Mobile Phones > iPhone & iOS How to Check If a Used iPhone Is Stolen Before You Buy It Check public databases before you buy a secondhand phone By Sam Costello Sam Costello Facebook Twitter Writer Ithaca College Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 8, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email iPhone & iOS Switching from Android What to Know Obtain the IMEI number: Go to Settings > General > About to view the IMEI. If the seller doesn't disclose the IMEI, don't buy it. Call your wireless carrier to see if the iPhone is blocked on the network. Check the CTIA Database, which includes a pooled collection of stolen phone data. There is no iOS-specific tool for verifying the network eligibility of a given iPhone or iPad. Instead, if you're thinking about buying an iPhone secondhand, follow the same procedures as purchasers of Android devices to verify the device. We show you how to do so using all currently supported versions of iOS. How to Obtain the IMEI Your first step before buying any used iPhone is to obtain the device's IMEI number. The International Mobile Equipment Identity number serves as a unique identifier for a specific telecommunications device. If a secondhand seller refuses to disclose the IMEI, do not proceed with the sale. On an iPhone, visit Settings > General > About to view the IMEI. Lifewire To obtain the IMEI for most devices, including non-Apple hardware, check the inside of the battery compartment or dial *#06# on the handset. Call Your Carrier If you're a customer of the wireless carrier, call the carrier to see if the iPhone is blocked on the network. Although this method isn't perfect, odds are good that because networks align to radio types (CDMA versus GSM), your carrier will know if the device can be activated on its network. Check the CTIA Database Although it, too, isn't perfect, the CTIA stolen-phone database is a pooled collection of stolen phone data. The major U.S. carriers consult it and contribute data to it. It's only potential weakness is that a phone might not be reported stolen—for example, an old phone in a drawer pilfered by a thief. Visit the Stolen Phone Checker Website As with any private transaction, a dose of skepticism helps. If a phone sale seems suspect, it probably is. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit