{"id":72040,"date":"2021-08-09T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=72040"},"modified":"2021-07-26T17:32:15","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T21:32:15","slug":"how-to-securely-wipe-your-computer-phone-or-tablet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/how-to-securely-wipe-your-computer-phone-or-tablet\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Securely Wipe Your Computer, Phone, or Tablet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re selling, donating, or gifting an old device like a phone, tablet, or computer, it\u2019s a good idea to wipe all your personal data first. Not only does erasing give the recipient an almost brand-new device, but it\u2019s infinitely safer for your own privacy and security. This is far more than just \u201clogging out.\u201d It\u2019s removing all traces of your ownership from the device.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s how to securely wipe your device\u00a0<\/span>\u2014\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">whether it&#8217;s a computer, phone, or tablet.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>First, back up your files<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-72041 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Back-Up-Your-Files.jpg\" alt=\"Back Up Your Files - How To Wipe Your Device - 42West, Adorama\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Back-Up-Your-Files.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Back-Up-Your-Files-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Back-Up-Your-Files-120x90.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you wipe your device, you won\u2019t be able to access any of its files. That means you\u2019re erasing all the photos, videos, documents, and everything else on there. Of course, that\u2019s the point of the reset process. Make sure you double and then triple-check that you saved everything you may want on a separate device, or to the cloud. Ideally, you\u2019ll save those important files to both.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your cell phone or tablet has an SD card (most don\u2019t) remember to remove it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Securely wiping Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, touch)<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-72042 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Apple-iOS-devices-iPhone-iPad-touch.jpg\" alt=\"Securely wiping Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, touch) - 42West, Adorama\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Apple-iOS-devices-iPhone-iPad-touch.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Apple-iOS-devices-iPhone-iPad-touch-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After you\u2019ve backed up your files, unpair your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/l\/Home-Electronics\/Wearable-Tech\/Apple~Smart-Watches\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apple Watch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if you have one. Then, sign out of iCloud and the App Store. You can do this on recent Apple devices by going to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Settings<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, then to your name, then scroll down until you find <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sign Out.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Return to the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Settings <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">menu, and go to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">General<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &gt; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reset<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &gt; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erase All Content<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and Settings<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you have a newer device that uses an eSIM, you\u2019ll be asked to erase your eSIM profile as well (which you should).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enter your password when asked, then hit <\/span><em>Erase<\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Securely wiping MacOS (Macs, Macbooks)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After you back up your files, it\u2019s time to deauthorize iTunes or log out of iCloud, depending what version of Mac OS your computer is using. You can find these either in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Account <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">menu or the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apple <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">menu under <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">System Preferences<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You may also need to log out of iMessage, which you can find under <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Messages <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and then <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preferences<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, turn off your computer. Then, boot it back up while pressing and holding the keys \u201cOption,\u201d \u201cCommand,\u201d \u201cP,\u201d and \u201cR\u201d all at the same time. Hold these for at least 20 seconds. At this point, you can unpair any Bluetooth devices. If you\u2019re selling or giving the computer to someone who doesn\u2019t live with you, you don\u2019t need to worry about Bluetooth unpairing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turn off your computer again, then boot it back up while pressing and holding Command and \u201cR\u201d until you see the Apple or other logo. In the utilities menu that appears, select <em>Disk Utility<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Select <em>Macintosh HD<\/em> from the menu on the left. Enter the name of the hard drive (if it\u2019s not already there), and then <em>Erase Volume Group<\/em>. If that\u2019s not listed, just <em>Erase<\/em>. If there are any other volumes on the left sidebar, delete them as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may have already performed the main erase. If so, you can now ignore any new volumes labeled Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD &#8211; Data. You can also ignore any volumes in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">External <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disk Images<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sections of the sidebar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quit <em>Disk Utility<\/em> to return to the menu utilities screen. Select <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reinstall MacOS<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Securely wiping Android devices (phones and tablets)<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-72043 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Android-devices-phones-and-tablets.jpg\" alt=\"Securely wiping Android devices (phones and tablets) - 42West, Adorama\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Android-devices-phones-and-tablets.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Android-devices-phones-and-tablets-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s some variation between different Android phones and tablets and different versions of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.android.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Android<\/a> operating system. However, it\u2019s fairly easy with most devices. Simply go to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Settings<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which you can usually find by swiping down from the top twice and selecting the little cog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">System<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, select <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reset options<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &gt; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erase all data<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (factory reset).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If this resetting process doesn\u2019t work, google the model of your phone and \u201cfactory reset\u201d or \u201cfactory data reset,\u201d because you\u2019ll need phone-specific steps to return to your mobile device\u2019s factory settings.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Securely wiping Microsoft Windows (desktop and laptop)<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-72044 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Microsoft-Windows-desktop-and-laptop.jpg\" alt=\"Securely wiping Microsoft Windows (desktop and laptop) - 42West, Adorama\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Microsoft-Windows-desktop-and-laptop.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Securely-wiping-Microsoft-Windows-desktop-and-laptop-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">menu, then click to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Settings<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 the little cog in the lower left. In this new window, look for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Update &amp; Security<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. From here go to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recovery <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&gt; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get Started<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (under <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reset this PC<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). You\u2019ll want to choose the option that does not save your files, so make sure you\u2019ve backed up everything you want to save.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re selling, donating, or gifting an old device like a phone, tablet, or computer, it\u2019s a good idea to wipe all your personal data first. Not only does erasing give the recipient an almost brand-new device, but it\u2019s infinitely safer for your own privacy and security. This is far more than just \u201clogging out.\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11111164,"featured_media":72045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[639,646],"tags":[425,11017,1962,282],"class_list":["post-72040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to","category-tech","tag-computer-425","tag-security","tag-smart-phone-1962","tag-tablets-282"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How To Securely Wipe Your Device (Computer, Phone, or Tablet)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re selling, donating, or gifting an old device like a phone, tablet, or computer, it\u2019s a good idea to wipe your device of all personal data first.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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