Missing no adventure? Buy an iPhone from your hands. If you do not fall for a stolen device, it may very well be that you have to unlock your smartphone, even if it is registered in Russia. Why? Now you will know everything.

Why is the phone locked?

With the advent of the Find My iPhone service, many owners managed to use it. With its help, the location of the gadget is tracked, the loss mode is activated, remotely erased personal data. But if the owner transferred the phone to another, but did not turn off the function, the lock will work.

Another option is to forget your Apple ID password. Data protector will lock the phone until the user recovers the password. What to do if the phone is locked? What if he is stolen?

IPhone Verification Services

Previously, there was a simple service to check if an iPhone developed by the Yabloko itself was stolen: ActivationLock. Today he ordered a long life, and we have to look for other methods.

Nimble Americans opened a service called Stolen Phone Checker, which checks the unique encoding of the phone:

  • IMEI;
  • MEID
  • ESN

The site is excellent, but only works with devices purchased in the United States.

Of the Russian sites that have worked well, take a look at SNDeepInfo. To get information about the phone, you need to enter IMEI in a special field and wait.

In the case when you are just going to buy an iPhone, below is an action plan so as not to purchase a stolen device.

Buying an iPhone from hand: quality control

Going behind an iPhone, arm yourself with the necessary tools: it will help you understand how good the proposed device is. You need:

  • techie friend - whenever possible;
  • nanoSIM card;
  • clip to open the SIM card slot;
  • wire for recharging;
  • lens;
  • telephone with Internet access;
  • laptop.

The main thing that we remember: do not pass the verified iPhone to the seller, so that it does not replace it.

Step 1: External Inspection

In order not to buy a beaten gadget, twist it with your hands a little and listen. If creaks are heard, the device will fall. You should not buy it, as well as the one on which there were traces of disassembly:

  • the screws are scratched with a screwdriver (shine a flashlight);
  • at the charging port, the rim differs in color from the case, buttons, too;
  • SIM card tray from another phone;
  • Home key is crooked, different in color.

All joints should be smooth, there should be no gaps. If they are, then the smartphone was opened or the battery swelled.

Step 2: check IMEI

IMEI is a unique device number. It is easy to find out basic information about the smartphone. By going to the “About the device” tab in the settings, you will find the IMEI and serial number. Codes must match the data written on the back of the box. And with older versions - and on the back of the gadget. In new models, see the numbers on the SIM card tray: they are engraved there.

Now grab a laptop, open Apple’s home site and check your smartphone’s data. This will help you:

  1. a) avoid buying a fake;
  2. b) find out the rest of the warranty period;
  3. c) understand a new telephone or a refurbished one (the number starts with RFB).

Step 3: talk about locking

IPhones do 2 types:

  1. contractual - work with 1 operator;
  2. neverlock - connect to any network.

To unlock contract iPhones, they use substrates for a SIM card, but the connection quality becomes poor. To protect yourself from such a device, take out the SIM card tray and check for foreign objects in it. Then insert your card, make a call to another device. Works? Fine! No? Why do you need a non-working person?

When on the screen: activation lock with a request to enter data, ask the seller to enter this data, because the device is tied to the host ID. If a person cannot do this, leave: most likely, the smartphone is stolen.

If the phone is working, you need to disable the “Find iPhone” option and reset the settings, otherwise the owner can remotely lock the phone after receiving the money.

Now you can enter your data and register: the phone will work. Be careful when buying!