Where to sell your phone in Kenya

Your options, compared

Before you sell: wipe your phone properly

A phone still linked to your account can lock the buyer out, and leaves your photos, chats and money apps on a stranger's device.

1. 1

   Back it up

   Save photos and contacts to Google or iCloud, and back up WhatsApp under Settings, Chats, Chat backup.

2. 2

   Remove your accounts

   On an iPhone, turn off Find My and sign out of your Apple ID. On Android, remove your Google account in Settings before resetting; otherwise Factory Reset Protection asks the buyer for your password.

3. 3

   Take out your SIM and memory card

   Your number and M-PESA stay with your SIM. Log out of the M-PESA app and your banking apps too.

4. 4

   Factory reset

   On iPhone: Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings. On most Android phones: Settings, System, Reset options, Erase all data.

How to price your phone

• Look at what the same model with the same storage is listed for right now. That range is the market, whatever you paid.
• Adjust for condition: screen scratches, a replaced screen or back, and battery health all move the price.
• The box, original charger and receipt add value and reassure buyers it isn't stolen.
• Price a little under the middle of the range to sell fast, or near the top if you can wait. Say whether it's negotiable.

What buyers ask first, so put it in the listing

• Storage and RAM, e.g. 128GB / 6GB.
• Battery health. On iPhone it's under Settings, Battery, Battery Health.
• Any repairs, and whether the screen or battery is original.
• Whether it's a local unit or imported, and whether it's network-unlocked.
• That it's signed out of iCloud or Google, so it isn't locked.
• What comes with it: box, charger, receipt.

A 20-second video of the phone switching on and the screen responding answers half of these before anyone asks.

Selling a broken or dead phone

• Repair technicians buy phones for parts: screens, boards, cameras and batteries. Ask two or three for a price.
• You can also list it on Shopi as "for parts" or "not working". Say exactly what's wrong; an honest fault description sells, a hidden one gets reported.
• If it still powers on, wipe it first. If it doesn't, at least remove your SIM and memory card.

Get paid safely

• Meet in a busy public place in daylight, such as a shopping mall, and bring someone along for anything valuable.
• Let the buyer inspect and test the item before any money changes hands.
• Hand it over only once the money is in your account. Check your M-PESA balance or bank app yourself: an SMS can be faked and a screenshot proves nothing.
• If a buyer "sends too much" and asks for the difference back, or asks you to reverse a payment, stop and check your balance first. Both are common tricks.
• Keep the conversation in Shopi chat until the deal is done, so there's a record of what was agreed.

What sellers are asking for phones on Shopi right now

Live asking prices, not a valuation. Compare the same model and storage as yours.

• Blue iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB with BoxKES 142,000 · Ruiru
• Redmi 12CKES 12,000 · HH Towers
• Infinix Hot 50 5G blueKES 18,500 · Nairobi
• Silicone Suction Phone Mount Holder PadKES 700 · Naivasha Road
• Smartphone with Curved Display and Quad CameraKES 20,000 · Hall 2
• Smart phonesEldoret International Airport
• iphone 18 promaxKES 85,000 · Kisumu
• Xiaomi RedmKES 15,500 · Kisumu

Common questions