Recent research by Vodafone suggests that the average Brit has at least two old phones stashed at home gathering dust, and that Portsmouth has over 10,000 digitally excluded residents.
Re-Home Your Old Smartphone
Do you have an old smartphone that you’d like to rehome?
Recently we were approached by Portsmouth City of Sanctuary (PCoS), who are working with a number of refugees and people seeking asylum that are in need of smartphones. As well as keeping in contact with loved ones, they’re now essential for eVisas, as paper documents were phased out in 2024. If you’d be happy to donate your old smartphone follow the steps below and we’ll then work with PCoS to get them to those that need them most.
Steps to donating your smartphone:
Your old phone must be:
- A smartphone e.g. Android or Apple
- Not have a cracked screen or back
- Must hold charge (If you have a charger, please drop that to us as well, but it’s not essential)
- Wipe all data and unlock your phone (instructions below)
Before You Gift Your Phone
Before gifting your phone, there are a few steps for you to take to wipe your data and ensure it’s unlocked, and you can find full instructions below. However, if you would like help to do this, you can request a slot with one of our IT repair volunteers by emailing hello@shareportsmouth.org.uk
So please remember to:
- Remove all accounts e.g. Google, iCloud – you’ll find instructions below for Android & Apple devices.
- Check with your network to see if you need to unlock your phone. You can find details for your network here: EE, GiffGaff, O2, Three, Vodafone.
How to Wipe Your Phone Data – Android Devices
To erase multiple devices, or if your device isn’t charged:
- Open Google Account and sign in if required
- Select ‘Security’ from the list on the left side
- Scroll down to ‘Your devices’ and click on ‘Manage all devices’
- Locate the device in the list – it should be listed as ‘Android device’ – and click the device description to see details
- On the details page click on the ‘Sign out’ button
If your device is charged:
- Make sure any data you need is backed up, including contacts.
- Remove the SIM or any memory cards if there are any.
- Turn off any screen locks.
- Remove your Google accounts. Watch this video or follow the steps below.
- On your device, go to Settings > Accounts and backup/sync > Accounts tap on Google, then tap Remove account (this may be in a menu, check for three dots). Make sure you remove all accounts.
- Wipe the device with a factory reset. Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options > tap Erase all data.
Now you’re ready to gift your phone.
How to Wipe Your Phone Data – Apple Devices
To erase multiple devices, or if your device isn’t charged:
- Open iCloud in a browser
- Select ‘Find My’
- Select the device
- Select ‘Remove This Device’
If your device is charged:
- If you paired an Apple Watch with your iPhone, unpair your Apple Watch.
- Back up your device.
- Remove the SIM if there is one.
- Remove your Apple account. Watch this video or follow the steps below:
– Sign out of iCloud and the iTunes & App Store.
– If you’re using iOS 10.3 or later, tap Settings > [your name]. Scroll down and tap Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
– If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier, tap Settings > iCloud > Sign Out. Tap Sign Out again, then tap Delete from My [device] and enter your Apple ID password. Then go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Apple ID > Sign Out.
– Wipe your device. Go back to Settings and tap General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
– If you turned on Find my iPhone, you might need to enter your Apple ID and password.
– If asked for your device passcode or Restrictions passcode, enter it. Then tap Erase.
Now you’re ready to gift your phone.
Drop In Instructions
Once you’ve done the steps above, drop it to Repair Café Portsmouth (next to Sports Direct in Cascades Shopping Centre) during our opening hours (Weds, Fri & Sat 10 – 1, Thurs 1 – 4)
Thanks for being amazing and giving your old tech new life and another person connectivity. (If you know of other groups locally who would like to be involved, please get in touch)
