The upgrade grind refers to smartphone manufacturers coming out with new models every year or two. Consumers then feel they absolutely have to upgrade their phones, but that’s no longer the case nowadays.
For one thing, not every phone user will consider 5G a must-have. Some consumers are also concerned about the environmental impact of e-waste. That’s why they hang onto their current phones for as long as possible.
Now, if you have a used cell phone and want to donate it because you want to upgrade to a newer model asap, remember to take precautions before handing your old one to another person. Even if you’re donating it to a close relative or friend, it’s always a good idea to prioritize privacy and protection of your personal data.
Read on so we can talk about how you can do that safely.
Back Up Everything You Need
The first step of cell phone recycling or donating a used phone is backing up all your data. You don’t want to lose important photos, music, documents, etc., or worse, have a stranger get access to these.
Actually, it would be best if you were backing up your data every so often. If you drop your phone or it suddenly stops working one day, you can rely on your backup files and transfer them to your new phone.
Sign Out of All Your Accounts
You access your digital wallet and online bank accounts using your phone. Do you think you should leave those details on your old phone?
Of course not. Besides banking information, you also need to sign out of your emails, social media accounts, and so on. Be sure to delete all saved credentials, but keep a list of your passwords handy so that you can sign into your online accounts using your new phone with no problems.
Unpair From All Devices
One of the best things about smartphones is being able to use wireless headphones or speakers through the Bluetooth function. However, if you have devices connected to your old phone, you’ll want to unpair from all of them, including printers and smart TV, before going through the phone donation process.
Also, if you have connected to public Wi-Fi networks, now would be a good time to remove them from your device.
Perform a Factory Reset on Your Used Cell Phone
If you have an Android phone, a full factory reset may not completely remove texts, email addresses, etc. That’s why you should consider phone encryption before hitting the factory reset button.
For Apple devices, encryption is automatic, but to be safe, you can use mobile device erasure software like certus.software/en/mobile-erasure/.
Don’t Forget to Prep Your Device for Donation or Recycling
Your used cell phone has served you well, and now it’s time to donate or recycle it. Remember the tips here before giving it away, so you don’t have to worry about your personal information ending up in the wrong hands. For more data privacy advice, you may check our other posts. We also cover other tech topics, such as big data, IoT, etc., you may be interested in, so feel free to browse around our site.
Also Read: Basic Cyber Requirements Becomes Mandatory for IoT Devices
