is a clean record of the handover. In the OwnVouch app, which is in closed beta (you can request a place), the record only moves to the buyer when you both confirm on your own phones, watching each other. The Certificate is then reissued to the new holder. You both keep a timestamped record that each of you confirmed, which can help as evidence if questions come up later, though it isn't a legal sale agreement. Buyers can also check a serial or IMEI on the free public lookup, which never shows your identity.