Quick answer: Before you pay, check the phone’s IMEI on the government’s Sanchar Saathi service (SMS KYM and the 15-digit IMEI to 14422, or use the app or website). Then make sure the seller has signed out of their Apple or Google account, test every function with your own SIM, check the battery, and get the original bill and a written receipt with the IMEI. It takes about ten minutes.
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A used phone can save you a lot of money, but a stolen, blocked or account-locked phone can leave you with nothing. These checks are what separate a good deal from a problem. Facts were checked on 25 October 2026.
On this page
Step 1: Check the IMEI
Every phone has a 15-digit IMEI number. Dial *#06# on the phone to see it, or look in Settings (About phone on Android, General then About on iPhone). A dual-SIM phone has two IMEI numbers. Check both, because a clean result for IMEI 1 does not clear IMEI 2.
Then verify each number through the Department of Telecommunications’ Sanchar Saathi service, under “Know genuineness of your mobile handset”. You have three ways to do it:
- Send an SMS: KYM, a space, then the 15-digit IMEI, to 14422.
- Use the Sanchar Saathi app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
- Use the Sanchar Saathi website: Citizen Centric Services, then the handset option, then enter the IMEI.
What the result means
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Details match the phone (brand, model) | A good sign, but not a guarantee. Keep checking. |
| Blacklisted | Do not buy. A blacklisted phone can be blocked on mobile networks, and changing the SIM does not fix it. |
| Duplicate or invalid IMEI | Stop. Ask the seller to explain, and do not pay until it is cleared. |
| Brand or model does not match | Treat it as a serious warning sign. |
| Cannot verify right now | Try again through another official method before you pay. |
| Shows as “already in use” | This is not automatically a crime, since the phone has had an owner. Ask the seller, and check again. |
Compare the IMEI with the box and the bill when there is one. A clean IMEI check does not rule out a later ownership dispute, an account lock or an unpaid instalment plan. That is why the next steps matter.
Step 2: Make sure the phone is not locked to someone else
- iPhone: the seller must remove the phone from their Apple Account so that Activation Lock is off. Watch them sign out, erase the phone and set it up as new.
- Android: the seller must remove their Google account. After a reset, the phone should set up without asking for the previous owner’s details.
Do this in front of you. A phone that asks for the old owner’s password after a reset is useless to you.
Step 3: Test it with your own SIM
Put your own SIM in and check these things yourself. Do not accept “it worked yesterday”.
- Make and take a call, and use mobile data and Wi-Fi.
- Test the front and back cameras, the microphone and the speakers.
- Touch every part of the screen, and look for dead spots, lines, burn-in or a screen that has been replaced.
- Set up your own fingerprint or face unlock.
- Charge the phone, and check the port for looseness and the buttons for wear.
- Look for liquid damage, a swollen back, loose parts and unexpected shutdowns.
Step 4: Check the battery
On an iPhone, open Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health. It shows Maximum Capacity, which compares the battery with how it was when new. Apple designs iPhone 14 and earlier batteries to keep about 80 percent after 500 full charge cycles, and iPhone 15 to keep about 80 percent after 1,000 cycles. If the screen recommends a battery replacement, include that cost when you bargain. If it says “Unable to verify”, the battery may not be a genuine Apple battery.
Android has no single battery-health screen. Some brands show it in settings or in a diagnostics app, and others do not. Ask how old the battery is, then use the phone for a few minutes and see how fast the percentage falls.
Step 5: Paperwork and payment
- Ask for the original invoice or purchase details. Be careful if the seller refuses to give their name or hurries you to pay.
- Write a short receipt with the date, amount, seller’s name and phone number, model and IMEI numbers. Both of you sign it.
- Pay by a method that leaves a record, and avoid advance deposits to someone you have not met.
- If you buy from a refurbished-phone seller, check the return period, the warranty terms and how they inspect phones.
Use this checklist at the meeting
Open this page on your phone when you meet the seller and tick each step.
Do not pay until every box is ticked.
Red flags
- The price is far below what the same model sells for.
- The seller will not meet in person, or will not let you test the phone.
- The seller cannot or will not sign out of the account.
- The IMEI on the phone, the box and the bill do not match.
- You are asked to pay first and collect later.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check the IMEI without a smartphone?
Yes. The SMS service works from any phone. Send KYM and the 15-digit IMEI to 14422.
Is a clean IMEI check proof that the phone is safe to buy?
No. It shows the phone's status in the government's records at that moment. It does not show an account lock, an unpaid instalment plan or a later theft report. Do the other checks as well.
What if I already bought a phone and it is blocked?
Keep the receipt and the seller's details, and talk to the seller. Sanchar Saathi also has a way to report problems and track complaints. If you think the phone was stolen, you may want to ask a lawyer or the police what to do next.
Sources
View sources (5)
| Source | What it was used for |
|---|---|
| Sanchar Saathi, Department of Telecommunications sancharsaathi.gov.in | citizen services, including verifying handset genuineness by IMEI via portal, app or SMS KYM to 14422 (checked 25 October 2026). |
| Sanchar Saathi CEIR portal ceir.sancharsaathi.gov.in | block a lost or stolen handset, unblock a found one, check a request status. |
| Refurbo, "How to check IMEI and blacklist status before buying a used phone in India" refurbo.in | the IMEI steps, result meanings, account locks, receipts. A seller's guide, so treat it as one view. |
| MySmartPrice, "Check if a second-hand phone is stolen" mysmartprice.com | the KYM SMS and app steps. |
| Apple Support, "Battery health and charging" support.apple.com | where to find Maximum Capacity, and Apple's capacity targets. |
