As I plan to sell my iPhone, Will Reset > Delete Data and Settings, prevent recovering my Data?

Question

In Windows I know that when you delete a file or even format your PC, then some data can still be recovered from the hard disk using some tools. Now I have iPhone 11 and I am planning to sell it. So I backup my iPhone using iTunes. Then I went to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Data and settings.

If resetting my iPhone and deleting all the data and apps will prevent someone from recovering my data? Or can other users still recover my data?

If the answer is yes, then what is the best way to permanently delete all the iPhone data before selling it? in Windows I use a tool named fileshredder which will wipe all the free space. Any advice ? Thanks

Answer 1

Any determined hacker can get an awful lot of data off of just about any data storage device. The catch here is, does Apple make it just difficult enough for the average, non-government, hacker to spend more time and money getting the data off your iPhone or SSD than it is worth?

Generally speaking that unless you are carrying information worth tens of thousands of dollars in your iPhone then it is unlikely that it is worth the time, effort and money to recover the data.

Is is POSSIBLE? The answer will (almost) always be yes, unless you want to feed your old iPhone through a metal shredder.

Is it at all LIKELY? The answer will (almost) always be no.

It is a decision only you can make but if the information is only valuable to you then the likelihood of anyone getting any usable information off your iPhone is slim at best. And the built-in wipe feature is sufficient to protect your personal data.