Is It Safe to Donate Old Cell Phones?

There are lots of great organizations out there that take your phone and give it to say an older person with heart problems, abused women, etc.

I'm a techy geek and you most certainly can wipe your phone. You can wipe your computer too. Why you can usually retrieve things is because memory isn't wiped it's just reassigned as available for something to be written on it when you delete something. So it's not gone it just went back into your available memory. It stays there as it is till something is written over it again. Think of it as recycling I guess. Lots of programs will actually go and "put" something on that old memory and then it goes back into the available memory. Sure the CIA might be able to retrieve things but the average person couldn't get a thing off my stuff or anyone's who didn't simply hit the delete key. Anyways, I don't think the CIA is wanting your phone to steal your old pictures.

If you are scared then go to your cell phone companies store and ask them to wipe them for you. They can restore your phone to factory settings and reboot it. All will be lost.

But any company that gets your phone will do this anyways. They have to put the firmware and such on it so it's able to work on their networks anyways.

It's sad that so many people would rather throw this stuff away than give it away because they are just sure their info could be lifted. What was really that important on your phone in the first place? Did you store your cc numbers on there? Your soc number? There are a heck of alot easier ways to steal your identity than that anyways. I've donated all my cell phones and I've never had my identity stolen. I've also donated all my old computers and laptops..... and still no identity stolen.

I think you might want to call the collection company and ask what they use them for.

I've heard of collections of cell phones where the phones are refurbished and given as 911 type phones to abused women etc. In that case i wouldn't be sure they were completely wiped.

I wouldnt' chance it.

Well, I'm pretty sure that the pictures still stay on the phone because when my best friend got a donated cell phone (From her boyfriend's mom) there were some pretty... Embarrassing... photo's still on there.

I think it will be fine, just make sure in the future you wipe it all off of a phone, they really just want the parts and to recycle the materials.

You could try taking them to your cell provider. Tell them that you are donating them, and ask if they could wipe the memory. They are generally pretty good about doing it for you, or telling you how to do it right. Always better to be safe than sorry, especially with how advanced phones are becoming.

You can take the phone to the store where you bought it and they can wipe it clean.

I personally don't donate our because I am not sold on everything being wiped out.

Hubby sold an older model IPhone on Craigslist and got $100 for it. He was sure it was cleared and so far we've had no issues.

With all the technology out there, I just don't see how they can wipe it clean. I understand that most places just want the parts.

It is safe. I have recently toured an electronic recycling facility and they follow several different precautions for ensuring that data is removed from refurbished cell phones and other electronic equipment. In any case, if you have an old cell phone then donate it. If it can't be refurbished it will, at least, be properly recycled and disposed of. Actually any electronic equipment (computers, PDAs, TVs, etc.) should be recycled and NOT thrown into the trash.