Recycling Cellphones - Privacy concerns?

[ExtraSlow]

I know if I was to recycle a laptop or desktop, I'd take the hard drive out and that would pretty much handle any of my privacy concerns. What's the recommended procedure for cellphones?

These days we use cellphones for everything from banking to recording our kids first steps to dick pics, and I don't want any of that to be handed off to bad guys.

Suggestions?

[SKR]

Throw them in the river.

[botox]

Put a nail through it. This is effective and can be therapeutic

[rage2]

iPhones are easy, just reset using Erase all contents and settings, and you're done.

Under the hood, iPhones since iOS 3 (and iPhone 3GS) have full "disk" encryption, triggering erase all contents and settings wipes the encryption key, and the data is completely useless on the phone. Let's say that by some magical reason, someone was able to extract the memory chips, probe it, and some how recover that erased key because the data isn't degaussed under DOD standards. Still useless, because that key is encrypted with your passcode and useless without it.

In practice, if the FBI and NSA can't get into an iPhone that's locked with keys still sitting on the "disk", I think you and your dick pics are pretty safe.

Not sure how Android tackles encryption, so I'll let Android experts answer that one.

[Xtrema]

Phone shipped with Android 5.0 and forward should also have storage encryption enabled from factory. So an erase and reset should be safe enough.

Although, I always keep older android devices around for experimenting, rooting and such, so that's not an issue for me. I also have all the cellphones I ever owned since the Motorola Star-Tec.

[carson blocks]

Most secure destruction protocol

1. Blendtec blender.
2. Cell phone smoothie. Toxic metals = trace minerals.
3. Fully natural data destruction process.
4. Flush the evidence.