How to prepare your iPhone before you sell or trade it in

The most common reason an iPhone trade-in is rejected is not damage — it is Activation Lock. Work through these steps, in order, before you post your phone.

1. Back up your iPhone

Use iCloud (Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now) or connect to a Mac or PC and back up there. If you are moving to a new iPhone, Quick Start can transfer everything directly.

2. Unpair your Apple Watch

If you have one, unpair it from the Watch app on the iPhone. This also removes the watch's Activation Lock.

3. Turn off Find My

Go to Settings → [your name] → Find My → Find My iPhone and switch it off. You will need your Apple Account password. This is what turns off Activation Lock, and it is the step that matters most.

4. Sign out of your Apple Account

Go to Settings → [your name], scroll down and tap Sign Out.

5. Erase everything

Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. When the phone restarts on the “Hello” screen, it is ready to go.

6. Remove your SIM — and your eSIM

Take out the physical SIM. If you use an eSIM, the erase step offers to remove it; if you plan to move the number to a new phone, contact your network first.

7. Already sent the phone without doing this?

Sign in at iCloud.com/find, choose the device under All Devices and select Remove (erase it first if it is still listed). That releases Activation Lock remotely.

Before you post it

• Grade the condition honestly — every store inspects it, and a worse-than-described phone gets a lower revised offer.
• Photograph the phone, front and back, as a record of its condition.
• Keep your proof of postage until the store confirms receipt.
• Make sure you have picked the store that pays most: compare iPhone prices.

Menu names are from current versions of iOS; older versions may label them slightly differently. Apple's own support pages have the definitive steps for your device.