I have several smartphones that no longer work. I was going to rid of them one way or another, but it concerns me a bit that someone could recover information from those devices (photos, accounts, etc). Is it safe to dispose them?

I can’t delete anything since the phones don’t work. I can’t just remove the “hard drive” can I?

  • Helix 🧬@feddit.de
    101·
    2 years ago

    I can’t just remove the “hard drive” can I?

    Yes, you can. You could desolder the flash chips which are used to store your data.

    You could also pry the phone open and destroy the flash chip.

    Newer Android phones thankfully have full disk encryption which makes recovery without a PIN nearly impossible.

    • Pan_de_dulce@lemmy.mlOP
      2·
      2 years ago

      I don’t have a solder, and even if I had one I wouldn’t know what to desolder or how. But thanks for the info about disk encryption :D

  • SudoDnfDashY@lemmy.ml
    71·
    2 years ago

    In most cases, you don’t have anything to fear, since the encryption on Android phones is pretty good these days. However if you really feel like it could compromise you in any way, I can’t imagine a hammer wouldn’t do the trick.

    • Pan_de_dulce@lemmy.mlOP
      1·
      2 years ago

      Thank you, this does give me more confidence. I’d like to hammer, sounds fun, it but I probably won’t. But just to be curious is encryption really that good. As far as I know 4 pin passwords and patterns are the most common way to lock a password, isn’t that easy to crack?

  • Cold Hotman@nrsk.no
    71·
    2 years ago

    I’ll argue the way of the hammer, it’s the only way to be sure.

    Also, please rip out the storage chip to bust it and recycle the rest. Particularly old batteries.

  • krolden@lemmy.ml
    62·
    2 years ago

    Pull the battery then put it in the microwave. Then drop it in one of those phone recycling boxes at home depot or something.

    Also FYI those drop off things are great for finding chargers and phones if you need one.

    • Pan_de_dulce@lemmy.mlOP
      2·
      2 years ago

      Don’t batteries explode? Sounds dangerous, I’m definitively not doing that. I hope that’s sarcasm?

      • Slatlun@lemmy.ml
        21·
        2 years ago

        Pull the battery then microwave the other part. Still metal and sparks though.

      • krolden@lemmy.ml
        1·
        2 years ago

        Yeah I worded that wrong I meant throw the phone minus the battery in the microwave.