Back up and transfer first
Everything you want from this phone must leave it before you erase. Run a final backup — Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now — and confirm the date updates.
If you are moving to a new iPhone, do the transfer first and live on the new phone for a few days. Authenticator codes, transit cards and rarely-used apps are what people discover missing later. Our transfer guide covers the sequence.
Unpair an Apple Watch
If a Watch is paired, unpair it from the Watch app on the iPhone before erasing. Unpairing creates a fresh Watch backup automatically and removes the Activation Lock on the Watch.
Erasing the phone with a Watch still paired leaves the Watch in an awkward state that is harder to resolve afterwards.
Sign out and erase — in that order
The clean route is to erase through Settings while still signed in: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. iOS asks for your Apple Account password, which turns off Find My and Activation Lock as part of the process, then wipes the device.
Doing it this way means you never have to sign out separately. It is the method Apple intends and the one least likely to go wrong.
Why Activation Lock is the thing to get right
Activation Lock ties an erased iPhone to the Apple Account it was signed into. A phone erased without that account being removed still demands those credentials at setup, which makes it unusable for the buyer and unsellable for you.
If you have already parted with the phone and forgot, you can still remove it remotely: sign in at iCloud.com, open Find My, select the device and choose Remove from Account. Do that as soon as you realise.
eSIM and your phone number
If you are keeping your number, transfer the eSIM to the new phone before erasing — Quick Start offers this during setup. If you are giving up the line, contact your carrier rather than simply deleting the eSIM, since some require support intervention to reissue.
On a phone with a physical SIM, take it out before handing the device over.
A last check before it leaves
Power the erased phone on. It should show the Hello setup screen and, when you proceed, should not ask for any Apple Account credentials. If it does, Activation Lock is still on and the erase was incomplete.
That thirty-second check is worth doing every time. Our factory reset guide covers the erase itself in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I erase an iPhone before selling it?
Back up, unpair any Apple Watch, then Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings while still signed in.
Do I need to sign out of iCloud before erasing?
Not if you erase through Settings — it asks for your Apple Account password and removes Activation Lock as part of the process.
What is Activation Lock and why does it matter?
It ties an erased iPhone to your Apple Account. A phone erased incorrectly still demands your credentials and is unusable for the buyer.
I already sold the phone and forgot to remove it — what now?
Sign in at iCloud.com, open Find My, select the device and choose Remove from Account.