Find My and iCloud lock: check a used iPhone before you buy

Updated November 3, 2026

When Find My is on, Apple turns on Activation Lock. The iPhone stays linked to the owner's Apple Account, and nobody else can set it up without their password. Apple's advice is simple: don't buy an iPhone with Activation Lock on.

Before you meet

Ask the seller for the IMEI (Settings > General > About, or dial *#06#). LegitPhone's report includes Find My status for iPhones when our data source can return it. If it can't be checked, the report says so instead of guessing.

Also ask the seller to remove the phone from their Apple Account before the meeting and to bring it fully charged.

In person: what Apple says to check

Turn the iPhone on. If you see "iPhone Locked to Owner", don't buy it unless the owner enters their password and turns Activation Lock off in front of you.
If you see the passcode screen or the Home Screen, the phone hasn't been erased yet. Ask the seller to erase it before you pay.
Start setup. If it asks for the previous owner's Apple Account, it's still linked to them.
The phone is ready for you when you see the Hello screen.

If you bought it online

Apple says that if an iPhone you bought online shows "iPhone Locked to Owner", you should return it. That's one more reason to buy with a return policy, or to check before you pay.

Find My isn't the only thing to check

An iPhone can be free of Activation Lock and still be on the lost/stolen list, or locked to one carrier. Check all three before you hand over money.

Check the phone before you pay

One $1.99 report checks the lost/stolen list, iCloud (Find My), carrier lock and Samsung Knox Guard, with one plain answer. No account needed.

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