Selling a device ,tablet phone ect

[Levo-Lon]

got 2 tablets and a new ish Nokia 5 phone.
Was just going to sell on facebay thingy ,Factory reset but my wife says no you'll still have all you personal info on them?

Is this the case...and if so what do you do to clear them of pass words and data.... Shame to scrap them as the tablets are both good but only 8" screens Samsung galaxy and an Amazon fire

 

[vickster]

Most if not all devices have a factory reset option. Google should tell you how to do that on your specific ones

 

[Levo-Lon]

Most if not all devices have a factory reset option. Google should tell you how to do that on your specific ones

Yes I've done that but my wife says info will still be on there

 

[vickster]

Yes I've done that but my wife says info will still be on there

Why does she think that? I'm no cyber security expert, maybe she is?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Yes I've done that but my wife says info will still be on there

What’s making her say that?

 

[midlife]

Factory reset marks data as deleted so you can't see it easily. Like wiping the table of contents of a catalogue but not the catalogue itself. There are ways of wiping android devices completely.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

During a repair last year, Samsung warned me that once we did a factory reset it would make it impossible to ever recover any files I'd created or stored on that device, and they urged me to back up to a hard drive before we started. I'm not sure why they'd say that if it wasn't true, there was no benefit to them from misleading me.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Deleting data doesn't delete it as we understand deletion. Basically, it just changes the file name so that your apps can't recognise it, but the OS can recognise it as an area that can be overwritten should the need arise.
Using software, a skilled hacker/technician an go and rename the files and read them - if they have not yet been overwritten and thus corrupted, by other files.
Use something like File Sanitizer to physically corrupt those files.

I may or may not work for MI5/6.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

During a repair last year, Samsung warned me that once we did a factory reset it would make it impossible to ever recover any files I'd created or stored on that device, and they urged me to back up to a hard drive before we started. I'm not sure why they'd say that if it wasn't true, there was no benefit to them from misleading me.

Impossible no. PITA for them 'cause they didn't warn you adequately and now you insist that they recover your cat photos that they destroyed.
Hence, they just use the word impossible to force you to do your homework.

 

[Salty seadog]

The data definitly is recoverable. I bought a second hand phone from @Drago and after firing it up and finding the private collection I handed it over to the authorities who had it fired into the heart of the sun. Last I heard was Drago is now in suspended animation in China and his account is being run by Jeremy Corbyn.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If they are iPads then it’ll be fine as the storage is encrypted. If it’s Android you need to turn on storage encryption and let it complete the encryption. Then factory reset and you’ll be fine.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Deleting data doesn't delete it as we understand deletion. Basically, it just changes the file name so that your apps can't recognise it, but the OS can recognise it as an area that can be overwritten should the need arise.
Using software, a skilled hacker/technician an go and rename the files and read them - if they have not yet been overwritten and thus corrupted, by other files.
Use something like File Sanitizer to physically corrupt those files.

I may or may not work for MI5/6.

That's what she was saying, so selling to anonymous person could be trouble.

Thank you

 

[Levo-Lon]

If they are iPads then it’ll be fine as the storage is encrypted. If it’s Android you need to turn on storage encryption and let it complete the encryption. Then factory reset and you’ll be fine.

Not a clue how to do that

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Settings —> security and privacy —> encryption and credentials.

Charge tablets to 100% first , plug in then go into above menu options.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Settings —> security and privacy —> encryption and credentials.

Charge tablets to 100% first , plug in then go into above menu options.

I've already factory reset. The tablet I'm using says encrypted so I'd think the other 2 were also.