Trade-In Prep Checklist: Get Your Old Phone Ready Before You Send It In
Most trade-in problems aren't about the phone's condition — they're about a step someone forgot before they sent it in. A locked device, a phone still signed into someone's iCloud, or data nobody backed up can turn what should be a five-minute process into a rejected trade-in and a stressful phone call. Here's the order to do things in, and why each step actually matters.
1. Back up everything first
Before you touch any settings, get your photos, contacts, messages and app data somewhere safe. On iPhone that's iCloud Backup or a computer via Finder/iTunes; on Android it's your Google Account backup, or manually copying what matters. Do this first — every step after this one makes the data on the phone harder to get back.
2. Sign out of Find My iPhone / Find My Device
This is the step that causes the most rejected trade-ins, so it gets its own heading. If Find My iPhone (or Find My Device on Android) is still switched on and signed in, the phone is locked to your Apple ID or Google account even after a factory reset — which means nobody, including us, can activate it. Go to Settings, tap your name, then Find My, and turn it off. On Android it's Settings > Google > Find My Device. If you don't remember your password, do this before you forget it, not after.
3. Remove your SIM card and any memory card
Obvious once you think about it, easy to forget in the moment. Pop the SIM out (you'll want it for your new phone anyway), and if there's a microSD card in there, take that too.
4. Factory reset the device
Once you've backed up and signed out of your accounts, do a full factory reset — on iPhone that's Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. On Android it's usually under Settings > System > Reset options. This wipes your personal data completely; it doesn't just log you out, it removes it from the device.
5. Gather whatever came with it
Original box, charger, cable — none of it is required, but if you kept it, bringing it along can genuinely improve what you're offered, since it affects how the device is graded and resold.
6. Check the IMEI isn't blacklisted
If the phone was ever reported lost or stolen, or has an unpaid finance balance attached to it, it'll show up on an IMEI check and won't be accepted for trade-in. Worth checking before you make the trip, not after. Dial *#06# on almost any phone to find the IMEI, then run it through a free checker online.
7. Bring ID
Most trade-in processes, ours included, need a valid photo ID to complete — driver's licence or passport is fine. It's a standard anti-theft measure across the industry, not just us.
Do these seven things in order and the actual trade-in takes minutes. Skip step two and it can take days to sort out, if it can be sorted out at all — so if you only remember one thing from this list, make it that one.