How to trade in your old Android phones

Whether you need to go together with Samsung, Google, or a distinct producer, buying and selling in your old Android telephone — or promoting it — is a great approach to do this, particularly since there are those that will resolve as a substitute to purchase a flippantly used telephone from an older era that may go well with their wants with out breaking the financial institution.

If you’ve obtained an older mannequin and are prepared for an improve, listed here are a number of steps to take in order to get your gadget prepared to promote, adopted by how a lot money you possibly can anticipate to earn again. We’re going to focus on Samsung and Google Pixel phones right here, however you possibly can most likely anticipate comparable outcomes with phones from different distributors.

If your old gadget is in good situation, you shouldn’t have a lot of an issue discovering a brand new proprietor. As talked about in our information on promoting your iPhone, having a telephone in good situation is essential to discovering a purchaser who’s keen to pay prime greenback.

Even if your telephone isn’t in one of the best form, you must nonetheless have the ability to get one thing for your trade. Take into consideration its blemishes, together with scratches, dents, cracks, and some other quirks that the following proprietor ought to find out about. Be sincere, or else it can most likely come again to chunk you.

There are three steps concerned in securely wiping your Android telephone. These steps can differ barely relying on whether or not you may have a Samsung Galaxy, a Google Pixel, or a telephone from one other producer. We have directions for the Galaxy and Pixel; different Android phones might differ barely.

1: Disable Factory Reset Protection. This function prevents your telephone from being wiped if it’s stolen. To disable it, all you may have to do is flip off your Screen Lock. (You’ve had your Screen Lock set, proper?)

• Navigate to Settings > Lock Screen > Screen lock sort.
• Select None.

• Navigate to Settings > Accounts and backup > Manage accounts and faucet on the account (or accounts, you probably have a couple of) that’s listed there.
• Tap Remove account. (Incidentally, should you haven’t backed up your telephone not too long ago, you possibly can go to Accounts and backup > Backup to get that performed.)

3: Factory reset the telephone. The subsequent step is to manufacturing unit reset the telephone to fully wipe it of all your information.

• Back on the principal settings menu, choose General administration > Reset to take you to the ultimate step.
• Select Factory information reset. You will get a warning web page itemizing the information that shall be erased, any accounts you’re nonetheless signed into (and you must return and take away them), and which apps shall be eliminated.
• Ready? Tap on Reset (you’ll be prompted to put in your Samsung account password).

1: Disable Factory Reset Protection. This function prevents your telephone from being wiped if it’s stolen. To disable it, all you may have to do is flip off your Screen Lock. (You’ve had your Screen Lock set, proper?)

• Android 13: Navigate to Settings > Security & privateness > Device lock > Screen lock and choose None.
• Android 14: Navigate to Settings > Security & privateness > Device unlock > Screen lock and choose None.

• Using Android 13 or 14, erasing your telephone begins with navigating to Settings > Passwords & accounts and tapping on the account (or accounts, you probably have a couple of) that’s listed there.
• Then faucet on Remove account.
• You’ll get a warning pop-up. Tap on Remove account once more.

3: Factory reset the telephone. The subsequent step for each Android 13 and 14 is to manufacturing unit reset the telephone to fully wipe it of all your information.

• Back on the principal settings menu, choose System.
• If you haven’t backed up your telephone to Google Drive not too long ago, you possibly can go to Backup and choose Back up now. Otherwise, going into Reset choices will take you to the ultimate step.
• Select Erase all information (manufacturing unit reset). You will get a warning web page itemizing the information that shall be erased, and should you’ve uncared for to signal out of any accounts, it will likely be listed there (and you must return and take away it). Otherwise, faucet on Erase all information.

When you trade in your telephone to a producer or service, you could be buying and selling worth for comfort. It’s up to you which of them you select.

At the time of publication, Samsung was providing up to a $500 prompt trade-in credit score should you have been buying its Galaxy S23. For instance, both a Galaxy Z Fold 4 or a Galaxy S22 Plus 5G would get you a credit score for $500, and whereas an older Galaxy S20 Plus would earn $200.

Google, in its flip, was providing up to $750 as a trade-in for a Pixel 8 Pro. A Pixel 7 Pro with 256GB, nevertheless, solely traded in for $325, whereas a Pixel 6 with 128GB storage that was in working situation and freed from cracks rated $250.

You additionally might have the ability to get an excellent take care of a service — so long as you learn the small print.

As for the place you possibly can promote your old telephone, Swappa is a prime choose with a wholesome group of patrons and sellers. With Swappa, you create a list together with a worth; when your gadget is offered, you obtain fee from Swappa after which ship the telephone immediately to the customer. Swappa prices a charge from the customer, relying on the worth of the telephone, however you might be liable for transport prices. And should you’re in a rush, you are able to do a trade-in with considered one of Swappa’s companions, though you’re going to get much less — for instance, the typical worth provided for a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was $606 should you offered it via Swappa, whereas doing a trade-in scored a median worth of $303.

There are, in fact, different websites the place you possibly can promote your phones.

Decluttr buys the telephone from you after which resells it. The firm provides you a worth on-line; you then ship your telephone to Decluttr inside 28 days. The telephone shall be inspected; if there are not any points, you can be paid both by direct deposit or PayPal; you too can direct your charge to a charity. If they don’t really feel the situation of the telephone is as promised, you can be provided a revised worth which you’ll have 14 days to settle for or decline; should you decline, they may ship the telephone again at no cost.

Gazelle works in a lot the identical approach: the corporate provides you a worth on-line, and also you then ship your telephone to Gazelle inside 30 days. The telephone shall be inspected; if there are points, you can be provided a revised worth which you need to settle for or reject inside 5 days.

Best Buy permits you to both mail in your telephone or deliver it to your nearest Best Buy retail retailer; both approach, you possibly can trade it in for an e-gift card.

Flipsy offers with a wide range of retail websites; it can let you understand what distributors supply how a lot, and then you definitely get from 7 to 30 days to ship the gadget (relying on which vendor you select). The vendor pays for transport. If the seller doesn’t agree with your evaluation, they may ship a revised supply; since every vendor has its personal return insurance policies, it’s a good suggestion to examine earlier than you ship.

And, in fact, there’s eBay. Selling right here could be a bit sophisticated, however mainly, you rise up to 250 listings at no cost every month; when you promote your merchandise, there’s a 13.25 % charge for gadgets up to a closing worth charge of $7,500 after which 2.35 % on the portion of the sale over $7,500; there may be additionally a $0.30 transaction charge.

Other locations the place you possibly can promote your telephone freed from cost (besides, in fact, for transport charges) embody Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

Whether you utilize one of many sources listed right here to make up the price of a brand new Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy telephone, or resolve that the comfort of buying and selling in the telephone is price the additional bucks, is up to you.

Update December twenty eighth, 2023, 9:20AM ET: This article was initially printed on September eleventh, 2021, and has been up to date to mirror adjustments in costs and telephone fashions.