Company phones and tablets are easy to forget in a drawer after someone leaves. They still hold mail, chat history, photos of whiteboards, VPN profiles and cached files. Safe disposal is less about the recycling bin and more about MDM, SIMs and a real data wipe before the device leaves your control.
Start in MDM before you touch the hardware
If the device is in Mobile Device Management, unenroll or wipe it from the console first. That revokes corporate apps, email profiles and remote access. Skipping MDM leaves accounts active on a handset you no longer see, which is a quiet security hole.
Also remove the device from your asset register and license lists. A retired phone that still burns a seat in your MDM or Microsoft 365 tenant is both a cost leak and a sign the offboarding process is incomplete.
SIM, eSIM and accessories people forget
Take out the physical SIM and store or recycle it through your mobile operator process. For eSIM, delete the corporate profile from the device or cancel it with the carrier so the number cannot roam on a phone you no longer own.
Collect chargers, docks and cases if your policy requires a full return, but do not let accessories delay the data step. The risk lives in storage and accounts, not in the cable.
Factory reset is a start, not the finish line
After MDM wipe, a local factory reset clears the user space on most phones and tablets. That is necessary. It is not always enough for high-risk roles, broken devices that will not reset, or handsets headed for resale with weak proof.
For business disposal, treat mobiles like any other data carrier: wipe or destroy with a method you can document, especially when devices fail, are encrypted with unknown passcodes, or belong to executives and finance staff.
A simple retirement checklist for IT teams
1) Lock or remote-wipe from MDM. 2) Remove from mail and chat admin consoles. 3) Pull or cancel SIM/eSIM. 4) Factory reset and confirm the setup screen. 5) Log serial or IMEI. 6) Decide reuse, recycle or physical destruction. 7) File the certificate if an ITAD partner handled the data step.
When volumes stack up after a refresh or exit wave, a pickup partner keeps the pile from sitting in a cupboard. GreenByte collects phones and tablets with other IT assets across Belgium and France, registers them, and applies wipe or destruction with reporting so mobile offboarding matches your laptop process.
Frequently asked questions
Can we donate old company tablets after a reset?
Yes, if MDM wipe and factory reset succeeded, accounts are removed, and your risk policy allows reuse. For broken devices or high-sensitivity roles, prefer verified destruction through an ITAD partner before any donation.
What if the phone is locked and we do not know the passcode?
Use MDM remote wipe if the device is still enrolled. If not, do not sell or gift it. Treat it as failed media and send it for physical destruction with serial or IMEI logging.
Does GreenByte pick up phones and tablets with laptops?
Yes. Mixed IT collections are normal. GreenByte can include mobiles in the same sealed pickup across Belgium and France and document what happened to each device.
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