How to check a used phone before buying (PTA status, IMEI, battery)

A used phone can save you a lot of money, and in Pakistan most phones change hands at least once. It can also be the fastest way to lose that money: a blocked IMEI, a locked account or a tired battery will not show in the photos. This checklist takes about fifteen minutes at the meeting and covers the things that actually go wrong.

Before you meet

• Ask for the IMEI. A genuine seller can dial *#06# and send it to you. A dual-SIM phone has two IMEIs; ask for both.
• Ask the direct questions in chat: Is it PTA approved? Is there a box with a matching IMEI? Has the screen, back or battery been changed? Why are you selling? Answers in writing are useful later.
• Compare the price. Look at similar phones in Mobile Phones in your city. A price far below the rest is a warning, not a bargain.
• Agree to meet in a public place, in daylight, with time to test. A seller who wants a quick handover on the roadside does not want you to check.

1. PTA status and IMEI

Every phone used on a Pakistani SIM must be registered with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) through its DIRBS system. A phone that is not approved can stop working on local networks, and a blocked phone will not work at all.

1. Dial *#06# on the phone itself. Do not rely on the IMEI printed on the box or shown in a screenshot.
2. Check each IMEI with PTA: send the 15-digit number by SMS to 8484, or use PTA's device verification website or app.
3. Read the reply carefully. You want a status that says the device is compliant or valid. "Non-compliant" or "blocked" means walk away, or pay a price that reflects it only if you fully understand the consequences.
4. On a dual-SIM phone check both IMEIs. Phones with only one approved slot are common.
5. Compare the IMEI in *#06#, in the phone's settings and on the box. All should match.

Be careful with phones described as "patched", "CPID approved" or approved "for a few months". These usually mean the IMEI has been tampered with, which is illegal and can be undone by a network update. On BUY.net.pk the PTA status is declared by the seller; it is your job to verify it.

2. Locks and accounts

• iPhone: open Settings and look at the top. If an Apple ID is signed in, the seller must sign out and turn off Find My in front of you. An iPhone with Activation Lock is useless to you.
• Android: the seller should remove their Google account before resetting. Otherwise the phone asks for that account after a reset, and you cannot get past it.
• Ask the seller to erase the phone while you watch, and set it up again yourself, at least as far as the home screen.
• Check that no company or network management profile is installed (Settings, General, VPN & Device Management on iPhone).

3. Body and screen

• Look for bends, gaps between the screen and frame, and a back that does not sit flat. A swollen battery pushes the screen or back outwards.
• Check the camera lenses for cracks and for dust or moisture inside.
• Open a plain white image and a plain black one at full brightness. Look for dark spots, lines, a yellow or pink tint and "burn-in" shadows of old icons.
• Drag an app icon slowly over every part of the screen. If it drops, that area of the touch layer is dead.
• Replaced screens are often dimmer, with poor colours and a fingerprint sensor that does not work. On recent iPhones, Settings, General, About lists replaced parts and whether they are genuine.

4. Battery

• iPhone: Settings, Battery, Battery Health shows the maximum capacity. A low figure means a replacement soon; build that into the price.
• Android: some brands show battery health in settings or in a service menu. If not, watch how fast the percentage drops during your ten minutes of testing with the screen bright.
• Plug in a charger. Check that charging starts at once, that fast charging shows if the phone supports it, and that the cable does not need to be held at an angle.

5. Everything that makes it a phone

• SIM and calls: put in your own SIM. Make a call, check you can hear and be heard, try the loudspeaker, and open a web page on mobile data. On dual-SIM phones test both slots.
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and location: connect to a hotspot, pair with earbuds if you have them, and open a map.
• Cameras: take a photo and a short video with every lens, front and back. Check focus, the flash and the recorded sound.
• Buttons and sensors: volume, power, the silent switch, fingerprint or Face ID, auto-rotate, and whether the screen turns off when you hold the phone to your ear.
• Speakers and vibration: play a ringtone at full volume and listen for crackling.

Many Android brands have a built-in test menu that runs through these one by one; ask the seller or look it up for the model before you go.

6. Box, warranty and receipt

• A box with a matching IMEI is a good sign, though it does not replace the PTA check.
• If the seller claims official warranty, ask for the warranty card or purchase receipt and check the date. "Warranty" from a shop that no longer exists is worth nothing.
• Write a short receipt: date, model, both IMEIs, price, and the names, CNIC numbers and signatures of buyer and seller. Take a photo of the seller's CNIC if they agree. This protects you if the phone later turns out to be stolen or blocked.

Paying

Pay only after every check is done, at the meeting, in cash or by a transfer the seller confirms in their own app. Do not send a token to "hold" the phone, and do not pay delivery charges for a phone you have not seen. Both are among the most common scams; more in our safety center.

The two-minute version

1. *#06#, then check every IMEI with PTA.
2. Seller signs out of Apple ID or Google and erases the phone.
3. Your SIM in, one call, mobile data on.
4. White screen, black screen, touch test.
5. Battery health and charging.
6. Cameras, speakers, buttons.
7. Receipt with IMEI. Then pay.

If the seller will not let you do any one of these, thank them and leave. There are plenty of honest sellers on BUY.net.pk Mobiles.