In the process of replacement of smartphones, most organizations concentrate on collecting the devices, ensuring the protection of any stored information, and whether the equipment should be recycled or reused. Another problem, which could have an influence on the results, involves activation locks remaining on the device even after the device was reset. The features aimed at providing security, such as Apple Activation Lock and Android Factory Reset Protection, can make the device unable to be set up by someone else since it would require the credentials of the previous owner.

This problem becomes crucial in smart phone recycling , especially for companies retiring the phones in large quantities. Though the phone seems to be ready for recycling in terms of having all data deleted and hardware functioning, it could still need the credentials of the former owner to be activated.

The difficulty may arise if there are various employees who owned those devices, departments and even sites where they were used. There might have been some staff members who stopped working at the company and forgot the passwords to their accounts, did not sign out of their accounts properly before turning the devices back. In case of lack of standard procedures, an organization will be aware of these limitations only during the device retirement process.

The best way here would be the incorporation of checking accounts and owners of the devices into the procedure of device returning. Employees should adhere to the procedures for signing out of personal accounts, disabling device locks and returning company's devices according to IT policy. Organizations that use MDM solutions should take care about proper enrollment and supervision procedures.

This should be done without ignoring any security measures. The device cannot be reused in case of inability to unlock it properly.

Through early handling of such activation limitations, organizations will be able to avoid processing delays as well as make wise decisions regarding reuse and materials recovery. For smart phones to be effectively recycled, preparations must be done before their actual disposal.