How to check a used phone before you buy

What should you ask the seller before you meet?

Many problems with a second-hand phone show up before you even meet. Ask the seller a few direct questions in the Afër chat and keep the answers in writing. A seller who dodges simple questions is giving you an answer too.

• The exact model and storage, for example iPhone 13 with 128 GB or Galaxy S22 with 256 GB.
• How old the phone is, and whether the seller still has the purchase receipt and the original box.
• Whether it was ever repaired, and which parts were replaced: screen, battery or camera.
• The IMEI, so you can compare it with the phone itself when you meet.
• Whether the phone is still signed in to an Apple or Google account, and whether the seller will remove it in front of you.

On Afër you write to sellers through the chat inside the app, so your own number stays private until you decide to share it. If a seller has added a phone number, only signed-in users can see the full number. A private seller's number stays masked until a signed-in user clicks to show it; a dealer's number is shown in full to signed-in users. Once you move to WhatsApp or a phone call, the protections of our chat no longer apply.

Arrange to meet in daylight in a busy public place, such as a café or a shopping centre, and bring a friend if you can. Never pay in advance to “reserve” a phone, and never pay through a link someone sends you. You'll find more advice in our safety tips.

How do you check the IMEI?

The IMEI is the 15-digit number that identifies a phone on mobile networks. Checking it takes two minutes and tells you whether the phone in your hand is the one on the box and on the receipt.

1. Open the phone app and dial *#06#. The IMEI appears on the screen; dual-SIM phones show two numbers. On some phones and networks the code shows nothing, so go straight to the next step.
2. Compare it with Settings: on an iPhone under Settings › General › About, on most Android phones under Settings › About phone. Menu names vary a little between brands.
3. If the phone has a SIM tray, many iPhones up to the iPhone 13 have the IMEI printed on it; the iPhone 14 and later don't. Finally, compare it with the label on the box and with the receipt.

If the numbers don't match, stop there. A different IMEI on the box can mean a swapped phone, a replaced main board or a phone that doesn't belong to the seller.

Mobile operators can block the IMEI of a phone that has been reported lost or stolen, and they share these reports through the GSMA so the phone can be blocked on other networks as well. A phone that works with your SIM today can therefore stop working later. That's why the receipt, the box and a believable story about where the phone came from matter as much as the phone itself.

Is the phone free of an iCloud or Google lock?

This is the most important check. A phone that is still linked to the previous owner's account can become useless after a reset, and without their password you can't remove the lock.

iPhone: open Settings. If a name appears at the top, the phone is still signed in to someone's Apple Account. Apple's advice is clear: don't buy an iPhone that shows the “iPhone Locked to Owner” screen or asks for the previous owner's Apple Account during setup. Do these steps together with the seller:

1. The seller opens Settings, taps their name, scrolls down and taps Sign Out.
2. Then Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Erase All Content and Settings. Erasing the phone also turns off Find My and Activation Lock.
3. Wait for the restart. The phone must show the Hello screen and let you start setup without asking for anyone else's Apple Account.

Android: as soon as a Google account is on the phone, Factory Reset Protection is active. After a reset, the phone asks for the Google account that was on it before, and without it the phone can't be used at all. So the seller has to remove their Google account first (on Samsung phones also the Samsung account), usually under Settings › Accounts, and only then reset the phone. Menu names differ between brands and Android versions.

If the phone asks for an account or password after the reset that the seller can't or won't enter on the spot, don't buy it. No promise like “I'll remove it from home tonight” is worth the risk.

How healthy is the battery?

iPhone: go to Settings › Battery › Battery Health; on the iPhone 14 and earlier the item is called Battery Health & Charging. Maximum Capacity shows how much charge the battery holds compared with when it was new. According to Apple, batteries in the iPhone 14 and earlier are designed to keep 80 % of their original capacity after 500 complete charge cycles, and those in the iPhone 15 after 1000 cycles, under ideal conditions.

As a rule of thumb, a value well below 80 % means the battery will probably need replacing soon. If the iPhone shows a message that the battery's health is significantly degraded, count the cost of a new battery into your offer.

Samsung: open the Samsung Members app, tap Support and start the phone diagnostics. The Battery status test rates the battery as Normal, Weak or Bad. The exact steps can differ slightly between models.

Other Android phones: there is no single place for battery health. Some brands show it under Settings › Battery, others don't show it at all. In that case, watch how fast the percentage drops while you test the phone, and ask how long a charge lasts in everyday use.

Do the screen, cameras, buttons and ports work?

Give yourself at least 15 minutes. Go through this checklist and test every point yourself instead of watching the seller do it.

• ✓Screen: no dead pixels, spots or lines on a white and on a black background; touch works everywhere, including the edges.
• ✓OLED screens: no ghost images of the keyboard or the status bar on a grey background (burn-in).
• ✓Front and rear cameras: take photos and a short video with every lens and check the focus.
• ✓Speakers and microphone: make a test call to your own number and record a voice memo.
• ✓Charging port: plug in your own cable and check that the phone charges.
• ✓Buttons: volume, power and, if there is one, the mute switch or Action button.
• ✓Face ID or fingerprint: set it up and unlock the phone a few times.
• ✓Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: connect to your hotspot and to headphones or a car.
• ✓SIM: insert your own SIM card, make a call and open a web page over mobile data.
• ✓Body and frame: dents and bends can be signs of a hard drop.
• ✓Water: on most iPhones a small liquid contact indicator in the SIM tray slot turns fully red after contact with water.

On recent iPhones, Settings › General › About › Parts and Service History lists replaced parts: the battery from the iPhone XR and XS, the screen from the iPhone 11 (except the iPhone SE) and the camera only from the iPhone 12 with iOS 15.2 or later. A part that isn't genuine or couldn't be verified is marked Unknown. On older models a missing entry proves nothing. An unknown part doesn't stop the phone from working, but it should lower the price. While you're in About, look at Carrier Lock as well: “No SIM restrictions” means the iPhone isn't tied to one mobile operator.

How do you pay safely?

Pay only after all the checks, on the spot, when the phone has been reset and set up in your own hands.

• Cash is the simplest option. Count it together somewhere quiet.
• A bank transfer works if the money arrives instantly and the seller can see it in their banking app before handing over the phone.
• Never send a deposit, never pay for a courier you didn't book yourself, and never pay through a link.
• Keep the Afër chat: it shows what the seller promised about the phone.
• Ask for a short handwritten note with the model, IMEI, price, date and both names, signed by the seller.

On Afër, reviews are only possible after a purchase that has been confirmed in the app. Ready to look? Browse phones on Afër near you and take this checklist to your next meeting.