If you did not buy your smartphone or tablet from an authorized Apple reseller store, but, for example, from an advertisement site, such a check will be very useful for you for a number of reasons.
There are frequent cases of fraud in the secondary market, therefore, by checking the IMEI and serial number, you can find out exactly where the iPhone was purchased, find out the activation date, the remaining warranty (if any), find out whether the device in front of you is new and check its authenticity.
Let's take a closer look at each of these questions.
How to find out IMEI and serial number of iPhone?
The most reliable option is to look in the settings of the device itself. To do this, launch the “Settings” application, go to the “General” section and select “About this device”.
By clicking on it, you will see all the necessary information, including the serial number and IMEI. For clarity, these points are circled in the screenshot. The whole sequence of actions is also valid for the iPad.
Similar data is indicated on the original box and the back panel of the device case. But, if we are talking about a used device, they could be replaced, but the system will provide 100% reliable information.
Another way is iTunes. Launch it and connect the device to the computer using a cable. Click on the name of your gadget, and on the “Overview” tab, its serial number will be displayed:
Checking iPhone by IMEI
Once you have found out the necessary information, you can run a quick scan of the device using a special service. Not all of them work correctly, therefore, we recommend using the proven iphoneimei.info
When you go to the site, you will see only one field in which you need to enter the received IMEI numbers. Just a few seconds and you get the information you need:
As you can see from the screenshot, this way you can find out:
- iPhone activation date
- date and country of purchase
- presence of binding to the operator.
In addition to third-party services, similar data can be obtained on the Apple website. More on this later in the article.
Check by serial number
To check your warranty and get other useful, first-hand information, go to Apple's website here. A page will open in front of you that says “Checking your right to service and support” with a field in which you need to enter the equipment serial number, then the captcha, and click the “Continue” button.
As you can see in the screenshot above, this way you can quickly check the Apple warranty, which is important if the seller assures you that it is still valid. This way you can see for yourself.
Purchasing a new iPhone from an official retailer makes a rather serious hole in the budget of a domestic user, so many prefer to look for cheaper options on the secondary market or from “gray” suppliers. Naturally, it would be a good idea to check such a device before purchasing.
In contact with
What is noteworthy is that the fears of buyers of used or “gray” smartphones are completely justified. For example, a seller may claim that the device is not tied to an operator contract, but in fact, after flashing the iPhone, it will refuse to accept a SIM card and turn into a media player, in other cases, scammers will subsequently demand additional money. These and other nuances can be checked by the serial number, even without having the iPhone itself in hand.
How to find out IMEI and serial number of iPhone
You can find the serial number of the iPhone and iPad on the original box (on the back), in the iOS settings ( Settings —> Basic —> About this device) .
ATTENTION:
- Apple device serial numbers may contain the number "0" (zero), but never contain the letter "O".
- If it is not possible to open the menu " Settings", then to get support, you can call the IMEI/MEID code instead of the serial number instead of the serial number
What can you check using your iPhone serial number?
Linking the device to iCloud (Apple ID) - Activation Lock status
Since January 28, 2017, the iCloud page (icloud.com/activationlock/), where you could check the activation lock status, no longer opens. In addition, links to this service have disappeared from the Apple technical support site. Apparently, the page was deleted by the company itself, without disclosing the reasons.
Find My iPhone includes Activation Lock to prevent someone else from using your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch if it's lost or stolen. Activation Lock turns on automatically when you turn on Find My iPhone (In iOS 6 - iOS 10.2.1: Settings->i Cloud -> In iOS 10.3 and later: Settings -> Apple ID -> iCloud -> ).
When Activation Lock is enabled, a third party will need to enter the device owner's Apple ID and password to disable Find My iPhone, delete data, reactivate, and use the gadget.
This measure allows you to protect the device if it falls into the wrong hands and increases the chances of its return. Even if the user remotely deletes all data from the device, Activation Lock will prevent unauthorized reactivation.
How does Activation Lock work?
When Find My iPhone is turned on on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, your Apple ID is securely stored on the company's activation servers and linked to your device. From now on, to disable the functionality, delete data on the device and reactivate it, you will need to enter your password.
What to do if you lose your device?
If your device is lost or stolen, you must immediately put it in lost mode in Find My iPhone. This mode locks your screen with a 6 or 4 digit passcode and displays a message with your phone number to make returning your device easier.
If necessary, you can remotely erase data from the device; the message will remain on the screen even after the information is deleted. While Activation Lock works in the shadows to prevent unauthorized use or sale of the device, Lost Mode reminds the finder (or stealer) that the gadget has an owner and cannot be used without knowing the password.
To turn on Lost Mode, visit icloud.com/find from a Mac or PC, or use the Find My iPhone app for iOS.
Should I turn off Find My iPhone before transferring my device to another owner?
Before passing the gadget into other hands, you need to disable the functionality so that a new user can activate and use the device. The best way to do this is to sign out of iCloud and then delete all data and settings on the device. Next, turn off Find My iPhone and remove the device from your Apple ID account.
1 . Click " Settings -> iCloud;
2 . Scroll down, click " Go out» and confirm the action by pressing the button again;
In iOS 10.3 and later: Settings -> Apple ID -> iCloud -> .
3 . Click " Delete from iPhone" and enter your password;
4 . Return to " Settings»;
5 . Click " Basic» -> « Reset» -> « Erase content and settings».
Do I need to disable Find My iPhone before servicing (repairing) the device?
If the Find My iPhone function is enabled, service specialists will not be able to diagnose the device.
What to do if you don't remember your Apple ID password?
If you can't remember your Apple ID password, reset your forgotten password on your Apple ID page or contact Apple Support.
What should I do if the purchased device is still linked to the account of the former owner?
In this case, you need to contact the previous owner of the device as quickly as possible and ask him to erase the data and remove the gadget from his account.
How to check for Activation Lock when purchasing a used device?
If you purchased an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch other than from an Apple store or authorized point of sale, make sure that all information is deleted from the device and that the device itself is not linked to the previous owner's account. To do this, follow these steps:
1 . Turn on and try to unlock the device;
2 . If you see a password prompt on the Lock screen or Home screen, your data has not been deleted. Ask the seller to completely erase the data: “ Basic» -> « Reset» -> « Erase content and settings» ().
Don't buy a used iPhone, iPad or iPod touch until it's been erased;
3 . Enable the device setup process;
4 . After selecting your language, region, country and network connection, device activation will begin. If a request for the password and ID of the previous owner appears on the screen, it means that the device is still linked to his account. Return the device to the seller and ask him to enter your password. If the previous owner cannot be reached, he can remove the link to the account via icloud.com/find.
If you see a setup prompt after you turn on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch for the first time and connect to the Internet, the device is ready to use.
Activation Lock is only supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 7 or later, and Apple Watch running watchOS2 or later.
Typically, the issue of warranty on an iPhone arises when something happens to the device. This is when the need for technical support from an Apple service center arises. It also happens that, having decided, the buyer wants to check whether technical support is still available for him.
In addition, such a procedure will not hurt when buying a new phone, because modern Chinese craftsmen have learned so well that it is difficult for an ordinary person, and sometimes even an experienced craftsman, to distinguish whether the phone in front of him is a real one or a fake.
Let's start with the fact that the worldwide warranty for all Apple devices begins with the first turn on and activation, yes, precisely from the moment when most new owners joyfully anticipated the first start of the device.
Therefore, the easiest way to not only check the validity of the warranty, but also determine its authenticity, is to check the iPhone on the Apple website. This method is the easiest, because you can check even an iPhone packed in a box.
Checking the right to Tech. support and service
In order to check your right to repair, you need a computer, tablet or iPhone itself with Internet access. From any browser you need to go to the official website Apple.com in the “Support” section. After this, a special verification panel will appear in front of you, into which you will need to enter the IMEI or serial number of your phone.
In order to find out the IMEI or Serial number there are several ways:
- Find it in Phone Settings
- Dial *#06# on your phone
- Both numbers are also indicated on the SIM card tray
After you enter the serial number or IMEI into the verification panel, the iPhone model and name should appear on the site. This will ensure that the model is genuine and officially released.
Below you will find information about its warranty status. We invite you to watch a video illustrating the entire process, and then consider several options for warranty conditions.
Possible warranty conditions
The phone is original and has never been activated before
In this case, the model and name of the iPhone will appear on the site, but there will be no information about the warranty status. The site may say something like “Warranty information could not be found” or “You must provide the date of purchase of the product.” This means that the device has not yet been activated, and therefore no one has ever really used it.
Technical support and service rights provided
If the phone was purchased and activated quite recently, then next to the technical support and right to repair fields there will be a green check mark, and the status “Supported” is indicated, and here you can also find out the expiration date of the service. This means that the device is under a free warranty.
The technical support period has expired, but the right to service remains
After the three-month period, the period for free technical support ends, but the right to service and repair remains. This means that the phone was used for less than a year, and until the right to repair has expired, you can find out the time the iPhone was first turned on.
The warranty status of any gadget or device is the right to service and support. Apple is very loyal to the warranty conditions of its equipment. You can check your Apple device at any authorized service center, and you won’t even be asked to present a receipt for the purchase of the device - just say where and when it was purchased so that it can be found on the official Apple website.
But sometimes you need to know the warranty status before going to the workshop. Our instructions will help with this, with the help of which you will receive the necessary information without leaving home.
How to find out the warranty status of an Apple gadget
You should be especially attentive to the issue of warranty status when you purchase Apple equipment second-hand - you never know, maybe it’s not an original device at all, but a Chinese counterfeit. Externally, such devices are absolutely identical, and it is not easy for the average user to distinguish them. In addition, they may sell you a real iPhone, but with an expired warranty. You can check the seller's honesty using the official Apple website. To do this you will need:
Find out what your serial number or IMEI is - a unique code that includes 11 characters.
Don't forget that you can always buy a beautiful number for your phone on the website sim-trade.ru. Pay attention to their promotions.
Checking the warranty status on the official website
Having found out the serial number and IMEI, follow the LINK.
Here you are required to enter your serial number. Enter the proposed anti-robot protection code and click “Continue”.
You will be prompted to activate your phone if it has not yet been activated. After this operation, all comprehensive information about the warranty of your devices will appear.
If you have activated the device once, then opposite the “Right to service” item you will find a green checkmark. If the warranty period has already expired, then there will be an orange exclamation mark opposite it.
Checking iPhone by name and serial number.
When buying an iPhone secondhand, you need to be extremely careful. Fraudsters are trying to sell various types of counterfeits on the secondary market, without checking which there is a chance of being left broke. How to check an iPhone by name and serial number on the official Apple website is described in this instruction.
How to find out iPhone serial number
In order to get additional information about the iPhone, we need the device's serial number. You can get it in various ways, for example, look at the back cover of the device (or on the SIM card tray in older models), but the easiest way is to go to the settings.
Step 1. Go to menu " Settings" → « The main ones."
Step 2. Select " About the device."
Step 3. Find the line " Serial number" It contains the serial number of the iPhone.
We got the serial number, all that remains is to check it on the Apple website.
How to check an iPhone by serial number on the official Apple website
Step 1. Go to the special page on the Apple website to check your iPhone by serial number ( link).
Step 2: Enter your iPhone serial number in the field and click " Continue».
Step 3. Wait for the results page to load and review the information received.
? What does checking the iPhone serial number give you?
What information does this page provide?
1. You are convinced that the iPhone is truly original. If the Apple verification service recognizes the iPhone, then it is 100% original.
2. The exact iPhone model is determined. Very often, on the secondary market, scammers try to sell an iPhone 6 under the guise of an iPhone 6s, an iPhone 7 under the guise of an iPhone 8, etc. They rely on inexperienced buyers. On the Apple website it will be clear exactly which iPhone model you have in your hands.
3. Warranty status is being clarified. Apple's service accurately answers the question of whether the iPhone is under warranty. Unscrupulous sellers often lie about the warranty. They say that the official warranty for the smartphone is still valid, although in fact this is not the case. A quick check through the Apple website and you've got it all figured out.
4. Verified date of purchase is verified. And just as important, the service allows you to make sure that the iPhone was officially purchased and not stolen. This is a very important point, as a confirmed purchase date will allow you to contact Apple support with any questions.
How to check iPhone by IMEI
How to find out IMEI on iPhone? Elementary. To do this, you just need to enter the command in the “Phone” application *#06# . IMEI will instantly appear on the screen:
This is how the IMEI of an iPhone is displayed after entering the command *#06#
If the iPhone is packaged, you can look at the IMEI on the packaging:
IMEI has been found, now all that remains is to punch it and find out additional information. This can be done using the following services:
Just go to one of the listed sites and enter the IMEI of your smartphone in the verification field. The check is completed in just a few seconds.
? What does checking an iPhone give?
1. iPhone status is determined: stolen or not. The main thing that an IMEI check shows is the status of the device. If the iPhone is lost or stolen by its real owner, the check will warn you about this. An iPhone that is listed as lost or stolen should not be purchased under any circumstances. Only if for spare parts.
Result of checking iPhone by IMEI. We see that the smartphone is no longer guaranteed, but is not stolen or lost
2. The country of purchase is determined. The IMEI determines the exact model number of the iPhone. It is necessary to check in which country the smartphone is intended for sale.
The model number allows you to find out where your iPhone comes from
3. Shows Find My iPhone status. Also, checking by IMEI allows you to find out whether the “Find iPhone” function is enabled on your iPhone right now. If it is enabled, then the seller must be asked to log out of his iCloud account.
