You just bought an awesome new smartphone. Great! But before you sell your old smartphone for some extra cash, there are a few things you should do. First: back up your data! If you’ve got an iPhone, you can do this through iTunes or just sync everything to iCloud. If you’ve got an Android device, head into the settings menu and set your Google account to back up information. Some third-party apps like Titanium also do the trick. You should also make sure to clear out your old phone. Most phones have a way to revert to factory default settings. Some security experts also recommend apps like Autowipe or Lockout to completely erase all data on your old phone. Finally, pop out your SIM card and an extra memory card if your phone has one. If you want to make sure no one gets a hold of any of your data, you could always hold onto your old phone when you get a new one… or get creative with a hammer.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.