Apple’s lineup of iPhone 17 models is here. While the new iPhone Air initially took center stage as the company’s slimmest phone yet, it has sold so poorly that production has been slowed and a follow-up was pushed back to 2027. Still, the full iPhone 17 lineup has done well enough to help Apple overtake Samsung as the top smartphone maker in the world. It’s clear that many were quick to upgrade, but a new phone is expensive! Chances are, you may need to trade in or sell your old device just to afford the new one.
The iPhone Air starts at $999, which is $100 more expensive than the Plus model it replaces. Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 17 is $799 for 256GB and $999 for 512GB. If you want 17 Pro, you’ll need to pay a minimum of $1,099 for 256GB. The Pro Max could set you back as much as $1,999 for the 2TB model.
If you’re planning to upgrade, you could sell or trade in your old iPhone to make a dent in the price of a new one. But that entails more than just handing it over and waiting for cash to hit your bank account. Wiping your phone is a must. As is backing up your data just in case the transfer doesn’t go as planned. Below is our step-by-step guide to properly preparing your phone for sale and where to sell it.
1. Back Up Everything
First, make sure you don’t lose your data. Back everything up before you wipe it from your phone. To back up to iCloud from your device, go to Settings, select your name, and then choose iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now.
To back up to your Mac, connect your iPhone and your computer via a cable or Wi-Fi. If you have macOS Catalina or later, go to Finder, select your iPhone, and then choose General > Back Up All of the Data on Your iPhone to This Mac > Back Up Now. If you have an earlier version or a Windows PC, you’d use iTunes. Open the program, click on the image of your phone, then select Summary > Back Up Now.
(Credit: PCMag/Apple)
2. Unfind Your iPhone
Apple’s Find My app can sometimes block activation by a new owner, so you should deactivate the app before you ditch the device. Though Find My is automatically deactivated when you erase all content and settings, which you’ll do below, this is still a good step to take as a precaution. Go to Settings, select your name, then choose Find My and disable it for that device. Enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off.
(Credit: Apple)
3. Sign Out of Messages
For a while, people who ditched their iPhones without logging out of Messages were not receiving texts from other iOS users. Any messages sent from one iPhone to another were being received by the old phone, rather than the new device. The problem is now fixable and affects only those switching from iOS to Android. Still, it’s a good idea to take preventive measures by going to Settings > Apps > Messages and disabling iMessage.
(Credit: PCMag/Apple)
4. Unpair Your AirPods
Similarly, you can still connect your AirPods to a new iPhone without unpairing them from the old one, but it can’t hurt to wipe the slate clean. Place your AirPods and iPhone near each other, then go to Settings > Bluetooth. Tap the information icon next to your AirPods, and select Forget this Device.
(Credit: Apple)
5. Unpair Your Apple Watch
If you have an Apple Watch, save yourself a potential headache later on and unpair it from the iPhone you’ll be selling. Place them near each other, then open the Apple Watch app on your phone. Go to My Watch > All Watches and select the info circle next to the watch you want to unpair. Tap Unpair Apple Watch and then confirm, which may require you to enter your Apple Account password.
With a GPS + Cellular model, you’re asked whether you want to keep or remove your cellular plan. Since you’re selling the iPhone, you’ll want to remove it. (If you don’t plan to pair your watch with a new iPhone, you might need to contact your carrier to cancel.) Tap to confirm; you might need to enter your Apple Account password to disable Activation Lock.
(Credit: Apple)
6. Sign Out of iCloud
You should sign out of iCloud, iTunes, and the App Store before selling your device. Tap Settings, select your name, and choose Sign Out. Enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off.
(Credit: Apple)
7. How to Wipe Your iPhone and Delete Data
Don’t let anyone snoop on your data. Wipe your phone by heading to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings and approve all the subsequent prompts.
8. Remove the SIM Card (If You Have One)
Apple went the eSIM route starting with the iPhone 14 lineup, but older devices will have a physical SIM card. In most cases, you can just deactivate your cellphone service on the device and trade it in with the SIM card intact. But that SIM card is the repository of your phone number, various bits of security data, and all the info needed for billing. It identifies you, your phone, and a lot of your activity on your phone. So you should remove it before you sell the phone.
Fortunately, it’s simple. Locate the SIM ejector on your phone, then insert a paper clip until the tray pops out. Remove the SIM card, replace the tray, and say goodbye to your old iPhone.
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(Credit: Apple)
The Best Places to Sell Your Phone
We’ve also included some of the best sites for selling or trading in your phone. Some make it easy to send in your phone and get immediate cash, others let you control the price through bidding, and there are even options for receiving store credit from places you shop. To give you an idea of your trade-in power, we priced out what you can expect to get for an iPhone 15 Pro across all of them, and it varies wildly, as you’ll see below.
You can also trade your phone in with your existing carrier or switch to a new one. Many offer compelling trade-in promotions, so be sure to check out AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and others.
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Apple Trade In
(Credit: Apple)
The Apple Trade In program pays you with a credit or gift card. If you pay for an Apple device in full up-front, a credit will be applied to your payment card once Apple receives your trade-in device and verifies its condition. If you’re paying on an installment plan, the credit will be applied right away. Turning in an iPhone 15 Pro can get you up to $420 on a new iPhone.
(Credit: Best Buy)
Best Buy
If you’re selling your iPhone and just want cash to buy electronics, you can cut out a step at Best Buy: Trade in your phone at a store or mail it in for a digital gift card. For a Black Titanium 512GB iPhone 15 Pro on Verizon in good condition, expect to get about $275.
eBay
(Credit: eBay)
To sell your device yourself, there’s always eBay. The site has a quick walkthrough where you can input your phone’s stats. The median price for a Black Titanium 512GB iPhone 15 Pro on Verizon in good condition is $600.
GameStop
(Credit: GameStop)
Are most of your iPhone apps games? Then you’ll probably do well to turn in your iPhone in for some store credit at GameStop. You can also get cold, hard cash for it there. Bring your device to your nearest GameStop (estimates are available on the site before you make the trip), get a price quote from a sales associate, and then receive store credit or cash on the spot. A 512GB iPhone 15 Pro from Verizon in very good condition will get you $379.80 or a store credit of $422.00.
Swappa
(Credit: Swappa)
Swappa is a marketplace where you can sell your iPhone directly. Select your phone model on the site, upload some photos, and set a price. Once someone buys it, you’re paid immediately via PayPal. You’re responsible for safely shipping your phone to the buyer. iPhone 15 Pros are going for around $693 on the site. You can also trade it in immediately with one of Swappa’s partners where you can get $375 on average for an iPhone 15 Pro.
uSell
(Credit: uSell)
Want to sell your iPhone fast? One option is uSell. Select your model, carrier, capacity, and condition to receive an offer. If you choose to accept it, you ship your iPhone to uSell for free. If your device is in the condition you said it was, you’re paid by check or PayPal. A 512GB iPhone 14 Pro on Verizon in good condition is currently worth about $297.
Editors’ Note: Trade-in values were accurate at the time of publication. Your mileage may vary.
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My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme.
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All that gadgets is gold for me: my iPhone 11 Pro, my fifth-generation iPad that I use only for streaming videos and music, my iPad mini 4 that I like to take with me whenever I carry a bag that can fit it, and my MacBook Pro. Why are they all different shades of gold, though? What’s going on, Apple?
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My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I also have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it’s already becoming a little long in the tooth.
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