How To Wipe Your Android Phone

If you have an Android phone and you are getting rid of it, then you need to make sure that all of your potentially sensitive data is gone from it first. Maybe you plan on giving it to a friend or family member, or perhaps you’re going to sell it to a person you don’t know. Whatever the case might be, there are several steps that you need to take before your Android can be safely put into someone else’s hands.

The Steps to Wipe an Android Phone Vary

In this tutorial, we will be giving you some general instructions for the wiping of an Android. However, you should keep in mind that the exact steps will vary a little because there are a few different Androids that are on the market. 

There are different manufacturers, and there are also various generations of Androids, just as would be true of iPhones. The names of settings and exact menus might get switched up a bit depending on which device you have, but in general, these instructions should work for you.

The Android microSD Card

The first thing you’ll need to figure out is what you’re doing with your microSD card. If your Android has one, then all you have to do is remove it, then insert it into your new phone. Data such as photos and videos should migrate seamlessly that way.

Your new phone might not have a microSD card slot, though. If that is true, you’ll want to delete all of the data on the card by formatting it. Before you do this, back up your videos and pictures.

1. Connect your phone to a laptop or PC with a USB cable. If you are using a Mac, then you should have an Android File Transfer application set up first.
2. Open Finder if you have a Mac, or My Computer if you have a PC.
3. Navigate to the SD card. Copy all of the files that you wish to save to your computer.
4. Once the copying is done, unplug your phone.

Now, you can format your memory card.

1. On the phone, go to Settings. Then, head to Storage.
2. Scroll down, and tap where it says Erase SD Card. You will see a warning message saying that you will lose all of the data on the card.
3. Tap the Erase SD Card button, indicating that you want to continue. If your SD card is password-secured, you will have to enter the PIN at this time.

It is possible if someone is determined enough to recover your data once you have completed this process. There’s a way around this, though. You should take the formatted SD card and layer it, which basically means filling it up with something and then deleting it a couple of times. This will ensure that your original data is gone forever.

Backing Up Your Android Phone’s Data Before You Wipe It

You want to be sure that you haven’t lost any of your pictures or contacts when you go about this process. With Android, you must already have or create a Google account to set up the phone. Google automatically backs up your phone periodically. To make sure that it executes an updated data-save before you wipe the device, though, do the following.

1. Go to Settings on your phone, then Backup and Reset.
2. There is a setting called Back Up My Data. Make sure that it is set in the On position.
3. Press Back, and scroll down to Accounts. Tap Google.
4. You should see the Google account that you used to set up the Android. There will be a green sync symbol next to it. Tap your Account.
5. Make sure that every option is checked. This will ensure that everything is backed up to Google, including email, contacts, photos, lists, etc.
6. If there are any additional media files that were not included in the backup, connect the Android to your Mac or PC and follow the instructions in the section above.

This option may back up the data for some of your apps, but perhaps not all of them. To be safe, you can manually back up the data for your favorite apps, particularly if you have some of them customized and you don’t want to have to go through this process again.

Now You’re Safe Wiping Everything from Your Android Phone

With the SD card erased and all of your data backed up, you can now wipe your Android. A factory reset will certainly get rid of everything that was on your phone, but there are safer ways to make sure that your data cannot be recovered. If you enable hardware encryption, then you can be sure none of your data can be brought back after the wipe is done.

1. Go to Settings, then Security. Hit Encrypt Phone. It’s a good idea to connect your phone to a charger at this point, as this step can take a while.
2. You might need to tap Encrypt Phone again. When the process starts, keep an eye on the device, as it might take a shorter or longer time depending on how recent a model Android you have. It may take as long as an hour in some cases.
3. Once it’s done, go to Settings, then Backup and Reset. Hit Factory Data Reset. On the next screen, you will see a box that says Erase Phone Data. Tap it.
4. You will see a warning screen. Go ahead and tap Reset Phone to continue.
5. The process should take a few more minutes. When it is done, your phone will be restored to the state that it was in when you first got it. You should see a Welcome screen.

All of the data should now be gone from your Android.

Restoring Your Data after the Android Phone Wipe is Finished

We already mentioned that if you are taking the SD card and putting it in a new Android, then virtually everything should be ready to go on your new device with no further adjustments needed, except possibly with some of the apps.

If you are not transferring the card, then you can use the computer to which you have backed-up all of your data. All you have to do at this point is to connect the new Android phone using the USB cable. Then, transfer the files to your new phone the same way that you backed them up in the section above.

If by chance, you are going with an iOS device at this point rather than another Android, you can still sync your Google account to transfer your calendar and contacts. The backup media files can be transferred using iTunes.