How to Tell an Original iPhone from a Fake or Refurbished One in Kenya: IMEI, Serial Number, iCloud and Battery Checks Before You Buy in Nairobi

“How to know an original iPhone”, “fake iPhone Kenya”, “check iPhone IMEI Kenya” — if you are buying a phone outside an established shop, these five minutes of checks are the best protection you have. They work on any iPhone, wherever you buy it.

1. Check the IMEI

Dial *#06#. The IMEI on screen must match the number on the box, on the back of the SIM tray area or in Settings › General › About, and on your invoice. If they do not match, walk away.

2. Check the serial number with Apple

In Settings › General › About, note the serial number and enter it on Apple's “Check Coverage” website. It should show the exact model you are being sold. A serial that is not recognised, or shows a different model, means the phone is not what it claims to be.

3. Make sure iCloud is signed out

Go to Settings and tap the name at the top. If someone else's Apple ID is signed in, the phone can be locked remotely. The seller must sign out in front of you, and Find My must be off. Never accept “I will remove it later”.

4. Look at battery health and parts

Settings › Battery › Battery Health shows the battery's capacity. Under Settings › General › About, newer iPhones list “Parts and Service History” — a message about an unknown part means the screen, battery or camera was replaced with a non-Apple part.

5. Test Face ID, cameras and your own SIM

Set up Face ID, take a photo with every camera, record a short video and play it back. Insert your own Safaricom or Airtel SIM and make a call and use mobile data. A network lock or a dead camera shows up here.

6. Pay a business, get an invoice

Warning signs of a fake deal: a price far below every shop, pressure to pay a personal M-Pesa number, no physical address, and no invoice with the serial number. At Gadget Hub, an Apple Authorised Reseller at Norwich Union House in Nairobi CBD, you pay through the business checkout, get an invoice with the serial number, and can do every check above at the counter. See our iPhone prices or read where to buy an iPhone in Nairobi.