The 2019 holiday season has passed and 2020 is right around the corner, and that means you’ve likely picked up a new device or two. iPhones are some of the hottest gifts every year, but the inevitable question for many of us is always what we’re supposed to do with old ones.  Here’s how to trade in or recycle your old iPhone…

There are many ways to trade in your iPhone — from selling it at auction on eBay, to making a deal a person in your city on Craigslist, to sending it in to a trade-in company that specializes in buying and reselling old devices. Before we jump into some of the other options, we recommend trading in with our partner MyPhones Unlimited for quick-and-easy cash if you don’t want to waste any time.

More Ways to Trade Your Old iPhone

Trade in your iPhone @ Apple Trade In/GiveBack

Another way to sell your old iPhone to to use Apple’s own Trade In/GiveBack program. With Apple Trade In, you get an Apple Store gift card to put toward the purchase of a new device or accessories. Apple Trade In’s trade-in rates aren’t always the best, but it is Apple you’ll be dealing with. That means you can count on every single quote and promise being followed through on throughout the process.

With Trade In, you’re not restricted to trading in just iPhone. Apple will take phones from a variety of manufacturers, iPads and other tablets, Macs, Apple Watch, and more.

Trade in your iPhone at Gazelle, Best Buy, or your carrier

Gazelle is undoubtedly a popular trade-in destination, and they have the volume and reputation to back it up. They’re rated A- by the Better Business Bureau, and they accept just about every iPhone. You can also trade in your iPhone at select electronics retailers, and the most popular destination in the US is Best Buy, which takes iPhones, iPads, gaming hardware, Apple Watch, streaming media, and more.

Another option for trading in your old iPhone is check out your carrier. Whether you have Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or a variety of other carriers around the world, they all have half-decent offers for old devices. If you happen to be planning on switching carriers, these can be a particularly good place to trade in your device — they’re often desperate enough for new customers that they’ll give you an outsized value for old devices.

  • Verizon trade in program
  • T-Mobile trade in program
  • AT&T trade in program
  • Sprint trade in program

Other sites: Decluttr, Trademore, Igotoffer, Itsworthmore, BuyBackWorld

With a quick Google search, you’ll find that there are dozens — if not hundreds — of trade in sites on the web. They’ll all take your old device, but the question is what you’ll get back for it. There’s no telling whether the particular site you land on will actually follow through on what they promise, but there are a variety of alternative up-and-coming sites that might be worth checking at least.

These sites aren’t all bad — many of them have enough positive reviews and reputation that you can at least trust you’ll be paid something. Check out Decluttr, Trademore, Igotoffer, Itsworthmore, and BuyBackWorld if you want to go into the Wild Wild West of iPhone and smart device trade in sites.

Or try selling your old iPhone

Alternatively to trading in your device, you could always try selling it yourself. There are many ways to do this — as we mentioned above — but they all have one thing in common: a bit more effort than just single-click trading in your old devices for cash. We’d recommend Swappa and eBay as the top two destinations for selling your old devices online, and each has its pros and cons.

  • How to Trade in Your iPhone — The Ultimate Guide
  • How to Trade in Your iPad — The Ultimate Guide
  • How to Trade in Your Apple Watch — The Ultimate Guide