Selling an iPhone with Face ID not working: yes, and here is how

Yes, ReMint buys iPhones with Face ID that has stopped working, as long as the phone powers on. It makes no difference whether Face ID simply fails to recognise you, or the phone shows the message "Face ID not available" and will not let you set it up at all. Both are the same fault to us, and both get a firm quote online before you send anything.

Face ID lives in the TrueDepth camera at the top of the phone, and it often stops after a screen repair, a drop, or water getting in. Apple can sometimes fix it, but on an older iPhone the repair is often not worth the cost, so selling the phone as faulty is a reasonable choice. The fault does not stop us testing the phone, because everything else can be checked with the passcode.

To grade it on our calculator, pick your model and storage, then choose "Picture fine". That grade covers a phone that powers on and shows a perfect picture but has any other fault, and Face ID is one of them. If the display itself also has lines, blots, blank patches or a replacement screen, choose "Picture faulty" instead. You see the price straight away.

One thing you must still do before posting: turn off Find My iPhone and sign out of iCloud. You do not need Face ID for this. Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, scroll down and tap Sign Out, then enter your Apple ID password and passcode when asked. A phone that arrives still locked to an iCloud account is put on hold and we email you, which only delays your payment.

Once you accept the quote we send free tracked Royal Mail postage, either a prepaid label or a QR code you show at the Post Office, so you do not need a printer. We check the phone within one working day of it arriving, using industry diagnostic software, and pay by bank transfer within 48 hours of it arriving, Monday to Friday. Your quote is fixed for 10 days from the order and holds as long as the phone matches what you told us. If it does not match, you get a revised offer to accept or decline, and a free return either way.