Why Removing Apple and Google Accounts Before Donating or Reselling Your Phone Actually Matters

Every year, millions of smartphones change hands — sold on eBay, traded in at carrier stores, donated to nonprofits, or passed along to family members. Yet one of the most overlooked steps in that handoff is also one of the most consequential: properly removing the Apple ID or Google account tied to the device before letting it go.

It sounds simple, but the consequences of skipping this step ripple outward in ways most people don't anticipate — affecting not just your own privacy, but the entire downstream lifecycle of that device. At Free Geek Toronto, we've had to recycle many working mobile devices because they were locked.

The Lock That Follows the Phone

Both Apple and Google have built account-linking protections directly into their hardware. Apple calls its version Activation Lock, which ties an iPhone or iPad to a specific Apple ID at the firmware level. Google's equivalent, Factory Reset Protection (FRP), does the same for Android devices.

These features were designed with theft prevention in mind, and they work remarkably well for that purpose. If someone steals your phone and wipes it, it becomes a very expensive paperweight without your credentials. But that same mechanism becomes a serious problem when a legitimate new owner tries to set up a device that was never properly unlocked by its previous owner.

A phone with Activation Lock or FRP still active is, for all practical purposes, unusable. It can't be activated, it can't be set up, and it can't be sold or donated effectively. In the refurbishment industry, these devices are sometimes called "locked to owner" — and they represent a significant source of waste, because devices that could otherwise be repaired and reused end up being scrapped instead.

What It Means for Reuse and the Circular Economy

The reuse and refurbishment sector is one of the most effective tools we have for extending the life of consumer electronics. A refurbished smartphone that reaches a second or third owner displaces the need to manufacture a new one, saving the raw materials, water, and carbon emissions that go into production.

But that whole chain depends on devices arriving in a state that can actually be processed. When accounts aren't removed before a device is handed over, the refurbisher faces a dead end. They can't wipe the device to factory settings in a way that clears the lock. They can't reach the original owner, who may have forgotten the device entirely. And they can't sell or donate the phone to someone who needs it.

The result is that a working device — sometimes barely a year or two old — ends up being recycled for parts or raw materials at best, landfilled at worst. All the embodied energy that went into making it is wasted, and someone who could have benefited from an affordable, functional smartphone goes without.

Across millions of devices, this adds up to an enormous and largely invisible source of e-waste.

Your Personal Data Is at Stake Too

Beyond the environmental and logistical issues, there's a straightforward personal reason to do this properly: your data.

Removing your account from a device isn't just about unlocking it for the next person. It's about ensuring that your photos, messages, contacts, saved passwords, payment methods, and app data don't travel with the phone when it leaves your hands. A factory reset without first signing out of your Apple ID or Google account may not be sufficient to fully delink the device — and depending on how the reset is performed, some data or account associations may persist.

The correct order of operations matters: sign out of your account first, then perform a factory reset. This ensures both that your data is cleared and that the account lock is properly removed.

How to Do It Right

For iPhone and iPad (removing Apple ID / Activation Lock):Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, scroll to the bottom, and tap "Sign Out." You'll be prompted to enter your Apple ID password. Once signed out, proceed to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

For Android (removing Google account / disabling FRP):Go to Settings > Accounts, select your Google account, and tap "Remove Account." After that, go to Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory Data Reset. The specific menu names vary by manufacturer, but the principle is the same: remove the account before resetting.

If you're handing a device to a trade-in program or refurbisher, it's worth confirming with them that the lock has been cleared — some have processes to verify this before accepting the device.

A Small Step With Outsized Impact

Removing your account before passing on a device takes about two minutes. The downstream effects of doing it — or not doing it — are far larger than that effort suggests.

It keeps your personal data out of strangers' hands. It ensures the next person can actually use the device. And it keeps functional hardware in circulation rather than sending it prematurely to the recycler.

Following these steps will make your tech donation even more meaningful to Free Geek Toronto.