When selling your iPhone, the most useful built-in feature to facilitate the process is . This single action handles several critical tasks at once: it wipes your personal data, signs you out of your Apple Account, and automatically disables Find My and Activation Lock , which ensures the next owner can actually set up and use the device. Key Preparation Checklist

: Disable Stolen Device Protection (Settings > Privacy & Security) before resetting to avoid a one-hour security delay if you are at a trade-in store.

When listing your phone on platforms like eBay , Swappa , or Back Market , mention these specific details to attract serious buyers: Sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone - Apple Support

: If you use an Apple Watch, unpair it in the Watch app. This triggers a final backup of your watch data and removes its Activation Lock.

: If you are switching to a non-Apple phone (like Android), turn off iMessage in Settings > Messages to avoid missing incoming texts.

: Back up your iPhone to iCloud (Settings > [Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup) or a computer to ensure you can transfer your photos and messages to a new device.