Factory Reset Isn't Enough: 5 Steps to Get Top Price

Why Most Sellers Leave Money on the Table

A factory reset takes about two minutes. Most people do it, feel virtuous and then ship their phone off expecting top dollar. But across the recyclers we work with on OnRecycle, the gap between what a well-prepared phone fetches and what a poorly prepared one gets can run to £50 or more - sometimes significantly higher on premium models.

We see this all the time. Someone submits an iPhone 15 Pro expecting a strong quote, the recycler receives it, and the offer gets revised downward because of an active iCloud lock, a missing cable or a port caked in pocket fluff. None of those things are hard to fix. They just require knowing what recyclers actually check.

Here's what they check - and exactly how to prepare your device before you even think about comparing quotes.

Step 1: Remove Account Locks (This One Can Kill the Sale Entirely)

This is the single most important step, full stop. An iCloud Activation Lock on an iPhone or a Google Account lock (FRP lock) on an Android device renders the phone essentially worthless to a recycler. They can't wipe it, they can't resell it and they can't pass it on for refurbishment. Many recyclers in our network will reject the device outright rather than revise the offer - they'll simply send it back to you.

For iPhones, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, scroll to the bottom and tap Sign Out. You'll need your Apple ID password. Then go back and do your factory reset. The key thing is the order: sign out of iCloud before you reset, not after. Doing it the wrong way round is the most common mistake we see.

On Samsung and other Android devices, go to Settings, then General Management, then Reset. After the reset completes, you'll be prompted to enter the previous Google account details. Make sure you remove your Google account first via Settings, then Accounts. If you've already reset without doing this, you'll need to log back in during setup to clear the FRP lock.

Google's own support pages walk through the exact steps for each Android version if you get stuck. Don't skip this - it's the difference between a sale and a returned parcel.

Step 2: Dig Out the Original Box and Accessories

It sounds almost too simple, but original packaging genuinely moves the needle on recycler quotes. Our data shows that devices listed as coming with the original box and accessories consistently attract higher offers - sometimes by £10 to £30 on mid-range models.

Here's why recyclers care. A device with its original box is easier to grade as "excellent" condition. It photographs better for resale listings. It signals to the recycler that the phone was looked after. And on certain models - particularly older iPhones and Samsung Galaxy flagships - the original EarPods or USB-C cable included in the box adds genuine resale value.

For a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, for example, the difference between submitting it boxed with accessories versus a bare handset can be £15 to £25 depending on the recycler. On something like an iPhone 17 Pro Max 512GB - which fetches up to £1,061 through our network right now - even a small percentage difference in grade assessment is worth real money.

Check the loft, the wardrobe shelf, the drawer you never open. The box is almost certainly somewhere. If you genuinely can't find it, be honest in your submission - but if it's there, use it.

Step 3: Clean the Device Properly (Ports, Screen and Body)

Recyclers grade on physical condition, and their graders are not being kind when they find a charging port stuffed with lint, a screen covered in micro-scratches or a camera lens smeared with fingerprints. A device that arrives looking neglected often gets downgraded even when the underlying condition is genuinely good.

The charging port is the thing most people ignore. Use a wooden toothpick - not metal - to gently loosen compacted fluff, then a soft brush or a short burst of compressed air to clear it. Be gentle. The goal is removing debris, not damaging the connector pins.

For the screen and body, a microfibre cloth slightly dampened with water handles most marks. Avoid anything abrasive. On iPhones with aluminium or titanium frames, a dry microfibre cloth on the sides removes fingerprint oils that make the phone look more worn than it is. On Samsung glass-back models, the rear panel shows smudges badly - give it proper attention.

This is a ten-minute job that can mean the difference between a Good grade and an Excellent grade. On a Google Pixel 9 Pro, that grade difference can swing the offer by £20 to £40 across our recycler network.

Step 4: Check Your IMEI and Be Honest About Condition

Before you get a quote, check your IMEI status. Dial *#06# on any phone to get your IMEI number, then run it through a free checker - there are several reputable ones online, including the one maintained by the GSMA. You're checking that the phone isn't reported lost or stolen (which would make it unsellable) and that it's network unlocked, or if locked, which network it's tied to.

Network lock status matters because some recyclers pay more for unlocked devices. If your phone is still locked to EE or Vodafone, many networks will unlock it for free if your contract has ended - it's worth doing before you submit.

The condition question on recycler quote forms is where people tend to be optimistic. Don't be. Recyclers physically inspect every device. If you say Excellent and the phone arrives with a hairline crack on the back glass, the offer gets revised downward and you then have to decide whether to accept the lower price or pay return postage. Accurate grading from the start means no nasty surprises and a smoother, faster transaction.

According to Which?, disputes over condition downgrades are the most common complaint in the phone recycling process. Honest self-assessment upfront avoids that entirely.

Step 5: Time Your Sale to the Market (Then Compare, Don't Just Accept)

The prep work above is all about maximising the grade your device receives. This final step is about maximising the price you're offered for that grade - and the two things work together.

Phone values depreciate fast. The GSMA estimates that a flagship smartphone loses roughly 50% of its retail value within 12 months of launch. That means every month you leave an old phone in a drawer, you're losing money. From the devices we track across our network, the sharpest depreciation tends to hit around major new releases - when Apple announces a new iPhone, the previous generation drops noticeably within days.

Right now in March 2026, strong values are still available on recent flagships. An iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB is fetching up to £1,410. A Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 512GB is up to £1,070. Even a Google Pixel 9 in good condition is pulling solid offers. But these numbers move, and they move downward.

Once your device is prepped and you know your condition grade, use our comparison tool to see what every recycler in our network will pay - side by side, instantly. The spread between the lowest and highest offer for the same device in the same condition is often £30 to £80. There's no reason to accept the first number you see.

Head over to sell your phone on OnRecycle now, run your comparison and see exactly what your prepared, properly graded device is worth today. The five steps above take less than an hour. The difference in your payout can be substantial.

Published by The OnRecycle Team on 7th March 2026