How to check a used iPhone before you buy

To check a used iPhone before you buy, first make sure it is not locked to someone else's Apple Account, then read its IMEI in Settings and test the screen, cameras, Face ID, buttons, sound and charging. Do it with the phone in your hand and the seller beside you. Every pre-owned device at 3ASH DEVICE goes through these checks, and many more, before it is listed.

Before you start

Ask the seller to charge the phone and to be ready to enter its passcode. Bring a charging cable you know works and a second phone to call from. The steps start and end with the most important check, the Apple Account lock, so that you do not pay for a phone you cannot use.

Step 1: Look at the first screen

Turn the phone on. On iOS 15 or later, a phone still protected by Activation Lock shows an iPhone Locked to Owner screen. Activation Lock is part of Find My: Apple designed it to stop anyone else using a lost or stolen iPhone, and without the owner's Apple Account password the phone cannot be erased or activated again. Apple's advice is not to take ownership of a used iPhone until it has been removed from the previous owner's account.

If it opens to its passcode Lock Screen or Home Screen instead, it has not been erased yet. That is fine for now, because the erase comes at the end.

Before we list any device, we check that it has no iCloud lock and is not enrolled in a company's device management.

Step 2: Read the IMEI and match it to the box

Open Settings > General > About and scroll down to the IMEI. The barcode label on the original box shows it too, so you can see whether the box belongs to this phone. Compare the original receipt as well if the seller kept it.

The phone cannot tell you whether its IMEI has been reported lost or stolen. We check this for every device we sell, and each one ships in its original box with the original cable.

Step 3: Test the screen, cameras and Face ID

• Screen. Open a plain white page and look for spots, lines or patches of colour. Type a few lines on the keyboard, then drag an app icon into each corner to check that touch works everywhere. Tilt the phone under a light to see the glass.
• Cameras. Take a photo with each rear camera and the front camera, switching with the rotate button in the Camera app, and record a short video. Apple suggests testing the flash with the flashlight in Control Center.
• Face ID or Touch ID. Lock the phone and let the seller open it with Face ID a few times. To set it up for yourself later, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, or Touch ID & Passcode on iPhone SE.

Our inspection covers the screen for dead pixels, touch and the glass, the cameras, flash and video, and Face ID or Touch ID. The grade you choose then describes how the screen and body look.

Step 4: Test the buttons, sound, calls and charging

• Buttons. Press the side button and both volume buttons, and try the Ring/Silent switch or the Action button, plus Camera Control on models that have it. Call the phone from a second phone with silent mode on to feel the vibration.
• Sound and calls. Make a real call and switch to the loudspeaker. Record a voice memo and play it back to test the microphones and speakers. Join Wi-Fi, pair a Bluetooth device and open Maps to see that the phone finds your location.
• Charging. Plug in a cable you know works and watch for the charging symbol. If a message says the accessory is not supported, Apple notes that a dirty or damaged charging port can be one cause. Try a wireless charger too if you have one.

All of this is on our checklist: buttons and vibration, speakers and microphones, a real test call, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, the proximity, light and motion sensors, the battery, the charging port and wireless charging.

Step 5: Finish with the erase and set-up test

When you are happy with the phone, ask the seller to sign out of their Apple Account and erase it in Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. Erasing also turns off Find My and Activation Lock. Then start the setup yourself:

• If the phone asks for the previous owner's Apple Account, it is still linked to them. Apple's advice is to hand it back so the seller can enter their password, or remove the phone from their account.
• Apple says a phone is ready for you to use when you see the Hello screen.

Apple advises against taking any used iPhone until it has been erased. Ours arrive erased, with the previous owner's data removed by a certified method, on their original software and not jailbroken.

What a replaced part means for your iPhone

Most of the devices we sell have never needed a part replaced. Some have, and that is normal: in every phone, parts such as the battery wear with use, just as tyres do on a car, and replacing one is routine care that keeps the phone working as it should.

When we replace a part, we stand behind it. It is a high-quality part that meets our standards, fitted by or under the supervision of our specialist engineers, who have years of experience. The device then goes through our full inspection before it is listed: more than 80 checks with Phonecheck software, alongside other testing tools, some of them AI-assisted. The 12-month 3ASH warranty covers the part just as it covers the rest of the device, so you can buy with confidence.

What buying from 3ASH DEVICE saves you

A careful check takes time and know-how, and some checks cannot be done on the phone at all. Before listing a device, we inspect it with Phonecheck software in more than 80 checks, including whether the phone is enrolled in a company's device management and whether it runs its original software. We also check that its IMEI is not reported lost or stolen.

We then grade it Excellent, Very Good or Good by how it looks, and every device works fully in every grade. Each one comes with a 12-month 3ASH warranty included in the price, 10-day returns and free delivery to all seven emirates, usually within 1 to 2 business days.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important check on a used iPhone?

The Apple Account lock. A phone still linked to its previous owner cannot be erased or activated again without their password, so check for the iPhone Locked to Owner screen first and finish with the erase and set-up test.

Can a used iPhone show whether its IMEI was reported stolen?

No. Nothing on the phone shows whether its IMEI has been reported lost or stolen, so buy from a seller who checks it for you. We check it for every device before it is listed.

Do I need to check a device I buy from 3ASH DEVICE?

You do not need to run this checklist: every pre-owned device passes more than 80 checks with Phonecheck software before it is listed. When it arrives, take a few minutes to look it over and set it up. If anything is not as described, message us: you have 10-day returns and the 12-month 3ASH warranty.

If you would rather skip the checklist, choose a device we have already inspected: browse our pre-owned iPhone, see how each grade looks in our condition guide, or read whether buying a used iPhone is safe. Any question is welcome on WhatsApp, by phone or by email through our contact page.