You can know if your iPhone 11 is original by running its serial number on the Apple Check Coverage website. An original iPhone has a valid purchase date, while a fake never does.
If you want to learn what to look for in order to spot fake Apple iPhone 11 devices, then you sure are in the right place.
Whether you are a fan of the Apple iPhone series or you want to buy an Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max, you should know how to authenticate one of these.
We are going to sort out the information in our guide in a few steps. With every step, we will link real vs fake Apple iPhone 11 images.
This guide works for all models: iPhone 11, Pro, and Pro Max.
In this guide, we are going to cover 11 ways on how to authenticate Apple iPhone 11.
How to spot a fake iPhone in 2024
You can spot a fake iPhone by typing the serial number (Settings > General > About > Serial Number) on Apple’s Check Coverage website. Fakes never have a valid purchase date, while authentic iPhones always do.
Let’s go more into detail!
1. Serial number
This step works for any iPhone: 11, 12, 13, 14 and others.
Notice a “Valid Purchase Date” — that’s what makes your iPhone legit.
Above, we can see that this iPhone 11 Pro Max is indeed authentic thanks to its valid purchase date and the other details, as well as its product ID code matching the physical product
1.4. Fake results
The fake iPhone 11 didn’t show up any results.
Apple’s website won’t tell you directly that your item is counterfeit — they ask you to properly introduce the serial number.
Since we’ve introduced the serial number properly and no results showed up, it is now 100% a fake iPhone.
Finding it too hard? Reach out to our Apple experts:
2. Warranty
What we will check for this step is how the inscriptions are positioned, and what their font looks like.
To get here:
Open your iPhone.
Go to Settings > General > About.
The fake item does not provide any warranty information.
Of course, there are authentic phones that don’t have that section, since not all of the products have the “Limited Warranty” anymore.
So, don’t worry if your device does not have a “Limited Warranty” section in “About”.
Fake iPhones will never have a warranty section.
The fake Apple device doesn’t show you the “Applications” section, as it is missing.
While the real iPhone says “Available” (memory), the fake iPhone says “Usable Content” — that’s always a sign of a fake
Hence, the fake Apple iPhone 11 does not use the right inscription that indicates the device’s free memory.
On the lower side, the fake iPhone 11 device has its EID section missing.
Back to the real Apple iPhone 11, you can see how its EID section is there, indicating the device’s unique code.
3. Cameras
The fake iPhone 11 Pro Max has cameras with three white outlines.
The authentic cameras have a black outline. Keep in mind that they are never white on a real iPhone!
4. Lock screen
The fake device has its text using a totally different font from the real deal.
The fake Apple iPhone 11 has its time and date inscriptions looking too thin.
The replica iPhone 11 has its WiFi & Battery symbols really small, as they are too far away from the top of the screen.
On the fake item, the career/SIM text is placed too much on the left side of the screen.
The same “NO SIM CARD” is placed too low when looking from the top.
The fake “NO SIM CARD” text is too thin on the fake phone, while on the real deal, it is thicker.
A quick mention:
The steps we’ve written so far are the BEST ways to authenticate this item
The next few steps are still reliable methods…
… but they apply to non-top-versions of replicas available for this item
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
At the base of every replica iPhone, there is the Android system that is masked to look like an iOS device.
Even with this mask, you can see how some of the details slip, such as the time’s print, which on the fake item highlighted above, it does not use the right font.
6. Lock screen buttons
The three buttons are misplaced.
The flashlight button is placed too high from the bottom of the fake iPhone’s screen.
The white bar that helps you open and close apps is too high on the fake.
The genuine Apple iPhone 11 device has the same line placed lower, as it is closer to the bottom edge of the screen.
The fake Camera button is placed too high from the bottom side.
7. Display
All of the genuine Apple iPhone 11 devices will always have their screen/display at the same sizes, without any inch/centimetre in plus or minus.
The fake iPhone 11 has a thicker border, as it covers up too much of the space where the display should be at.
The fake iPhone’s display is actually crooked because it leans to the left side of the phone.
The fake item has its black case covering too much of the display at the bottom. As the case goes up, it starts covering less and less, going back to the normal size.
To re-cap:
Original iPhones always have the same dimensions for their display and for the case.
Sometimes, fake phones have their case badly proportioned, either covering too much or too little of the phone.
8. App icons (GUI)
Remember what we previously discussed about the iOS being impossible to replicate, and how the fake iPhones are basically Android devices?
If so, then you are going to probably laugh at this step.
This only happens only to low-quality fakes of the iPhone 11.
Looking at the Facebook, Messenger and at the YouTube icons, you can see how the fake item has the Android-looking icons, as they have this sort of grey patch beneath them.
The authentic icons are designed the same as on the rest of the Apple devices.
Major flaw: The fake iPhone 11 has the Google Play Store. You can’t download this app on a real iPhone!
So, if you ever see the Google Play Store on an iPhone, you are 100% looking at a replica mobile phone.
9. Rear case
The fake device has its patch with the cameras coming out of the case too much.
On the other hand, the legitimate Apple iPhone 11 device has its patch with the cameras fit deeper into the case, not coming out of it as much as the fake phone’s patch.
10. Bottom
The iPhone clone has its two screws next to the lightning port placed too far away from the port.
The speakers are too small and narrow on the fake iPhone, and on the authentic device, they are bigger and wider.
11. Box
The fake phone has its cameras with the white outline of which we spoke about at the third step of the guide.
On the authentic items box as well, you can notice how there is supposed not to be any white outline, as the legitimate outlines of the cameras are black on the box as well.
Shortlist: How to know if an iPhone 11 is fake
Check the serial number of your Apple iPhone 11 on Apple’s website. The authentic items should be registered and their serial numbers should show results in Apple’s database
Verify the details in the “About” section on your Apple iPhone 11 device. Most of the fake items use the wrong inscriptions and miss some of the inscriptions that can be found on the legit pieces
Analyze the cameras on the rear side of your phone. The fake Apple iPhone 11 phones commonly have a white outline for their cameras, while the authentic iPhones always have their outlines in black
Verify the font used for the text on the lock screen of your phone. The fake iPhone 11 devices commonly have their font too thin
Check the font on the top-left side of your screen (once the phone is unlocked), because most of the fake phones have their current time inscription’s font too thin, looking like on the Android devices
Brief the three buttons at the bottom side of the lock screen on your phone. The replica Apple iPhone 11 devices have their buttons placed too far away from the bottom edge of the screen
Examine the case on the edges of your screen and make sure it has the right shape and size so that the display’s area wouldn’t be covered by the case or vice-versa
Have a look at the icons on the apps of your phone. If you ever see the Google Play Store icon on your iPhone, then you are 100% looking at a fake phone
Verify the patch with the cameras on the rear side of your phone. The replica Apple iPhone 11 devices commonly have their patch too thick, as it uses to come out of the case too much on the fake pieces
Check the charging port and the speakers at the bottom of your phone. Most of the fake iPhone 11s have their screws near the charging port placed too far away from it, as well as the speakers looking too small
Look at the box of your iPhone. Mostly, the replica iPhone 11s will have their cameras outlined in white instead of being in black
This guide is for when you don’t have enough time to look at the detailed real vs fake iPhone comparison.
Hence, whenever you’ve got trouble telling a fake iPhone, refer back to this list. The bolded text is the short way to tell a fake, and the continuation is a more detailed comparison.
Expert iPhone authentication service
If you’ve gone through this manual and still find yourself uncertain about the authenticity of your iPhone 11, the Legit Check App provides an authentication service to alleviate your doubts.
Whether you lack confidence in following this guide or are constrained by time, you can easily send us high-quality images of your Apple iPhone 11.
We’ll respond with the results within 24 to 48 hours, accompanied by a report explaining our assessment of whether your iPhone 11 is genuine or counterfeit.
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About the Author
David is the co-founder and co-CEO of Legit Check By Ch. David's experience: 5+ years of creating educational content in the fashion industry. 6+ years of authenticating luxury items. Currently, David is the Head Editor of the LCBC Library, where 1,000,000+ words have been published, in free guides, for over 1,000 items.
