Just deleting data isn't enough! Do these 5 secret things before selling your old phone, or your entire information will be stolen.

The biggest concern before selling or giving away your old smartphone is the security of your personal data. Often, people rush to sell the phone but forget to properly delete the data.

The biggest concern before selling or giving away your old smartphone is the security of your personal data. Often, people rush to sell the phone but forget to properly delete the data. Your old device stores sensitive information like banking details, email IDs, passwords, chat history, and photos. If this information falls into the hands of the wrong person, it can lead to everything from identity theft to financial loss.

Many people believe that deleting files from a phone or performing a factory reset erases all data, but the reality is different. Sometimes deleted data can be recovered with the help of special recovery software. Therefore, simply resetting is not enough; additional steps are necessary to completely erase the data.

Before selling your phone, it's essential to back up your important files and photos. Also, check your cloud storage and recycle bin to ensure you don't miss any important documents. After the backup is complete, log out of your Google account or any other accounts associated with the phone. This will ensure your information is not linked to the device, and the new owner will have trouble using the phone.

If your phone is running Android Lollipop (5.0) or later, it will have a Factory Reset Protection (FRP) feature. This is essential because without it, a new user will be unable to use the device.

Another important trick to follow before performing a factory reset is to fill the phone with dummy or junk data, such as large videos, songs, or movies. When you reset it, the new data will overwrite the old files. The advantage of this is that even if someone tries to recover the data, they will only find useless files, not your personal information.

The reset method may vary slightly between phones from different manufacturers, but it can be easily done from Settings on most devices. After resetting, be sure to remove the old phone from the list of devices associated with your Google account. This step ensures complete security.

Simply deleting the data before selling your old phone isn't enough. Backing up, removing accounts, disabling FRP, resetting with dummy data, and finally removing the device from your account are all necessary steps to keep your personal data safe. Only then can you sell your phone with confidence and avoid worrying about data theft.