Before Your Teen Buys a Used Phone, Run These Checks

A used phone can be a smart buy, but only if it is not stolen, locked, or one worn battery away from a paperweight. Run through these checks before money changes hands.

What to remember

1. Dial *#06# to get the phone’s IMEI and run a device history check before buying; a blacklisted phone cannot be used with most mobile carriers.
2. An iPhone with an active Activation Lock is nearly impossible for a new owner to use, and erasing the phone does not remove the lock.
3. Ask for current battery health data and the repair history, and inspect the screen, ports, and buttons in person before you pay.
4. Pay with a credit card when you can, screenshot the refund policy, and get a written receipt that lists the IMEI.
5. The day after purchase, set the phone to lock automatically, keep it updated, back up data, and save every purchase record.

A used phone is one of the best bargains in family tech, and teens know it. The catch is that a phone is also one of the riskier things to buy secondhand. It can be stolen, locked to someone else’s account, blocked by a carrier, or hiding a battery on its last legs. Work through this list with your teen before any money changes hands.

Confirm the Phone Is Not Stolen or Blocked

• Get the IMEI first. Ask the seller to dial *#06# on the phone. A 14 to 18 digit number appears on screen, and only the first 15 digits are relevant. A seller who hesitates to share it is telling you something.
• Run a device history check. Paid report services and some free lookups can tell you whether the phone has been reported lost or stolen, is blacklisted, was cloned or is a counterfeit, or has had insurance or warranty claims made against it.
• Know what a blacklist means. The IMEI is the number used to report a phone lost or stolen so the device can be blocked. A blacklisted phone cannot be used with most mobile carriers, which turns a bargain into a paperweight.
• Meet in a public place. If the deal is local, pick a busy spot in daylight and bring your teen along. Run the checks on the spot, not later.

If the phone is listed on a marketplace instead of sold in person, the risks shift rather than disappear. Read up on how to spot a fake online store before you send anyone money.

Check for Activation Locks and Carrier Financing

• Watch the factory reset happen. The seller should erase the phone and restore it to factory settings in front of you, then hand it over so you can walk through setup together. If the reset happened yesterday, you have no idea what state the phone is really in.
• Confirm the Activation Lock is gone. Apple’s Find My feature can lock a phone reported lost or stolen so completely that a new owner cannot activate it, and deleting the information on the phone does not remove the lock. Check the Lost Mode status before you buy, and make sure the seller removes the phone from their account during setup.
• Ask the seller to unlink everything. That means taking the phone off the list of trusted devices for any accounts that use two-step verification, unpairing it from watches or vehicles, and making sure no account or Wi-Fi passwords are saved on it.
• Ask about financing. If the phone is still on an installment plan with a carrier, ask what happens to the unpaid balance. Phones that owe money or were reported lost can end up blocked from the network.

Safety alert: A factory reset on its own does not clear an Activation Lock on an iPhone. If the phone asks for someone else’s Apple ID during setup, stop the deal and get your money back.

Inspect Battery Health, Screen and Ports in Person

• Ask for current battery health data. Request it before you agree to buy. Sellers of refurbished phones are expected to provide the same thing, and a private seller can open the battery settings page in seconds.
• Look hard at the screen. Check for cracks, dead spots, and discoloration with the brightness turned all the way up. Past damage and cheap repairs show up here first.
• Test everything that opens, plugs in, or lights up. Charging port, cameras, speakers, microphone, buttons. Make a test call and send a text so you know the radios work.
• Watch it charge. Plug the phone in and watch the battery percentage move. A phone that will not charge reliably is not a deal at any price.

Ask Whether It Was Repaired and With What Parts

• Get the repair history. Ask what was replaced, when, and whether the parts were original or aftermarket. Aftermarket screens and batteries can affect how the phone performs and how accurate its battery readings are.
• Consider a certified refurbisher instead. Manufacturer-certified refurbishers, certified resellers, and marketplace renewed programs typically put warranty terms in writing, describe the phone’s condition on a clear grading scale, and give you an inspection report showing what was tested. Many offer a 90-day return window, which exists to catch the most common problems: functional failure, hidden damage, and battery decline.
• Compare grades the same way. Industry-standard grading systems, such as the CTIA’s, let you compare one device against another instead of guessing what a seller means by a word like “good.”

Agree on a Safe Way to Pay

• Pay with a credit card when you can. A card gives you a way to dispute the charge if the phone turns out to be nothing like it was described. Handing cash to a stranger gives you no recourse at all.
• Screenshot the refund policy. If you buy online, save the seller’s return and refund terms exactly as they appeared when you bought, in case they change later.
• Check the return rules before checkout. The FTC’s marketplace buying guidance tells shoppers to read a seller’s return terms before checkout and to make sure the listing shows several photos of the exact item instead of a generic stock image, because quality varies widely from one seller to the next. Our guide to store return policies explains what return windows do and do not have to include.
• Get a receipt with the IMEI on it. A simple written receipt listing the IMEI, the price, and the seller’s name and contact information is your proof of the deal if a dispute comes later.

What to Do the Day After the Purchase

• Lock it down. Set the phone to lock automatically when it is not in use, keep the operating system up to date, and turn on automatic backups.
• Move over any authenticator app. If your teen logs into accounts with an authenticator app, set it up on the new phone right away.
• Set the spending rules. Before your teen adds apps, decide who pays for what and how. Our article on stopping surprise in-app purchases by kids covers the settings that prevent accidental charges.
• Keep every record. Save the receipt, the IMEI check report, the listing, and any messages with the seller in one place. If the phone is ever blocked after the sale, those records are what you will need to sort it out.
• Act quickly if something is wrong. If the phone stops working or turns out to be blocked, contact the seller first and your card issuer right after. Disputes are easier to resolve when you raise them early and can show exactly what you were promised.

Parents also ask

What is an IMEI and why does it matter?

The IMEI is a unique number assigned to every phone. It is the number used to report a device lost or stolen so it can be blocked, so checking it tells you whether the phone has been blacklisted.

Can a factory reset remove an Activation Lock?

No. On iPhones with Find My enabled, the Activation Lock survives erasing the device. The seller has to remove the phone from their own account, which you should watch happen during setup.

Is a certified refurbished phone safer than one from a private seller?

Certified refurbishers and marketplace renewed programs usually put warranty terms in writing, grade the device’s condition on a clear scale, and share an inspection report, and many offer a 90-day return window. A private seller may cost less but offers fewer protections.

What is the safest way to pay for a used phone?

A credit card, because it gives you a way to dispute the charge if the phone is not as described. Screenshot the refund policy when buying online, and get a written receipt listing the IMEI.