If you've filed a reimbursement claim for your damaged phone, you may be wondering, do I have to send back my device? The answer: yes. You are required to return your damaged device with the prepaid envelope that was sent to you. And don't wait—if you don't return your old device in the time frame specified in your contract, you could be charged a non-return fee.
Before sending in your damaged iPhone®, Samsung®, or other Android™ phone, you'll first need to take a few steps like backing up your data and turning off all locks and passcodes. But don't worry—it's simple. We'll walk you through the process.
If your phone is lost or stolen, you can go ahead and skip to the last section of this article for further instructions.
Why mail your damaged device to Asurion after filing a claim?
If you've filed your reimbursement claim for your broken device, you might be thinking you're done—but you still need to mail your damaged device back to Asurion, and here's why:
- You will be charged a non-return fee if you don't send in your damaged device.
- It's secure—any data left on your phone will be erased.
- It's Earth-friendly—we'll recycle the device for you.
Steps to take before sending in your damaged device
Before mailing in your damaged device to Asurion, here are a few things you'll need to do:
Back up your data
When you send us your original device, you'll probably want to keep all your data (photos, apps, contacts, etc.) You can do so by backing up your original device and then restoring your data when you buy a new device. Not sure how? See our handy guide below:
How to back up your iPhone and Android phone
Once you get a new device, restoring from your backup is simple. Read the following articles for more details:
How to restore iPhone from backup
How to restore Android phone from backup
Turn off all locks and passcodes
Our experts can't recycle parts from your damaged device unless you've unlocked it and turned off all passcodes for lock screens and other features. If you're using a company phone, you may need to have your administrator turn off any corporate locks, such as Samsung Knox™ Manage.
Check out our guides to learn how to remove passcodes, fingerprint scanners, and facial recognition for Samsung and other phones, as well as how to disable Touch ID® and Face ID® for iPhones:
How to turn off Face ID on iPhone
How to disable Touch ID on iPhone
How to remove Lock screen passcodes on Android phones
Turn off Factory Reset Protection and Find My
To avoid being charged a non-return fee, you must turn off Find My™ on your iPhone or Factory Reset Protection and Find My Device™ on your Android. Our team cannot recycle your damaged device if these are left on. Read the following articles to learn what to do:
How to turn off Find My iPhone
How to turn off Find My Device on Android
How to turn off Factory Reset Protection on Android
Remove accessories and SIM cards
The last step to prepare your phone before mailing it to us is to remove all accessories such as cases, chargers, and styluses, as these will not be returned to you.
Also, make sure to remove all SIM cards, SD cards, or any other type of memory card, and store them in a safe place. Please don't send the SIM card in the package with your device—it will not be returned to you.
Check out our guides:
How to remove the SIM card from your iPhone
How to remove the SIM card from your Android device
What if my device is lost or stolen?
If your device is lost or stolen, you're required to turn on Lost Mode for Apple® or Lock and Erase for Samsung and other Android devices when you file a reimbursement claim.
If your device was lost or stolen and is later found, you should contact Asurion and return it immediately by using the envelope that was previously sent to you.
How to turn on Lost Mode for Apple using iCloud:
- Go to icloud.com/find.
- Sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click All Devices and choose your missing device from the list.
- Select Lost Mode.
- Click Done.
How to turn on Lock & Erase for Samsung and other Android phones
To enable Lock & Erase, your lost or stolen device needs to be turned on, signed in to a Google® account, visible on Google Play™, and have Location and Find My Device turned on.
- Go to google.com/android/find and sign in to your Google account.
- If you have more than one phone, click the lost phone at the top of the screen.
- If your lost phone has more than one user profile, sign in with a Google account that is on the main profile.
- Click Enable lock & erase.
- Select Secure device to lock it or Erase device to delete your data.
What's next?
When you receive your prepaid envelope and have followed all the necessary steps above, including turning off all locks and passcodes, bring your device to your nearest USPS (US Postal Service) office to ship it back to us and avoid a fee.