How To Dispose Of Old Smartphones (The Safe Way)

There's plenty to consider when buying a new phone: Will you be going with the newest iPhone, or skipping the iOS in favor of an Android device? You may also be thinking about switching to a new carrier. But if you're not trading in an older phone toward the purchase of a new one, there's also the matter of properly disposing of your original mobile tech to contend with.

Sure, your old iPhone could just hang around in a junk drawer until the end of time, but you'll want to back up whatever personal data on the device that you're not willing to part ways with. First off, if someone gets hold of your old phone, your data could fall into the wrong hands. Secondly, at some point down the line, your old phone's battery could just naturally degrade, rendering your device inoperable. And not to sound scary, but if you end up dealing with a home invader, you don't want your old phone's 

Fortunately, preserving and wiping your smartphone data is a pretty straightforward process. To do so, we recommend using a cloud backup service like iCloud or Google One to store those old ones and zeroes externally. You'll also want to make sure you unlink any accounts associated with your old phone. Once you've combed through your device, your last step should be performing a factory reset to wipe any remaining bytes.

Whether you're using an iPhone or an Android device, backing up your data is an easy process that can be done directly from your phone. For iOS, open the Settings app, then tap on your Apple Account at the top of the screen. Then, tap iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Apple provides 5GB of free data for every Apple ID, but you'll also be able to upgrade to an iCloud+ plan for additional storage. Plans range from 50GB for only $1 per month, all the way up to 12TB of storage for $65 per month.

To create a Google One backup on an Android phone, tap Settings > System > Backup > Backup now. Every Google account comes with 15GB of free data, but you can add additional data – between 100GB for Google One Basic and 30TB for Google AI Ultra — for prices ranging from $2 per month up to $250 per month. Apple and Google aren't the only cloud backup tools in town, either: Alternative platforms like Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and iDrive are just as safe and intuitive to use.

Once you've backed up your data, it's time to deregister all accounts linked to your device. For iOS, you'll definitely want to log out of iCloud and Find My, while Android users will want to sign out of their Google account. You'll also want to sign out of all third-party apps, including social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Now all that's left to do — data-wise — is a factory reset. For iOS, tap Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. For Android, tap Settings > System > Erase All Data (Factory Reset). With all your phone's data wiped, there's no longer a trail of digital breadcrumbs leading back to you and your personal info. If you enjoy tinkering with tech products, you may want to keep your old phone on standby for future projects. You could also trade in your device toward the purchase of a new phone, or one of these 10 used phones that are totally worth it. You could also sell your phone outright, gift it to a pal, donate it to charity, or bring it to a recycling center. Or, you can take things to the next level by getting physically destructive.

Destroying your phone is an option if you want there to be zero hope of your data being recovered and accessed (there are tools and companies that can access deleted data). Shredding, drilling, and hammering are all effective methods for breaking down your device, but please be sure to wear safety equipment when bringing the violence, including goggles, masks, and gloves. And once your old iPhone 6 is just a pile of scrap, be sure to properly recycle the remains to prevent harmful toxins from seeping into the environment.