Planning to sell your old Android device? That’s a good idea because it can be used as a subsidy to purchase a new mobile phone. Also, you can donate or take it to the recycling bin. Anyway, it is crucial to deal with your Android data, since there is much private information.
Therefore, we are going to show you the overall guide on how to delete everything on your Android before selling. Follow this guide, and you can sell your old Android phone or tablet without data leakage.
Vital Steps on how to delete everything on Android
Here are 4 necessary steps in total. They will tell you the detailed operation.
1. Back up Android data
Above all, you’d better back up the Android data, which can protect your data from losing. Furthermore, it is convenient to restore the data to your new smartphone.
Way 1: Back up data on Android with a Google account
In general, you can directly back up files to Google Drive on the Settings app, including contacts, photos, SMS, settings, and more. That means you don’t have to download Google Drive on your phone.
Here’s how: You can go to Settings > Account and backup > Backup and restore, and turn on Back up my data. Next, click Backup account to type your Google account. It will automatically sync your Android data to your Google account.
Way 2: Back up Android data to a computer
Besides, you can transfer your Android files to your computer for backup. However, you cannot directly export your contacts, text messages, and call logs in this way.
Here’s how: To transfer Android files to the computer, you can link your mobile device to the PC with a data cable. After establishing the connection, you can go to This PC, and access your Android device. Then drag and drop your Android files to the computer manually. By the way, for Mac users, please install Android File Transfer in advance.
2. Take out your cards
Have you finished the backup? If yes, you can now go to the next step – take out your SIM and micro memory card. Please use a pin or paper clip to take the card tray out, and then you can remove both your cards. Next, you can put them into a small box or any other secure place. After you get your new phone, you can install them immediately.
3. Completely delete everything on Android
At present, it is high time to delete everything on your Android handset. There are 2 ways for your reference. The first one is to use a professional Android eraser program, and the second one is to manually delete all the Android data. Please learn more about them below.
Way 1: Permanently delete everything on Android with 1 click
Want to delete everything on your Android before selling without a hitch? MobiKin Eraser for Android helps you out. It can permanently erase all kinds of data types on Android at once, including accounts, settings, passwords, contacts, media files, etc. Whether they are existing files or deleted files, it can wipe them thoroughly.
In addition, it has 3 security levels. The High Level is the safest option, which will overwrite your Android data 3 times. In a nutshell, it is impossible to recover your data after erasing.
Here’s how: To begin with, please download and install this software on your computer. Then connect your Android device to the computer with a USB cable, and enable USB debugging on Android. After that, click Erase and Medium to select a level. Enter the delete word, and click OK to confirm your action. Next, it will start to erase your Android data.
Way 2: Manually delete everything on Android
If you prefer to delete Android files manually, you can get help in this section. However, please note that the whole process is time-consuming, so that you’d better start the deletion when you are free.
Remove accounts
Although you have uninstalled your cards, it doesn’t mean that others cannot access your accounts on the phone. If you forget to delete your accounts, it is easy to view your information and alter your settings. To remove your accounts on Android, you can go to Settings, and choose Accounts and backup. Then tap on Manage accounts, and delete your accounts one by one.
Factory reset the Android device
After that, you can perform a factory reset on your Android device. Open the Settings app, and click General management. Then hit Reset > Factory data reset > Reset, enter your PIN, and tap Delete all. It will delete everything from your mobile device. Using the factory reset feature can delete your photos, videos, audios, apps, and more, but it is possible to recover the deleted files with recovery software. Hence, you need to complete the third step in the following.
Overwrite the deleted files with junk files
Once you perform a factory reset on Android, it will eliminate almost all existing data, but will not wipe the deleted data. In this case, you can overwrite them with junk data. For instance, you can download large videos on your phone until the storage space is full. Subsequently, please perform a factory reset again. After finished, it will be difficult to recover your important data from this Android device.
Wrapping Up
It is easy to delete everything on your Android before selling. But if you want to delete everything without recovery, please follow the guide mentioned above. It can protect your information and make a safe transaction. Thanks for reading.
