Donating Old Phones, Tablets and Laptops Safely
That old phone in the drawer probably still works, and someone could use it. Book a free collection and we’ll pick up your working phones, tablets and laptops from your doorstep, chargers and all. Clear your data first, leave them out, and you don’t need to be in.
- Free
- No need to be in
- Working phones, tablets and laptops
- You choose the charity
Why they matter
Old phones and laptops are worth passing on
When you upgrade, the old device usually still works. It just gets put in a drawer. Phones, tablets and laptops are the gadgets people ask us about most, so this page covers them in detail. It’s part of our free doorstep collection for small electricals, which works the same way for every gadget.
Still plenty of life
A phone or laptop that is a couple of models old still makes calls, sends emails and does homework. To someone else it’s a perfectly good device.
Useful to someone else
Not everyone can pay for a new phone or laptop. A working second-hand one is a real help to a household on a tight budget.
Out of the drawer
Old handsets, spare tablets and tangled chargers pile up in most homes. One collection clears them all.
Raises money for charity
You choose the charity when you book, and a large percentage of the proceeds goes to it.
The UK’s drawers in numbers
How many gadgets are we keeping?
Research by Material Focus shows how many electricals sit unused in UK homes, and how many are thrown away.
Old phones and laptops are a big part of that pile. Why they deserve better than the bin is on why shouldn’t electricals go in the bin?
Sources: Material Focus, Electrical Waste: Challenges and Opportunities (media release, 28 March 2024), and Material Focus, press release on reselling unused tech, 2023 figures.
What to give
What phones, tablets and laptops can I donate?
The test is simple. If it switches on, works properly and has been reset, we’ll take it. We only collect working electricals, so as many as possible can be used again.
- Smartphones, including iPhones and Android phones
- Older mobile phones that still work
- Tablets and iPads
- Laptops and desktop computers
- Chargers, cables and power leads
- Mice, keyboards and trackpads
- Headphones and speakers
Other gadgets too
Working small appliances and hand power tools can go in the same collection. See what electricals can I donate? for the full list.
Chargers with devices
A phone or laptop is far more useful with its charger. Pack each charger in with the device it belongs to.
Before you donate
How to clear your data, step by step
Your phone, tablet or laptop holds your photos, messages, passwords and accounts. Please clear all of it yourself before the device leaves your home. It takes about half an hour, and these five steps cover it.
Back up what you want to keep
Copy your photos, contacts and files to iCloud, Google, OneDrive, your new device or an external drive. Check the backup has finished before you go on.
Sign out of your accounts
On an iPhone, iPad or Mac, turn off Find My and sign out of your Apple Account. On Android, remove your Google account. On a Windows laptop, sign out of your Microsoft account. If you skip this, the device can stay locked to you and no one else can use it.
Factory reset it
On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, General, Transfer or Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings. On Android, look under Settings, System, Reset options. The wording differs a little between makes. On Windows, go to Settings, System, Recovery, Reset this PC, and choose Remove everything. When it restarts on the welcome screen, it’s done.
Take out SIM and memory cards
Pop out the SIM card with a SIM tool or an unbent paperclip, and remove any memory card. Check laptops for SD cards, USB sticks and discs left in the drive.
Pack the charger with it
Put each device’s charger and cable in with it, so the right lead stays with the right gadget.
Forgotten a passcode? If you can’t unlock a device, you can’t reset it or sign it out of your account, and no one else can use it either. Please keep it back. Your phone maker or network can help you unlock it, and you can donate it once it’s reset.
Please leave out
A few things we can’t take
Broken or not working
We only collect working electricals. A phone that won’t switch on, or a laptop that won’t charge, can’t be used again.
Instead: take it to the small electricals bin at your council recycling centre, so the materials inside can be recovered.
Still locked to an account
A device that is still signed in to your Apple, Google or Microsoft account stays locked, and no one else can set it up.
Instead: follow the five steps above, then add it to your collection.
Printers and TVs
These sit alongside computers in many homes, but we don’t collect them.
Instead: your council recycling centre can take them.
The full list for every kind of electrical is on what electricals can I donate?
Packing up
How to donate your old devices
Once your devices are reset, the rest is the same free collection we run for every gadget.
Book online
Enter your postcode, pick a collection date and choose the charity you’d like to support. It’s free.
Wrap and pack
Wrap each device so its screen won’t get scratched, and put it in a box or a tied bag with its charger. Labelling it “Anglo Doorstep Collections” helps our drivers.
Leave it out by 7am
On the doorstep, in the porch, or wherever you told us when you booked. You don’t need to be at home.
Watch for our email
The evening before, we email you an estimated arrival window and a link to follow the driver on the day.
Everything else about booking and the day itself is on how do I donate my electricals?
Afterwards
Where do donated phones and laptops go?
Back to our warehouse, where we sort everything by hand and pass on what can be used again. Most of the phones, tablets and laptops we collect go on to new owners, who get a working device for less than the price of new.
Every collection also raises money for the charity you chose when you booked, such as the RSPCA, Action for Children, Together for Short Lives or Advance, or you can plant trees with Ecologi. Using a gadget again instead of making a new one saves carbon too. Our estimate is 5 kg of CO2e for every kilo reused. Try the green calculator for your own clear-out.
Follow the journey on what happens to my electricals? and see who it helps on who do my electricals help?
Questions
Questions people ask about donating phones and laptops
Do I need to clear my data before I donate?
Yes, please. Back up what you want to keep, sign out of your accounts, factory reset the device and take out the SIM and memory cards. Once it restarts on the welcome screen, nothing of yours is left on it. The five steps above show how.
Why do I need to sign out of my Apple or Google account?
While a device is linked to your account, it stays locked to you. Even after a reset, no one else can set it up. Turning off Find My, or removing your Google or Microsoft account, frees it for its next owner.
Should I include the charger?
Yes. A phone, tablet or laptop is much more useful with its own charger, so pack it in with the device.
Do I need to be at home?
No. Leave your devices out by 7am where you told us when you booked, and the driver collects them while you get on with your day.
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no charge for a collection. A large percentage of the proceeds goes to the charity you choose.
Can I give other things at the same time?
Yes. One booking covers your whole clear-out, from kitchen gadgets to clothes and books. See what we collect for the full list.
More answers are on our frequently asked questions page.
Ready to donate your small electricals?
It’s free, you don’t need to be at home, and you choose the charity your donation supports.