Blacklisted Phones are devices that are reported stolen by their owners or blocked due to pending charges against your device.
Whatever is the case, once your device is blacklisted, you won’t be able to access the network with your device.
However, what happens if you put your SIM Card in a Blacklisted Phone? Will it work? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
What Are Blacklisted Phones?
Blacklisted Phones are the smartphones that are reported stolen by their owners, and once it’s reported, law enforcement will put the IMEI of that device in the database, which will bar anyone from using the blacklisted smartphone to access the network.
Now, if you want to if your smartphone is blacklisted, you can use popular sites such as IMEI.info or IMEI24.com.
You can check the complete guide where I explained various ways which you can use to know if your smartphone is blacklisted.
Why Are Blacklisted Phones Cheap?
If you have visited any grey market, you would have come across many blacklisted smartphones, which you can get for few dollars.
The reason why they are cheap is that they are often stolen, and if you use them, there are great chances that you will be apprehended, and you can get into trouble.
Also, you won’t be able to use them to access the network, which means that they will only be good for using Wi-Fi, and you can’t use them to make calls or send messages.
What Happens If I Put My SIM Card In A Blacklisted Phone?
Now let’s get to our main topic. If you use your SIM Card in a Blacklisted smartphone, many things can happen depending on the status of the smartphone.
If you use your SIM Card with a regular blacklisted smartphone that is only reported stolen, you won’t be able to access the network. On top of that, your SIM Card will also be registered with the Blacklisted smartphone, which means that if someone decides to look into it in the future, you could land in trouble.
If you use your SIM Card with a smartphone that is blacklisted for pending charges, you might be able to access the network, but there are chances that you will get a message or call from your Network service provider to pay for your pending charges and they will remove your devices from the Blacklist.
If you are interested, you can check this guide where I explained how you can unlock a blacklisted phone for free.
Last but not least, if you use your SIM Card in a blacklisted phone which was used for unlawful activity, you can land in big trouble. Because these smartphones are often tracked by law enforcement agencies, and if they are actively tracking your device, they will know that which SIM Card was used with that device, and they will be able to track you. If that happens, you will be questioned, and you can get into big trouble.
Will A Blacklisted Phone Work On Another Carrier?
Usually, most network Carriers share their Blacklist with each other, which makes it difficult to use the blacklisted phone on another carrier. However, there are great chances that a blacklisted phone might work on a carrier in another country.
But, if your smartphone is blacklisted for being used in unlawful activity, there are chances that you might be track and apprehended.
How To Know If IMEI Is Blacklisted, Unlocked, Or Fake?
There are dedicated sites that you can use to find out if your IMEI is blacklisted, unlocked, or fake. I have covered this topic in detail in my guide, where I have explained various ways which you can use to check if your device’s IMEI is blacklisted, unlocked, or fake.
Can Thieves Change IMEI Number?
Yes, IMEI can be changed, but it’s illegal in many countries, and if you try to do it, you can get yourself into trouble. However, thieves are usually not afraid of the law, and they often change the IMEI number of the devices they steal.
Can Apple Remove iPhones From Blacklist?
Apple is a smartphone manufacturer, and it doesn’t maintain any blacklist. However, Your Network carrier does maintain Blacklist, and only your network carrier can remove your iPhone from the Blacklist.
What Happens When the IMEI Number is Blacklisted?
If your device has been blacklisted by your network carrier or Law enforcement agency, many things can go wrong.
For example, if your device is reported stolen and it gets blacklisted, there are chances that you will be tracked and apprehended by a law enforcement agency.
So, if you are the legit owner of your smartphone, then you should contact your Network Carrier or local law enforcement agency to sort out the issue, or you can get into serious trouble.
Is a Blacklisted iPhone Useless?
If you use a Blacklisted iPhone, you won’t be able to access the network. However, you can still use the WiFi on your device without any problem. It’s also important to note here that if your iPhone is reported stolen and it’s blacklisted, there are chances that law enforcement agencies might track you and charge you.
Can A Blacklisted Phone Be Unlocked?
Yes, if you are the legit owner of your smartphone, you can contact the law enforcement agency or Network Carrier to unlock your blacklisted phone.
Once it’s removed, you will be able to use it like a regular smartphone. You can check the complete process of unlocking a blacklisted smartphone here.
Conclusion
Now you know what happens if you put your SIM Card in a blacklisted Phone. I also explained what can happen if you use a blacklisted smartphone.
If you are the legit owner and your phone has been blacklisted, you can easily remove it by contacting your local authority.
If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments. Also, check this guide to learn How to Block stolen iPhones with an IMEI number.
As a professional trainer and a gadget lover, I’ve spent a lot of money and time buying wearable activity trackers, smartwatches, and gadgets, and checking them out. My site is focused on helping you with your activity tracking and smart technology journey. I try to provide the most helpful updated content on this subject. Hopefully, you will love my blogs and be a regular around here.
