Skal du kvitte deg med telefonen din? Ikke glem å rydde opp

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.

Slik rydder du opp i telefonen på en trygg måte

1. Sikkerhetskopier dataene dine

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.

En sikkerhetskopi sikrer at du ikke mister verdifulle data når du tilbakestiller enheten.

2. Logg ut av kontoer

Logg av alle kontoer som er koblet til telefonen manuelt, inkludert

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

Dette trinnet hindrer neste bruker i å få tilgang til kontoene dine.

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 is 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. Utfør en tilbakestilling til fabrikkinnstilling

A factory reset erases all data and restores the phone to its original settings. 

Here’s the steps on how to do it for the device that you own:

Android: Gå til Settings > System > Reset Options. From here you can choose to Reset different settings. For disposing of your cell phone, you will want to select Erase All Data (Factory Reset).

iPhone: Gå til Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. From here Apple will assist you ‘Get Started’ with the transfer to a new phone, or you can skip and go straight to Erase All Content and Settings.

Dette trinnet sikrer at ingen personlig informasjon blir liggende igjen på telefonen.

Are You Recycling Your Phone?

Did you know that around 80% of the material within a modern cell phone can be recycled? This includes all the metal materials, plastic and glass.

Electronic waste is a growing environmental concern. Recycling your phone ensures that valuable materials like metals and plastics are reused, reducing the impact on the planet.

Hvis du resirkulerer eller donerer enheten din:

• Sjekk lokale resirkuleringsprogrammer: Se etter sertifiserte gjenvinningssentre for elektronisk avfall eller programmer som tilbys av produsenter og transportører.
• Follow All The Above Steps: Ensure you follow all of the steps above to remove your personal data from the phone.
• Fjern SIM- og SD-kort: Ta ut SIM-kortet og eventuelle eksterne lagringsenheter for å unngå å legge igjen personlige data.
• Inkluderer tilbehør: Hvis du donerer, bør du vurdere å ta med den originale laderen og eventuelt annet tilbehør for å hjelpe neste bruker.

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. you can ensure your personal information is secure and your device is ready for its next use.