Follow these steps to protect your old photos from being recovered.
Before selling or giving away your smartphone, it's essential to ensure all photos and personal data are permanently deleted to avoid any privacy breaches. Even after traditional deletion, some photos and files may still be recoverable using specialized software.
Here are the most important steps to protect your photos from being compromised when selling your phone:
First: Back up important photos.
Before deleting, it's advisable to back up the photos you want to keep. This backup can be stored on your computer, external storage devices, or cloud storage services like Google Photos or iCloud.
Second: Delete photos from your phone using traditional methods.
Open the Photos app on your phone, select the photos you want to delete, tap the "Delete" option, then go to the "Recently Deleted" folder and permanently delete the photos from there. Some devices store deleted photos for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them.
Third: Securely Erase Data
To ensure that photos cannot be recovered after deletion, follow these steps:
Android devices:
Go to your phone's Settings, then System, then Reset options, then Erase all data (factory reset). Some phones offer an option to completely erase storage to ensure that old files are permanently deleted.
iPhone devices:
Go to Settings, then General, then Move or Reset iPhone, then Erase all content and settings.
Fourth: Encrypt your phone before factory reset
For increased security, it is recommended to encrypt your phone before erasing data. This step makes any remaining data unrecoverable.
On Android:
Go to Settings, then Security, then Encrypt device.
On iOS:
Encryption is automatic when the passcode is enabled.
Fifth: Final Verification
After the factory reset, verify that the phone has returned to its factory default settings and that all personal photos and apps have been completely deleted. By following these steps, you can sell your phone securely while maintaining the privacy of your photos and personal data and minimizing the risk of unauthorized access to your sensitive files.