How to Remove Data from Microsoft Smartphones

When it’s time for companies to dispose of old mobile phones and for staff to turn in company-issued cell phones, these devices can start to pile up. Whether old phones are being upgraded and replaced, or an employee returns their phone before leaving, it’s essential that devices are cleared in a timely manner. The amount of sensitive account information, contact information and financial details left on a device could put you and your company at risk if not properly removed.

To protect yourself and your workplace, you’ll need to take the extra steps to remove any data or documents from your phone before it passes out of your hands. If you’re unsure of how to do this, follow these steps on how to remove data from Microsoft Smartphones.

Resetting Windows 10 Mobile Phone:

Resetting your phone will erase all your personal content and restore your phone to its original factory settings.

1. On the home page, swipe from the right to left to open the Applications list.
2. Type Setting in the search box.
3. Select Settings.
4. Tap System.
5. Select About.
6. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Reset Your Phone.
7. Two warnings will appear. To fully restore your phone back to its factory settings select Yes and Yes again. This process will take a few minutes to complete.

If your phone is unresponsive and cannot reach Settings, you’ll be able to reset your phone using the hardware buttons.

Resetting an Unresponsive Phone:

1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time until its vibrates (about 10-15 seconds)
2. When you feel the vibration, release the buttons and press and hold the Volume down button until an exclamation mark appears.
3. Next, press the following four buttons in this order: Volume Up, Volume Down, Power, Volume Down. Now your phone should now reset and restart itself.

Resetting an Office365 Phone:

1. In your browser, type in:  https://protection.office.com.
2. In the left navigation area, go to Data loss prevention > Device Management > View the list of managed devices.
3. Select the device you want to erase.
4. Click Manage.
5. You’ll be presented 3 different remote wiping options.
   1. To fully wipe your device, – restore the device to factory settings by selecting Factory Reset.
   2. For a selective wipe/ only deleting Office 365 Organization Info, select Remove Company Data.
   3. To completely remove the device from your organization, select Remove Device.
6. Click Yes to confirm.

If your device is no longer listed in the managed devices section, your phone has been successfully wiped.

Erasure needs to occur with each device being disposed of, so if you are wiping phones and tablets in bulk, the time it takes to secure each one adds up. Work with Greentec to wipe all your devices at once with extra security measures to make your data not only inaccessible but completely destroyed. We use certified methods to go one step further in wiping devices — ensuring that they end up as fresh as a brand new device. For businesses, this can be a crucial consideration for end-of-life disposal.

Contact us for more information about how we can help your organization collect and store, recycle or dispose of electronic devices at end-of-life. Make sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to learn more about our services and stay up to date with our mission.