1. Finish the move before cleaning the old phone

On the replacement device, verify:

  • ordinary Photos and videos;
  • Hidden and Recently Deleted collections where relevant;
  • encrypted vault content through its documented restore path;
  • Files, Notes, messages, downloads, and scanning apps;
  • authentication apps, recovery contacts, and recovery secrets;
  • representative large, old, and unusual files.

Keep the old phone unchanged until the new copy opens full content rather than only thumbnails. For vault-specific steps, use move an encrypted vault to a new iPhone.

2. Inventory copies outside Photos

A private image may exist in more places than the camera roll:

  • a vault and a previous export;
  • Files or iCloud Drive;
  • Messages, Mail, or another chat app;
  • a scanner, PDF editor, or document app;
  • Shared Albums or Shared Photo Library;
  • Recently Deleted;
  • another device signed in to the same account;
  • computer and cloud backups.

This inventory is about knowing what survives the sale, not trying to erase every synchronized copy from the old phone manually.

3. Resolve vault recovery

Before erasing, confirm whether the vault is local-only or backed up, which recovery material is required, and whether a restore has completed on the new phone. An app reinstall without its data is not a successful migration.

Do not leave a recovery phrase in Photos, Notes, Files, screenshots, or a password field on the old phone. Store it offline and separately from the encrypted backup.

4. Follow Apple's supported sale or trade-in flow

Apple's current guidance includes backing up and erasing the iPhone, handling Apple Watch pairing, checking repair state, and removing a physical SIM where present. Follow the current official sequence for signing out, Find My, eSIM or carrier service, and erase rather than relying on an old checklist.

The goal is to reach the setup screen with Activation Lock handled as required by the sale or trade-in provider. Do not hand over a device that merely has apps removed or a passcode changed.

5. Verify the result

After erase, restart only far enough to confirm the setup screen appears. Do not sign back into the device. Remove it from trusted-device lists only when the official transfer or trade-in flow calls for that action and you are sure you no longer need it for recovery.

Retain the sale receipt, serial-number record, and shipment tracking without including private screenshots or credentials.

What erase does not do

Erasing the old iPhone does not delete copies intentionally retained in iCloud Photos, an encrypted vault backup, a recipient's device, a message service, or another computer. That is usually desirable during migration. Review each service separately if you also want remote copies removed.

Nor is a factory reset a promise about every historical physical storage state. It is the supported way to revoke active access and remove user data from the device before transfer.

Primary platform reference

Apple keeps its current checklist in Prepare your iPhone for trade-in.

Guide reviewed: 23 August 2026.