Most of our customers want to recover data from damaged storage devices — but occasionally, clients ask us how they can permanently destroy their files.
That makes sense to us. Our data recovery specialists know how to recover data from hard drives that were damaged in floods and fires; if you want to truly destroy data, they’re the ones to ask.
If you want to destroy sensitive data on a mobile phone, here’s what you need to know.
Mobile phone data can be permanently destroyed fairly easily.
To permanently destroy data on an iOS or Android device, you simply need to perform a factory reset. This will delete everything, and because of the way that flash media stores data, the files are completely irretrievable as soon as the device executes the TRIM command.
For a detailed explanation of the TRIM command, read: How TRIM Can Make Data Recovery Impossible.
Additionally, newer versions of both iOS and Android use encryption. Even if the TRIM command fails to immediately destroy deleted data, the encryption will prevent conventional data recovery attempts.
But couldn’t the police, CIA, or FBI recover data from a reset phone?
No (and we would know; we’ve worked with state, municipal, and federal government offices for decades).
Once your phone is factory reset, the data’s gone for good. However, authorities can subpoena cell service carriers, social media companies, and other businesses for their data.
Generally, your data isn’t just on your phone; it may be backed up to iCloud, Google Drive, or another service. Your Messenger chats might be cached somewhere on Facebook’s services, and AT&T might have records of all of your text messages.
If that’s the case, resetting your phone won’t prevent authorities from finding evidence of a crime. But if you’re simply looking for a basic way to protect your privacy when selling or recycling your phone, resetting it to its factory settings should be perfectly fine.
Of course, if you’re looking to maintain compliance with federal laws or industry-specific regulations, resetting smartphones may be impractical at scale. In that case, it’s advisable to work with an experienced data sanitization partner. Read about our secure data destruction services.
How do I delete my data if my phone has a broken screen?
Most phones can be factory reset without a functional screen. The exact process varies depending on your phone’s manufacturer. Generally, you’ll need to hook your phone up to a computer via USB and unlock it.
Here are direct links to manufacturer resources for performing factory resets:
- Performing a Factory Reset on a Samsung Phone
- Performing a Factory Reset on an Apple iPhone
- Performing a Factory Reset on a Google Pixel Phone
- Performing a Factory Reset on a Motorola Phone
If, on the other hand, you need to recover the data from a smartphone, we’re here to help. Datarecovery.com provides risk-free evaluations and supports all data recovery cases with a no data, no charge guarantee.
To learn more, call 1-800-237-4200 or submit a case online.
