11 July 2026 · 6 min read
Buying a used iPhone: what to check before you pay (IMEI, battery, Activation Lock)
A used iPhone can be a great buy: a phone that cost €1,000 new often sells for half after two years. It can also be a trap, because a stolen or locked iPhone cannot be made usable.
Plenty of used phones pass through our hands, so we wrote down the exact steps we run before every buy. Take five minutes and go through them before you pay.
Activation Lock: the one mistake you cannot fix
Before you talk price, make sure the iPhone is signed out of the previous Apple account. Open Settings: if the previous owner’s name is at the top, they must turn off Find My iPhone and remove the device from their account before the sale.
A phone with Activation Lock enabled is a useless slab of glass for you, and no repair shop can unlock it. If the seller "cannot" remove the lock, walk away.
IMEI: check the phone is not stolen or on an instalment plan
You find the IMEI in Settings > General > About or by dialling *#06#. Ask the seller to send it in advance.
Sites like imeicheck or swappa tell you whether the device is reported stolen or blacklisted. If the IMEI on the box, in the phone and on the receipt do not match, that is a red flag.
Battery: the number that says more than the model year
Check the percentage in Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Above 85% is good for a used phone; below 80%, budget for a battery replacement of roughly €80 to €120 and negotiate it into the price.
Watch for the non-genuine part warning too: if the iPhone shows "Unknown Part" for the battery or display, it was repaired with non-original parts.
The five-minute handover test
- ·Insert your own SIM, make a call, check mobile data.
- ·Test Face ID or Touch ID, both cameras, speaker and microphone.
- ·Open a plain white image and inspect the whole screen: dead pixels and stains show immediately.
- ·Plug in a charger and confirm the device charges.
- ·In Settings > General > About, compare the model and storage with what was advertised.
Where to buy: private seller or a verified shop
A private seller is usually cheaper, but you buy with no guarantee and at your own risk. A seller who tests phones and describes the condition honestly costs a bit more, but you get a verified device and someone to turn to if something fails.
Whichever route you pick: never prepay a stranger without an in-person handover or cash on delivery.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether a used iPhone is stolen?+
Ask the seller for the IMEI (Settings > General > About or *#06#) and run it through an IMEI check site. A blacklisted or stolen device is unusable even if it seems to work.
What battery health is acceptable on a used iPhone?+
Above 85% is good, 80 to 85% is acceptable at a lower price, and below 80% you should budget €80 to €120 for a battery replacement.
What is Activation Lock and why does it matter?+
Activation Lock ties the iPhone to the previous owner’s Apple account. Until the owner removes the device from their account, the phone will not work for a new user, and no repair shop can bypass it.
Can I buy a used iPhone remotely?+
Yes, but choose cash on delivery and a seller who sends the IMEI and a video of the phone working in advance. Most iPhone scams happen with prepayments to strangers.
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