Securely removing all data from a mobile device


In the event your device is lost, stolen, or repurposed, you may follow the steps below to remove all data from the device. To report lost or stolen electronic media or computing devices, please complete our Report an Incident - Lost or Stolen device, etc. /stolen device form.

IMPORTANT: Do not cancel your service for the phone until all data has been securely removed.

Securely removing all data from smartphone devices connected to Office 365

  1. Log into your Office 365 email account https://outlook.office365.com/yale.
  2. Select the Gear icon to open the Settings menu.
  3. Select the Mail link.
  4. Expand the General section and select Mobile Devices.
  5. Select the device you want to remotely wipe and select the Wipe all data button (it looks like a tablet and eraser).
  6. After completing the Wipe, call your wireless provider to deactivate the account.

iPhone or iPad

NOTE: Unless you have previously installed the Find My iPhone app, you should contact your wireless service provider to suspend service, so you are not responsible for phone calls or other charges.

If your iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen, you can remotely erase (or "wipe") the information on it to prevent anyone else from seeing or using your personal information. To use a remote wipe, you need to have first turned on Find My iPhone on your device.

If you erase your device and then find it, you can restore your information by connecting it to your computer and restoring it from a previous backup.

Important: Before you erase all the information on your device, try to find it by locating it on the Find My iPhone map and sending it a message. After you erase all the information on your device, you will not be able to use Find My iPhone to locate it or send it a message.

  1. Go to icloud.com and sign in using your Apple ID email address and password. 
    • If you're a paid subscriber, your Apple ID is your MobileMe email address (@me.com or @mac.com) and password. If you're already signed into a different application on me.com, switch to Find My iPhone.
  2. If you set up Find My iPhone on more than one device, select the device you want to erase in the Devices list on the left.
    • A green dot to the left of your device name means it is online; a red dot means it's offline; and a grey dot means Find My iPhone is trying to connect to the device.
  3. On the map, select the blue arrow to the right of your device's name (or, if the device hasn't been located recently, the red clock ).
  4. In the device window, select Wipe, and then read the warning message that appears.
  5. If you are sure you want to proceed, select Erase All Data.
    • If the iPhone or iPad is online, the remote wipe begins within seconds. If it is offline, the information will be erased the next time the device is online.
  6. After the remote wipe has begun, a confirmation email is sent to your MobileMe email address (if you are a subscriber) or to the primary email for your Apple ID (if you have a free user account).
  7. If you do not expect to find your iPhone or iPad, you should contact your wireless service provider to suspend service so you aren't responsible for phone calls or other charges.

Android Devices

Factory Reset Android Phone

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Tap System, Advanced, and Reset options. (If you don't see "Advanced," tap Reset options.)
  3. Tap Erase all data and Reset phone.  (If needed, enter your PIN, pattern, or password.)
  4. To erase all data from your phone's internal storage, tap Erase Everything.
  5. When your phone has finished erasing, pick the option to restart.

To erase the information on your lost Android Phone

  1. Go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google Account.  (If your lost phone has more than one user profile, sign in with a Google Account that's on the main profile.)
  2. If you have more than one phone, select the lost phone at the top of the screen.
  3. On the map, you'll get info about where the phone is located.  The location is approximate and might not be accurate.  If your phone can't be found, you'll see its last known location, if available.
  4. Choose Erase device and erase the device again. 

Important: If you find your phone after erasing it, you'll likely need your Google Account password to use it again.