How to check a used iPhone before buying: a 12-point checklist

Buying an iPhone second-hand? Here are the 12 things technicians check first. It takes 10–15 minutes.

Account and locks

1. Activation Lock. The phone should be reset and show the Hello screen, or the seller should sign out of their Apple ID in front of you. If the seller "forgot the password", walk away.
2. IMEI. Dial *#06# and compare it with the box and Settings → General → About.
3. Carrier. Insert your SIM and check for signal — the phone must not be carrier-locked.

Parts and repairs

1. Settings → General → About → Parts and Service History (on recent iOS): shows whether the screen, battery or camera were replaced and with genuine parts or not.
2. Battery: Settings → Battery → Battery Health. Below 80%, budget for a replacement.
3. Screen: open a full-screen white and grey image and look for spots, lines and yellow edges. Test touch by dragging an icon across the whole screen.
4. True Tone in Control Center: if it's missing, the screen has probably been replaced.

Functions

1. Face ID: set up your face on the spot.
2. Cameras: every lens, the front camera, the flash, close-up focus. A shaking image or clicking means faulty stabilisation.
3. Sound: earpiece, speakerphone, microphones (record a voice memo).
4. Charging: plug in a cable and check the port holds it.
5. Buttons, vibration, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS.

Visible signs of repair

An uneven gap between screen and frame, adhesive marks, scratched screws by the port: the phone has been opened.

Help from a technician

Want a technician to check a phone before you buy it? Message us on Telegram. And if you're selling, we buy: sell your iPhone.

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