Phone data destruction removes company data from smartphones and tablets in a way you can document. WMG Waste eRecycling wipes devices with NIST 800-88 compliant methods or physically destroys their storage, logs each device by serial number and issues a certificate of data destruction, so a retired company phone does not turn into a data leak.
Is a factory reset enough for company phones?
A factory reset is a useful first step, but on its own it is not a documented sanitization. It is usually done by the employee or a colleague, with no record of which device was reset, when, or whether it finished. If a phone later turns up with data on it, you have nothing to show an auditor.
There are practical gaps too. A reset does nothing to a memory card or SIM left in the device. Older or cheaper devices without full storage encryption may leave recoverable data behind. And GDPR asks you to be able to demonstrate how personal data was handled, which a verbal “we reset it” does not do. Company phones hold email, contacts, chat history, photos of documents and saved logins, so the bar should be the same as for a laptop.
What should you do before handing phones over?
- sign the devices out of Apple and Google accounts so activation locks are removed
- release them from your mobile device management system
- take out SIM cards, or leave them in and tell us so they are destroyed as well
- keep memory cards with the phone they came from, or bag them separately
- make a simple count per model, so you can compare it with our itemized receipt
Devices still tied to an account cannot be reused, so they will go to physical destruction and recycling instead.
Can wiped phones and tablets be resold?
Yes. Usable devices are refurbished and resold, and the proceeds are returned to you. See buyback of phones for what affects their value. Devices that are damaged, too old or still locked to an account have their storage destroyed and go through WEEELABEX certified recycling. Batteries are recycled too, and we recover up to 95% of materials. Our phone recycling page covers that side.
Every device ends up on your certificate by serial number, whichever route it takes.
Tell us how many phones and tablets you are retiring. Request a free quote and we will reply within 24 hours.