Hello Thanks for (hopefully) answering my quick question. I (stupidly) took an indecent image/recording of myself about a year ago, which I deleted about 8 months ago. There is no way of accessing the data on my phone as it's obviously been deleted, but I understand that certain retrieval programmes can be used to recover the file. My concern is that when I sell my phone, some computer pro could recover the file and it could come back to haunt me. Before selling my phone, is there anything I could do to get rid of it forever? Destroy the microsd card, sim card, use overwriting software etc? I'm sorry if I sound as if I have no clue what I am on about as I am a technology novice. Thanks for your help
Phone memory is like computer memory. Deleting a file and factory resets do nothing. 100% guaranteed removal? No never. If it was ever on a hard drive, remnants MIGHT remain and anyone with the access, desire and time can get at it POTENTIALLY. Virtually 100% guaranteed? If you format the drive/card it was on, not just once, but a few times the chances of someone recovering it are infinitesimal. But still possible. You can read some from this company that Darik's Boot and Nuke (one of the better consumer computer data erasing programs) refers to off their home page: Blancco Software for Mobile Phone Erasure BTW, where was the file stored? Phone? Card?
Thanks for the reply. I'm not 100% sure. To access these photos, I would go into 'gallery' under the files tab if that's any use? Or I would just scroll through all the pictures I took on the camera tab. Thanks.
If it was on the card there is a CHANCE that all you have to do is take the card out and let them buy a new one to go with the phone. That way, any possible image info that may still be on the card would stay with you and you could destroy it. But I don't know enough about how mobile cameras work. MAYBE it takes the pic and stores it on the card - like a regular digital camera. MAYBE it takes the pic and transfers it through the phone memory on the way to the card. Meaning it would have info about that pic on the internal phone memory as well. I have no clue honestly. But you could also check storage settings in your phone and see what it says, as it has probably never changed. If it says card storage I would think you could ASSUME no info is on the phone and it is only on the card. That would make it easy possibly - just keep the card when you sell the phone. Also, note that this is a bit paranoid of me to tell you all this. Someone having the skills AND desire to find your info is not likely. But, for someone with casual interest to snoop on a device they just came into possession of is not unlikely and it is really easy to find old files and photos on a computer or device if no precautions are taken. I would say that if you kept the card and formatted the hard drive on the phone it would be reasonable to assume it will not get back to you. But if you look at all the memory erasing software sites, etc. NONE of them give a 100% guarantee. Because there is none. But it could be in the very high 90's. It's a percentages game really.
