If you’re clearing out a junk drawer, cleaning up your home office, or sorting through old electronics, you might find a phone or computer you haven’t touched in years. Donating it to Goodwill is a good way to pass it along, but do one thing before handing it over: remove your personal information.
Goodwill accepts many kinds of electronics, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Before donating an old device, the organization advises deleting personal data, even if the device has been sitting unused for a long time.
Remove Your Personal Information First
In its guide to decluttering old technology, Goodwill reminds donors to clear personal information from phones and computers before giving them away.
Think about everything you’ve stored on your devices over the years, from family photos and saved passwords to emails, documents, and private messages. That information may still be there, even if you haven’t switched the device on in ages.
Before adding an old phone or computer to your donation box, turn it on and check its contents.
You might come across pictures, files, or other items you’d forgotten about but still want to keep. Save anything important to another device or a secure storage location before wiping your personal information, so you don’t lose something you’ll wish you had kept.
Related: Does Goodwill Actually Wash Donated Dishes Before Selling Them?
Computers Can Hold Years of Information
An old computer may contain tax records, work files, downloaded documents, family photos, and other private information accumulated over several years. Even if you no longer use the machine, those files could remain on its hard drive.
Spend some time checking the computer before donating it, and back up anything you want to keep. Once your files are safe, remove your personal information, then reset or wipe the device using instructions for its operating system.
Related: 9 Goodwill Finds That Can Turn Into Regrettable Purchases Without These Checks
