Getting a Pixel 9? How to Prepare Your Old Pixel for Trade-In [CNET]

Upgrading to one of the new Pixel 9 phones? We’ll show you how to prepare your old Pixel phone for trade-in.

If you’re planning to trade in your old Google Pixel for one of the new Pixel 9 series phones to take advantage of some of the great deals, you’ll need to get your Android phone prepared before you send it in. The place you’re trading your phone in may require you to take some extra steps to get your maximum trade-in value, so make sure you’ve done everything necessary to get the best deal. I’ll explain.

The Pixel 9 series phones boast a host of upgrades that fans have long been clamoring for, including a new (but familiar) redesign, two Pro sizes, an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and lots of updates to Gemini that may eventually trickle down to earlier Pixel models via a Pixel drop. 

Here’s how to get your old Pixel phone ready to trade in. For more on the Pixel series, don’t miss our Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Pixel Watch 3 coverage. 

Turn off the activation lock on your Pixel phone

Most places you’ll trade in your phone will just require a factory reset to qualify for the maximum trade-in value, but some will want you to remove the activation lock from your phone first, which essentially means that you need to remove the device from your Google account before resetting it. I should know; AT&T took off over $400 of the value because I did not do this to my Pixel 7 Pro when I upgraded to the 8 Pro. So just take the extra two minutes to do this first. 

You can remove your Google account either from your phone or via your online account: 

From your Pixel settings

You can easily remove the activation lock right from your Pixel phone. Here’s how:

1. On your phone, navigate to Settings.

2. Tap Passwords & accounts.

3. Tap your Google account.

4. Tap Remove account.

Repeat this process for any additional accounts you need to remove. 

From the web

Alternatively, you can head to your online Google account webpage and handle the removal from there. Here’s how.

1. From a web browser, navigate to your Google account.

2. Select Security on the left sidebar.

3. Locate the Your devices box, and select Manage all devices.

4. Select the device you’re trading in.

5. Select Sign out.

Factory reset your Pixel

With the activation lock removed, you’re now free to factory reset your device as you normally would. 

1. On your Pixel, navigate to Settings.

2. Tap System.

3. Tap Reset options.

4. Tap Erase all data (factory reset).

That’s it. Now you’re ready to send in your trade-in without any hiccups that could affect the value you get for your phone. 

For more, don’t miss 7 tips to speed up your Android phone and the new Android Circle to Search features.