Buying used

"Unknown Part" on a used or refurbished iPhone: what it means and what to ask

Parts and Service History tells you a lot about a second-hand iPhone, if you know how to read it. Here is what each label means and how to use it before buying.

By the OwnVouch team16 Sep 20265 min read

Quick answer: "Unknown Part" in an iPhone's Parts and Service History means iOS couldn't verify a replaced part. It might be non-genuine, not working properly, or never linked to that iPhone after the repair. The phone still works, but Apple warns that non-genuine parts can cause problems. For example, a replacement display can cause touch or brightness issues, and a replacement battery can report inaccurate battery health. On a used or refurbished iPhone, treat it as a reason to ask questions and adjust the price, not as automatic proof of a scam.

Where to see it

On iOS 15.2 or later, open Settings > General > About. Apple says a Parts and Service History section appears there if the iPhone has been repaired. Tap a part to see more detail, including the service date where available.

Which parts are tracked depends on the model:

Model	Parts shown
iPhone 12 and later	Battery, display, logic board, front camera, rear cameras
iPhone 11	Battery, display
iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, SE (2nd and 3rd generation)	Battery

Two limits are worth knowing. If a part has been serviced more than once, only the most recent service appears. And Apple's page covers only the parts listed above, so replacements such as back glass or a charging port won't appear there. A clean screen here doesn't mean the phone was never opened.

What each label means

Label	What Apple says it means	What to do as a buyer
Genuine	Repaired with genuine Apple parts and processes	Usually fine. Still ask who did the repair and when.
Used	A genuine part that was already used or installed in another iPhone	Ask about its condition. Apple notes performance can be inconsistent because of prior use.
Unknown	The part isn't genuine, isn't working as expected, wasn't verified and linked to this iPhone after repair, or was modified	Test that part carefully, ask for the repair invoice and price it in.
Unverified (logic board)	The logic board was previously used in another iPhone	Apple says this can affect features such as Apple Pay. Be cautious.
Finish Repair	A genuine part's calibration wasn't completed	Face ID or Touch ID won't work until the repair is finished.

Apple says an Unknown part may affect the trade-in value. An iPhone with an Unknown part also shows a notification the first time it's unlocked after the repair, and again five days later. On older iOS versions, a display or battery may instead show an "Important" message saying Apple couldn't verify it's genuine.

What a non-genuine part can mean in practice

Apple's pages on displays and batteries list specific risks:

Display: Multi-Touch not responding in parts of the screen, True Tone or auto-brightness not working properly, colours looking off, lower maximum brightness, and extra battery drain.
Battery: the battery health figure may not be accurate. That matters if you're relying on the percentage shown in Settings to judge the phone.
Logic board (Unverified): possible problems with features such as Apple Pay.

Apple also says repairs using non-genuine parts might affect functionality, safety, security and privacy. None of this means every third-party screen or battery is bad. It does mean the price should reflect it, and you should test the specific part before paying.

Refurbished, open-box and second-hand are not the same

These words are used loosely in Indian listings. Broadly:

Second-hand or used: sold by a previous owner or a reseller, as it is. Condition varies and there is often no seller warranty.
Open-box: the box has been opened, for example by a buyer who returned it, but the device has been used little or not at all.
Refurbished: inspected, repaired where needed, cleaned and tested before resale, typically with a seller's warranty. That repair work is exactly where replacement parts come in.

Who did the refurbishing matters most. Samsung sells "Certified Re-Newed" Galaxy phones in India. It says they're refurbished with genuine Samsung parts and come with a one-year warranty. For iPhones, we couldn't find an Apple Certified Refurbished store on Apple's India website as of September 2026. That means a "refurbished iPhone" in India has almost always been refurbished by a third party, and any warranty comes from that seller rather than Apple.

Apple's own warranty terms exclude damage caused by service from anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorised Service Provider. Repairs by Independent Repair Providers aren't covered by Apple's warranty or AppleCare, though the provider may give its own warranty. See does warranty transfer on a used phone for more.

Questions to ask a refurbisher or seller

Which parts were replaced, and are any shown as Unknown or Used? Ask for a screenshot of Parts and Service History, then check it yourself on the device.
Who did the repair? Apple, an Authorised Service Provider, an Independent Repair Provider, or the seller's own workshop?
Is there a repair invoice or job sheet? It should name the part and the date.
What warranty do you give, and who honours it? Get the length, what it covers, and whether you have to return the phone to the seller.
What's the return window, and does it cover faults with replaced parts?
Does the serial in Settings match the box and the invoice? Is the phone free of Activation Lock and signed out of the previous Apple Account?

Then test the phone in person. Check touch across the whole screen, True Tone and auto-brightness, Face ID or Touch ID, both cameras, charging, speakers and microphones. Our used iPhone checklist has the full list. If the price looks far too good, read how too-cheap iPhone scams work first.

Where OwnVouch fits

OwnVouch doesn't inspect parts or tell you whether a repair was genuine. That is what Parts and Service History and your own testing are for. What you can do before paying is type the serial number into the free public lookup. It shows whether the device is registered on OwnVouch, whether it's flagged lost or stolen, and what the device is, without revealing who holds it. A clean result only means nothing has been reported to OwnVouch. In the app, which is in closed beta, a device's Passport can hold its repair records, so the next buyer has more than a seller's word to go on.