Planning to donate some of your devices this Christmas? Many charities encourage people to donate older laptops, tablets or other devices. This is a great way to get devices in the hands of those unable to get hold of one. Though, you should ensure your data is erased before donating your devices.
Make sure devices are still receiving support
Charities have a responsibility to ensure they pass on secure, up-to-date devices. An unsupported device may be unsafe as it won’t receive security updates. It will not receive performance updates or new features also.
Check to see that the manufacturer still supports the device you plan on giving away. You can check this quite easily online. Refrain from donating outdated and unsupported devices and recycle those instead.
Erase data before donating your devices
When donating a device, make sure you have erased all your data. Charities should check donated devices don’t contain any personal information. However, when it comes to your data you should not leave it up to others to erase it for you. Normally, to wipe your device you can simply initiate a ‘factory reset’. Although the name of this feature may vary slightly on different devices.
You should look for a guide on the manufacturer’s site if you are having problems deleting your information. It is worth noting, that before you wipe your device you should make a backup of anything you would like to keep.
Here are a few manufacturer guides for wiping your device:
- How to erase your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
- Reset your Android device to factory settings
- Reset your Chromebook to factory settings
- Start afresh with a clean installation of Windows 10
You may be asked if you want to keep personal files before erasing your data. Make sure you DO NOT choose this option if you are donating your device.
You’re all done
Donating a device is a great way to help out someone who needs it. Just remember to do it safely without exposing any of your personal data. You should also try recycling any unsupported and outdated device if you no longer use it.
