Locked phones are something that a good portion of people don’t like, and for many fair reasons. Not being able to switch carriers - or feeling forced into a certain type of plan - just doesn’t work for a lot of people. What’s worse than that, however, is having a locked phone that you feel like you can’t sell.
It can be caused by a Bad ESN or because you factory reset your phone and now can’t get back inside it. Whatever the cause, having this problem can be a big issue.
You do have options, however. Selling your phone to a reseller, using recovery options, and checking your carrier and SIM card (among other things) are ways to mitigate and get around this problem.
Before we can get further and answer your question, “Can I Sell A Locked Android Phone?” we have to get into a little more detail.
There are two main types of ways your phone could be locked: financed to a specific carrier, and/or with a Bad ESN (which is worse) or Google Lock/Factory Reset Protection commonly known as FRP Locked, which is something done to help locate a lost phone or disable a phone to prevent someone from using it.
Let’s focus on the first term to start with. When your phone is financed (or ‘locked’) in the traditional means, usually your service is tied to one carrier and the phone’s service cannot be switched.
Going further, however, if you have a Bad ESN--electronic serial number-- this can be two strikes against your phone. If you have a Bad ESN and your phone is financed, there is a good chance it won’t work at all. Depending on the carrier, there may be little to no options when it comes for action on this front. We’ll cover what you can do down below.
Google Lock or Factory Reset Protection (FRP Lock) is a bit different. If you reset an Android phone without removing the attached Google Accounts your phone will be locked - we have covered in a Blog the steps to prepare your phone for resale. You can also locate a lost phone using your Google Account by following these instructions.
If you have a financed phone or a Bad ESN, it mainly depends on the carrier to see what you can do. Infamously, Sprint phones with a Bad ESN will not work anywhere, but other carriers, such as Verizon, may work in other regions besides the U.S., which gives it more value in terms of selling the device.
If you know your device can be used elsewhere, a good option is to simply hand it off to a seller and let them deal with the hassle. Picking the right seller is a different issue entirely, but at least the phone will no longer be your problem.
If the phone cannot be used anywhere due to the carrier, or the Bad ESN has ruined that plan, it still is probably best to recoup your losses and sell the phone, or attempt to get a refund for however you got it in the first place. At this point, it’s damage control. You’re holding a light metal brick.
Google Lock and FRP are easier to get by and have more methods. The main thing you have to be sure of is to leave account recovery options so that if you get locked out, the phone is not useless. If you get the phone from someone else, make sure to have their information or be able to contact them in case you lose the ability to unlock the phone. You may need information from their email or other important data. When possible, reset all of the recovery options to accounts and information only under your control.
When trying to answer the question, ‘Can I Sell A Locked Android Phone,’ you probably thought that you had no good options just because the phone was locked. But the truth is, that’s not true at all. There are many options when it comes to selling a locked phone, but the best option is Recell Cellular.
Recell Cellular offers the best deal on locked phones, and also takes a phone in any condition, from any carrier, in any kind of model.
Recell Cellular is your best option. If you can’t unlock your phone and want to get rid of it, consider selling to them.