This will ensure that your data is protected when the time comes to sell or recycle it. The information below will guide you on how to remove all of the data from your device, depending on whether it's an iPhone or an Android phone. In fact, they bought 20 'erased' mobile phones on eBay and with them were able to restore more than 40,000 photos, 1,000 Google searches, previous owner identities, 750 emails and 250 contacts with email addresses. A study carried out by Avast, which is one of the largest security companies, revealed that it is possible to recover data from a phone that has been reset to factory settings. However, this step taken alone will not stop the next owner of your device from recovering your data. Tapping 'Reset to Factory Settings' will delete apps you installed, files and settings and your phone will look the same it did when you first unboxed it. Many of us might think that a simple factory reset will do the job, but it's only one of a few steps that need to be completed to protect your personal information.

This is why it is important to follow certain steps to make sure your data won't end up getting used by third parties when you decide to trade your phone in or send it to be recycled. Our smartphones allow us to receive and send emails and texts, store our financial details and cards, passwords, contacts and are packed with our personal images. It turns out that 18% of these people intend to recycle unwanted tech items, however the main obstacle for them to part with their unused devices are concerns that their personal data could fall into the wrong hands. A survey carried out by the Royal Society of Chemistry found that UK households hoard millions of unused electronic devices, and 23% of people surveyed have a mobile phone sitting idle somewhere in their home.

Wipe android phone