Is It Safe to Buy a Used iPhone? 5 Checks Before You Pay

A used iPhone is safe to buy when it passes a handful of checks, and the most important one takes ten seconds: turn it on and see which screen appears. If it says iPhone Locked to Owner, Apple's advice is blunt: do not take ownership of it. Bought online and it arrives that way? Apple says to return it.

If the phone is still locked to the last owner's account, it is not yours to buy.

People ask this about Facebook Marketplace, eBay and friends alike, and the answer is the same everywhere: where you buy matters less than the checks you run before money changes hands. Here are five, in order.

Is the iPhone still locked to someone else's account?

This is the check that matters most. Activation Lock is Apple's anti-theft feature. Apple says it turns on automatically when Find My is set up, and that turning off Find My, erasing the phone or reactivating it all require the owner's Apple Account password.

That is great for the owner, and a trap for anyone who buys from a seller who forgot to turn it off. Apple's own instruction is not to take ownership of any used iPhone or iPad protected by Activation Lock. On iOS 15 or later, a locked phone shows an iPhone Locked to Owner screen when you turn it on or wake it.

What should you see when you turn a used iPhone on?

Apple describes three starting points for a preowned phone:

One detail worth knowing: Apple says a phone on the Hello screen cannot be tested in that state, so you have to set it up and activate it first. If setup asks for the previous owner's Apple Account, the phone is still linked to them; the seller needs to follow Apple's steps for preparing a device for sale before you buy.

How do you check what is inside the phone?

Once it is set up, Apple lists checks you can do in Settings, no tools needed:

1. Parts. In General, then About, iOS 15.2 or later shows Parts and Service History. Genuine Apple Part means a genuine replacement; Unknown means the part may be incomplete, not genuine, previously used or not working properly.
2. Battery. Open Battery, then Battery Health (Battery Health & Charging on iOS 16.1 or later) and read the maximum capacity. Apple notes health information is not available for unknown or non-genuine batteries.
3. Carrier lock. In General, then About, "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock means the phone is unlocked.
4. The basics. Connect to Wi-Fi, try the volume, Ring/Silent and side buttons, test the camera, speakers and microphone, and adjust the screen brightness.

If it will not turn on and will not charge, Apple says do not buy it.

Could the phone be stolen?

Activation Lock is only half the story. Every phone has an IMEI, a number that identifies the handset. Find it by dialling *#06#, in Settings under About, or on the box's barcode label.

Ask the seller for it before you meet. When the wireless industry body CTIA launched its Stolen Phone Checker in 2017, it was a free online tool that let anyone enter an IMEI and see whether a phone had been reported lost or stolen, with up to five checks a day for consumers in the U.S.; check the site for its current terms. A seller who will not share the IMEI is a warning sign on its own. A clean result is good news, but it only shows what has been reported so far, which is why the in-person Activation Lock check still matters.

What if it is an Android phone?

Android has its own version, which Google calls device protection. Once a Google Account and a screen lock are on a phone, a factory reset means the next person must sign in with a Google Account that was previously on the device, and Google warns that if you cannot, you will not be able to use the device at all. The owner turns protection off by removing their Google Account. So the same rule applies: watch the seller reset it, and make sure setup never asks for someone else's sign-in.

What should you take to the meet-up?

• Meet somewhere public and bring a charger.
• Get the IMEI before you meet, and look it up.
• Turn the phone on yourself: Lock Screen means erase it first, Locked to Owner means not yet, Hello means good to go.
• Do not accept a phone that asks for the previous owner's account during setup.
• Check Parts and Service History, battery health and carrier lock.
• If you are asked to pay by gift card or wire, the price is the least of your problems; see which payment methods scammers use.

Shopping around DC, Maryland or Virginia? The same checks apply whoever is selling. On DealsDMV, browse Buy Now or the auctions, read each listing's photos and condition notes, and run these checks when you collect; our Help & FAQ page explains how buying works.

The bottom line

A used iPhone is a reasonable buy when you watch it reach the Hello screen, the settings look right and the IMEI comes back clean. If any one of those fails, the discount is not worth it. Buying a laptop too? Our two-minute laptop battery check and factory reset checklist use the same approach.

Know someone shopping for a phone this holiday season? Send them this before they hand over cash.