Live Remote Inspection
Test a seller’s phone or laptop live, without going there
The seller is across town, in another city or even in another country? You don’t need to travel. Send them one link, they open it on the phone or laptop, and you watch every test happen live on your MxMob dashboard: screen, cameras, battery and 30+ more. You send checks they can’t fake, then keep a signed record of the results.
- ✓ Screen, touch, cameras, mic, speakers, buttons, sensors, charging
- ✓ Laptops: keyboard, trackpad, webcam, battery, USB, display
- ✓ No app to install: the seller just opens your link in any browser
- ✓ Seller never shows up? 100% money back
Start a live inspection
Pay $3.99 once for one device and one live session. After checkout you get the link to send to the seller. No subscription; taxes handled at checkout.
Your first inspection is $3.99, then $4.99.
How it works
- 1
You send one link
After checkout you get a private seller link to send by text, WhatsApp, email or Marketplace chat.
- 2
You watch it live
The seller runs the tests on the device. Each result, the camera preview, the touch map and the mic level appear on your screen as they happen.
- 3
You keep the proof
A signed, timestamped record with every result and photo, kept for 90 days. Pay with confidence, or walk away.
Is $4.99 worth it?
A used iPhone or Galaxy costs $200 to $900. A phone with a dead touch zone, a weak battery, a swapped board or an iCloud lock can cost all of it. One inspection costs less than a phone case.
| Before you pay a distant seller | Cost | Measures the parts | Proves it’s that device | Proof for a dispute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trust the photos | $0 | – | – | – |
| Video call | $0 | – | Partly | – |
| Travel to meet the seller | Fuel, tickets, a day | If you know how | ✓ | – |
| MxMob Live Remote Inspection | $4.99 | ✓ 30+ tests | ✓ Live checks | ✓ Signed record |
Checks a scammer can’t fake
A test report or a video can be made on a different device, weeks ago. Live checks are created by our server the moment you send them, so they have to be answered on the real device, by a real person, right now.
Mirror code
A random code fills the seller’s screen. They photograph the device in a mirror, so you see that exact device running the test, right now.
Speaker code
The device reads out a 4-digit code. The seller has to type it back, practical proof that the speaker works and a real person is there.
Tap the squares
You pick squares on your screen, and they light up on theirs. Dead touch zones can’t hide.
Photo on request
The charging port, the back, the screen corners, the battery health screen: you choose, they show it while you wait.
Back in a mirror
The rear camera photographs the phone’s own back in a mirror, with every scratch. Two used phones of the same model never wear the same way.
IMEI from *#06#
Typed by the seller with a format check, ready for a stolen phone database check. You confirm it on the phone you receive.
Handover check
When the device arrives, run a quick check on it: IMEI, device details, the marks in the photos and a re-test. A swapped device shows up, and the signed result goes on your record.
Device fingerprint
Model, software, screen and graphics chip, reported by the browser and compared with the listing. Spot the “iPhone 15” that’s really a cheaper model.
Made for buying at a distance
- • A Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist seller in another city who offers to ship
- • eBay, Swappa, OfferUp, Mercari or Gumtree listings with only a few photos
- • Buying a phone or laptop for someone far away, or from a small reseller
- • Sellers: offer a live inspection to win a buyer’s trust and sell faster
Honest about the limits
A browser can’t read exact storage, battery cycle counts, water damage or activation locks. Ask for photos of the battery health and About screens during the inspection, and check the activation lock when you collect. The record marks every result as Measured by the browser or Marked by seller, so you always know which is which.
Questions
How does a live remote inspection work?
You pay once and get a private link to send to the seller. The seller opens it on the phone or laptop they are selling and runs MxMob’s tests while you watch every result appear on your own screen, from anywhere. You can send live checks at any time, such as a code they must show in a mirror or a photo of the charging port. The step-by-step guide has screenshots of each screen.
Does the seller need to install an app?
No. Everything runs in the browser: Safari on iPhone and iPad, Chrome or Samsung Internet on Android, and any modern browser on Windows, Mac or Chromebook. It uses the same tests as the free phone diagnostic and laptop test.
How do I know the seller is testing the same device?
The live checks are created by MxMob’s server at the moment you send them, so they can’t be prepared in advance. The mirror check shows a code full screen and asks for a photo of the device in a mirror, which proves that exact device is running the test right now. The browser also reports the model, screen, graphics chip and software, and we flag it when that doesn’t fit the listing. See how each check works.
What if the seller tests a good phone and ships a different one?
That’s what the handover check is for. When the device arrives, open the check from your record on it: it compares the IMEI from *#06#, the model, screen and graphics chip with the inspection, shows the photos of the back so you can match the scratches, and re-tests the parts. The result is signed and added to your record, so if it isn’t the device you inspected, you have the proof for a dispute. The sample record shows a completed handover check.
Can MxMob read the IMEI automatically?
No. No website or app can read a phone’s IMEI: Android and iPhone keep it from everything except the phone’s own system software. The seller types it from *#06#, and the record says so. That’s why you confirm it yourself on the phone you receive, which the handover check does in a minute. To check it isn’t stolen, see our IMEI guide.
Is a person from MxMob doing the inspection?
No. Live Remote Inspection is self-serve software: you and the seller use it in your browsers, and MxMob’s automated tests and live checks run on the device. Nobody from MxMob joins the session. You pay once per device; there’s no subscription (see pricing).
What if the seller never opens the link?
If the seller never opens the link within 6 days, request a refund on mxmob.com and you get 100% of your money back through Lemon Squeezy. Details are in the refund policy.
What do I get at the end?
A signed, timestamped record with every result, the live checks, the photos and the device details. It is kept for 90 days at a private link, which is useful if the device arrives in a different condition and you need to open a dispute with the marketplace, PayPal or your card issuer. See the sample record.
What can’t it check?
Browsers can’t read the exact storage size, battery cycle count, water damage or activation locks (iCloud, Google account); the used iPhone guide shows how to check those. The inspection lets you ask for photos of the battery health and About screens, and the record says clearly which results were measured by the browser and which were marked by the seller.
Is this a replacement for seeing the device in person?
It’s the next best thing when you can’t: a shipped Marketplace, eBay, Swappa, OfferUp or Craigslist purchase, or a seller in another city. If you can meet in person, run the free MxMob diagnostic on the device yourself and follow the used phone checklist.
Can I inspect a phone remotely before buying it on Facebook Marketplace or eBay?
Yes. Paste the listing link when you start, then send the seller the link from your buyer console in Marketplace chat, eBay messages, text or WhatsApp. It works for any marketplace, including Swappa, OfferUp, Mercari and Craigslist. Our guide to testing a used phone before buying online has tips for each one.
Is this better than a FaceTime or video call?
A video call shows you a phone but measures nothing, and leaves no record. Here every test is measured or clearly marked by the seller, live checks prove it’s the same device right now, and you keep a signed record. The comparison table shows the differences.
Does it work for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Pixel and MacBook?
Yes: iPhone and iPad in Safari, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola and other Android phones in Chrome or Samsung Internet, and Windows laptops, MacBooks and Chromebooks. A few tests depend on the browser; the docs list which.