PTA warns personal data may be recovered after factory reset
Published On 11 Aug, 2026
Smartphones often contain private photographs, contacts, messages, documents, passwords, and access to social media and other online accounts.
To protect your privacy, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) recommends taking the following steps before handing over your device:
Factory reset
Before selling or handing over your phone, PTA has advised users for factory reset as modern software can help the people to recover your personal data after a normal reset
Protect your data
Ensure that your phone is fully encrypted before applying a factory reset.
Overwrite data
After factory reset of the phone, transfer some videos and photo to the cellphone again and apply factory reset again.
Backup
Securely save your photographs, contacts, documents, and other essential files before removing them from the device.
