How to sell or trade in your old Android phone

There’s a plethora of new and exciting smartphones that have just hit the market (or are about to hit the market), and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to find out that you’re planning to upgrade your current phone . Google recently introduced its new (and expensive) Pixel Fold along with its mid-range Pixel 7A, while Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Plus tops our list of the best Android phones.

Whether you want to go with Samsung, Google or another manufacturer, trading in – or selling – your old phone is a smart way to do that, especially since there are those who decide to buy a lightly used phone from an older one instead. generation that meets their needs without breaking the bank.

If you have an older model and are due for an upgrade, here are a few steps to get your device ready for sale, followed by how much money you can expect to make back. We’re going to focus on Samsung and Google Pixel phones here, but you can probably expect similar results with phones from other vendors.

If your old device is in good working order, you should have no problem finding a new owner. As mentioned in our guide to selling your iPhone, having a phone in good condition is critical to finding a buyer willing to shell out big bucks.

Even if your phone isn’t in the best shape, you should still be able to get it something for your trade. Be aware of the imperfections, including scratches, dents, cracks, and other quirks that the next owner should be aware of. Be honest or it will probably come back to bite you.

It takes three steps to securely erase your Android phone. These steps may vary slightly depending on whether you have a Samsung Galaxy, a Google Pixel, or a phone from another manufacturer. We have instructions for the Galaxy and Pixel; other Android phones may vary slightly.

1: Disable factory reset protection. This feature prevents your phone from being wiped if it is stolen. To disable it, you just need to disable your screen lock. (You set up your screen lock, right?)

• Navigate to Settings > Lock screen > Screen lock type.
• Select No.

• Navigate to Settings > Accounts & backup > Manage accounts and tap the account (or accounts, if you have more than one) listed there.
• Crane Delete account. (By the way, if you haven’t backed up your phone lately, you can go to Accounts and backup > Backup to get it done.)

3: Reset the phone to factory settings. The next step is to factory reset the phone to erase all your data completely.

• Back in the main settings menu, select General Management > Reset to take you to the last step.
• Select Restore factory settings. You’ll get a warning page that lists the data that will be wiped, any accounts you’re still logged into (and you’ll need to go back to delete them), and which apps will be removed.
• Finished? Tap on Reset (you will be prompted to enter your Samsung account password).

1: Disable factory reset protection. This feature prevents your phone from being wiped if it is stolen. To disable it, you just need to disable your screen lock. (You set up your screen lock, right?)

• Android 12: Navigate to Settings > Security > Screen lock and select No.
• Android 13: Navigate to Settings > Security & privacy > Device lock > Screen lock and select No.

• With Android 12 or 13, erasing your phone starts with navigating to Settings > Passwords and accounts and tap the account (or accounts, if you have more than one) listed there.
• Then tap Delete account.
• You will get a warning pop-up. Tap on Delete account again.

3: Reset the phone to factory settings. The next step for both Android 12 and 13 is to factory reset the phone to erase all your data completely.

• Back in the main settings menu, select System.
• If you haven’t backed up your phone to Google Drive recently, go to Backup and select Backup now. Enter differently Reset options takes you to the last step.
• Select Erase all data (factory reset). You’ll get a warning page with the data that will be erased, and if you failed to sign out of an account, it will be listed there (and you’ll need to go back and delete it). Otherwise, tap Delete all data.

When you trade in your phone to a manufacturer or carrier, you may be trading convenience against price. It’s up to you which one you choose.

At the time of publication, Samsung was offering up to $745 instant trade-in credit if you bought the Galaxy S23. For example, a Galaxy Z Fold 4 would net you $700 credit, a Galaxy S22 Plus 5G would net you $420, and a Galaxy S20 Plus would net you $250.

To test Google’s trade-in for a Pixel 7 Pro, I looked at the price I’d get for a Pixel 6 with 128 GB of storage that was in working condition and free of cracks, and I was offered $280, while a Pixel 5A a $110 quote. Interestingly, a Pixel 3 with 128 GB of storage got me a $150 quote, more than the 5A.

You may be able to get a good deal with a carrier as long as you read the fine print. For example, as this was being written, Verizon was offering a discount of up to $1,000 specific new phones if you trade in a phone from a long list (and you connect to a 5G Unlimited subscription).

As for where to sell your old phone, Swappa is a top choice with a healthy community of buyers and sellers. With Swappa you make an offer together with a price; when your device sells, you receive payment from Swappa and ship the phone directly to the buyer. Swappa charges a fee from the buyer depending on the price of the phone, but you are responsible for the shipping costs. And if you’re in a hurry, you can do a trade-in with one of Swappa’s partners, although you’ll get less – for example, the average price offered for a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was $715 if you sold it through Swappa, during the trade-in, a average price of $316.

There are of course other sites where you can sell your phones.

Decluttr buys the phone from you and then resells it. The company gives you a price online; then ship your phone to Decluttr within 28 days. The phone is inspected; if there are no issues, you will be paid via direct debit or PayPal; you can also donate your fee to charity. If they feel the condition of the phone isn’t as promised, you’ll be offered a revised price which you have 14 days to accept or decline; if you refuse they will send the phone back for free.

Gazelle works in much the same way: the company gives you a price online and you then ship your phone to Gazelle within 30 days. The phone is inspected; if there are any issues, you will be offered a revised price that you must accept or decline within five days.

Best Buy have your phone shipped or delivered to your nearest Best Buy store; anyway, you can exchange it for an e-gift card.

Flipsy deals with a variety of shopping sites; it lets you know which suppliers offer how much, and then gives you 7 to 30 days to ship the device (depending on which supplier you choose). The seller pays for the shipping. If the seller disagrees with your assessment, they will send a revised offer; as each supplier has their own returns policy, it is a good idea to check before shipping.

And of course there is eBay.com. Selling here can be a bit complicated, but basically you get up to 250 listings for free every month; once you sell your item, there is a 13.25 percent fee for items up to a final value of $7,500 and then 2.35 percent for the portion of the sale over $7,500; there is also a $0.30 transaction fee.

Other places where you can sell your phone for free (except, of course, for shipping costs) include Facebook Marketplace And Craig’s List.

Whether you use any of the resources listed here to cover the cost of a new Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone, or decide that the convenience of trading in the phone is worth the extra cash is up to you.

Update June 29, 2023, 4:00 PM ET: This article was originally published on September 11, 2021 and has been updated to reflect changes in pricing and phone models.