Question Trading in a phone - How should I wipe it?

[liberty610]

Hi everyone,

I have a 128gb Samsung S21 Ultra that I am trading in for a 512gb S24 ultra. I have been watching some YouTube videos, and reading up on some reddit posts and forums, but I want to make sure I cover everything.

I want to make sure I wipe the phone properly and make sure all the data is UN-recoverable. I am getting mixed responses on this. Some say a simple factory reset is all you need, and others say you should run apps like Shredit and/or factpry reset it, then set it up again with a guest or dummy account, and then add large video files to it to fill up the free space, then factory reset it again.

How much of this is reasonable? And what all should I be doing to wipe the phone before the trade in?

 

[COLGeek]

Just a factory reset should be sufficient. Enjoy the new phone.

 

[Video Editor]

I think just a simple factory reset should be enough, but I'm originally an Apple user so i can't say it confidently.

 

[liberty610]

I think for piece of mind, I'll do the factory reset, and then set the phone up again with a dummy account or guest account and just drop some large files on to it. Delete them, rinse and repeat a few times. Then do another factory reset. I've seen some tricky tactics used to recover data over the years.

 

[COLGeek]

I think for piece of mind, I'll do the factory reset, and then set the phone up again with a dummy account or guest account and just drop some large files on to it. Delete them, rinse and repeat a few times. Then do another factory reset. I've seen some tricky tactics used to recover data over the years.

If that makes you feel more comfortable, then go for it. Otherwise, it really isn't necessary for the VAST majority of users. A single factory reset is sufficient.