Asked by: Jelloul Mehlem
technology and computing cameras and camcorders

How do you wipe a cell phone clean?

Last Updated: 30th December, 2021

22
If you want to wipe it completely, the following suggestions are a starting point:
  1. Back up the device before any procedure.
  2. Download a remote wiping app.
  3. Clear the internal memory.
  4. Follow the manual factory reset instructions.
  5. Get software that – among other things – includes a SIM card lock.

Click to see full answer.

Similarly, how do I wipe my Android phone clean?

To wipe your stock Android device, head to the "Backup & reset" section of your Settings app and tap the option to for "Factory Data Reset." The wiping process will take some time, but once it's finished, your Android will reboot and you will see the same welcome screen you saw the first time you booted it up.

One may also ask, how do I wipe my phone for someone else? Follow these steps:

  1. If you paired an Apple Watch with your iPhone, unpair your Apple Watch.
  2. Back up your device.
  3. Sign out of iCloud and the iTunes & App Store.
  4. Go back to Settings and tap General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
  5. If asked for your device passcode or Restrictions passcode, enter it.

Subsequently, one may also ask, how do I wipe my phone before selling it?

How to wipe your Android device before selling it

  1. Go to Settings and tap on “Lock Screen and Security”
  2. Select Screen lock type.
  3. Remove your Google Account from the phone (Go to Settings -> Clouds and Accounts -> Accounts and remove your account from here).
  4. Go to Settings and select Backup and Reset.

How do you reset your Android phone?

Factory reset your Android phone from the Settings menu

  1. In the Settings menu, find Backup & reset, then tap Factory data reset and Reset phone.
  2. You'll be prompted to enter your passcode and then to Erase everything.
  3. Once that is done, select the option to reboot your phone.
  4. Then, you can restore your phone's data.

Related Question Answers

Dorte Mahamud

Professional

Does removing the SIM card erase memory?

Smartphones usually have at least two stores of memory: a SIM card, and the phone's internal memory. Many phones also have additional data stored on removable SD Card media. Removing the SIM card stops the phone from communicating with the network, but doesn't erase the email and contact lists already on the phone.

Melisa De Hija

Professional

Will a factory reset delete everything on my phone?

Factory Reset does NOT delete all data
When you factory reset your Android phone, even though your phone system becomes factory new, but some of the old Personal information is not deleted. This information is actually “marked as deleted” and hidden so you can't see it at a glance.

Saimon Jolene

Explainer

How do I clear data from my Samsung phone?

Simultaneously press and hold the power button + volume up button + home key until the Samsung logo appears, then release only the power button. Release the volume up button and home key when the recovery screen appears. From the Android system recovery screen, select wipe data/factory reset.

Mayra Sansano

Explainer

How do I completely wipe my Samsung phone?

The steps are similar for most Android devices, but some manufacturers like to be different. On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory data reset and then tap Reset device. On a Huawei phone, go to Settings > System > Reset > Factory data reset and then tap Reset Phone.

Fonda Sauter

Explainer

How do I delete everything on my Samsung phone?

Under "Personal data," tap Factory data reset. Read the information and then tap Reset phone. If you have a screen lock, you'll need to enter your pattern, PIN, or password. When prompted, tap Erase everything to erase all data from your device's internal storage.

Tianna Hernangomez

Pundit

Can data be recovered after factory reset?

yes, data can be recovered after the factory data reset. step-2: you have to run this program and connect the android phone with your laptop or computer. step-3: scan with this software and preview that what data do you need. YES, you can use data recovery tools to recover them.

Ronal Velardi

Pundit

Is it safe to sell mobile phone?

Every phone, whether it be an iPhone or Android device, lets you perform a factory reset. It's a way to wipe the device's memory clean of installed apps, photos, videos, email accounts, Yes, it's safe to sell your old cell phone. But ensure you take proper safety measures.

Haijuan Ianniel

Pundit

Does factory reset delete photos?

Regardless of whether you use a Blackberry, Android, iPhone or Windows phone, any photos or personal data will be irretrievably lost during a factory reset. You can't get it back unless you have it backed up first. That said, the effect of wiping all the data on a phone is sometimes helpful.

Sisinio Falzone

Pundit

Is factory reset enough?

The standard answer is a factory reset, which wipes the memory and restores the phone's setting, but there's a growing body of evidence that, for Android phones at least, the factory reset isn't enough.

Gulshan Blechschmidt

Pundit

How do I delete all data from my Samsung?

How to delete all content on my Samsung Galaxy S III
  1. Touch Apps.
  2. Scroll to and touch Settings.
  3. Scroll to and touch Back up and reset.
  4. Touch Factory data reset.
  5. Touch Reset device.
  6. Touch Erase everything.
  7. The phone will reboot.

Nath Mahboub

Teacher

How do you permanently erase data so that it Cannot be recovered?

How to Permanently Erase Data So That It Cannot be Recovered
  1. Setting up CCleaner to shred confidential data. Run CCleaner -> options -> settings: Ensure "Add Run CCleaner option to recycle bin context menu is checked.
  2. Setting up Eraser to shred confidential data.
  3. Step 1 Password Protect the document.
  4. Step 2 Erase the document.
  5. Conclusion.

Arsen Pizano

Teacher

How do you erase your data so no one can ever recover it?

To make sure that a single file can't be recovered, you can use a “file-shredding” application such as Eraser to delete it. When a file is shredded or erased, not only is it deleted, but its data is overwritten entirely, preventing other people from recovering it.

Ghassan Goerg

Teacher

How do I permanently delete data from my phone?

Go to Settings > Backup & reset. Tap Factory data reset. On the next screen, tick the box marked Erase phone data. You can also choose to remove data from the memory card on some phones - so be careful what button you tap on.

Pencho Chimborazo

Reviewer

What happens to deleted files in Android?

In fact, when you delete a file on the Android phone, it will not be deleted permanently. It is still stored in the phone's internal memory, and the space it used will be marked as readable. So when a file space is deleted, new data is able to use its space at any time, and then, overwrite the deleted data.

Ouahiba Tchalykh

Reviewer

How do I permanently delete files without recovery?

How to Permanently Delete Files from Computer Without Recovery
  1. Step 1: Install and launch EaseUS Partition Master. Select the HDD or SSD which you want to wipe.
  2. Step 2: Set the number of times to wipe data. You can set to 10 at most.
  3. Step 3: Check the message.
  4. Step 4: Click "Apply" to apply the changes.

Claudino Servia

Reviewer

How do I wipe my android with power button?

Hold down the Power button and tap Volume Up. You'll see the Android system recovery menu appear at the top of your screen. Select wipe data / factory reset with the volume keys and tap the Power button to activate it. Select Yes – erase all user data with the volume buttons and tap Power.

Narimane Hitrenko

Reviewer

How do you permanently delete pictures from Gallery?

Method 1: Directly Deleted Android Photos from Gallery (Insecure)
  1. Tap on Menu and open Gallery app.
  2. If you were erasing a single photo then tap on that picture from the Gallery and simply hit the "Delete" icon on the bottom right corner and confirm it.

Rafayel Jedlicka

Supporter

How do I permanently delete photos from my Android without deleting them?

Step 2: Delete a photo or video
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
  2. Sign in to your Google Account.
  3. At the top left, tap Menu. Device folders.
  4. Open your SD card folder.
  5. Select the item you want to delete from your SD card.
  6. Tap Trash. Move to trash.
  7. Tap Allow. Allow.

Elizabel Ruep

Supporter

How do I clear my phone to sell it?

How to wipe your Android device before selling it
  1. Go to Settings and tap on “Lock Screen and Security”
  2. Select Screen lock type.
  3. Remove your Google Account from the phone (Go to Settings -> Clouds and Accounts -> Accounts and remove your account from here).
  4. Go to Settings and select Backup and Reset.

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ContextResponse Staff Editor

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30th December, 2021

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