How to Delete Your Phone from a Rental Car

Last checked: Oct 26, 2026.

You returned the rental car. Your phone didn't leave with you.

When you pair your phone with a car's infotainment system, the car can store far more than you might expect. The FTC says that unless you delete it, future renters or rental car employees may be able to see it.

#What rental cars can keep

In December 2025, the FTC updated its consumer advice on renting cars, with a section specifically about connected cars and privacy. According to the FTC, a rental car with infotainment features "might keep your personal information long after you've returned the car."

What may be stored:

• Locations you entered into the GPS (like where you work or live)
• Your phone number
• Call and message logs
• Contacts
• Text messages

The FTC notes that "unless you delete that data before you return the car, future renters or rental car employees may be able to see it."

The guidance was first issued by the FTC in August 2016, according to a CISA alert from that month. The December 2025 update reflects that the issue has remained relevant as more rental cars come equipped with these systems.

#How to delete your phone before returning a rental

The FTC provides clear steps to protect your privacy before you hand back the keys:

#Step 1: Find the paired devices list

Go into the infotainment system's settings menu and look for the list of devices that have been paired with the system. This is usually under Bluetooth settings or a connected devices menu.

If you can't find it, check the owner's manual (often stored in the glove compartment) or ask the rental company for help.

#Step 2: Delete your device

Once you've found your device in the list, follow the prompts to delete it. This removes your phone's pairing record and should clear the associated data.

#Step 3: Clear navigation history if possible

If the car's GPS system has a history of recent destinations, clear that too. Not all systems allow this, but if the option exists, it's worth using before you return the car.

#Charging without pairing

If you only want to charge your phone, the FTC recommends avoiding the car's USB port entirely.

Why? In some cases, the USB connection may transfer data automatically, even if you only intended to charge.

What to do instead: Use a cigarette lighter adapter (also called a 12V adapter). This provides power without creating a data connection.

#Grant only the access you need

When you do pair your phone with a rental car, pay attention to what permissions the system requests.

According to the FTC, if you're only using the system to stream music, you don't need to grant access to your contacts, call logs or text messages. Deny those permissions if the system asks for them.

Some systems may not give you granular control over permissions, in which case your best option is to avoid pairing at all and use the cigarette lighter adapter for charging.

#The bigger picture: car privacy policies

The rental car data issue is just one part of a much larger problem with automotive privacy.

#Mozilla's 2023 car privacy review

In September 2023, Mozilla Foundation's Privacy Not Included team published a comprehensive review of 25 car brands. The findings were stark.

Key results:

• All 25 brands received Mozilla's Privacy Not Included warning label
• 84% (21 of 25) said they can share personal data with service providers, data brokers, and other businesses
• 76% (19 of 25) said they can sell personal data
• 56% said they can share data with government or law enforcement on a "request" (not requiring a warrant or court order)
• 92% give drivers little or no control over their data

Only Renault and Dacia said that all drivers can have their data deleted.

#What the policies listed

Mozilla's review highlighted particularly invasive categories in some privacy policies:

• Nissan: Policy listed "sexual activity" among the data it may collect
• Kia: Policy listed "sex life"
• Six brands: Policies mentioned "genetic information"

It's important to note: these are categories listed in the privacy policies, meaning the companies claim they may collect this data. Mozilla did not report that any of these companies actually collected this data in practice, only that their policies allow for it.

#Context: CNBC reporting on rental car policies

In September 2024, CNBC reported that rental companies like Avis and Enterprise place the responsibility for deleting synced phone data on the renter, according to their privacy policies. This aligns with the FTC's guidance: it's your job to delete your data before you return the car.

#The same advice applies to your own car

If you're planning to sell or trade in your own car, the same steps apply.

The FCC's Bluetooth security tips recommend that you unpair your phone from any vehicle before you sell it or trade it in. Go through the same process: open the car's settings, find the list of paired devices, and delete your phone.

You should also clear any saved destinations from the navigation system and reset the infotainment system to factory settings if the option is available.

#Why this matters

The rental car scenario makes the privacy risk concrete: you give back the car, and someone else gets in. That next person, or the rental company's employees, may have access to your texts, call logs, contacts, and the places you visited.

But the Mozilla report shows that the data collection risk extends far beyond the rental lot. Modern cars collect vast amounts of data, and the majority of car brands' privacy policies allow them to share or sell that data.

The FTC's guidance is practical: delete your phone, use a plug adapter for charging, and grant only the permissions you actually need. These steps won't solve the systemic privacy issues in the automotive industry, but they will limit what data you leave behind when you return the keys.

#What you can do

Before returning a rental car:

1. Open the car's settings
2. Find the list of paired devices
3. Delete your phone
4. Clear navigation history if possible

For charging only:

• Use a plug-in cigarette lighter adapter, not the USB port

When pairing:

• Grant only the access you need (music doesn't require contacts)

Before selling or trading in your own car:

• Unpair your phone from the car's system
• Clear saved destinations from the navigation system
• Reset the infotainment system to factory settings if available

UndoLeak erases your data from data brokers and keeps it off. Rental car infotainment systems are one place your data can leak. We handle the rest: people-search sites, Google results, leaked information, and ongoing monitoring so brokers can't rebuild your profile. Run a free scan to see where your information is listed right now.

#Sources

1. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice, "Renting a Car", section "Connected Cars and Privacy" (page updated December 2, 2025; guidance first issued August 2016)

2. Mozilla Foundation, Jen Caltrider, Misha Rykov, Zoë MacDonald, "It's Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy" (September 6, 2023) - Archived copy

3. CNBC, "Hidden risk of syncing your phone to rental car infotainment system" (September 25, 2024)

4. Federal Communications Commission, "Wireless Connections and Bluetooth Security Tips" (PDF)

5. CISA, Alert (TA16-243A), "Rental Vehicles May Be Recording Driver Location Data" (August 30, 2016)

Not affiliated with any car manufacturer, rental company, or Mozilla Foundation.