How to Factory Reset iPhone, Android, and MacBook Before Selling: The Complete Guide

Why a Proper Factory Reset Matters More Than You Think

Every year, thousands of people sell or donate their old smartphones and laptops without properly wiping them — and every year, personal photos, banking apps, email accounts, and contacts end up in strangers' hands. A proper factory reset is not just about deleting your files. It is about removing your accounts, disabling device locks that would render the device useless to the next owner, and ensuring that every trace of your digital life is gone. The most critical issue that sellers overlook is account lock — Apple's Activation Lock and Google's Factory Reset Protection (FRP) can make a device completely unusable if accounts are not removed before the reset. This guide covers everything you need to do, in the right order, before handing over any device.

The Pre-Reset Checklist: Do This Before Anything Else

Before you initiate any reset, complete this checklist:

• Back up your photos and videos to Google Photos, iCloud, or a computer. Once you reset, they are gone.
• Back up your contacts — sync to Google or iCloud if not already done.
• Note your serial number and IMEI — photograph the Settings screen or dial *#06# before resetting. You may need this for warranty or insurance purposes.
• Cancel subscriptions tied to this device — Apple subscriptions are tied to your Apple ID, not the device, but check for any app-specific subscriptions.
• Remove your SIM card — this is easy to forget and your SIM is not wiped with the device reset.
• Transfer authentication apps — if you use Google Authenticator or Authy, export your 2FA codes to your new device first or you may lose access to accounts.

How to Factory Reset an iPhone Step by Step

The most important step for iPhones comes before the actual reset: removing your Apple ID and disabling Find My iPhone. If you skip this, the buyer will receive a device locked to your iCloud account — it will be completely unusable to them and you will likely get it returned or face a dispute.

Step 1 — Remove your Apple ID: Go to Settings > tap your name at the top > scroll to the bottom > tap Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted. Choose whether to keep a copy of your data on the device (it will be erased anyway, but this gives you one last chance to sync). Tap Sign Out and confirm. Find My iPhone is now disabled.

Step 2 — Unpair Apple Watch if applicable (Settings > Bluetooth, then tap the i next to your Watch and unpair).

Step 3 — Erase the device: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. iOS will prompt you to back up to iCloud one final time. Proceed through the confirmation screens. The device will erase and restart to the "Hello" setup screen — exactly what the new owner needs to see.

On iOS 15.2 and later, you can also erase directly from the lock screen if you have forgotten the passcode, using the "Erase iPhone" option after multiple failed attempts. Note that for devices running iOS 17+, there is an option to erase via Settings directly even if you do not know the passcode, using your Apple ID credentials — useful if you are preparing a device for resale without physical access to the unlocked screen.

How to Factory Reset an Android Phone

Android resets vary slightly by manufacturer, but the critical universal rule is: remove your Google account BEFORE performing the reset. Android's Factory Reset Protection (FRP) is activated when a Google account is associated with a device. If you reset without removing the account, the phone will demand the original Google account credentials on first boot after reset — completely locking out the new owner.

Remove Google Account first: Settings > Accounts (or Accounts and Backup on Samsung) > Google > select your account > Remove Account. Confirm removal.

On Samsung Galaxy: Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory Data Reset > Reset > Delete All. Samsung phones may also offer a "Remove Samsung Account" prompt — complete this too.

On OnePlus / OxygenOS: Settings > System > Reset Options > Erase All Data (Factory Reset).

On Xiaomi / MIUI: Settings > About Phone > Factory Reset. Note that Xiaomi's MI Account is separate from Google — remove both before resetting.

On stock Android (Pixel, etc.): Settings > System > Reset Options > Erase All Data (Factory Reset).

After the reset completes, the phone will boot to the initial setup wizard. Test it by going through the first few setup steps to confirm no account lock appears before handing it over.

How to Factory Reset a MacBook

The process differs significantly depending on whether your MacBook uses Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 — released from late 2020 onwards) or Intel.

For Apple Silicon MacBooks (M-series): Sign out of iCloud first (System Settings > Apple ID > Sign Out). Then go to System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. This is the cleanest method and handles everything including Activation Lock removal in one step. The Mac will restart to a clean state.

For Intel MacBooks (pre-2020): Sign out of iCloud (System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview > Sign Out). Then restart and hold Command + R immediately to enter Recovery Mode. Once in Recovery Mode, go to Utilities > Disk Utility > select Macintosh HD > Erase (format as APFS). Then close Disk Utility and select Reinstall macOS from the Recovery menu. This fully reinstalls the operating system on a clean drive.

After either process, the Mac will present the initial setup assistant — the new owner's starting point.

How to Factory Reset a Windows Laptop

Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC. You will be given two options: Keep my files (reinstalls Windows but keeps personal files — use this if you are troubleshooting, not selling) and Remove everything (use this before selling). Choose Remove Everything, then select whether to do a local reinstall (faster) or cloud download (downloads a fresh Windows image — recommended for selling as it ensures a clean OS). Windows 11 also offers an option to "Clean data" which performs additional passes to make data recovery harder — enable this for maximum security before selling.

Factory Resetting Smart TVs

Samsung: Settings > General > Reset. LG: Settings > General > Reset to Initial Settings. Sony Bravia: Settings > Device Preferences > Reset. Remember to remove your streaming service accounts (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) from the TV apps manually before resetting, as some smart TV resets do not reliably log out of all streaming apps.

Wiping Gaming Consoles Before Sale

PS5: Settings > System > System Software > Reset Options > Reset Your Console. This deactivates the console as your primary and wipes all data. Xbox: Settings > System > Console info > Reset console > Reset and remove everything. Both consoles will ask you to confirm removal of your account from the console during the process.

What Data Actually Remains After a Factory Reset?

A common misconception is that factory reset data is trivially recoverable with forensic tools. On modern devices with full-device encryption (all iPhones since iPhone 3GS, all Android phones running Android 6+ by default, all MacBooks with T2 chip or Apple Silicon), a factory reset destroys the encryption keys, rendering all remaining data cryptographically unrecoverable even with professional forensic tools. The data physically remains on the storage but cannot be decoded. This is why proper factory reset on modern devices provides genuine, reliable data protection — the encryption architecture makes recovery essentially impossible.

How NextBuy Handles Refurbishment and Data Wiping

When NextBuy sources devices for refurbishment, every device undergoes a certified data destruction process that meets industry standards, including multiple overwrite passes on non-encrypted storage and cryptographic key destruction on encrypted devices. Each device is verified clean before inspection, refurbishment, and resale. When you sell your device to NextBuy or buy a refurbished device from NextBuy, you can be confident that data hygiene has been handled professionally at every step.

Conclusion

A proper factory reset is a 10-minute process that protects your privacy, ensures the next owner gets a fully functional device, and prevents the frustration of account-locked paperweights. Follow the steps in this guide in order — removing accounts first is non-negotiable — and you will hand over your device with complete confidence that your personal data is gone for good.