Fix-it Researched from official sources · not hands-on

Inspecting a Used Phone in India: IMEI, Locks, Battery and Paperwork

A used-phone inspection in the order that protects your money: IMEI and KYM first, battery and repair readings, a full hardware test, account locks removed in front of you, then paperwork.

By Lokesh Rathore 11 min read

Smartphone in crimson and red tones showing a checklist, surrounded by a magnifying glass, an open padlock and a battery icon, representing checks before buying a used phone

The 30-second version

Check in a fixed order and pay last. First, the IMEI on the *#06# screen must match Settings, the box and the bill, and a KYM check (SMS KYM, a space and the 15-digit IMEI to 14422) must come back clean. Next, note battery health and repair history and test every part. Then the seller removes their accounts and erases the phone while you watch, and you run the setup to prove no lock is left. Last, sign a receipt and pay by UPI or bank transfer.

The costly problems with a used phone rarely show on the day. A blacklisted IMEI, a lock tied to the last owner’s account or a dying battery tends to surface a week later, when the seller has stopped answering. This checklist orders the checks so your money stays with you until the phone has passed them all. Still deciding? Our guide to choosing between refurbished, used and new weighs the options.

In this guide11 sections
  1. Questions to send the seller before you travel
  2. The sequence that protects your money
  3. Red flags that end the deal
  4. Prove the phone’s identity first
  5. Readings to take while the seller is still signed in
  6. Hands-on test: every part, one by one
  7. Freeing the phone from the old owner’s accounts
  8. Paperwork to finish before you pay
  9. If trouble starts after you’ve paid
  10. Used-phone checks: reader questions
  11. The official pages behind this checklist

Questions to send the seller before you travel

  • The IMEI, in advance. A *#06# screenshot (two numbers on a dual-SIM phone) or a picture of the sticker on the box means you can run KYM before you set out.
  • Box and invoice. Will both come with the phone, and whose name is on the invoice?
  • Any EMI still running. Lenders can lock financed phones: Samsung’s Knox Guard can lock a device “as a last resort payment recovery option” and restricts factory reset while it is locked. Ask for proof the loan is closed.
  • Their passwords. Only the seller can release the phone from their Apple, Google or Samsung account.
  • iPhone sellers: switch off Stolen Device Protection at home. Away from familiar places it adds a one-hour wait before an Apple Account sign-out, and Apple advises turning it off before selling.
  • Android sellers: with Identity Check on, removing a Google account or resetting away from their trusted places needs their fingerprint or face, not a PIN, so they must come in person.
  • A public place with good signal and Wi-Fi.

Carry:

  • Your SIM (a 5G one if 5G is promised)
  • A charging cable
  • Your phone with the Sanchar Saathi app
  • A printed receipt and a pen

The sequence that protects your money

  1. Identity: the IMEIs agree everywhere and KYM is clean. If not, stop.
  2. Readings: battery health, repair history and leftover warranty.
  3. Hands-on test: screen, buttons, cameras, calls, data and charging.
  4. Release: the seller removes every account and erases the phone.
  5. Proof: you run the setup and get past the account screens.
  6. Paperwork: invoice, seller’s ID and a signed receipt.
  7. Payment: UPI or bank transfer, so there is a record.

Red flags that end the deal

What you seeWhat it points toYour move
The IMEI differs between the screen, Settings, box or invoiceA swapped box, a replaced board or a tampered IMEIDon’t buy
KYM shows black-listed, duplicate or already in useA reported, cloned or flagged handsetDon’t buy
*#06# shows zeros or an invalid numberA phone CEIR says is not allowed on Indian networksDon’t buy
“iPhone Locked to Owner”, or setup wants the old Apple AccountActivation Lock is still onSeller removes it, or no deal
After the reset, setup wants the old Google account or screen lockFactory Reset Protection is still onSeller signs in, or no deal
The ad says “iCloud locked”, “FRP bypassed” or “Wi-Fi only”The old owner’s lock never came offSkip it
From CEIR, DoT, Apple and Google guidance, checked October 2026.

Prove the phone’s identity first

The IMEI is the 15-digit number that identifies a handset on mobile networks; dual-SIM phones usually have two. Dialling *#06# displays them, and every other place they appear must show the same digits.

iPhoneSettings → General → About, and the SIM tray on iPhone 6s to iPhone 13 and SE (2nd and 3rd generation). After an erase, tap the info button at the bottom right of the Hello screen.
Pixel and most Android phonesSettings → About phone; Pixels also print it on the SIM tray.
Box and invoicePrinted on the barcode label of the box, and on many invoices.
From PIB’s IMEI factsheet (September 2026), Apple Support and Pixel Help, checked October 2026.
  1. SMS KYM followed by the 15-digit IMEI to 14422. The same check is on the CEIR Know Genuineness of Your Mobile Handset page (your mobile number, a captcha and an OTP, then the IMEI) and in the Sanchar Saathi app.
  2. Check the second IMEI too if the phone takes two SIMs.
  3. Compare the reply with the phone: DoT says it shows the brand name, model name and manufacturer tied to that IMEI.
  4. Treat any warning status as a no, as CEIR advises for a phone listed as black-listed, duplicate or already in use. So is a seller who won’t let you check.

The risk is real: in a December 2025 release, DoT said stolen and blacklisted phones were being resold through India’s big second-hand market, and that buying one makes the buyer an abettor in the crime besides costing them money.

At the counter: At Mobivault, the IMEI test is always the first thing we ask customers to do with a used phone: the number from *#06#, set against the label on the box and the bill, followed by a KYM text to 14422. Every other check waits until that result is clean.

Readings to take while the seller is still signed in

Do these before the reset, in case one of them ends the deal.

iPhone: battery, repairs and leftover warranty

  • Battery: Settings → Battery, then Battery Health & Charging (iPhone 14 and older) or Battery Health (iPhone 15 onwards, with cycle count and battery dates). Apple’s design target is 80% of capacity left after 500 full cycles for iPhone 14 and older, and after 1,000 for iPhone 15 onwards. A “significantly degraded” message means Apple suggests a new battery; a warning that Apple can’t verify the battery as genuine means its figures may be off.
  • Repairs: from iOS 15.2, a repaired iPhone has a Parts and Service History section in Settings → General → About, with a label beside each part.
  • Warranty: enter the serial number from that same screen on Apple’s Check Coverage page.
GenuineFixed with Apple parts, using Apple’s process.
UsedThe part came out of another iPhone.
UnknownPossibly non-genuine, faulty, modified or never verified after the repair; Apple says trade-in value may drop.
UnverifiedThe logic board came from another iPhone; Apple warns this may limit Apple Pay and similar features.
Finish RepairCalibration is incomplete, and Face ID or Touch ID won’t unlock the phone until it is done.
Tracked parts: battery, display, logic board and cameras from iPhone 12; battery and display on iPhone 11; the battery alone for iPhone XR, XS and XS Max and the second- and third-generation SE. Apple Support, checked October 2026.

Since tracking is partial, a missing section doesn’t prove the phone was never opened.

Samsung Galaxy: let the phone test itself

In Samsung Members, open Support and start Phone diagnostics. Battery status reads Normal, Weak or Bad, and for Bad Samsung suggests a service centre. Test all runs every check the model supports, from touch screen, buttons and mic to cameras, SIM, sensors and charging.

Pixel: health status and battery dates

Pixels from the 8a onwards report health under Settings → Battery → Battery health: “Normal”, or “Reduced” below 80% of original capacity. Settings → About phone → Battery information adds the cycle count, the battery’s manufacture date and its date of first use. Google’s replacement trigger is capacity under 80%, or 800 cycles for the Pixel 3 up to the 8 Pro and Fold, rising to 1,000 for the 8a and newer. The 6a, 7, 7a, 7 Pro, 8 and 8 Pro have no health readout.

Other Android phones

Look for a health or capacity entry under Settings → Battery. Many phones have none; then watch how fast the charge falls during your tests and price in a new battery.

Tip: A weak battery is a bargaining point, not always a reason to leave. Find the brand’s official replacement charge and knock it off your offer.

Hands-on test: every part, one by one

  • Screen: plain white and black images reveal dead pixels and lines; dragging an icon across the whole display tests touch. A colour cast, patchy touch or uneven brightness can mean a non-original panel.
  • Lifting glass: run a finger along the edges of the screen and back. Google says a swollen battery can lift the screen and warns against pressing it back down; treat any lift as a repair job.
  • Body and buttons: look for bends, cracks and uneven gaps, press every button, and have the seller unlock with their fingerprint or face.
  • Charging: your cable should sit firmly and charge at once.
  • Calls: try your SIM in each slot in turn, with one call on the earpiece and one on speaker.
  • Data and 5G: if 5G was promised, test where your own phone gets it. No icon? Our guide to a missing 5G signal covers settings and bands.
  • Cameras: every lens, in photo and video, with focus and flash.
  • The rest: loudspeaker, mic (record a voice note), vibration, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and location.

Freeing the phone from the old owner’s accounts

Activation Lock on iPhones and Factory Reset Protection (FRP) on Android tie a phone to an account, not to whoever holds it. Apple says a remote erase can leave Activation Lock in force. Google says a reset through recovery mode or Find Hub (formerly Find My Device) leaves the phone demanding the previous screen lock or Google account, and unusable without them. So the account holder must remove the lock while you watch.

iPhone: sign out, erase, then you start setup

  1. On iOS 26 and newer: Settings → [seller’s name] → Sign Out → Erase this iPhone. On iOS 18 and older: Sign Out, the Apple Account password and Turn Off, then Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.
  2. After the restart, an “iPhone Locked to Owner” screen (iOS 15 and later) means the lock is still there; a passcode screen or Home Screen means no erase happened.
  3. You begin the setup. Any prompt for the earlier owner’s Apple Account goes straight back to the seller; no prompt means the iPhone is yours.

Remote option: the seller signs in at icloud.com/find, picks the device and chooses Remove This Device.

Android: accounts off first, reset second

  1. Each Google account comes off through Settings → Passwords & accounts (or Users & accounts, or Manage accounts), then the account and Remove account.
  2. A Galaxy owner also turns off Find My Mobile (Settings → Samsung account → Find My Mobile, then Allow this phone to be found) and signs out of the Samsung account.
  3. Reset. Galaxy: Settings → General management → Reset → Factory data reset. Pixel: Settings → System → Reset options → Erase all data (factory reset).
  4. You join Wi-Fi and run the setup. A request for any earlier account or screen lock means the lock survived, and your money stays put.

Paperwork to finish before you pay

  • Invoice: any IMEI printed on it must match. If it is in another name, ask how the phone reached the seller and note the answer on the receipt.
  • ID: see the seller’s original government photo ID and keep a photo of it.
  • Receipt: the seller’s full name, address, phone number and ID number; the phone’s make, model and both IMEIs; the price, date and how you paid; and a line saying they own it, have removed their accounts and owe no loan on it. You both sign.
  • Storage: keep the box, invoice and receipt; CEIR’s block form for a lost phone lets you upload the invoice.

Tip: Pay last, by UPI or bank transfer, so there is a record. After that, lifting a lock depends on the seller, and Apple’s removal request asks for proof-of-purchase documents.

If trouble starts after you’ve paid

  • iPhone stuck on Activation Lock: the seller can still free it remotely through icloud.com/find.
  • Android asking for the old Google account: only that account or the old screen lock gets through, so the seller must sign in on the phone.
  • IMEI blocked: CEIR keeps a reported phone off Indian networks and lets police trace it if it is used. Only whoever filed the block can lift it, as the unblock form needs the 18-digit request ID and police complaint details. Take your receipt to the seller, then to the police with the phone and the seller’s details. Our Sanchar Saathi blocking explainer has the details.
  • Never “fix” it by changing the IMEI: tampering is an offence under Section 42 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, with up to three years in jail, a fine of up to ₹50 lakh, or both, and knowingly keeping such a phone is an offence too.

Note: A clean KYM result covers only what the government database holds against an IMEI. Account locks, battery wear and past repairs sit outside it, hence the rest of this list.

Used-phone checks: reader questions

The seller lives in another city. Can I buy without meeting?

It is riskier, since you can’t test the phone or watch the reset. Run KYM on the IMEI photo and hold back full payment until setup is done. An iPhone owner can remove the device later at icloud.com/find, but on Android the Google account must come off the phone itself before it is posted.

The phone has already been reset. How do I check it?

Take the IMEI from the box (or, on an iPhone, the Hello screen’s info button) and run KYM. Start the setup with the seller beside you; if it gets through without asking for anyone else’s account, finish it and take the battery and repair readings before paying.

Should a replaced screen or battery put me off?

Not always; it is a pricing question. On an iPhone, Parts and Service History shows whether a part is Genuine, Used or Unknown. On other phones, ask for the service-centre job sheet and look hard at the colour, brightness and touch of a replaced screen.

Can a shop’s own IMEI screening replace my KYM check?

No. Shops dealing in used phones must screen IMEIs against the central blacklist under rules in force since October 2025, but your own SMS check takes a minute and confirms the brand and model match the phone in your hand.

The official pages behind this checklist

All links checked on 29 October 2026.

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Lokesh Rathore

Editor, PhoneKitab · runs Mobivault, MP Nagar, Bhopal

Lokesh Rathore runs Mobivault, a phone shop in Zone 2, MP Nagar, Bhopal, and edits PhoneKitab. The questions customers bring to his counter, such as OTPs that never show up, missing 5G or a phone that will not charge fast, are what PhoneKitab turns into clear, sourced guides.

How we made this guide: Based on official help pages and operator and government sources, not on a hands-on test. An AI writing assistant helped research and draft it; every fact was checked against those sources and Lokesh Rathore approved it before publishing.

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