Donating your old phone?
Thanks for thinking about donating your old phone to Hello Initiative! Just fill in your details in our form linked here and we'll reach out to confirm the donation. If you're near our office in Victoria Park you can drop the phone off there, if not we'll come to you to collect!
If you need some help before you donate the device we've created this handy guide to donating a device to Hello Initiative. These days we do just about everything on our phones, so making sure you have confidence when donating your phone is very important to Hello Initiative.
Simply click the button that matches your phone from the list below.
If you have any questions about donating your old mobile device that are not answered here, please reach out to hello@helloinitiative.org.au and we'll get back to you asap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does factory resetting/erasing my phone actually delete everything?
In short, yes. Modern phones are very careful with your data. Everything that's on your phone is protected by a secret encrypted password that only your phone knows. When you erase your phone, that password is deleted and as a result your information is no longer accessible. When you delete everything off your phone, all of your important information like contacts, passwords, and any digital bank cards should be backed up to your iCloud/Google account.
Do you take broken phones?
While we prefer devices that are referral-ready, we've worked very hard to build an in-house refurbishment process to get your broken phone back in working order. Not all broken devices can be fixed - if you have any questions about this process please contact us at hello@helloinitiative.org.au.
Are there any phones you don't take?
If your device is in working or repairable condition and connects to the 4G network, we would love to have it on our program. Once we've got the device, we will double check to make sure we can use it on our program. If we can't, we'll take it to an accredited e-waste recycler.
Are there any risks to donating my old mobile phone?
Risks are very minimal if you properly erase your personal data before donating, or contact us for support to achieve this if you're not sure how. If you donate your device without data being erased, we won't be able to use it on the program regardless, and will ensure it is disposed of.
Do all of the phones go to young people?
HI strives to use every device they receive for WA young people on our charitable programs. If it can't be used because it's too damaged to be repaired or too old to be safely donated, it gets sent to a trusted eWaste recycler. HI does not on-sell any devices and all devices are used in our charitable programs right here in WA.
iPhone
How do I erase everything from my iPhone?
Click on the screenshots below for instructions to securely wipe your Apple iPhone. Make sure you back up your photos, contacts, and anything else on your device using our instructions below if you'd like to keep access to your old information on a new device.
Open your Settings app.
Scroll down the page and tap "General".
Tap on "Erase All Content and Settings" and follow the instructions. You may need to put in your iCloud email and password during this step.
Open your Settings app.
How do I back up my iPhone?
There’s two main ways you can back up your iPhone. 1) Back up to iCloud or 2) Back up on your computer. See below for instructions on how to do both. iCloud 1. Connect your device to your Wi-Fi 2. Open your Settings app 3. Tap your name at the top of the Settings app 4. Tap “iCloud” 5. Tap “iCloud Backup” 6. Tap “Back Up Now” and stay connected to your Wi-Fi until it’s completed 6a. Usually this takes about 30 minutes but can take longer if you’ve had the phone for a long time. Your phone will tell you when the back up is done. Apple Computer 1. Connect your iPhone and your computer with a cable 2. In the Finder sidebar on your Mac, select your iPhone 3. At the top of the Finder window, click General 4. Select “Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac” 5. Click “Back Up Now” Windows Computer 1. Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable. 2. In the iTunes app on your PC, click the iPhone button near the top left of the iTunes window. 3. Click Summary. 4. Click Back Up Now (below Backups). You’ll need iTunes installed on your computer for this method. If these instructions don’t work, check the Apple website linked below to see if your phone works slightly differently or contact us at hello@helloinitiative.org.au. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph3ecf67d29/ios
What is an iCloud account?
An iCloud account is the account that runs everything on your Apple account. It’s what you use to download apps, back up contacts and photos, and call people on Facetime. If you don’t remember your password, unfortunately Hello Initiative can’t help reset it. You’ll need to contact Apple directly for help. You can visit the website linked below from Apple for more information. https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/icloud/mm74e822f6de/icloud
Android
How do I erase everything from my Android phone?
Click on the screenshots below for instructions to securely wipe your phone! Make sure you back up your photos, contacts, and anything else on your device using our instructions below. Your phone may look slightly different to these instructions as Android phones can be made by many different manufacturers. You can Google, “*your phone manufacturer* reset instructions” for specific instructions.
Open your Settings app.
Scroll down the page and tap “System”.
Tap “Erase all data (factory reset)”. You may need to enter your Google account email and password at this stage.
Open your Settings app.
How do I back up my Android phone?
Hello Initiative recommends using a Google Account to back up your device. We can’t help you create one of these but you can find instructions on how to do that by Googling "How to create a Google account". To backup your phone to your Google account follow these steps. 1. Open your Settings app 2. Scroll down the page and tap on “Accounts and backup” 3. Tap “Back up data” under Google Drive. 3a. You may need to enter your Google account email and password at this stage. 4. Tap “Back up now”
What is a Google account?
A Google account is the account that runs everything on your Android device. It’s what you use to download apps and back up contacts and photos. If you don’t remember your password, unfortunately Hello Initiative can’t help reset it. You’ll need to contact Google directly for help.
Samsung
How do I erase everything from my Samsung?
See the screenshots below for instructions to securely wipe your phone! Make sure you back up your photos, contacts, and anything else on your device using our instructions below. You may need to put in the password for your Samsung and/or Google Account. Hello Initiative can’t help you reset these passwords.
Open your "Settings" app.
Scroll down the page and tap "General Management".
Tap "Factory Data Reset" and follow the instructions on the screen. You may need to put your Google or Samsung password in during this step.
Open your "Settings" app.
How do I back up my Samsung?
Hello Initiative recommends using a Google Account to back up your device. We can’t help you create one of these but you can find instructions on how to do that by Googling "How to create a Google account". To backup your phone to your Google account follow these steps. 1. Open your Settings app 2. Scroll down the page and tap on “Accounts and backup” 3. Tap “Back up data” under Google Drive. 3a. You may need to enter your Google account email and password at this stage. 4. Tap “Back up now”
What is a Google account?
A Google account is the account that runs everything on your Android device. It’s what you use to download apps and back up contacts and photos. If you don’t remember your password, unfortunately Hello Initiative can’t help reset it. You’ll need to contact Google directly for help.
What is a Samsung account?
A Samsung account helps run everything on your Samsung phone. You can use it to back up your device, install apps, and get help from Samsung. If you don’t remember your password, unfortunately Hello Initiative can’t help reset it. You’ll need to contact Samsung directly for help.