"It's in the cloud, right?"..."I'm sure it's saved in the cloud,"..."Wait, what is the cloud again?"
We've all heard someone shout these phrases out or announce something very similar in frustration, maybe it's you that has been confused on what is and what isn't on the cloud. Since Apple isn't the only company to utilize the cloud network server data sharing technology, we should start by calling it what Apple does- iCloud.
When you're getting ready to sell your iPhone, iPad or other Apple device, it's important to have the device removed from your iCloud account. If it's still locked to your iCloud, it may cause you an unnecessary headache. There's no need to prolong getting your money or add extra stress during your trade-in process! Although it may seem confusing initially, it can be really easy to remove a device from iCloud. To start things off, you'll want to remove the 'Find My iPhone' feature on your iPhone itself.
1. Turn off 'Find My iPhone' on your device
From the home screen on your iPhone, tap on Settings and then select iCloud. Scroll to the bottom and tap on Find My iPhone. From here you'll want to swipe left on the knob to set it to off. Once the green part isn't showing anymore, you know it's been successfully turned off!
2. Go to www.iCloud.com/#find
Head over to the link above, enter in your Apple ID (the same one you use for your iPhone) and sign in. You'll be redirected to the 'Find My iPhone' option under the desktop version of iCloud. Look at the top of the page towards the middle and click on All Devices. Here you'll be able to view all of your Apple devices locked to the specific iCloud account. Locate the iPhone, iPad or device that you're trying to remove and select it. In my example below, I selected one of the iPhone's attached to my account.
3. Select 'Erase iPhone' and then 'Remove from Account'
After you clicked on the device you want to remove, you'll then be prompted with the choices of Play Sound, Lost Mode, Erase iPhone, or the Remove from Account option. First, choose Erase iPhone to remove any existing data on the phone itself. This way your pictures, videos, text messages, and emails will now be eliminated from the device (if you haven't done this already, we highly recommend it). Now click on Remove from Account to officially remove the device from your iCloud account.