Activation Lock & Device Preparation Guide
Effective Date: 25 September 2026
Last Updated: 25 September 2026
This Guide explains how customers should prepare phones, tablets, laptops, computers and other electronic devices before handing them to Eco Tech Recycle for collection, drop-off, valuation, purchase, repair, refurbishment, reuse, resale, parts recovery or recycling.
Eco Tech Recycle is a trading name of Tech Cell Limited.
Correct preparation helps protect customer data, confirm ownership and authority, improve testing and valuation accuracy, reduce delays and determine whether equipment can lawfully and practically enter a reuse, repair, resale or recycling route.
This Guide should be read together with our:
Data Erasure & Data Security Policy;
Collection, Device Acceptance & Valuation Policy;
Recycling & WEEE Policy;
Purchase, Buy-Back & Payment Terms;
Business & School Collection Terms;
Repair, Refurbishment & Returned Device Service Policy; and
Privacy Policy.
Key Points at a Glance
Before handing over a device, please:
Back up any data you want to keep;
Remove SIM cards and removable memory cards;
Remove personal belongings and accessories not included in the handover;
Sign out of personal accounts where appropriate;
Turn off Apple Find My and remove Activation Lock;
Remove Google and Samsung account restrictions where applicable;
Remove MDM and organisation-management restrictions where authorised;
Remove BIOS, firmware and startup passwords where possible;
Tell us about finance, lease, ownership or lost/stolen restrictions;
Tell us about swollen batteries, liquid damage or other safety risks;
Do not send us passwords, authentication codes or recovery keys unless we have specifically provided an appropriate secure process.
A factory reset alone is not represented by Eco Tech Recycle as certified secure data erasure.
1. Why Device Preparation Matters
Electronic devices may contain personal, business, school or organisational data.
They may also remain linked to:
personal accounts;
activation locks;
tracking services;
MDM systems;
business or school management platforms;
finance or lease agreements;
security restrictions; or
ownership records.
Correct preparation can help us:
assess equipment accurately;
test devices properly;
complete appropriate data-security processes;
reduce collection and processing delays;
avoid unnecessary valuation changes;
determine whether equipment is suitable for reuse;
identify equipment requiring customer action;
reduce data-security risks; and
route equipment appropriately.
Failure to prepare a device does not automatically mean that Eco Tech Recycle will reject it. However, depending on the issue, the device may need to be held, returned, revalued, reclassified or excluded from a reuse or resale route.
2. Back Up Your Data Before Handover
Before handing over equipment, you should back up any information you want to retain.
This may include:
photographs;
videos;
documents;
contacts;
messages;
files;
application data;
settings;
school work;
business information; and
authentication information that you legitimately need to retain.
Depending on the agreed service, a device may subsequently be erased, reset, repaired, refurbished, dismantled, have storage removed, be recycled or otherwise processed.
These actions may make existing data permanently unavailable.
Unless data recovery or preservation has been specifically agreed as a separate service, you should assume that data may be lost after handover.
Nothing in this Guide excludes or restricts any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.
3. Remove SIM Cards, Memory Cards and Personal Items
Unless specifically included in the agreed service or equipment list, please remove:
physical SIM cards;
removable memory cards;
USB drives;
external storage devices;
personal cases and covers;
bank or identification cards stored in cases;
AirTags or other personal tracking devices;
personal documents;
handwritten notes; and
other personal belongings.
Where appropriate, you should also remove or transfer an eSIM before handover if you intend to retain the associated mobile service.
Only include chargers, cables, docks and accessories that you intend to transfer or that form part of the agreed equipment list.
4. Apple Devices — Find My and Activation Lock
Before transferring an Apple device to Eco Tech Recycle, customers should remove the device from the relevant Apple Account and turn off Find My where applicable.
Apple’s current guidance confirms that turning off Find My removes Activation Lock, and Apple recommends turning off Find My when giving away, selling or trading in a device.
This may apply to equipment such as:
iPhone;
iPad;
MacBook;
iMac;
Mac mini; and
other supported Apple devices.
Where an Apple device remains protected by Activation Lock, Eco Tech Recycle may be unable to prepare it for lawful reuse or resale.
The device may therefore be:
held pending customer action;
revalued;
returned;
excluded from resale or donation;
routed differently where lawful and appropriate; or
refused.
Eco Tech Recycle does not bypass Activation Lock.
Customers should remove the lock through their own authorised Apple account or other legitimate Apple-supported process.
5. Android Devices — Google FRP and Account Locks
Before transferring an Android phone or tablet, customers should remove relevant Google accounts and other manufacturer accounts where appropriate.
Android devices may use Factory Reset Protection (FRP) or similar anti-theft protection.
A device that remains linked to an account after reset may require the previously authorised account credentials before it can be used again.
Customers should therefore remove relevant account restrictions before handover where they have authority to do so.
Other restrictions may include:
Samsung Account protection;
manufacturer-specific account locks;
screen locks; or
organisation-management controls.
A locked device may be held, returned, revalued or excluded from reuse or resale.
Eco Tech Recycle does not unlawfully bypass Google FRP, Samsung Account locks or equivalent account-security restrictions.
6. Business, School and Organisation Management
Devices previously used by a business, school, charity, council or other organisation may remain enrolled in device-management systems.
Examples include:
Apple Business Manager;
Apple School Manager;
Jamf;
Microsoft Intune;
Windows Autopilot;
Google Workspace management;
Samsung Knox; and
other MDM or endpoint-management systems.
The authorised organisation should remove devices from relevant management systems before collection or transfer where required for the agreed route.
Simply wiping or resetting a managed device may not remove its organisational enrolment.
Microsoft, for example, documents separate device-management and Windows Autopilot registration processes, so organisations should ensure that devices are appropriately removed from applicable systems rather than assuming a reset has removed management.
If management remains active, a device may:
automatically re-enrol;
remain restricted;
be unsuitable for resale;
be unsuitable for donation;
require customer action;
be revalued; or
need to be returned.
Eco Tech Recycle does not unlawfully bypass MDM or organisation-management restrictions.
7. BIOS, Firmware, Startup and Drive Passwords
Where possible and authorised, customers should remove BIOS, UEFI, firmware, startup and storage-drive passwords before handover.
These restrictions may prevent:
hardware testing;
operating-system access;
storage access;
repair;
refurbishment;
data erasure; or
reuse.
A device affected by such restrictions may therefore be reclassified, revalued, returned or excluded from a reuse route.
Do not send the password to Eco Tech Recycle as an alternative to removing the restriction unless we have specifically provided an appropriate secure process for the relevant service.
8. Do Not Send Us Passwords or Security Credentials
Unless Eco Tech Recycle has specifically requested information through an appropriate secure process for a defined service, please do not provide:
Apple Account passwords;
Google passwords;
Microsoft passwords;
Samsung passwords;
email passwords;
BIOS or firmware passwords;
recovery keys;
two-factor authentication codes;
banking credentials;
payment-card details;
customer login credentials; or
other authentication secrets.
Where account removal is required, customers should normally perform it themselves using their authorised account.
9. Factory Reset and Secure Data Erasure
A factory reset may be useful as part of device preparation, repair, testing or configuration.
However:
Eco Tech Recycle does not represent a factory reset alone as certified secure data erasure.
Where applicable, Eco Tech Recycle may use licensed Certus data-erasure software to support data-erasure workflows for eligible devices.
A formal erasure report is available only where the process is:
applicable to the device;
successfully completed;
appropriately recorded; and
included in or agreed as part of the service.
Where appropriate erasure cannot be completed successfully, the data-security route may change.
This may include:
storage-media removal;
secure physical destruction;
secure downstream processing;
return where agreed; or
exclusion from an end-user reuse route.
Full details are provided in our Data Erasure & Data Security Policy.
10. Preparing Laptops, Desktop Computers and Macs
Where applicable and possible before handover:
back up required data;
sign out of personal accounts;
remove Apple Find My and Activation Lock;
remove organisation-management restrictions;
remove BIOS, UEFI or firmware passwords;
remove startup or storage passwords;
disclose missing storage drives;
disclose missing RAM;
disclose missing batteries;
tell us about charging problems;
tell us about liquid damage;
tell us about screen or display faults;
tell us about keyboard faults;
tell us if the device does not power on; and
include chargers only where agreed or intended to be transferred.
If equipment belongs to an organisation, make sure the person arranging the transfer has authority to release it.
11. Preparing Phones and Tablets
Before handing over a phone or tablet, where applicable:
back up information you want to retain;
remove physical SIM cards;
remove removable memory cards;
transfer or remove an eSIM where appropriate;
sign out of relevant personal accounts;
turn off Find My or equivalent tracking services;
remove Apple Activation Lock;
remove Google or Samsung account restrictions;
remove MDM where authorised;
remove screen locks where appropriate;
remove personal cases and belongings; and
disclose material faults or restrictions.
Please tell us if a device is:
cracked;
liquid-damaged;
unable to power on;
battery damaged;
activation locked;
MDM managed;
subject to an unresolved finance or lease arrangement;
reported lost or stolen; or
subject to an IMEI/network restriction known to you.
12. Business, School, Charity and Organisation Collections
For organisational collections, customers should, where applicable:
provide an asset list;
identify device types and quantities;
confirm authority to release the equipment;
remove MDM and management profiles where required;
remove devices from applicable organisational deployment systems where required;
identify data-sensitive equipment;
identify equipment requiring specific data-erasure reporting;
identify swollen or unsafe batteries;
identify equipment with unusual safety risks;
provide site-access information;
provide collection contacts;
separate equipment by type where practical;
identify leased or financed equipment;
identify equipment that must be returned rather than transferred;
communicate safeguarding or visitor requirements; and
avoid adding unrelated waste unless it has been agreed.
Any specific asset-reporting, serial-number recording, data-erasure reporting or waste-documentation requirements should be agreed before processing begins.
13. Unsafe Devices and Batteries
Please tell us before collection or drop-off if equipment has:
a swollen battery;
a leaking battery;
a punctured battery;
fire damage;
heat damage;
smoke, unusual smell or sparking;
serious liquid damage;
sharp broken glass;
exposed internal components; or
known chemical or other contamination.
Do not package or send a visibly dangerous lithium battery or seriously fire-damaged device without first agreeing an appropriate process with us.
Unsafe equipment may be:
refused;
isolated;
separately stored;
reclassified;
returned where safe and lawful;
directed to a specialist route; or
subject to different collection or handling arrangements.
Additional handling, transport or specialist processing charges may apply where agreed.
14. Finance, Lease and Ownership Restrictions
Before transferring equipment, customers should confirm that they have the legal authority to do so.
Please disclose equipment that is:
leased;
rented;
subject to an outstanding finance agreement;
owned by an employer, school or other organisation;
subject to a third-party ownership claim;
reported lost;
reported stolen; or
otherwise restricted from lawful transfer.
Eco Tech Recycle may request evidence of ownership or authority where reasonably necessary.
Equipment with unresolved ownership, finance or lease concerns may be held, refused, returned or excluded from purchase or reuse until the issue is resolved.
15. How Locks and Restrictions Affect Valuation and Reuse
Security and ownership restrictions can materially affect a device’s value and available route.
Relevant restrictions include:
Apple Activation Lock;
Find My;
Google FRP;
Samsung Account restrictions;
MDM;
Windows Autopilot;
BIOS or firmware passwords;
storage-drive passwords;
finance or lease restrictions;
IMEI/network restrictions; and
lost or stolen status.
A device may appear to be in excellent physical condition but still have little or no purchase or resale value if Eco Tech Recycle cannot lawfully and practically transfer it to an end-user reuse route.
Any final valuation remains subject to the applicable Collection, Device Acceptance & Valuation Policy and Purchase, Buy-Back & Payment Terms.
16. What Happens If a Lock Is Discovered After Handover?
If a lock, management restriction or ownership issue is discovered after handover, Eco Tech Recycle may contact the customer or authorised organisation and request that it be removed.
Depending on the service and circumstances, we may:
pause processing;
hold the device for a reasonable period;
request customer action;
revise a provisional valuation;
change the proposed route;
return the device;
exclude the device from resale, reuse or donation; or
use another lawful route where appropriate.
Eco Tech Recycle will not ask customers to provide passwords merely to avoid properly removing an account or security restriction.
17. Data Security Before Reuse
A device being unlocked does not by itself mean that it is ready for reuse.
Account removal, ownership clearance and data security are separate considerations.
Data-bearing equipment will not knowingly be released into:
retail resale;
wholesale reuse;
donation;
redeployment to another end user; or
another end-user reuse route
while a known material data-security risk remains unresolved.
The applicable data-security process is explained in our Data Erasure & Data Security Policy.
18. Ownership and Authority Confirmation
By providing equipment to Eco Tech Recycle, the customer confirms that they either:
own the equipment; or
have appropriate authority from the legal owner to arrange the relevant transfer or service.
Depending on the transaction, this may include authority to:
sell;
transfer;
recycle;
donate;
repair;
refurbish; or
otherwise release the equipment.
Eco Tech Recycle may request reasonable evidence of ownership or authority where necessary.
Providing equipment to us does not override third-party ownership, lease, finance, security or legal rights.
19. If You Cannot Remove a Lock
If you cannot remove an account, activation lock, MDM profile or other restriction before collection, tell us before handover.
Do not provide your password as a substitute.
Depending on the restriction, we may advise that:
the device can still be collected but cannot enter a reuse route until resolved;
customer or organisation action is required;
the valuation may change;
the device must be returned;
a different processing route is necessary; or
we cannot accept the device.
Acceptance will depend on the circumstances and applicable service terms.
20. Relationship With Other Eco Tech Recycle Policies
This Guide provides preparation instructions and does not replace the terms governing a particular collection, valuation, repair, purchase or recycling service.
Where relevant, please also refer to:
Data Erasure & Data Security Policy for data-bearing equipment;
Collection, Device Acceptance & Valuation Policy for collection and acceptance;
Purchase, Buy-Back & Payment Terms for equipment sold to Eco Tech Recycle;
Recycling & WEEE Policy for recycling and waste routes;
Business & School Collection Terms for organisational collections; and
Repair, Refurbishment & Returned Device Service Policy for customer-owned repair equipment.
21. Changes to This Guide
We may update this Guide to reflect changes in:
device technology;
manufacturer security systems;
account and activation-lock processes;
data-security procedures;
collection processes;
business operations;
legal or regulatory requirements; or
manufacturer guidance.
The latest version will be published on our website with the relevant Last Updated date.
22. Contact Us
If you are unsure how to prepare a device, or if equipment has a lock, management restriction or safety issue that you cannot resolve, contact us before handover.
Eco Tech Recycle
A trading name of Tech Cell Limited
Company No. 14338989
Email: info@ecotechrecycle.co.uk
Telephone: +44 7777 239555
Website: www.ecotechrecycle.co.uk
Contact Address:
Suite 2, First Floor
16 Industrial House
Grand Arcade
London
N12 0EH
United Kingdom
