What is the Cell Phone Blacklist, Anyway?
In the conversation of second-hand smartphones, the words Blacklist and IMEI get thrown around a lot. So what is this cell phone blacklist anyway?
Read our updated post about blacklisted iPhones here.
What is the Cell Phone Blacklist?
The blacklist is a shared database that lists smartphones that have been reported stolen in Canada. If a phone is listed on the blacklist, wireless carriers will not allow the phone to connect to the cellular network even if using a valid SIM card. Devices are listed by their unique IMEI Number. Many countries have a similar Blacklist, and these are shared on an international database administered by the GSMA. This means that a phone that is put on the Blacklist in Canada will not be able to connect in any of the other participating countries, and vice versa.
What is an IMEI?
IMEI stands for “International Mobile Equipment Identity.” It is a unique identifier that is hardcoded into all of the latest-generation smartphones. Because (unlike a SIM card) it cannot be easily removed and because it follows a common standard across carriers and countries it is used to identify stolen phones.
Why Was the Blacklist Implemented?
The Blacklist was implemented in 2013 to counteract cell phone theft. A phone that cannot be activated on any network, even if sold outside of the country, is not very valuable.
How can I check if a phone is on the blacklist?
To check if your phone is on the blacklist, you can enter your phone’s IMEI Number into our IMEI checker, here.
[cp_modal display=”inline” id=”cp_id_b1bcb”][/cp_modal]
If my phone is blacklisted, what can I do with it?
A blacklisted phone will still work with WiFi, but will not not be able to make calls, send texts, or use mobile data.
Only the person who reported a phone stolen can have it removed from the blacklist. If you purchased your phone through a classified listing (like kijiji or craigslist) then your only option is to contact the seller and ask for a refund or to remove the phone from the blacklist (if they were the ones who put it on). If you purchased the phone via eBay, you may be able to make a claim for a refund.
At Orchard, we guarantee that any phone you buy from us will never be blacklisted. If a phone ever ends up on the blacklist, we will replace it (even if your warranty is up).
If a phone you found is on the cell phone blacklist, take it in to the original wireless carrier and they may be able to return the phone to it’s owner.
[cp_modal display=”inline” id=”cp_id_61d9f”][/cp_modal]
my phone is running on a network and its listed as a lost or stolen what do i do
Hey Jake, if you’re the owner of the phone and it was blacklisted by mistake, you should be able to reverse this. First step would be to call your carrier. 🙂
I forgot my pass code to my iPhone how do I get it open
Hey Robert. If you really can’t remember your passcode, you’ll have to erase all the data from the phone. Hope you’ve made a recent backup!
Here’s Apple’s step by step of how you can wipe the phone: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204306
Hello I got the phone from a family member she bought the phone out from the company but she thought she lost is so it’s on the list but she’s no longer with that Carrier what can I do
Hi Boedya, unfortunately not much: so long as the phone is blacklisted, it won’t work with any carrier
Hey, if I put an old SIM card from someone’s old phone that they blacklisted, will the blacklist travel to my new phone? It’s a brand new IPhone 6s, and I was told it was blacklisted.
Hi Raelen. A blacklist is limited to one phone. It can’t be transferred to another device through a SIM card, or any other way. If you got this phone new from a carrier, give them a call and they should be able to clear things up.
My phone wont connect to any network is it blacklisted and how do I remove it ?
Can I still use a blacklisted phone as just a iPod and not be put in risk?
Hey John! In short, yes you can.
The blacklist prevents the phone from being used with any SIM cards, so you’ll never be able to use it for calling, texting, or data use. It will however still work on Wi-Fi, and can be used as an iPod without any risk.
If I reverse the blacklist will the carrier know and get me in trouble?
Hi Luis, we don’t encourage nor can we speak to this.
Hi I have an iPhone 7 and for some reason it was reported stolen and I don’t know what to do can you please help me??
Hi Jannah, sorry to hear that! Unfortunately there’s nothing that we can do :/ Can I suggest calling the carrier and speaking to them about why it was put on the blacklist and how you might be able to get it removed?
my phone says not registered on network
It sounds like this might be a problem with your SIM card. When a SIM card is not able to talk to the cell network, your phone can’t register with the network and fails to connect. Getting a new card from your carrier should solve your problem, and they can transfer your phone number from the old card to the new one. Hope this helps!
If I bought my iPhone 8 on line and has been working with no problems until I tried to switch service ! But they my phone has been reported stolen but my old carrier say they cannot see it on their system! I did some research and I don’t know how my phone got on the black list! What should I do!!!
Hi Lorenzo, sorry to hear that! Do you know the original owner of the phone? The only way to get the phone off the blacklist is to have them call and settle up with the carrier. Otherwise, there’s really nothing that you can do :/
Good luck!
please tell me a solution
Getting a new card from your carrier should solve your problem, and they can transfer your phone number from the old card to the new one.
phone blacklist
I was on my friends plan with my own phone and he had my phone blacklisted I called the carrier and they said since he blacklisted my phone I said my phone they said there is nothing they can do can anybody help me thank you
Someone is offering to sell me a blacklisted phone from Kijiji. She sounds innocent enough and apparently bought it online herself unaware it was blacklisted. She was honest enough with me about and is selling at a discount. And I don’t use cellular service anyways, and would only want it for the camera, wifi, and apps. But if I have a blacklisted phone, can I get in trouble for it? Can I be charged with posession of stolen property even if I bought it off Kijiji?
My phone is blacklisted but I didn’t put it on there nor did my carrier. How do I find out who put it on there?? I bought it from the manufacturer paid in full. I want it removed from the blacklist but I have to find out who put it on there first. I’m assuming it was done by error maybe someone mistyped the number of another phone and entered minexpensive by accident. Please help
I’m assuming it was done by error maybe someone mistyped the number of another phone and entered “mine” by accident. Please help
CORRECTION FOR PREVIOUS COMMENT
My phone is blacklisted but I cant find the person who gave it to me what can I do to make it work again J5 Prime
My t mobile phone blacklisted and blocked for non payment of overcharged bill. T mobile won’t accept phone b.a.ck
I ve bought a phone that is blacklisted. I didnt know but when i got home i ve noticed that its blocked. I tried many times to contact the seller but he didnt answer me. It seems i ve been rip off. How can i sort the problem? I bought from Shpock . Can be any chance to get my money back?
Sorry to hear that Aurelia! If you’re not able to get in touch with the seller, you do have the ability to report a user on Shpock. Here’s how you can do that: https://en.shpock.com/faq/#faq-tailor-your-experience-9
If the Shpock support team isn’t able to help you, you might be out of luck. That being said, the phone will still be useful for surfing the web, apps, and music!
I brought iPhone 7 Plus was able to use EE sim but doing a IMEI check it said T movie had black listed it but iCloud was clean not sure I understand please help
I reported my phone stolen and i had both the sim cad and the phone blocked ,cab i still be able to trace the cell phone ?
I bought a iphone from someone and when I went to activate my phone it came out on the blacklist. Do you help with unlocking iphone?
If a phone is blacklisted can you keep the same phone number when you get a new phone?
I’m wandering this too.
This is a great question! The blacklist actually only applies to a specific device, not a phone number. If for any reason a phone that you have is blacklisted, you would be able to remove the SIM card from it, and use the same phone number with another phone.
Orchard my country is blocking all the smuggled phone. I dont consider my phone smuggled because i bought it in saudia and now i brought it here in pakistan. So if my phone gets block (which they announced will happen on dec 3) what can i do to unblock it.
There’s literally no point in stealing phones nowadays.
I saw a Note 9 for sale on Ebay at a really cheap price. It’s locked by Sprint (but I’m a Sprint Customer so great).
Before purchasing, I got the IMEI number and called Sprint and they told me it was free and clean. So I bought it.
The next day, I brought it to my local Sprint store and they said its now locked but wouldn’t tell me why.
I looked it up myself and it says its FED Financial Eligibility failed because its still under contract.
Is there anything I can do so I can use this phone?
If i unlock my phone and use a sim card from a different carrier before they try to blacklist my phone, will they still be able to blacklist my phone?
Yeah, I used a SIM card that must have been stolen cuz now my phone is blacklisted even after I swapped sims
I recently allow a friend well I thought it was a friend to purchase some phones on my account they were post to pay for them, they haven’t paid for them and now I have a high monthly bill I recently suspended and black list the phones from AT&T their iPhones my question is can a blacklist phone be used in other countries like Ghana or Nigeria
Hey Ronnie. This is a bit of a tricky question to answer. When a phone is placed on a blacklist, the information is made available to all carriers worldwide, however it is up to individual carriers to decide what kind of action they will take based on this information. In North America, carriers would take heed of AT&T’s blacklist and block use of the phone, but we can’t guarantee that this would be the case in every country worldwide.
Blacklisted phone can be used its original carrier. You cannot use it on other carriers. Why do you say “A blacklisted phone will still work with WiFi, but will not not be able to make calls, send texts, or use mobile data.” You can still use it on the original carrier .
Hi John. I think what you’re referring to is a phone lock, which can restrict the use of a phone to a single carrier.
When a phone is blacklisted by, it will actually be prevented from use on ALL carriers, including the one it was originally sold by.
I have an atypical problem. My daughter purchased her phone in Apple store two years ago. She does not live in US, but comes regularly to visit. She used pre-paid cards last year and year before, unfortunately she does not remember carriers she used. This year we found that her phone is on blacklist. How I can find out what carrier put her phone on blacklist ? Thank you.
Hi Igor, that is a pretty strange situation. I am not sure how you can confirm the carrier that added your device to the blacklist. Maybe look at the statements from those prepaid cards to see which carrier was charging your card?
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful :/
So I blacklisted my phone today but I’m wondering if it cancels mobile data with my number in that stolen phone. I need mobile data in order to track it on find my iPhone. So I don’t know if my cellular network still works or not.
Hmmm that’s a good thought: the phone won’t get any more cellular data so Find My iPhone most likely will not work.
My ex girlfriend reported MY phone stolen out of spite even though I was paying my half of the phone bill. She is the account holder. Is there anyway I can still use the phone on a new account at AT&T
Unfortunately, you’ll have to get your phone removed from the blacklist before it will work with any carrier. Tough situation :/
Good day can my iphone se be blacklisted since it says no service after i updated it to a new iOS?
Hi there! If the phone wasn’t blacklisted before the update, then it’s extremely rare that it would be blacklisted after. Can I recommend turning off the phone and turning it back on? If that doesn’t work, try taking out the SIM card and reinserting it. Good luck!
How do i blacklist my phone
Call your carrier and let them know that you’d like it added to the blacklist
The phone is a Stolen or Lost device that is the sole Propert of a very FRUSTRATED customer who wants their property back. Report the property back to the original Carrier and some good Karma will go around.
It’s funny, I have a legit blacklisted iPhone that I got for dirt cheap and it runs AT&T, cricket, and straight talk. So uh yeah….
hmmm sounds like you got very lucky. This is not how the system is supposed to work!
Hi I am planning to buy phone from one person and he was telling me that he was using his card which is under contract In his old phone so he want to sell new phone. In case if I purchased that phone and afterwards he failed to pay his bill . Is it possible that provider will blacklist that phone?
Yes it is very possible! I would not recommend buying this person’s phone until it is completely paid off with the carrier.
Hello. My sister bought a hisense f22 in 2017. She died last year. So the phone is now owned by me but blacklisted
Hmmm, you’ll have to reach out to your sister’s carrier. They might be able to help.
I can use text Plus and apps like that on WiFi the only issues I have like people have said you cannot get coverage on any carrier. I think u can tether from another device so it’s not completely a brick.
Yes Carlos, not entirely a brick you’re right. More like one of the newer iPods 🙂
If a phone has been blacklisted will you still be able to see things such as messages that was received prior to being blacklisted
Hi Calvin, great question! You can do almost anything with a blacklisted phone except for those activities that require a cell signal. So yes, if there is content on the phone already then you’d be able to view that content. Hope that helps!
I lost a dual simcard phone and I went to blacklist it to two different network providers using the two IEMI. I was provided with two ITC reference numbers as a proof that it was blacklisted.
Before reporting the phone the person had already put one of his simcards.
I am disappointed to say that the phone is still in use by that person whom I know and claims to have bought it from somebody. How possible is this? How long does it take to activate the blocking system after you have blacklisted a phone?