Erase iOS & Android Data Permanently

If you haven't erased personal data from your old iPhone, you may be concerned about the security of your sensitive information, including documents, photos, and personal details. When upgrading to a new device, a common question arises: if I erase my old iPhone will it affect my new one? Most people prefer not to share their private data with a new iPhone user, but they also want to ensure their new device remains perfectly intact.

When you are thinking of erasing the data, the chances are that you are selling the phone or upgrading to a new iPhone. That said, how will you deal with your old iPhone? The truth is, securely wiping an old device requires more than just manually deleting files. When considering iPhone data, think about your emails, messages, photos, and documents, as well as downloads, app logs, cache, preferences, and cookies. Simply deleting these items doesn't fully remove them from your device's storage—it just makes them temporarily inaccessible.

Apart from deleting iPhone data, there are other crucial things to do before getting rid of it. Such include:

• Unpair your Apple Watch if connected.
• Backing up your iPhone data to a computer or cloud storage.
• Sign out of iCloud, App Store, and iTunes to break the sync connection.
• Turn off Find My iPhone to disable the Activation Lock.
• Remove the iPhone from your trusted Apple ID account list.
• Unlock the iPhone from carrier restrictions if applicable.
• Remove your physical SIM card.

Part 1: How to Erase iPhone Data Safely?

Before upgrading to a new iPhone, ensure you transfer all your data from the old device. While manually deleting contacts, photos, documents, and iCloud info may seem like a quick solution, these items still remain in your storage, even if they aren't visible. If you are asking yourself, 'if I wipe my old iPhone will it affect my new one?', the answer is no, provided you follow the standard factory reset procedures rather than manual deletion.

Deleting iPhone data through device settings may seem effective for average users, but it can still be recovered professionally. Whether your old iPhone is lost or in hand, you can securely erase all data without affecting your new device. Follow these steps for a successful data removal.

1.1 If You Have Your Old iPhone in Hand

You will have to follow the following steps to move your data before removing all your old iPhone information. Your new iPhone will allow you to transfer information from your old device automatically using the QuickStart. However, this applies to users with devices that support iOS 11 or later. Suppose you are using iPhones with iOS 10 or earlier. In that case, you can transfer your iPhone information to your new device by using iCloud, the Finder, or iTunes successfully.

If you're using a new phone number on your iPhone, add trusted contacts to your account to prevent losing access. If you no longer have access to the old number, trusted contacts can help generate the two-factor authentication code when needed. Here is how you will remove your personal information from your old iPhone securely:

1. Step 1 Remove Paired Devices

   Remove paired devices such as the Apple Watch if you had connected one to the old iPhone. This ensures your wearables are ready to pair with the new device.

2. Step 2 Backup Your Data

   Backup important data that you will not want to lose. You can use iCloud or iTunes to create a complete snapshot of your current setup.

3. Step 3 Sign Out of Your Accounts

   Sign out of your accounts such as iTunes, App Store, and iCloud. This is the most critical step to ensure that wiping the old phone does not delete data from your iCloud account.

Note: On devices that support iOS 10.3 or later, tap the settings icon > icon with your name, then select sign out. You should enter your Apple ID password then tap on the Turn off section.

For those using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to settings, tap iCloud > sign out, and then tap again to access "Delete from my device." It will help if you enter the Apple ID passcode to complete the process. Finally, go to settings and select iTunes and App Store > Apple ID, then sign out.

1. Step 4 Erase All Content and Settings

   Once you are done signing out all your accounts, go to settings again. Under the 'General' tab, select 'Transfer or Reset iPhone', then 'Erase All Content and Settings'. If your iPhone has the Find function turned on, you will be asked to enter the Apple ID password.

2. Step 5 Enter Device Passcode

   The iPhone will probably ask for the device passcode before you tap on the erase device tab to confirm your identity.

3. Step 6 Skip iMessage Deregistration

   Since you are moving to a new iPhone device and likely keeping your number, you don't have to deregister iMessage.

4. Step 7 Transfer Carrier Services

   Lastly, contact your carrier to transfer services to the new owner if you are giving away the old iPhone. Also, don't forget to remove your old iPhone from the list of your trusted devices in your Apple ID settings.

1.2 If You Don't Have the Old iPhone

If you no longer have your old iPhone because you already sold it or lost it, you can ask the new owner to erase the content and settings using the steps above. Alternatively, sign in to iCloud or the Find My app on another device to erase the data remotely. Once the remote wipe is done, select "Remove from Account" to complete the process.

Another option is to reset your Apple ID password to prevent unauthorized access to your iCloud account. This will stop anyone from deleting your personal data from the cloud. Additionally, you can remove credit and debit card information linked to Apple Pay via iCloud if it was used on your old iPhone.

Part 2: Erasing iPhone Data Permanently by Dr.Fone - Data Eraser (iOS)

Dr.Fone - Data Eraser

Erase iOS & Android Data Permanently

• Permanently erase all data on iOS & Android — completely unrecoverable.
• Military-grade wiping to fully protect your privacy.
• Generate verified erasure reports to boost device resale value.
• Selectively erase private data and remove junk & large files.

Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free Try It Free

While deleting your iPhone data by phone can clear the screen, it does not guarantee protection against a professional recovery process. To ensure your privacy is completely secure and permanently erase the data to protect your privacy even from a professional identity thief, you should use Dr. Fone – Data Eraser.

The software is available for use by both Windows and Mac users. The following are the premium features that come with this incredible data eraser:

• Erase unwanted items hence creating more space and speed up your iPhone.
• Can permanently remove 3rd party app data such as Viber, WhatsApp, Kik, etc.
• Large file management in a more sophisticated and organized way.
• Erase specific items on your iPhone selectively without resetting the whole device.

Dr.Fone – Data Eraser provides top-tier privacy protection for iPhone users, safeguarding against identity theft in the face of rising cybersecurity risks. It ensures that deleted data is permanently erased, unrecoverable by even the most advanced recovery tools on the market today.

2.1 Full Data Eraser

Dr.Fone - Data Eraser is the ultimate solution for permanently wiping iPhone data. This powerful tool safeguards your privacy by completely removing even the most stubborn files, ensuring your personal data is secure and inaccessible to professional identity thieves.

From the main functions on the application window, select the Data Eraser option. Here is a guideline for using the Dr. Fone – Full Data Eraser function when completely removing data on your iPhone:

1. Step 1 Connect the iPhone to the computer

   A lightning cable is used to connect your device to the computer. Once the iPhone is recognized, you will have three options on the window, including Erasing Private Data, Free up space on iPhone, and Erase all Data. From the list on your left vertical edge, choose the Erase All Data option to begin the wiping process.

1. Step 2 Choose Security Level

   Once the device is detected on the Dr. Fone – Data Eraser software, go ahead to select the security level to erase the iPhone data. Beware that a higher security level overwrites data multiple times and gives no chance for recovering your data. Also, this advanced option takes a while to remove everything from the device completely.

While the erasing process is ready to begin, you need to be careful since you cannot recover the data once initiated. Enter the passcode 000000 to confirm when you are prepared to take action.

1. Step 3 Wait for the erasing process to complete

   Upon beginning the erasing operation, you will need to wait without using the iPhone. Ensure that the device is firmly connected to a power source and the computer during the whole erasing process to prevent bricking.

The program will prompt you to accept the rebooting process of your iPhone. Click OK to confirm and continue.

A final window indicating the erasing process is complete will appear. This indicates that the iPhone turns into a brand-new device out of the box since it does not contain any content. You can, therefore, safely sell it or begin setting it based on your preferences.

2.2 Private Data Eraser

The private data eraser is among the powerful Dr. Fone toolkits that help iPhone users meticulously wipe their personal information such as messages, notes, call history, bookmarks, calendars, and photos without resetting the entire OS.

Moreover, Dr. Fone – Private Data Eraser allows iPhone users to select specific items that require permanent erasure. As such, there are no chances of recovering personal data again while keeping the rest of the phone's non-sensitive data intact.

To use this precise feature, you need to launch Dr. Fone on your computer. Select the Data Erasure option from the modules available on the program's window. The selective erasing process will take place in the following procedure:

1. Step 1 Connect the iPhone to your computer

   Use a certified lightning cable to plug in the device. Please tap on the "Trust This Computer" prompt that appears on your iPhone screen and enter your screen passcode to ensure it connects successfully.

1. Step 2 Select Erase Private Data

   Once the iPhone connects successfully, you will access three side-menu options. Select the "Erase Private Data" option to scan for sensitive files.

The program will then deep-scan the private data on your iPhone after clicking on the start button. The scanning process usually takes some time to index all personal data accurately.

When the scan results show up, choose the specific data categories or individual files you want to delete and initiate the permanent wiping process by clicking on the erase button at the bottom.

2.3 Space Saver

When your iPhone becomes slower over time or keeps displaying a "Storage Almost Full" error message, the chances are that the storage space is fed up with hidden caches. In that case, you can use the Space Saver function on the Dr.Fone program. Once you have launched the program and connected the device, click on the Data Eraser button.

You can erase junk files directly from the data erasure option, remove useless and invisible background apps, manage large files, compress photos seamlessly, or export them to PC to save room.

Clicking on each of the sub-functions will prompt you to select options as follows:

• Select 'Clean' to remove selected hidden junk files, temp files, and system cache logs.

• Select 'Uninstall' to remove useless apps that you haven't opened in months but are consuming critical space.

• Use the 'Delete' button to remove or export massive large files (like 4K videos) to your computer before deleting them from the phone.
• And lastly, you will organize photos or dynamically compress them to free up some space without losing visual fidelity on a mobile screen.

Free Download

Windows 11/10/8/7

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macOS 10.14 or later

Part 3: What Should I Pay Attention to While Wiping Data?

When using the Dr. Fone program to deeply erase iPhone data, you need to be extremely careful because there is no likelihood to recover the data in any way whatsoever. The military-grade erasure process is unlike when you are doing the superficial process by phone. That said, you need to rigorously pay attention to the following warnings:

• Ensure the lightning cable has connected firmly so that it does not disconnect before the erasure process is completely finished, which could corrupt the iOS system.
• Your device should have enough battery power (at least 50%) before initiating.
• Don't use the phone or open any background application during the active process of erasing data.
• Always confirm the information you need to delete permanently because you will not recover it once the overwriting erasure process is complete.

Bonus Tip: Always Back Up Before Erasing

Before erasing personal data from your old iPhone, make absolutely sure to back it up. This ensures you can recover your data when needed, especially when transferring everything to another iOS device. You can manually back up your iPhone using iCloud or iTunes. To back up with iCloud, go to Settings, select your Apple ID > iCloud, and enable iCloud Backup. Alternatively, connect your iPhone to your Mac via USB to comprehensively back up your data using iTunes or Finder.

While these native Apple backup options work excellently in backing up standard iPhone data, you can also rely on specialized tools like Dr.Fone – Phone Backup to safely export your iPhone data directly to a PC or Mac hard drive. This program makes it incredibly easier for users to backup data selectively, view the contents of the backup, and restore it conveniently to any new iOS devices without overwriting existing data.

Conclusion

Dr.Fone is an essential, professional-grade tool for iPhone users looking to completely erase various types of data from their device. While iPhones offer simple built-in backup and erasure methods, they often fall short when it comes to permanent data destruction. Dr.Fone provides additional, robust features that enhance usability and privacy convenience, allowing users to perform critical security actions that are otherwise unavailable directly on the native device settings.