Check before you pay
Original or replaced screen: how to tell in two minutes
The iOS menu that says it outright, the Samsung and Xiaomi test codes, and the physical signs that give away a non-original panel. A replaced screen is not a fault — a hidden one is.
On a recent iPhone, iOS tells you itself: Settings > General > About, parts and service history — a non-original screen shows up as an unknown part. Second decisive test: if the True Tone option has vanished from the display settings, the screen has been replaced. On Samsung, *#0*# opens the display test menu; on many Xiaomi devices, *#*#64663#*#*. A replaced screen is not a deal-breaker: it is information that belongs in the price, not in a surprise.
Step 1
On iPhone: the phone tells you itself
This is the fastest and most reliable check, and almost nobody runs it at the point of purchase. Since iOS 15.2, recent iPhones keep a parts history: Apple states whether the screen, battery or camera are genuine. Depending on the model and iOS version not every component appears — but where the line exists, it is not negotiable.
- Settings > General > About, then scroll to the parts and service history section.
- "Genuine Apple Part": the screen is original or was replaced through the official channel.
- "Unknown Part" for the display: the panel is not recognised by the device.
- The section missing entirely: either the model is too old or iOS is older — that is not proof of originality.
Step 2
The True Tone test: two seconds, clear verdict
This is the check that still works when no parts history exists. True Tone relies on calibration data tied to the original panel. After a replacement outside the official channel the option simply disappears from settings — it does not switch off, it is no longer there.
- Settings > Display & Brightness: look for the True Tone toggle.
- The option missing on a model that should have it: the screen has been replaced.
- Also check Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Haptic feedback / 3D Touch depending on model.
- On Face ID models, test attention detection: it often fails with a non-original panel even while Face ID itself keeps working.
Step 3
On Android: the built-in test codes
Android has no unified equivalent of Apple's parts history, but manufacturers ship hidden diagnostic menus that test the display point by point. They vary by system version, so a code doing nothing is not a fraud signal — move to the physical checks.
- Samsung: dial *#0*# on the phone's keypad. The test menu opens full-screen red, green, blue and black panels plus a touch test.
- Samsung, alternative: the Samsung Members app offers a guided display diagnostic.
- Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco: *#*#64663#*#* opens the hardware test menu on many models.
- Any Android: Settings > About phone, then look for a support or diagnostics entry depending on brand.
Step 4
Physical signs that give away a non-original panel
When no menu responds, the eye and the finger usually suffice. A cheap replacement panel shows up mostly in the blacks, in viewing angles and in touch — and a reopened frame almost always leaves a trace.
- Display a fully black image: an original OLED gives deep black, a low-end panel drifts grey or purple.
- Tilt the screen: colours shifting hard at the sides often mean a different panel.
- Run a finger across it: without the oleophobic coating, marks cling and the glide feels sticky.
- Look at the frame seam in raking light: an uneven gap, visible glue or a slight ridge means it was opened.
- Test touch all the way to the edges, especially the keyboard and corners: dead zones show up there first.
Step 5
A replaced screen is not a fault — a hidden one is
This is the distinction that changes everything, and it is Damji's position too. A screen replaced cleanly, disclosed and priced in, is normal maintenance on a two or three-year-old device. The problem is never the part: it is the silence around it, because that silence covers what comes with it — lost water resistance, lower brightness, a warranty that ends.
- Just ask: "has the screen been changed, and where?" The reaction matters as much as the answer.
- A replaced screen belongs in the price, not in a surprise.
- The screen is one of the 8 points in Damji's verification protocol: a confirmed fault lowers the grade given to the device.
- On a verified listing the screen's condition is measured and written down — that is the difference between declared and established.
0/8 checks completed
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FAQ
Common questions
How do I know if an iPhone screen is original?
Settings > General > About, parts history section: a non-original screen appears as an unknown part. If that section does not exist on the model, check whether the True Tone option is present in display settings.
True Tone is gone — does that mean the screen was replaced?
On a model that should have True Tone, yes, in almost every case: the option disappears once the original panel's calibration is no longer recognised.
Does a replaced screen lower the price?
Yes, and rightly: a non-original panel can be dimmer, break water resistance and complicate a future resale. What is not acceptable is discovering it after paying.
*#0*# does nothing on my Samsung — is that bad?
No. These menus depend on the system version and the carrier. Use the Samsung Members app instead, or the physical checks: blacks, viewing angles, touch to the edges.
Face ID works, so the screen must be original?
No. The Face ID module is independent of the panel and often keeps working after a replacement. Attention detection is what fails first.
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