How many photos should a used phone listing have?

About nine: front on and off, back, edges, close-ups of damage, the settings screen showing model and storage, battery health, and the accessories included.

Should I photograph scratches?

Yes. Showing them attracts buyers who have already accepted them, and it prevents the doorstep renegotiation that costs more than the scratch ever would.

Is it safe to show the IMEI in a listing?

Mask the last four digits. A partial IMEI reassures buyers without publishing the full identifier.

Does using flash help?

No. Flash hides fine scratches and produces glare that makes buyers suspicious. Use daylight near a window.

What should the first line of a used phone listing say?

Model, storage variant, purchase date and whether bill and box exist. Those four facts answer the first messages you would otherwise receive one at a time.

Selling guides

Photographing a phone so it actually sells

Good listing photos do not hide flaws. They remove the buyer's reason to assume worse ones.

By the sellyourphone.in teamUpdated 24 May 20265 min read

Illustration of a phone being photographed for a listing

The nine shots

Front, screen on, showing the home screen — proves the display works.
Front, screen off, angled to light — shows scratches honestly.
Back, straight on.
All four edges, one photo each or two composite shots.
Close-up of any damage, in focus.
Settings screen showing model and storage.
Battery health screen.
IMEI screen, last four digits masked.
The box, bill, charger and anything else included.

How to light them

Daylight near a window, never direct sun and never flash.
A plain matte surface — a wooden table or a sheet of paper. Not a bed.
Wipe the phone first; fingerprints read as scratches in photos.
Hold the camera parallel to the phone for straight-on shots, then tilt deliberately for the scratch shot.
Shoot in landscape for the listing thumbnail if the platform crops to 16:9.

Why photographing damage helps you

A listing with no visible flaws invites two responses: buyers assume the flaws are hidden, or they arrive expecting perfection and renegotiate the moment they see a scuff. Both cost you money.

A listing that shows the scuff, names it in the description and prices accordingly attracts buyers who have already accepted it. The final price is higher and the meeting is shorter, which is worth more than the theoretical premium you lost.

Photograph the flaw and you sell once. Hide it and you negotiate twice.

What to write next to them

Model, storage variant, age, battery health, what is included, and one line naming any damage. Then the price and whether it is negotiable. That is the whole listing — anything longer is read by nobody.

If you are also getting a buyback quote as a floor, mention that you have one. It signals you know the number and shortens the haggling. See negotiating a used phone price.

Writing the listing around the photos

Photos get a buyer to open the listing; the first two lines decide whether they message you. Those lines should carry the four facts a buyer needs before anything else: model, storage variant, age and condition in one sentence each.

iPhone 13, 128GB, bought March 2024, bill and box available. Screen flawless, small scuff on the bottom-left corner shown in photo 5. Battery health 89%.

That is a complete listing. It answers the questions that otherwise arrive as five separate messages, and it filters out the buyers who were never going to pay your price.

Put the storage variant in the title. Listings without it get half the messages asking for it.
Name the damage in words as well as pictures — buyers scan text faster than images.
State whether the price is negotiable. "Fixed price" saves both sides a conversation.
Do not write a paragraph about why you are selling. Nobody has ever paid more because of it.

Frequently asked questions

How many photos should a used phone listing have?: About nine: front on and off, back, edges, close-ups of damage, the settings screen showing model and storage, battery health, and the accessories included.
Should I photograph scratches?: Yes. Showing them attracts buyers who have already accepted them, and it prevents the doorstep renegotiation that costs more than the scratch ever would.
Is it safe to show the IMEI in a listing?: Mask the last four digits. A partial IMEI reassures buyers without publishing the full identifier.
Does using flash help?: No. Flash hides fine scratches and produces glare that makes buyers suspicious. Use daylight near a window.
What should the first line of a used phone listing say?: Model, storage variant, purchase date and whether bill and box exist. Those four facts answer the first messages you would otherwise receive one at a time.