Selling a phone or laptop checklist
Do the reset last, not first. Everything on this list before it exists to make sure the reset is the one step you can't undo.
15 items
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The items
- Backup taken and verified before anything else is touchedThe one step that makes the rest of this list reversible if something goes wrong.
- Price checked across a couple of marketplaces before listingThe same model varies more between sites than most sellers expect.
- Photos taken of the actual device, not a stock imageBuyers trust a listing with real marks and real scratches over one that looks copy-pasted.
- Storage capacity double-checked against what's actually being advertised
- Screen and battery health checked and disclosed honestlyA buyer who finds an undisclosed problem after paying is a returned sale and a bad review.
- Payment agreed and cleared in your account before handing the device overNot a screenshot, not a promise — the money actually arrived and settled.
- Signed out of Apple ID, Google or Microsoft accountDo this before the reset — a device reset while still signed in can end up locked to the previous owner.
- Find My device or Activation Lock turned offSkip this and the buyer gets a device permanently tied to your account — close to worthless to them.
- Messages and two-factor codes moved to another device firstConfirm nothing important is still landing here before it's wiped.
- SIM and any memory card removed
- IMEI or serial number noted for your own recordsUseful if the device is later reported lost or stolen and the sale needs proving.
- Paired accessories unlinkedA watch, earbuds or a trade-in account tied to the device — unpair or remove them before it changes hands.
- Case, cables and original box included or clearly listed as not included
- Factory reset performed last, once everything above is confirmedThis is the step nothing on this list is protecting against being undone — do it last on purpose.
- Reset confirmed by turning the device back on and seeing the fresh setup screenProof the wipe actually took, rather than assuming it did.
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- What happens if I forget to turn off Find My or Activation Lock?
- The buyer gets a device permanently locked to your account, which is close to unsellable and the single most common complaint in second-hand device sales.
- Should I reset the device before or after agreeing a sale?
- After payment has actually cleared, not just been promised. Reset it and hand it over once the money is confirmed in your account, not on the strength of a message.
- Is a factory reset enough to remove my data?
- On a modern phone or laptop with encryption turned on, yes. Confirm encryption was on beforehand — it's what makes a factory reset actually final rather than reversible.