Research states that over 1.5 million smartphones are sold every minute. Companies are always striving to create phones with cutting-edge features for their next launch. These phones, packed with the latest technology and features, make it difficult to ignore them. But, what if you recently purchased a phone? Then how do you resist the temptation?

The thing is, you can’t. Today’s smartphones can do everything at lightning speed, so you can’t just turn a blind eye. But that does not mean you keep buying new phones, as you only need one, right? What we suggest is to use trade-ins to upgrade your phone. Trade-in is a method used to buy a new phone in exchange for an existing phone and some cash.

Most reputable sellers offer trade-ins, so you won’t have trouble looking around for a seller that has this feature. The trade-in process is straightforward; the seller will check your device to see if it is in working condition. Depending on its state and model, the seller will quote a price, which will be used to reduce the cost of the new phone you’re buying. That’s it!

However, before you decide to trade in, you need to ensure a few things, including protecting your personal information in your old phone. Here’s a checklist to follow before trading in your phone.

Check if your phone is eligible for trade-in
Trade-ins work for most models, but they don’t include everything. You can’t expect to buy the latest iPhone or Galaxy model by trading in your smartphone from the early 2000s. Hence, first, check with the seller of your choice if your phone is valid for trading-in. Also, ensure that your old phone is in working condition as the seller won’t accept a device with damages. Missing buttons, malfunctioning screen, software installing issues, and damage to the phone’s hardware will also not be accepted.

Data backup
If your phone contains valuable data that you want to protect, you should back it up somewhere before trading in for a new phone. You can save the data in various ways but remember to do so at a secure location. The best place, in our opinion, is your Google account. To save your data there, go to the ‘Settings’ menu on your phone, click ‘Accounts and Sync,’ and then hit ‘Enable Google Sync.’ You can, alternatively, save your data on apps like MyBackup Pro and G Cloud Backup.

Disconnect paired devices
iPhone users usually have multiple devices, like an Apple Watch, iPad connected to their smartphone. Before trading in, it is vital to unpair these devices with the phone. This can be done by bringing the two devices close to each other, followed by opening the Apple Watch app on the phone. Select the My Watch tab and click on the information button on the watch. Finally, tap the button to unpair the Apple watch.

Restore factory settings
After you’ve backed up your data and disconnected your phone from other devices, restore it to how it was when you bought it. That means you’ll have to restore factory settings. The feature allows you to remove everything that has been added to the device since it was bought. It includes pictures, videos, files, apps, and music. Both Android and Apple phones have the factory reset feature in them.

Clean the phone and remove its accessories
The last step before handing over your old phone is to ensure that it looks in top shape. So clean the screen with a cleaning agent to remove any stains. Also, remove the scratch guard and phone cover, if there’s any.