will Apple accept a blacklisted iPhone as a trade-in?

I don't know if Apple checks carrier blacklists – but they well might.

I have read that they will not offer anything in trade-in for an Activation Locked phone. Like blacklisting, Activation Lock is a measure designed to make stolen and lost phones useless to thieves and anyone they resell or transfer a stolen phone to.

If "your" phone is blacklisted because it is a stolen phone, the carrier is never going to remove the phone from the blacklist without proof of ownership that you do not have. And if you believe a stolen phone is in your possession, the proper thing to do might be to turn it over to the authorities.

Apple will run diagnostics on any traded phone. Once they learn the phone is blacklisted, they won't pay anything for it. Blacklisted phones are blacklisted because they are lost or stolen. The phone can't work on a network, so they can't use the phone in the same manner they could use one which isn't blacklisted. This is NOT going to have an outcome to your satisfaction.

Yes, you've been burned on this purchase. What you should do is accept your loss and ask Apple to recycle the phone responsibly and learn from your unfortunate buying experience.

FYI- it doesn’t always mean your phone is lost or stolen if it’s blacklisted by a carrier. My dad passed away last week, and we cancelled every account. He still had a payment on his iPhone 15 Pro. It will get consolidated by his death, all his debt will. His phone is now blacklisted because he passed and there was a balance with the carrier. I have a couple month old iPhone 15 Pro, Apple Watch SE and AirPod pros.

Adamjtoth wrote:

FYI- it doesn’t always mean your phone is lost or stolen if it’s blacklisted by a carrier. My dad passed away last week, and we cancelled every account. He still had a payment on his iPhone 15 Pro. It will get consolidated by his death, all his debt will. His phone is now blacklisted because he passed and there was a balance with the carrier. I have a couple month old iPhone 15 Pro, Apple Watch SE and AirPod pros.

Dying doesn't automatically cancel all of your debts. There's a process that the Executor or Administrator of the Estate has to go through to notify potential creditors, and to pay off legitimate claims, according to claim classes established by law. That process takes time. It is highly unlikely that you are at the point where the Executor can pay the carrier, or can even transfer ownership of the phone to an heir in accordance with the terms of the Will.

If the carrier is willing to remove the blacklist on the phone in return for getting paid, you could consider paying the carrier out of private funds, applying to the estate for reimbursement, and taking the chance that you would not be reimbursed.

Hey were you able to get the phone unblacklisted? I have a similar case with my grandpa passing away and I was given his iPhone 14 max which is now blacklisted because he didn’t finish pay off the phone before he died. It’s been over a year since his death so and debt he has should be gone so idk what to do now to get the phone off the blacklist.

You have to settle the account with the carrier. In other words, the monies are still owed on the device and the account needs to be settled. Pay outstanding balance and you’re all set. The other option is to agree to a contract with the same carrier and see if they will finance the device again, as long as you maintain and account in good standing. The carrier will tell you what they will do and won’t do.

Bro have you found any solution??

i have also same problem:(