The cost of smartphones has skyrocketed in recent years. This, coupled with longer post-purchase support from smartphone makers, means people are now holding on to their aging smartphones longer than before. They aren’t upgrading to a new handset as often as they did in the past. This has also given rise to the used smartphone market. You can now easily sell your old smartphones and make some cash to buy a new one. Or if you don’t mind a bit of wear and tear, then you can buy a used smartphone and save some money.
Of course, you need to be very careful when buying a used smartphone. You’d want to check for physical damages, sales history, accessories, and several other things. Also, there are multiple ways of buying or selling a used smartphone. Some platforms let you put up an ad and sell your used phone directly to a buyer. Similarly, you can also buy a phone directly from the owner. There is no intermediary.
If you don’t want to negotiate with the buyer/seller, then some marketplaces buy used phones, refurbish them, and put them up for sale at a fixed price. So if you’re looking to buy/sell a used smartphone, we have compiled a list of the best Android apps to will help you with that. Go through the article below for detailed information on each app. You will find a brief description, Google Play rating and size, cost of in-app purchases, and screenshots or promo videos, as well as a Google Play Store download link for each app below.
Best Android Apps to Buy/Sell Used Smartphones 2023
Below is a quick overview of the best Android apps for buying or selling a used smartphone in 2023, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
Download Cost | In-app cost (per item) | |
Decluttr | ✕ | ✕ |
Swappa | ✕ | ✕ |
Craigslist | ✕ | ✕ |
Amazon Shopping | ✕ | ✕ |
Best Buy | ✕ | ✕ |
eBay | ✕ | ✕ |
Cashify | ✕ | ✕ |
✕ | $0.20 – $999.99 | |
EcoATM | ✕ | ✕ |
Best Android Apps to Buy/Sell Used Smartphones 2023 Downloads
Below is a little more information on each app, including a direct link for easy downloading.
All download links go to the app’s Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.
Decluttr
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 14MB
- Google Play rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Trusted by millions of people around the globe, Decluttr is one of the most popular apps when it comes to selling your old smartphones. Not just smartphones, you can sell or buy a variety of items on this app. These include CDs, DVDs, books, games and game consoles, legos, and, of course, smartphones.
Selling an item on Decluttr is pretty straightforward. Just provide the details or scan the barcode on an item with your device’s camera and enter a few details to get an instant offer price. Once you submit your order, Decluttr will send you a free shipping label. Stick it to your box and drop your items off at a nearby UPS location. Decluttr will pay you the very next day they receive the items.
The payment is made in cash, either through PayPal or direct bank deposit. That’s another advantage of selling on Decluttr as many platforms pay you in merchandise vouchers for their own site or some third-party retailers.
Swappa
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 9MB
- Google Play rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Swappa’s “No Junk, No Jerks” policy is what makes it a crowd favorite. It is a human-powered marketplace that offers excellent customer support and has clear quality guidelines in place. Whether you want to sell your old smartphone, tablet, laptop, or game console, you can always list your items for free.
Although Swappa does not physically verify the condition of a listed item, it does review the listings. All reviews are made by real persons to ensure that the IMEI of a phone is valid and can be activated, or the listed item has not been reported as stolen.
Listings on Swappa also include good-quality photos that clearly show any damage. Additionally, this app also lists the sale history of phones of the same type so you know what’s a fair price for any given item in the current market.
Swappa charges a convenience fee, which is usually less than $20, from the buyer. This encourages people to list their products on Swappa, thus adding to its inventory. Also, since payment is made via PayPal, buyers always have an easy way to get their money back if they are not satisfied with the condition of an item and should they opt to return it.
Craigslist
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 80MB
- Google Play rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Craigslist is a person-to-person selling platform. You list an item, someone interested in the item contacts you and you two mutually agree on a price. That’s about it. Craigslist has been around for almost three decades now and has wide availability all around the world. That makes it one of the most popular platforms to buy or sell used items. You can sell your old smartphone, furniture, car, clothes, and many other items.
Since you’ll be directly dealing with the buyer, you are likely to get the best prices for your items. However, this very thing can sometimes backfire as well. Having to connect with an unknown person in real life can be dangerous at times. Always choose public places and be cautious when meeting strangers. If you’re buying a used smartphone on Craigslist, ensure that its IMEI hasn’t been blocked for theft.
Amazon Shopping
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 74MB
- Google Play rating: 2.4 out of 5 stars
Amazon needs no introduction. This global e-commerce giant is a platform where you can buy pretty much everything from smartphones to clothes, furniture, and more. While people mostly buy brand-new items from Amazon, you can also find used, refurbished smartphones here.
The global availability of Amazon makes it one of the best platforms to buy used smartphones. Additionally, you’d find phones in every price range here. Whether you’re looking to buy an entry-level smartphone or a flagship, Amazon offers them all – both in new and used conditions.
Best Buy
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 131MB
- Google Play rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars
Refurbished phones are the safest bet when buying a used phone. These phones have gone through various functionality checks and cleanups to verify their condition. And there are not many better platforms to buy refurbished smartphones than Best Buy, another e-commerce biggie.
Best Buy’s huge inventory means you would find the exact smartphone you are looking for. Although you would be paying much more than buying directly from the owner through apps like Craiglist, you often get limited warranties and money-back guarantees with refurbished phones.
eBay
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 78MB
- Google Play rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
eBay is also a household name in the e-commerce space. And it is another reliable platform for buying used smartphones at great prices. It offers lots of selections with verifiable sellers and uses PayPal for payments. So you can rest assured that your money is safe. If there happens to be an issue with the device, you can always apply to get your money back. eBay will cancel the PayPal transaction and refund you.
eBay also boasts a robust filtering system. You can filter for price, color, size, and even carrier. Additionally, eBay charges sellers for their listings, so the price you see on the app is the price you pay for it. You may have to pay shipping charges depending on your location, though.
Cashify
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 21MB
- Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
India is the second-largest smartphone market in the world. It is also among the fastest-growing markets. No wonder India has a huge space for used smartphones as well. So if you live in India and are looking to sell your old smartphone at the best price without worrying about safety, Cashify is the app for you.
You have to simply enter your device’s details and confirm its condition. Cashify will run your device through an automatic diagnosis process and instantly make an offer for the phone. If you like the quoted price, you can select a date and time for pickup. The pickup agent will make the payment for your phone at the time of pickup. Payment is made through Internet Banking, Paytm Wallet Transfer, Amazon Voucher, or other modes.
You can also recycle your old, unusable smartphones through this app. Cashify has its services in more than 1,500 Indian cities and also lets you sell other electronic gadgets such as laptops, desktops, tablets, gaming consoles, earbuds, DSLR cameras, and TVs.
Facebook Marketplace
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.20 – $999.99
- Size: 70MB
- Google Play rating: 3.3 out of 5 stars
Another app in the list that needs no introduction. Facebook is one of the most widely used social networking apps. Among all the things, you can also sell used (or new) items on this app. Facebook calls it Marketplace and it works decently well for selling used smartphones as well.
Simply list your phone on the marketplace and interested people from nearby places will contact you. You can then negotiate the prices and arrange payment and shipping for the device. The Facebook Marketplace is ideal for buying or selling used smartphones or other items locally.
EcoATM
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars
EcoATM offers a convenient way of making some money out of your old smartphone. Simply enter the details of your device to get a price estimate. If you’re okay with it, you can then erase all the personal information from the device and drop it at one of the over 4,500 kiosks nationwide. No need to bother with the shipping process. Someone from EcoATM will then analyze the device before providing you with a final price.
Since EcoATM is all about sustainability and going green, your device may be accepted even if it’s severely damaged or unusable. It will be recycled. So you’re leaving a positive impact on the planet while making some money.