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(Pocket-lint) – If you’ve had your eye on the new Pixel 6a, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn you can trade in your old phone to get a better deal on this new model.
The trade-in is available from Google Store. You can get an estimated value on your old device and trade it in to get that value refunded.
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Sending your phone will require a bit more effort than simply posting it to a Google partner. It will be best to make certain preparations first.
How to Prepare Your Old Phone for a Trade-In
Since you’re sending your old phone away, it will be crucial to clean it of any personal information while keeping the important data. To do this, you should back up the phone externally, wipe its memory, and ensure all cards are removed before trading it in.
Backing Up Your Phone
There are several ways to back up important data from your phone. You can use a cloud service, create a backup via a computer, or use a storage unit like an SD card.
Cloud backups are the most straightforward. Both iOS and Android phones have cloud storage services built-in – iCloud for iPhones and Google One (among others) for Android.
Backing up iPhone data through iCloud is easy. All you need to do is go to your iCloud settings and toggle all items you want to be backed up. Then, tap “Back Up Now” and the selected data will be saved to the cloud.
Similarly, Android users can back up their phones via their Google accounts. This method requires even fewer steps to complete – it consists of opening Google settings and tapping “Backup.”
When it comes to computer backups, iPhone data can be saved via iTunes after connecting the phone with the computer. On the other hand, Android phones act as external storage when connected to a computer, so transferring relevant files will be the same as with a USB stick or external drive.
Finally, using an SD card to back up your phone will simply involve copying your files from the phone memory on the card.
Memory Wiping
Once you have all important data backed up, you’ll want to make sure no personal information remains on the device. The easiest way to go about this is to reset the phone to factory settings. This process will wipe the memory and delete all your data and settings.
Depending on your phone model, factory reset might be nested under various settings. Try searching for the option or go to general sections.
After the reset is done, it would be best not to take it at face value. If you want to be sure all of your data is truly gone from the device, we would recommend a manual check.
Removing All Cards
It’s crucial to remember to get your SIM and SD cards out of the phone before you send it away. Factory resets and memory wiping techniques might not extend to your SD card, which means that the information on it could remain intact. The same applies to the SIM card.
Now that your phone is backed up and cleaned thoroughly, you can send it for a trade-in. But there’s another consideration: how you’ll pack the device.
Packing Your Phone
The best way to get your phone ready for shipping is to pack it in the original box. If you still have the box, it will be the most suitable storage for the device – after all, the box was built for that precise purpose.
If you no longer have the box, you can use different packaging. Since the phone probably won’t fit as snugly, secure it with some cushioning like bubble wrap. Also, before the phone is packed, it would be wise to take several photos of each device part to document their state when you sent it.
Prepare for a Great Deal
You can find out even more about these topics and other details through Google’s official pages. Here are some great resources to learn more about the trade-in:
But that’s not the end of the good news! Until 30 September you can get up to £250 or €300 off the price of a Pixel 6a when you trade in your old phone, which is a great help.
Google’s birthday is also coming on 9 September. This means there’ll likely be some amazing deals for many Google products. Subscribe to the Google Store Newsletter to stay in the loop and learn about new offers as soon as they show up.
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