Apple Shares Checklist With Important Tips for Buying a Used iPhone

Apple this week published a new support document with some valuable tips for buying a preowned iPhone online or in person.

iphoneseblack
Apple starts off by touting that the iPhone "lasts longer than other smartphones," making a preowned iPhone a "great way to own an iPhone." Apple says it provides "industry-leading device support for software updates," although Google recently announced that its latest Pixel 8 phones will receive full Android updates for seven years, whereas iOS 17 only supports iPhone models released up to five years ago.

When buying a preowned iPhone online, it is very important to choose a trusted seller, as the device cannot be physically inspected at the time of purchase. If possible, make sure the iPhone is not Activation Locked, as this would prevent you from using the device unless you know the previous owner's Apple ID and password.

For in-person purchases, Apple shared a helpful checklist for inspecting a preowned iPhone. Apple explains how to check for damage, how to find out if parts have been replaced, how to view the battery's health, how to find out if the iPhone is locked to a carrier, how to ensure hardware like the camera and microphone are functional, and more.

While some of the tips are obvious, Apple's support document might be worth bookmarking if you plan to buy a used iPhone in the future.

Popular Stories

WWDC25 Live Coverage Feature 1

WWDC 2025 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and More

Monday June 9, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements led by a design revamp across Apple's platforms that will also see the numbering of all of...
maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025 in 9 Minutes

Monday June 9, 2025 5:21 pm PDT by
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
liquid glass

Apple Announces All-New 'Liquid Glass' Software Redesign Across iOS 26 and More

Monday June 9, 2025 10:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a complete redesign of all of its major software platforms called "Liquid Glass." Announced simultaneously for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and CarPlay, Liquid Glass forms a new universal design language for the first time. At its WWDC 2025 keynote address, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said "Apple Silicon has become dramatically more powerful...
iPadOS 26 Apple Newsroom

Apple Says iPadOS 26 is Compatible With These iPad Models

Monday June 9, 2025 11:22 am PDT by
Apple today announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the iPad models listed below. iPadOS 26 features a new Liquid Glass design, a menu bar, improved app windowing, and more. iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:iPad Pro (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) iPad Air (M2 and later) iPad Air (3rd generation and...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Says These 13 Vehicle Brands Will Soon Offer iPhone Car Keys

Monday June 9, 2025 2:38 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple said that 13...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 hero 250609

Apple Announces iOS 26 With 'Liquid Glass' Design, Live Translation, Overhauled Phone App, and More

Monday June 9, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple at WWDC announced iOS 26, introducing a comprehensive visual redesign built around its new "Liquid Glass" concept, alongside expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities, updates to core communication apps, and more. Liquid Glass is a translucent material that reflects and refracts surroundings to create dynamic, responsive interface elements, according to Apple. The new design language...

Top Rated Comments

7thson Avatar
22 months ago
I love how all the coverage of googles “7 years of updates” is taken at a face value when google has a history of reneging and abandoning things
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
foobarbaz Avatar
22 months ago
Funny how they point out that checking battery health is important, yet still don't provide a UI with that info on most of their devices.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CapitalIdea Avatar
22 months ago

Sure, Apple supports the iPhone for a long time. But if they built a sturdy device, it would actually last longer. That is how you be green.
Yeah Apple is well known for having devices that do not last, have poor resale value, short support cycles and are made of weak materials like metal and glass. ?. Good grief you people are absurd.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
22 months ago
Good move Apple!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
22 months ago
Seems like the pressure is getting to them after Google announced 7 years of support for Pixel 8.

Good, competition is great for all of us. Maybe this will mean better support.

The iPhone 7 only got 6 years of support.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
22 months ago

Google specifically mentions '7 years of OS upgrades'. This means 7 different Android versions.
Look at the full context-

Today we announced our commitment to providing seven years of software support for Pixel 8 ('https://store.google.com/product/pixel_8?utm_source=keyword&utm_medium=google_oo&utm_campaign=GS107703&utm_content=blog') and Pixel 8 Pro ('https://store.google.com/product/pixel_8_pro?utm_source=keyword&utm_medium=google_oo&utm_campaign=GS107703&utm_content=blog'), including Android OS upgrades, security updates and regular Feature Drops.1 ('https://blog.google/products/pixel/software-support-pixel-8-pixel-8-pro/amp/#footnote-1') That means your Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will be supported all the way into 2030

Notice they say “seven years of software support including os upgrades, security updates” instead of “seven years of os upgrades”
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)