Complete Guide: Back Up Phone Data Before Selling

Don’t Lose Your Photos, Contacts, and Memories

You’re about to sell your phone and get cash. Exciting! But wait—did you back up your data?

Every month, we meet sellers in Salt Lake City who realize mid-sale they haven’t backed up years of photos, contacts, or important files. Once you factory reset your phone and hand it to a buyer, your data is gone forever.

This guide walks you through backing up everything—step by step for both iPhone and Android—so you can sell with confidence.

What You Need to Back Up

Before we get into the “how,” let’s make sure you don’t forget anything:

Essential Data to Back Up:

• ✅ Photos & Videos (usually the #1 concern)
• ✅ Contacts (phone numbers, email addresses)
• ✅ Text messages (SMS/iMessage/RCS)
• ✅ App data (game progress, app settings)
• ✅ Files & documents
• ✅ Calendar events
• ✅ Notes
• ✅ Voice memos/recordings
• ✅ Authenticator app codes (Google Authenticator, etc.)
• ✅ Wi-Fi passwords (usually backed up automatically)

How to Back Up iPhone (Complete Guide)

Apple gives you two backup methods: iCloud (wireless, easiest) and Mac/PC (faster, larger storage).

Method 1: iCloud Backup (Recommended for Most Users)

What you need:

• Wi-Fi connection
• Enough iCloud storage (5GB free, or pay $0.99/month for 50GB)
• 15-30 minutes

Step-by-step:

1. Connect to Wi-Fi
2. Go to Settings → tap your name at top → iCloud
3. Tap iCloud Backup
4. Make sure iCloud Backup is ON (toggle should be green)
5. Tap “Back Up Now”
6. Wait for backup to complete (don’t disconnect from Wi-Fi)
7. When done, you’ll see “Last successful backup: Today at [time]”

What iCloud backs up:

• Photos & videos (if iCloud Photos is enabled)
• Device settings
• App data
• Home screen & app organization
• iMessage, text messages, ringtones
• Purchase history (apps, music, movies)

What iCloud does NOT back up:

• Data already stored in iCloud (Photos, if iCloud Photos is on)
• Touch ID/Face ID settings
• Apple Pay information
• Mail data (already on servers)

Method 2: Mac/PC Backup (For Larger Storage Needs)

What you need:

• Mac (with macOS Catalina or later) or PC (with iTunes)
• Lightning/USB-C cable
• Enough free space on computer (usually 5-50GB)

Step-by-step (Mac):

1. Connect iPhone to Mac with cable
2. Open Finder
3. Click your iPhone in the sidebar
4. Under “Backups,” select “Back up all data on your iPhone to this Mac”
5. Check “Encrypt local backup” (important—saves passwords and health data)
6. Create a password you’ll remember
7. Click “Back Up Now”
8. Wait for backup to complete (15-60 minutes depending on data size)

Step-by-step (Windows PC):

1. Download and install iTunes (if not already installed)
2. Connect iPhone with cable
3. Open iTunes
4. Click iPhone icon at top
5. Under “Backups,” select “This computer”
6. Check “Encrypt iPhone backup”
7. Create a password
8. Click “Back Up Now”

Don’t Forget These iPhone-Specific Items:

1. Apple Watch data: Unpair your Apple Watch BEFORE selling iPhone (this automatically backs up Watch)

2. Two-factor authentication codes:

• Go to Settings → Security → Two-Factor Authentication
• Make sure you have backup codes saved
• Update recovery phone number if selling your phone number too

3. Apple Pay cards: Automatically removed when you turn off Find My iPhone, but double-check in Wallet app

Important: Before selling your iPhone, you must remove your iCloud account properly. Even if your phone won’t turn on, you can remove it remotely.

How to Back Up Android (Complete Guide)

Android backup is handled through Google, with some manufacturer-specific options (Samsung, OnePlus, etc.).

Method 1: Google Backup (Recommended)

What you need:

• Wi-Fi connection
• Google account with enough storage (15GB free with Google account)
• 15-30 minutes

Step-by-step:

1. Connect to Wi-Fi
2. Go to Settings
3. Tap System (or Google on some phones)
4. Tap Backup
5. Make sure “Back up to Google Drive” is ON
6. Tap “Back up now”
7. Wait for backup to complete
8. Verify: You’ll see “Last backup: Today at [time]”

What Google backs up:

• App data (for apps that support backup)
• Call history
• Device settings (Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, etc.)
• Photos & videos (if Google Photos backup is on)
• SMS text messages (if enabled)

What Google does NOT back up:

• Music and movies (unless purchased from Google Play)
• Files in internal storage (documents, downloads)
• Some app data (if developers didn’t enable backup)

Method 2: Samsung Smart Switch (Samsung Phones Only)

Samsung phones have extra backup via Smart Switch:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and backup → Backup and restore
2. Tap Back up data
3. Select what to back up (apps, settings, home screen, etc.)
4. Tap Back up

Smart Switch also lets you:

• Back up to external SD card
• Back up to PC via USB cable (download Smart Switch PC app)
• Transfer directly phone-to-phone

Method 3: Google Photos (For Photos & Videos)

This is critical—don’t rely solely on device backup for photos:

1. Download Google Photos app (if not already installed)
2. Open app and sign in with Google account
3. Tap Profile icon → Photos settings → Backup
4. Turn ON “Backup”
5. Choose “Original quality” (uses storage) or “Storage saver” (free unlimited, slightly compressed)
6. Wait for all photos/videos to upload (check progress in app)

Verify photos backed up:

• Go to photos.google.com on computer
• Check that all recent photos appear

Backing Up Special Data Types

Text Messages (Android)

Google backup doesn’t always save SMS reliably. For important texts:

1. Download SMS Backup & Restore app (free)
2. Open app → tap “Backup”
3. Save backup file to Google Drive or email it to yourself

WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram Messages

These don’t backup with device backup:

• WhatsApp: Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Back up now
• Signal: No cloud backup (messages stay on device—screenshot important convos)
• Telegram: Messages stored in cloud automatically

Authenticator App Codes

CRITICAL: Export these BEFORE factory reset or you’ll be locked out of accounts!

Google Authenticator:

1. Open app → tap 3 dots → Transfer accounts → Export accounts
2. Screenshot the QR code
3. Save screenshot to cloud storage

Authy: Automatically syncs to cloud (just reinstall on new device)

Microsoft Authenticator: Settings → Backup → Turn on backup

Verify Your Backup Worked

Don’t trust—verify! Before factory reset:

iPhone Verification:

1. Go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Manage Storage → Backups
2. Tap your device name
3. Check backup size and date/time
4. Visit iCloud.com/photos to verify photos

Android Verification:

1. Go to Settings → Google → Backup
2. Check “Last backup” timestamp is recent
3. Visit photos.google.com to verify photos
4. Visit contacts.google.com to verify contacts

Backup Checklist Before Selling

Print this or screenshot it:

Common Backup Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Factory Reset Before Backup

Once you reset, data is gone. Always backup BEFORE factory reset.

Mistake 2: Assuming Photos Are Backed Up

Check! Many people think iCloud Photos or Google Photos is on when it’s not. Verify online before resetting.

Mistake 3: Forgetting Authenticator Apps

This locks you out of Gmail, bank apps, social media. Export codes before reset!

Mistake 4: Not Removing SIM Card

Your SIM card is yours—remove it before selling. It contains your phone number and carrier info.

Mistake 5: Relying on Old Backup

Check your backup date. If it’s from 6 months ago, run a fresh backup now.

FAQ: Backing Up Phone Data

Q: How long does backup take?
A: 15-30 minutes for small data (under 10GB), 1-3 hours for large data (50GB+). Photos/videos take longest.

Q: Do I need to pay for cloud storage?
A: Not necessarily. iPhone gets 5GB free (usually not enough); Google gives 15GB free (often enough). If you have 20GB+ of photos, expect to pay $0.99-2.99/month.

Q: Can I back up while using my phone?
A: Yes, but it’s slower. For fastest backup, plug in to power, connect to Wi-Fi, and let it run without using the phone.

Q: Will my new phone be exactly like my old one after restore?
A: Almost. Apps reinstall, settings transfer, photos/contacts restore. You may need to log back into apps and re-set up Face ID/Touch ID.

Q: What if I don’t have enough iCloud/Google storage?
A: Option 1: Pay for more ($0.99-2.99/month). Option 2: Back up to computer instead (free, but need cable + laptop). Option 3: Use multiple cloud services (Google Photos for photos, iCloud for everything else).

Q: Can I back up to an external hard drive?
A: Yes, for iPhone via computer backup. Android can use Smart Switch to back up to SD card or PC.

Ready to Sell Your Phone Safely?

Once your data is safely backed up, you’re ready to turn that old phone into cash. But before you meet with buyers, learn how to spot common phone buying scams in Salt Lake City to protect yourself.

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