Is Erase All Content and Settings enough to wipe an iPhone?

Yes, once you have signed out of your Apple Account first. Erase All Content and Settings removes your data from the phone and Apple says it also turns off Find My and Activation Lock. Signing out first is the clean order, and it is the one Apple lists.

Should I unpair my Apple Watch before I erase the iPhone?

Yes. Unpair it from the Watch app while the iPhone is still in your hands, then erase the phone. The Apple Watch unpairing guide covers the case where the phone is already gone.

Do I have to take the SIM card out of an iPhone?

Take out a physical SIM and keep it. If the phone uses an eSIM, choose to erase the eSIM profile when the erase prompt asks. Contact your carrier if you want your number moved to a new phone.

How long does it take to erase an iPhone?

The steps take a few minutes, and the erase itself usually finishes within a short while on Wi-Fi. Start it before you head out so it is done when we meet.

What if I forgot my Apple Account password?

You can reset it through Apple before you do anything else. Do that first, because the sign-out and erase both ask for it. Tell us if you are stuck and we will point you to the next step.

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How do you wipe an iPhone before you sell it?

Name: Cash For Electronics Albany
Address: 6 Northway Ln, Latham, NY, 12110, US
Telephone: (518) 501-0602

October 15, 2026 · Cash For Electronics Albany Team

Back up the iPhone, unpair any Apple Watch, sign out of your Apple Account, then go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. That sequence takes about fifteen minutes plus the time the erase runs, it keeps your photos, messages and passwords from going anywhere, and it means the hand-off at the meetup takes a minute instead of an hour. Here are the steps in order, with the menu paths as Apple currently documents them.

Step 1: Back up what you want to keep

Erasing is permanent, so back up first. Use an iCloud backup over Wi-Fi or a backup to your computer, and if you are moving to a new iPhone, use Quick Start to transfer everything across before you touch the old one. If your phone number is about to change, add a trusted phone number to your Apple Account first so you can still receive verification codes. Apple lays all of this out at https://support.apple.com/en-us/109511.

Step 2: Unpair your Apple Watch, if you have one

If an Apple Watch is paired to this iPhone, unpair it now, while you still have the phone in your hand. Open the Watch app, select your watch and choose Unpair Apple Watch. The Apple Watch unpairing guide explains why resetting the watch on its own is not the same thing and what to do if the phone is already gone.

Step 3: Sign out of your Apple Account

On iOS 26 or later: open Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap Sign Out, then choose Erase this iPhone (or Sign Out But Don't Erase if you plan to erase in the next step yourself). If you are asked which account to sign out of, tap Sign out of iCloud and Store. On iOS 18 or earlier: open Settings, tap your name, scroll down and tap Sign Out, enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off. Signing out turns off Find My for this phone, which is the setting that keeps the phone attached to you.

Step 4: Erase All Content and Settings

Open Settings and tap General. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode if asked, then tap Erase iPhone. Apple notes that erasing also turns off Find My and Activation Lock for the phone, and you may be asked for your Apple Account and password to confirm. Leave the phone on Wi-Fi and let it finish. When it restarts to the Hello screen, stop there. Do not set it up again.

SIM cards and eSIM

If the iPhone uses an eSIM, Apple says to choose to erase both the phone and the eSIM profile when it asks. For a physical SIM, take the SIM card out of its tray and keep it, and contact your carrier if you want your service moved to your next phone. We have no use for your SIM, and you do not want to lose it. A memory card does not apply on an iPhone.

Then book the hand-off

Tell us the model and condition through the phones page, or text (518) 501-0602, and we set a time at 6 Northway Ln or come to you anywhere in the Capital Region. Meetups are by appointment, not walk-in, and you are paid in cash on the spot. Bring the phone, charged if you can. If anything on this list will not go through, tell us before the meetup and we will talk it through.

Quick answers

Is Erase All Content and Settings enough to wipe an iPhone?: Yes, once you have signed out of your Apple Account first. Erase All Content and Settings removes your data from the phone and Apple says it also turns off Find My and Activation Lock. Signing out first is the clean order, and it is the one Apple lists.
Should I unpair my Apple Watch before I erase the iPhone?: Yes. Unpair it from the Watch app while the iPhone is still in your hands, then erase the phone. The Apple Watch unpairing guide covers the case where the phone is already gone.
Do I have to take the SIM card out of an iPhone?: Take out a physical SIM and keep it. If the phone uses an eSIM, choose to erase the eSIM profile when the erase prompt asks. Contact your carrier if you want your number moved to a new phone.
How long does it take to erase an iPhone?: The steps take a few minutes, and the erase itself usually finishes within a short while on Wi-Fi. Start it before you head out so it is done when we meet.
What if I forgot my Apple Account password?: You can reset it through Apple before you do anything else. Do that first, because the sign-out and erase both ask for it. Tell us if you are stuck and we will point you to the next step.

Ready to ask about yours? Visit Sell your phone for cash in Albany: a local phone buyer near you. See our Apple Watch unpairing post. See our quote form for phones. See our before-you-sell checklist. See our what to do with your old iPhone after an upgrade. Back to all guides.