Question:

Here is a possible way to rephrase your question in a more formal and precise way:

What are the best methods to securely wipe the data from a non-functional Samsung mobile phone without disassembling it, in order to trade it in?

Answer:

If you have a Samsung phone that is no longer working and you want to trade it in, you might be wondering how to make sure your personal data is completely erased from the device. After all, you don’t want to risk exposing your sensitive information to strangers or hackers who might get access to your old phone.

Fortunately, there are some methods that can help you wipe the data from a non-functional Samsung phone without opening it up or damaging it further. Here are some of the best options you can try:

Option 1: Perform a factory reset from the recovery mode

If your phone is not turning on or charging, but it still has some battery left, you might be able to perform a factory reset from the recovery mode. This will erase all the data and settings from your phone’s internal storage, but not from the external SD card if you have one.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons together for a few seconds until you see the Samsung logo on the screen.
• Use the Volume Up and Volume Down keys to navigate to the Recovery Mode option and press the Power button to select it.
• You will see an Android robot with a red exclamation mark. Press and hold the Power button and then press the Volume Up button once to enter the recovery mode menu.
• Use the Volume keys to highlight the Wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to confirm.
• Select Yes – delete all user data and press the Power button again.
• Wait for the process to finish and then select Reboot system now.

Your phone will restart and all your data will be erased. However, this method might not be enough to prevent data recovery tools from retrieving some of your information, so you might want to try the next option as well.

Option 2: Overwrite the data with dummy files

If you want to make sure your data is unrecoverable, you can try to overwrite it with dummy files. This will fill up the empty space on your phone’s storage with random data, making it harder for anyone to recover your original data.

To do this, you will need to use a third-party app like Secure Erase, Secure Wipe, Shreddit or Andro Shredder. These apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or other sources, but you will need to have access to your phone’s screen and settings to install and run them.

Once you have the app installed, follow these steps:

• Launch the app and grant it the necessary permissions to access your phone’s storage.
• Select the option to overwrite the free space on your phone’s internal storage. You can choose the number of passes and the type of data to use for overwriting. The more passes and the more complex the data, the more secure the erasure will be, but it will also take longer.
• Wait for the app to complete the overwriting process. This might take several hours depending on the size of your phone’s storage and the speed of your device.
• Once the app is done, perform a factory reset from the recovery mode again, as explained in option 1.

This will delete the dummy data and make your phone ready for trade-in. However, this method will not affect the data on your external SD card if you have one, so you will need to remove it or format it separately.

Option 3: Physically destroy the phone’s storage chip

If none of the above methods work for you, or if you want to be absolutely sure that your data is gone forever, you can resort to physically destroying the phone’s storage chip. This will make it impossible for anyone to access or recover your data, but it will also render your phone useless and reduce its trade-in value.

To do this, you will need to open up your phone and locate the storage chip. This might require some tools and skills, and it might void your phone’s warranty, so proceed with caution and at your own risk.

Once you have the phone opened, follow these steps:

• Identify the storage chip on the phone’s motherboard. It is usually a small rectangular or square component with a label that says eMMC, UFS, NAND or something similar.
• Use a screwdriver, a drill, a hammer, a nail or any other sharp object to pierce, scratch, crack or break the storage chip. Make sure you damage it enough to make it unreadable and irreparable.
• Reassemble your phone and dispose of it properly.

Your data will be permanently destroyed, but so will your phone. This method is not recommended unless you have no other choice or you don’t care about the trade-in value of your phone.

Conclusion

In

this article, we have discussed some of the best methods to securely wipe the data from a non-functional Samsung mobile phone without disassembling it, in order to trade it in. These methods include performing a factory reset from the recovery mode, overwriting the data with dummy files, and physically destroying the phone’s storage chip. Depending on your situation and preference, you can choose the method that suits you best. However, before you do any of these methods, make sure you back up your important data to another device or cloud service, and remove your SIM card and SD card from your phone. This way, you can protect your privacy and security, and get the most out of your trade-in deal.