How to Check if a Used iPhone Was Repaired, Refurbished, and More

With top-tier smartphones costing as much as $1,200 new, the used market for phones is huge, and you have to be careful who you buy your phone from. Starting with iOS 15.2, you can check if any parts have been replaced and more. You can also check if the phone is new, refurbished, replaced, or personalized.

This information can be invaluable when shopping for a used iPhone. Before we get started, there are a few things you need to be aware of. The feature is really easy to use, but you want to know what to expect.

This new feature works best on newer phones. This feature may not be available on the iPhone 10 or older.

You can see if the battery, camera, or display have been replaced on the iPhone 12 or 13.

You will only see if the battery and display have been replaced on an iPhone 11.

Only the battery will be listed on the iPhone XR, XS (and Max), and iPhone SE.

How to Check if a Used iPhone Was Repaired

Click on Settings > General > About.

Look for Parts and Service History.

If you don't see a section for Parts and Service History, none of the parts have been replaced.

If you see Genuine Apple Part, the parts have been replaced by Apple or an authorized Apple partner.

While not having an Apple genuine part might not be a deal-breaker, it is a chance to negotiate a better price. Apple Genuine Parts are built to a higher standard, and while most third-party parts are OK, there's no guarantee that they are as good as an original part.

The only downside, as mentioned, is that you need to be shopping for an iPhone 11 or newer. As the years' progress, this feature will become much more useful.

How to Check if a Used iPhone is New, Refurbished, Replacement, or Personalized

The iPhone uses the first letter of your model number to tell you if the iPhone you have is new, refurbished, replaced, or personalized.

Scroll back up to Click on Settings > General > About, and find your Model Number.

Look at the first letter of your Model Number.

M – A brand new iPhone (New)
F – A refurbished iPhone (Refurbished, usually by Apple)
N – A replacement iPhone (Original iPhone replaced by this phone)
P – A personalized iPhone (Engraving}

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