¿Se deshace de su teléfono? No olvides limpiarlo

The thrill of buying a new phone and unboxing that clean and slick veneer is electric. But before you get carried away with the long lasting battery life and shiny new features. Saying goodbye to your old phone means making sure it’s properly cleaned or any personal data. Failing to clean up your phone before disposing of it can leave sensitive data exposed to hackers, identity thieves, or anyone who comes across it next.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to cleaning up your phone before disposal to protect your privacy.

Why is Scrubbing Your Phone Clean Essential?

Modern smartphones store an incredible amount of personal information. In the same way that if your phone was lost or stolen, all of the information that it holds can be stolen, including your identity. It really would be like winning the jackpot for personal data.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the information found on your phone is considered some of the most private and sensitive out there. This is even why law enforcement officials require a subpoena to be able to access it.

A lot of our apps stay logged in, or even more worrying need no log in at all, so this gives anyone with malicious intent the ability to access everything the device holds. Depending upon the locks and privacy settings on your phone, anyone with the right tools and know how can get to the information.

The following information is held by your phone and can even be retrieved by relatively skilled attackers.

• Face ID data
• Financial information for banking apps or wallets 
• Contacts with names, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses
• Any linked email accounts (with access to your email inbox, anyone can reset your passwords and lock you out of every account you own!)
• All of your messages across multiple apps
• Social media accounts
• Photos, videos, and personal documents
• Any written notes
• Wi-Fi passwords for networks you have previously connected to
• Location history including any saved destinations like your home address
• Login information saved in browsers and apps

Without a proper cleanup, this data could fall into the wrong hands, leading to identity theft or other severe privacy breaches.

Pasos para limpiar el móvil de forma segura

1. Haga una copia de seguridad de sus datos

The first step to take before wiping your phone, is to back up any important information you want to keep. We offer a secure online drive solution for both Android and iPhone that can back up your contacts, photos and files.

Tener una copia de seguridad te asegura que no perderás datos valiosos cuando reinicies el dispositivo.

2. Cierre de cuentas

Cierra sesión manualmente en todas las cuentas conectadas a tu teléfono, incluidas:

• Email accounts
• Social media accounts
• Web browsers
• Cloud storage
• Subscription services (Netflix, Spotify)

Este paso impide que el siguiente usuario acceda a sus cuentas.

3. Transfer any 2FA (Two Father Authentication) application information

A fault with apps that are used for 2Factor Authentication is that the codes that are generated are stored. The codes need to be imported from your old phone, typically by scanning a QR code shown on the screen with a transfer request.

If this step if forgotten, it’s not guaranteed that your new phone will have access to all the codes, and then logging into accounts with the missing 2FA protection will prove difficult.

4. Disable Factory Reset Protection (FRP)

Tanto los dispositivos Android como iOS incorporan funciones de seguridad para protegerlos contra robos:

• En Android, desactive Protección contra restablecimiento de fábrica (FRP) eliminando tu cuenta de Google del dispositivo.
• En el iPhone, cierra sesión en iCloud para desactivar Buscar mi iPhone.

No realizar este paso puede dificultar la configuración del dispositivo por parte del nuevo propietario.

5. Perform a Factory Reset

Un restablecimiento de fábrica borra todos los datos y restaura el teléfono a su configuración original. He aquí cómo hacerlo:

• Android: Ir a Ajustes > Sistema > Opciones de restablecimiento > Borrar todos los datos (restablecimiento de fábrica).
• iPhone: Ir a Configuración > General > Restablecer > Borrar todo el contenido y la configuración.

Este paso garantiza que no quede ninguna información personal en el teléfono.

Are You Recycling Your Phone?

La basura electrónica es una preocupación medioambiental cada vez mayor. Reciclar tu teléfono garantiza la reutilización de materiales valiosos como metales y plásticos, reduciendo el impacto sobre el planeta. Si limpias bien tu teléfono antes de reciclarlo, protegerás tus datos y contribuirás a un futuro más sostenible.

Si vas a reciclar o donar tu dispositivo:

• Consulte los programas locales de reciclaje: Busque centros certificados de reciclaje de residuos electrónicos o programas ofrecidos por fabricantes y transportistas.
• Retire las tarjetas SIM y SD: Retira la tarjeta SIM y cualquier almacenamiento externo para evitar dejar datos personales.
• Incluye accesorios: Si lo donas, considera la posibilidad de incluir el cargador original y cualquier otro accesorio para ayudar al siguiente usuario.

Disposing of your old phone doesn’t have to be stressful. By following these steps, you can ensure your personal information is secure and your device is ready for its next use.