Blacklisted Phones: Everything You Need To Know

Right now, there is high demand for used/refurbished smartphones, and rightly so. Buyers get good value for money when purchasing used/refurbished phones. But buying used/refurbished phones is not without its risks. Especially when not buying from a trusted dealer.

And buying a blacklisted phone is one of the biggest things to watch out for. 

What Is a Blacklisted Phone

A blacklisted phone is a device that has been reported lost or stolen by its original or previous owner. Carriers can also blacklist a device when it has an outstanding balance or unpaid contract bills.

When buying a used or refurbished smartphone, it is paramount to make sure the phone isn’t blacklisted. If you don’t, and you end up buying a blacklisted phone. It will cost money and many pissed-off moments. 

So we’ve established that blacklisted phones are bad news and that it's important to avoid buying one. But how do you avoid buying a blacklisted phone? Is there any way to know if a phone is blacklisted? Well, here’s how.

What exactly is the blacklist

The blacklist is a master list of blocked IMEI numbers of phones that were reported lost or stolen. The list is generated by network operators(carriers) with the help of law enforcement agencies.

This list can be localized sometimes. That is, the list is country-specific and only has data on reported phones in said country. So that means, if a phone is blacklisted in England it might not be in the Philippines. So it would work with mobile networks there. 

Inversely, the list is mostly Global. So if it is blacklisted in England it would also be on the blacklist in the US. And would not work with mobile networks in both countries.

What Happens When a phone is blacklisted

When a phone is blacklisted it loses one of its most fundamental features. The ability to connect to a mobile network. That means no calls or texts sent or received and no hope of connecting to the internet through a mobile network. The only way of connecting to the internet would be through Wifi. 

This is why it is very important to check if a phone is blacklisted before buying.

Though blacklisting limits some fundamental features, the phone doesn’t become totally useless. It can still do other things that don’t need a mobile network to work. And it becomes cheaper and can be sold in countries that use local blacklists.

How To Check If A Phone Is Blacklisted

There are two easy ways to check if a phone is on the blacklist.

By Using Tools Like MyMobicheck

It uses the IMEI/ESN of your device to check if your device has been blacklisted by tapping from a global blacklist database to make sure it gives you the best info concerning the blacklist status of your phone.

How To Find Your Phone’s IMEI number.

All mobile phones have a unique IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity).

To find your phone’s IMEI number, all you have to do is to open the phone app, then go to the keypad and type *#06#. And the number will be displayed on your screen. On some phones, the number can be found on the back of the device. 

If the used device you are buying or bought as the case may be, has the original box, then the number might be on the packaging.

If you are using an iPhone, then you can also check the IMEI number from the settings. You can do this by opening the Settings app, then going to general, then tapping about

In your about, you should see the IMEI number.

After you've checked your IMEI number go to mymobicheck.com and follow the instructions on how to check if your IMEI is blacklisted.

By Checking Network Connectivity

Another way you can check if a device has been blacklisted is by checking if it can use a mobile network. When a phone is blacklisted, it is barred from the mobile network.

So with the knowledge that a blacklisted phone is barred from mobile network activity. All you have to do to check if a device has been blacklisted is to simply put in a sim and try to make a call or send a text.

If it works, then the phone isn’t blacklisted. But If it doesn’t, then the device has been blacklisted. And I’d advise you to return the handset to the seller if you’ve already bought it or stop the purchase if you were about to buy it.

What To Do if Your Phone is Blacklisted

If you one way or the other end up with a blacklisted phone, it's best to contact the carrier or original owner. You could also ask the original owner to help take it off the blacklist. 

If you purchased the smartphone from a carrier you could also get a refund. Although this depends on the carrier’s refund policy.

On the other hand, if the cellphone was purchased from a private seller. It may be trickier to get a refund.

The only way to get a phone off the blacklist is to contact the person or carrier who got it on the blacklist and ask them to take it off.