How do you get rid of old business computers and phones safely?

Ascent Vision · Published October 30, 2026

Back up what the business needs, sign the device out of its accounts, then wipe it before it leaves your hands. The FTC says wipe software can give better results by overwriting the whole drive, and deleting files with keyboard or mouse commands usually is not sufficient. Phones are usually erased with a factory reset. Keep any device you cannot wipe locked away, and write down what was disposed of, when and how.

Why deleting is not enough

The FTC's guide "Protecting Personal Information: A Guide for Business" says that when you dispose of old computers and portable storage devices, wipe utilities can give better results by overwriting the entire hard drive. It says that deleting files with keyboard or mouse commands usually is not sufficient. The related answer on keeping computers and phones updated notes the same advice from NIST.

Before you wipe

These steps are general advice.

Back up what the business still needs, and open the backup on another device to check it. The related answer on backing up business data covers how.
If the device receives sign-in codes for business accounts, set those up on another device the business controls first.
Sign the device out of email, cloud storage, the password manager and business apps, and remove it from each account's list of devices.
Note which customer records were on it. That tells you how careful to be.

Wiping a computer or a phone

For a computer, use the erase software's own instructions, and check that it covers the whole drive. For a phone, Apple's page on factory resetting an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch starts with a backup, then Settings, General, Transfer or Reset, Erase All Content and Settings. Along the way it asks whether to keep or delete an eSIM and asks for the device passcode and Apple Account password.

Google's page on resetting an Android device says a factory reset erases all your data from your phone. It advises knowing your Google Account username and password and backing up your data first, and suggests checking the maker's support site for device-specific steps. Afterward, a phone should usually start at a setup screen, not show your apps.

Copiers, printers and devices you cannot wipe

The FTC guide advises asking, when you return or dispose of a copier, whether its hard drive can be removed and destroyed, or the data on it overwritten. As general advice, a copier or printer that scanned customer documents may be worth the same question.

If a computer will not start, you may not be able to run the erase software. Taking out the drive and keeping it, or having it destroyed, is usually safer than giving the computer away. A device in a locked cupboard is usually a smaller risk than one handed on unwiped, so do not sell or donate a device you could not wipe.

Keep a disposal record

This list is general advice, not the FTC's. Add a column to the device list described in the related answer on keeping computers and phones updated, or keep a short sheet with:

the device and its serial number, and who used it;
whether it held customer details;
the date, and who did the backup and the wipe;
how it was wiped, and whether you checked it afterward;
where it went: sold, donated, recycled or kept.

Sources

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