What to Do Before Giving Your Phone to Someone Else

Decide the type of handover

• Temporary loan
• Permanent gift
• Sale or trade-in
• Family hand-me-down
• Repair or support visit

For a permanent handover

1. Back up and verify the backup.
2. Move SIM/eSIM, 2FA, banking and passkeys.
3. Unpair watches and accessories.
4. Sign out and remove platform accounts in the correct order.
5. Remove payment cards.
6. Factory reset.
7. Confirm the setup welcome screen and account-lock status.

For a temporary loan

Use a guest, child or restricted mode where supported. Do not reveal the main passcode or leave banking and password-manager apps accessible.

Do not share one account

Set up the recipient with their own Apple or Google account. Using the giver’s account can mix photos, messages, purchases, backups and recovery.

Handover proof

Photograph the reset welcome screen and record the serial number before transfer where appropriate. The recipient should confirm that setup proceeds under their own account without the previous owner’s credentials.

First decide whether this is a loan or a permanent transfer

For a short loan, use a guest, restricted or separate profile where supported and keep the owner’s accounts protected. For permanent transfer, complete backup, account removal, SIM/eSIM handling and factory reset.

• Remove private notifications, payment cards and saved downloads from any temporary-use profile.
• Do not share the main passcode when a safer guest option exists.
• For permanent handover, verify the welcome screen and absence of the previous owner’s lock.
• Keep proof of transfer and any agreed condition when the phone changes ownership.

Do not create a halfway state where another person uses the phone while the original owner’s email, photos, password manager and recovery prompts remain accessible.