Find my iphone erase , is it final?

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › Find my iphone erase , is it final?

mb82

227 posts

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#204441 1-Oct-2016 17:46

Have phone I want to sell, Have removed from icloud. Did an erase using the find my iphone feature. Is it complete all contacts, text, pictures, notes, songs etc erased?

Or is it like deleting stuff off a drive that just gets 'marked' as empty and the actual data remains?

michaelmurfy

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#1643919 1-Oct-2016 18:13

Honestly the only way to erase a phones flash memory completely is to cook it in the Microwave (don't do this - it'll destroy it) however your method is sufficient for most people. Please just make sure it is not iCloud locked.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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scuwp

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#1643941 1-Oct-2016 19:26

You have to make sure it is deleted out of your 'find my iPhone' account. Sign on to iCloud on a computer go into the find my iPhone app and use the drop down menu to select your devices, if it still shows there delete it, then do the factory restore again on the phone going through the settings menu. That's about as good as it is going to get.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

hashbrown

463 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#1643968 1-Oct-2016 20:46

The way I understand it works is that the iPhone encrypts all your data. When you erase it basically throws away the key. So yes the data is still there but it is unreadable.

CYaBro

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#1643976 1-Oct-2016 21:42

Just use the erase all content and settings option under the settings on the iPhone itself.
That will prompt you for your Apple ID to remove it from your iCloud account, if Find my iPhone is still turned on.
That will reset it back to factory like a new device.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.