Recycling Your Old Cell Phones and Tablets: How to Do It Safely

Phones and tablets hold enormous amounts of personal data. Here's a step-by-step guide to safely wiping and recycling your mobile devices.

Phones and tablets are the e-waste items most likely to contain sensitive personal data, and they're also the ones most commonly disposed of carelessly. A few minutes of preparation can protect your privacy and ensure your device is properly recycled.

For iPhones: go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Before doing this, make sure to sign out of iCloud, disable Find My, and back up anything you want to keep. After the reset, confirm the device shows the iOS setup screen before handing it over.

For Android: go to Settings > General Management (or System) > Reset > Factory Data Reset. Remove your Google account first, plus any fingerprint or face unlock data. Remove the SIM card and any microSD card.

For corporate-managed devices (those enrolled in MDM): follow your IT department's decommission procedure. MDM platforms like Jamf, Intune, and MobileIron have remote wipe capabilities that should be used in addition to -- not instead of -- a local factory reset.

Once wiped, your options are: carrier trade-in programs (for working devices), manufacturer recycling programs, certified drop-off sites, or a corporate ITAD pickup. MicroAnt accepts mobile devices as part of corporate bulk pickups -- ideal for businesses cycling through company-issued phones and tablets.