Full FeedHow to Fully Erase all the Info on your iPhone
In a recent post, I talked about how a recipient of a refurbished iPhone was able to uncover sensitive data from the past user with a little searching. I also talked about how there is currently no known way to actually clear the info on your iPhone. Turns out I was wrong. Read on to find out how to actually clear the memory.
Although this method reported by Securosis isn’t perfect, it’s definitely better then having someone finding out your PayPal password.
- Restore the iPhone from within iTunes.
- On the “Info” tab, un-check all options so you don’t synchronize calendars, email, bookmarks, and contacts.
- On the Photos, Podcasts, and Video tabs, uncheck “Sync …”.
- Create 3 big playlists with at least as many songs as the storage capacity of your iPhone.
- On the Music tab, select the first of your 3 playlists to sync. Make sure the storage bar at the bottom looks full after syncing.
- Sync your iPhone, change to the next playlist, sync again, and repeat one last time.
Using this method, all the sensitive info should be overwritten by the new music so when you send it in to Apple for the refurb program, all they will be deleting is music. Now you can sleep easy and wait with baited breath for the 3G iPhone. I haven’t had an iPhone to test this on, so if you do end up using this method, please tell us how it went in the comments.
Read [Securosis]
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Perhaps you’d get more girls if your breath weren’t baited. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bated
on May 22, 2008 at 05:17 PM - LINKhttp://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/with+bated+breath
on May 22, 2008 at 05:23 PM - LINKSounds like an interesting way to clean off your iPhone but, I have one question.
If you have a defective iPhone that is going back to Apple for replacement it seems to me that chances are pretty good that it won’t work well enough to go through this process!
on May 22, 2008 at 09:52 PM - LINKNot all iPhones go back for a refurb because their broken. This method would be used for someone who was getting rid of their iPhone for some reason and instead of just ditching the phone they sell it back to Apple.
on May 23, 2008 at 07:35 AM - LINKNot to belabor the point but how do you “sell it back to Apple”?
But, what you say brings up an interesting point. This procedure could be a good one if you are selling your iPhone on eBay or such.
on May 23, 2008 at 10:42 AM - LINK