Frequently asked questions

Yes. Open mxmob.com/check on the phone you want to test and tap Test all. It runs 33 checks in your browser, covering the screen, touch, speakers, microphone, cameras, sensors, GPS, Wi-Fi and more. There is nothing to install and no fee; you only need a free account.

Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad, and in Chrome, Samsung Internet, Edge and Firefox on Android. Some tests depend on what the browser allows: iPhone Safari blocks Bluetooth scanning, NFC and vibration, so those become guided checks. The How MxMob works page lists every test and which browsers support it.

Partly. A browser can read the touch screen, motion sensors, compass, camera, microphone, GPS and network speed directly, so those tests measure real values. It can’t reach the SIM reader, proximity sensor or earpiece, so for those the page tells you what to do and you mark Pass or Fail. We label each test as measured or guided on the How MxMob works page.

Camera, microphone, location, motion and fingerprint or face checks run in your browser and nothing from them is uploaded. Access ends when you close the tab, and you can revoke it any time from the address bar. The Privacy Policy covers what we do store, such as report links you choose to create.

Only to load the page the first time. After that most tests in the phone diagnostic work offline. The Wi-Fi speed test, mobile data test and report links need a connection.

MxMob (mxmob.com) is a free website for testing phone and laptop hardware in the browser: the 33-point phone diagnostic, single tests like the dead pixel test and touch screen test, a laptop test, charging tools, and Live Remote Inspection for buying a used phone online. The documentation explains every tool.

Every test, checker and finder is free; you only need a free account. Tests run in your browser and nothing from the camera, microphone, motion sensors or location is uploaded. Only Live Remote Inspection is paid ($4.99 per device), and card payments are handled by Lemon Squeezy, not MxMob. See pricing and the privacy policy.

No, and that’s on purpose. Everything runs at mxmob.com in Safari, Chrome, Samsung Internet, Edge or Firefox, so you can test a phone you don’t own yet without installing anything on it. You can add the site to your home screen from the browser menu. Start with the phone diagnostic.

Tests the browser can measure directly, like touch, multi-touch, motion sensors, microphone level, cameras, GPS and network speed, read real values. Speakers and screen colors need your eyes and ears, so you mark them. The coverage table labels every test as measured, guided or browser-dependent.

Your phone may already have one. Samsung has Samsung Members and the *#0*# test menu, Pixel has the Pixel Diagnostic app, and Apple Support can run a remote iPhone diagnostic. Our brand diagnostic guides show how to open each one. MxMob is useful when those are blocked, or when you are checking a phone you don’t own yet.

iPhones don’t have a hidden test menu. Check Settings › Battery › Battery Health and Settings › General › About › Parts and Service History, or ask Apple Support to run a remote diagnostic. To test the screen, touch, speakers, microphone, cameras and sensors yourself, open the diagnostic in Safari. Step-by-step instructions are in the iPhone diagnostics guide.

Many US carrier models from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile block the *#0*# test menu, so nothing happens when you dial it. Use the diagnostics in the Samsung Members app instead, or run the browser diagnostic, which needs no code. If you’re dialing from Google Phone, switch to Samsung’s Phone app, and don’t press call. The Samsung diagnostics guide covers every fix.

It depends on the brand. Pixel phones open the Pixel Diagnostic app with *#*#7287#*#*, and Samsung uses *#0*# or Samsung Members. Other brands have their own codes, and many carrier models block them. The browser diagnostic works on any Android phone in Chrome. See the Pixel guide and the full list of brand guides.

Open the motion sensor test and move the phone: the accelerometer and gyroscope readings should change smoothly. Then try the compass, proximity sensor and light sensor checks. On iPhone, Safari asks you to allow motion access first.

The device info page shows the model and operating system version your browser reports, and the benchmark names the graphics chip and measures processor speed. For the exact model number and storage, look in Settings › About phone on Android or Settings › General › About on iPhone.

Open the dead pixel test and go full screen. It shows solid red, green, blue, white and black. Look closely on each color for dots that stay black or stay one color. Our guide to dead vs stuck pixels explains which kind can be fixed.

Sometimes. A stuck pixel is lit but frozen on one color, and rapidly flashing colors over it for 10 to 20 minutes can free it. The stuck pixel fixer does this with a box you move over the pixel. Dead pixels, which stay black, can’t be fixed this way. The page has a photosensitivity warning; don’t watch the flashing if that affects you.

Open the burn-in test and look at the plain gray and solid color screens at full brightness. Burn-in shows up as faint shapes that shouldn’t be there, usually the keyboard, navigation bar or status bar icons. It’s easiest to see on mid gray.

Open the touch screen test and drag your finger over every square. Squares that never light up are dead zones, often along an edge or where the phone was dropped. The multi-touch test checks how many fingers the screen tracks at once.

That’s called ghost touch. Common causes are a screen protector lifting at the edge, moisture, a charger that leaks electrical noise, or a damaged display. Put the phone down on the ghost touch test and it logs every touch it receives while nobody is touching it. The ghost touch guide walks through the fixes in order.

Open the refresh rate test and wait a few seconds without scrolling. It shows the rate the browser is drawing at, such as 60, 90 or 120 Hz. Battery saver and Low Power Mode usually cap it at 60 Hz, and Safari often limits web pages to 60 Hz even on a 120 Hz iPhone.

Open the microphone test, allow microphone access and speak. The level meter should move, and you can play your recording back to hear whether it sounds clear or muffled. If the meter doesn’t move at all, check that the app permission isn’t blocked and nothing is covering the mic hole.

Turn the volume up and open the speaker test. It plays sound from the left and right speakers separately, so you can hear if one is quiet, distorted or silent. The earpiece test checks the small speaker you hold to your ear. If the sound is muffled or crackling, our speaker troubleshooting guide covers the usual causes.

On Android, the vibration test runs short and long buzzes from the browser. iPhone doesn’t let websites use the vibration motor, so the page shows you how to trigger it from Settings › Sounds & Haptics instead.

Open the camera test. It opens each lens the browser can see and reports its resolution. Check for dust or haze, focus on something close and something far away, and switch to the front camera. A blurry image that never sharpens often points to a damaged lens or focus motor.

Most of the time it’s a setting, not a broken part: camera or microphone access is blocked in Windows, macOS or the browser, a privacy shutter or mute key is on, another app such as Zoom or Teams is holding the device, or the wrong camera or mic is selected. Run the webcam test and mic test, then follow the step-by-step fixes in our webcam and mic test guide.

Run the free webcam test and mic test to check the hardware, then the app’s own check: the Zoom test meeting at zoom.us/test, Make a test call in Teams, or the preview screen in Google Meet. Our app-by-app table shows where each one is.

An iPhone has three: record in Voice Memos to test the bottom mic, then record a video with the front camera and one with the rear camera to test the other two, and play each back. The phone test also checks the mic in Safari. See the iPhone microphone diagram.

On iPhone, a green dot means the camera is on and an orange dot means the mic is. Android 12 and later shows a green icon and has a Privacy dashboard. Windows 11 lists recent camera and mic use in its privacy settings, and a Mac’s camera light can’t be switched off by software. More in our camera privacy section.

Put the headphones on and open the headphone test. It plays a tone in the left ear only, then the right, then both. If the sound comes from the wrong side or one side is quiet, try another cable or reconnect the Bluetooth earbuds.

On iPhone, go to Settings › Battery › Battery Health. On recent Samsung phones, go to Settings › Battery › Battery information or use Samsung Members. Pixel 8a and newer show it under Settings › Battery › Battery health. Websites can’t read battery health, but the battery test shows level and charging state. Our battery health guide covers every major brand; 80% or higher is healthy.

Usually the charger, cable and phone don’t all support the same fast charging standard. Samsung’s 25 W and 45 W charging needs USB PD with PPS, and 45 W also needs a 5 A cable. Heat, a dirty port and using the phone while it charges slow things down too. Check your combination with the charger checker and cable checker, and see the slow charging guide.

Look at the label on the charger for its watts and for USB PD or PPS. Then enter your phone and charger in the charger checker, which shows the speed that combination can reach. Most phones also say “Fast charging” or “Super fast charging” on the lock screen when it’s working.

In carry-on bags, yes, if it’s under 100 Wh, which is about 27,000 mAh at 3.7 V. Power banks aren’t allowed in checked bags. The power bank calculator converts mAh to watt-hours and estimates how many times it can charge your phone.

Check that the IMEI isn’t blacklisted, the seller has signed out of their Apple ID or Google account, the phone isn’t carrier locked, and battery health is 80% or more. Then test the screen, touch, cameras, speakers, microphone, charging and buttons with the diagnostic. The used phone checklist takes you through all of it, and there is a separate used iPhone guide.

Dial *#06# on the phone to show the IMEI. In the US, enter it on the free CTIA Stolen Phone Checker; in the UK, use CheckMEND. In India, send KYM and the IMEI by SMS to 14422, as explained in our India used phone guide (also in Hindi). Our IMEI stolen phone check guide covers every region, including Pakistan and Europe, and what a clean result doesn’t prove.

Open Settings: there should be no name at the top and Find My should be off. The surest check is a factory reset in front of you. The iPhone should reach the Hello screen and set up without asking for the previous owner’s Apple ID. See the used iPhone guide for the full process.

Clone phones often show the right model name but can’t fake the graphics chip. Run the benchmark, which names the GPU and measures speed, and compare both with the real model’s specs. A “Galaxy S25” reporting a Mali GPU, for example, isn’t genuine. Also check that the IMEI from *#06# matches the box and the SIM tray. Our guide on how to spot a fake phone has six checks a clone can’t pass.

On iPhone, look at Settings › General › About › Parts and Service History, which lists replaced parts and whether they’re genuine. On any phone, look for uneven gaps around the screen, a color tint, or touch problems near the edges. The screen test and touch test make a cheap replacement display easier to spot.

No app or website can detect it directly. Look for fog under the camera lens, a speaker that sounds muffled, a microphone that cuts out and corrosion in the charging port. Many phones also have a liquid indicator, often in the SIM tray slot, that turns red after contact with water. Run the speaker, microphone and camera tests to check for these symptoms.

Run the diagnostic on the phone, then create a report link. Buyers get a link and QR code with every result, labelled measured or marked by you, and the last 4 digits of the IMEI to match in person. Selling with a test report explains the steps, and buyers can check a seller’s report.

Open the laptop test on the laptop. It checks the keyboard, trackpad, screen, speakers, webcam, Wi-Fi and USB ports in the browser. Then work through the used laptop checklist for battery wear, BIOS and activation locks, and see our brand guides for Dell, HP, Lenovo and MacBook built-in diagnostics.

It can be, if you check the IMEI, confirm there’s no iCloud or Google lock and test the hardware before paying. Meet in person and run the free phone test, or for a shipped phone use a Live Remote Inspection and pay through Facebook checkout. Our guide to testing a used phone before buying online covers every step.

eBay’s Money Back Guarantee covers phones that arrive not as described, but you need evidence. Check the listing for “iCloud locked” or “bad IMEI,” ask the seller for the IMEI, and run the live inspection or at least the phone test as soon as it arrives. The used iPhone guide lists what to check.

Use MxMob Live Remote Inspection. You send the seller one link; they open it on the phone and you watch 30+ hardware tests live from your own screen, send checks they can’t fake (a mirror code, a spoken code, tap-the-squares) and keep a signed record. Here is a sample record.

Yes. Live Remote Inspection lets a buyer anywhere watch a seller’s phone, tablet or laptop being tested live in the browser, with no app for either side. It costs $4.99 once per device, and if the seller never opens the link within 6 days you can apply for a full refund (see the refund policy).

Not really. On a FaceTime or WhatsApp call you see a phone, but nothing is measured and you have no record. Dead touch zones, a weak mic, a crackly earpiece or a cheaper model are easy to hide. A live inspection measures the hardware, checks the device matches the listing and signs the results. See the comparison in our buying guide.

In a live inspection, checks are created by MxMob’s server the moment you send them, so they can’t be pre-recorded. The mirror code proves that exact device is running the test, and the back-in-a-mirror photo records its scratches. When the phone arrives, the handover check compares the IMEI, model, screen and graphics chip with the inspection. The docs explain each check.

It’s the last step of a Live Remote Inspection. When the phone or laptop arrives, you open the check from your record on the device you received. It compares the IMEI from *#06#, the model, screen and graphics chip with the inspection, shows the photos of the back, and re-tests the parts. The signed result is added to your record, like the one in the sample.

Be wary of prices far below similar listings, sellers who won’t share the IMEI or do a live inspection, and anyone asking for Zelle, Cash App, wire transfers or gift cards. Pay through the platform, a credit card or PayPal Goods and Services, and never share a verification code. The red flags checklist and used phone checklist cover the rest.

A blacklisted phone has had its IMEI reported lost, stolen or unpaid, so US carriers block it from their networks. It may still work on Wi-Fi, but it usually can’t make calls or use mobile data, and the block is rarely lifted for a new owner. Check the IMEI on the CTIA Stolen Phone Checker before you buy; our IMEI guide explains how.

There is no public database of financing status. Ask the seller directly and ask for proof, such as the carrier account showing no balance, and check the IMEI on the CTIA Stolen Phone Checker. A phone sold while still on an installment plan can be blacklisted later if payments stop. See the used phone checklist for the US.

Yes. Choose Laptop / PC on mxmob.com/inspect and the seller runs the keyboard, trackpad, webcam, speakers, display, battery and USB tests while you watch. If you can meet, run the free laptop test yourself and follow the used laptop checklist.

Open the keyboard test and press every key. Each one lights up when it registers, so keys that don’t respond, or that stay stuck down, stand out. If a key fails, our guide to laptop keys that stop working covers Fn Lock, Filter Keys and when it’s hardware.

Open the mouse and trackpad test and click normally. It shows every click and warns you about clicks that arrive less than 60 milliseconds apart, the sign of a worn mouse switch. The click speed test measures clicks per second.

Open the webcam test and allow camera access. It shows the live picture and the resolution the browser receives. If you see a black screen, check that another app isn’t using the camera and that the laptop’s privacy shutter or camera key is off. Our webcam and mic test guide covers every fix.

On Windows, run powercfg /batteryreport and compare full charge capacity with design capacity. On a Mac, look in System Information › Power for the cycle count and condition. Step-by-step instructions for Windows, MacBook and Chromebook are in our laptop battery health guide.

Open the backlight bleed test in a dark room with brightness at maximum. It shows full-screen black and dark gray, where light leaking from the edges of an LCD panel is easiest to see. Compare with photos in the listing before you buy a used laptop or monitor.

Open the free laptop test on the laptop and click Test all: it checks the keyboard, trackpad, screen, speakers, microphone, webcam, battery, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB ports and processor. For the drive and memory, run your maker’s diagnostics (Dell F12, HP Esc then F2, Apple Diagnostics). Our laptop hardware testing guide covers each one.

Plug in the charger and run the processor test. If speed drops below 60% within about ten seconds, the laptop is slowing itself down from heat, usually because of a clogged fan or dried thermal paste. The overheating section of our laptop guide explains what to do next.

Websites can’t read drives or memory. On Windows 11, open Settings › System › Storage › Advanced storage settings › Disks & volumes › Properties for drive health, and run mdsched.exe to test memory. On a Mac, use Disk Utility’s First Aid and Apple Diagnostics. Step-by-step instructions are in our laptop testing guide.

Connect the controller and open the gamepad tester. Leave the sticks alone: the drift reading should stay close to zero. It also shows every button and trigger, and can test vibration in Chrome and Edge.

Use the Wi-Fi speed test on Wi-Fi, or switch Wi-Fi off and use the mobile data test for 4G or 5G. Both measure download, upload and latency. A slow result on a busy network says more about the network than the phone, so compare with another phone in the same place.

On iPhone, go to Settings › General › About and look for “Carrier Lock: No SIM restrictions.” On Android, insert a SIM from a different carrier: if it connects and shows signal, the phone is unlocked. The SIM and IMEI check walks you through both.

On Android, turn on NFC in Settings, open the NFC test in Chrome and hold an NFC tag or contactless card to the back of the phone. iPhone doesn’t let websites read NFC, so the page explains a manual check: tap an NFC tag or card against the phone and watch for a system prompt.

Open the Widevine test in Chrome on Android. It shows L1 or L3 in about a second, without an app. L1 is needed for HD and higher quality in Netflix, Prime Video and other streaming apps. iPhones use Apple’s own DRM, so the check doesn’t apply to them.

Go outside or near a window and open the GPS test. It gets a location fix and shows its accuracy radius. A radius under about 20 meters outdoors is normal. If it never gets a fix, check that location services are on and that the browser has location permission.