Buying A New Cell Phone? Here Is How To Properly Dispose Of The Old One

From social security numbers to bank account passwords, cell phones can store a trove of sensitive information. If you don’t want your identity stolen, it’s essential to safely dispose of your old cell phones.

Nick Van Campen, a data recovery specialist for Data Doctors said, “Your phone is definitely the footprint of your life. The information that phones contain nowadays is amazing. It contains your life story it contains your personal information some might have their driver’s license on it, some might take pictures of their social security card.”

Consumers are typically left with a few different options when it comes to disposing of their old mobile devices. Some people are tempted to make some money by either selling them online, or trading them in for a credit with their service providers. Others opt for either dropping their devices off at local recycling centers, or donating them to nonprofits.


But, some people are still failing to complete the proper erasing process before passing on their devices. Van Campen added, “When you go through a reset process you want to make sure that “and” erase data is selected. A lot of people might not realize the different type of storage on a device iPhone have an internal storage, but they also have a sims card.”

Consumers are encouraged to complete the following steps before disposing of their mobile phones or tablets:

  1. Ask cell phone carriers for specific reset instructions.
  2. Reset and clear their device.
  3. Remove any SD or Sim cards.