Except for Canadian carriers, all carriers lock Apple iPhone to their SIM cards. Here’s how you can check if your iPhone is carrier locked and unlock it.
May 07, 2020 Before buying a used iPhone, you'll want to check one of three different ways to know if your new or used iPhone is unlocked or not. You can check if the iPhone is unlocked in Settings, with the SIM card, or using an online resource. We’re going to go over each of those methods so you can easily check if your iPhone is unlocked or locked. Use Another SIM Card to Check if an iPhone is Unlocked. One of the best and easiest ways to know.
1. Check your Settings
Before you move onto other advanced methods, you go to your device’s Settings and check the unlock status of your device. This is not the most reliable method out there but it’s a good starting point.
Step 1 Open the Settings app, select Cellular Data.
Step 2 Ensure the Mobile Data Options option is present in this section.
If it’s not present, it means that your iPhone is SIM locked. If the “Mobile Data Options” text is visible, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that your iPhone is unlocked.
2. Insert a new SIM card
Changing SIM cards is a reliable method and lets you quickly find out the “SIM lock” status of your smartphone.
Step 1 Make a phone call with your smartphone and ensure everything works well.
Step 2 Press and hold the sleep button and turn off your iPhone.
Step 3 Use the stock SIM eject tool, open the SIM card holder, and remove the SIM card from the device.
Step 4 Insert a SIM card from a different mobile network operator. For example, if you are using a Verizon SIM, you have to remove it and insert another SIM from AT&T.
Step 5 Power up your iPhone and let it boot.
Step 6 Once the device boots up, ensure that the operator name is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen.
Step 7 Make a phone call again with your new SIM or network and ensure everything works as expected.
If your device accurately displays the carrier name in the status bar and the phone call completes successfully, your iPhone is in an unlocked state.
However, if your device throws the “Invalid SIM card” message, it is SIM locked to the original cellular company.
3. Contact Apple Support
If the aforementioned methods are too complicated for you, you can get in touch with Apple’s support team.
This method doesn’t have a high success rate, primarily because of some unscrupulous individuals who use it to gather sensitive data about a user.
Step 1 Get the IMEI of the device using 3uTools.
Step 2 Dial the number of the Apple support team.
Step 3 Talk to an Apple advisor.
Step 4 Tell the advisor that you have a used iPhone and would like to know if it is SIM locked or unlocked.
Step 5 Provide the IMEI number to the advisor wait for him or her to respond.
4. Use third-party services
Third-party websites like IMEI.info let you check whether your iPhone is unlocked or not. Note that this method is paid and requires you to have your IMEI number ready beforehand. IMEI.info charges $2.99 for a single IMEI check and you have to complete the payment via PayPal.
What to do if your iPhone is SIM locked?
If you find your iPhone is SIM locked or carrier locked, you have two options in front of you –
1)Stay on your current carrier
If you decide to stay with your current carrier, you can keep using its SIM on your smartphone. This method will not entail any expense but you will remain locked to a contract, and hence, your network’s pricing model.
2)Unlock your smartphone
If you want to switch to another wireless service provider, you have to unlock your device using a third-party SIM.
You can get your phone unlocked from a third-party service or do it yourself using Turbo SIM or R-SIM 12. There are lots of iPhone and iCloud unlock scams online – and it’s for that reason we recommend you stick to manual methods.
Related Articles
'How to check if my iPhone is unlocked or still locked to a carrier like AT&T? I would like to know whether my device is successfully unlocked and ready to be used without network restriction or not? How to tell if iPhone is unlocked?'
Why bother checking your iPhone is unlocked or locked? Thus, if iPhone is factory or carrier unlocked, you can use any SIM and enjoy all GSM service.
What if your iPhone is locked to a mobile carrier? You can only use the specific networks with your SIM cards but can't use all GSM service on your iOS phone.
(You may also need: unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes)
Therefore, it's important and necessary to check the unlock status of iPhone, especially before buying a new or pre-owned iPhone.
In addition, you should also check and make sure that your iPhone is not on the GSM Blacklist. Otherwise, it could result in troublesome after-sales problems.
(Besides, you should also check how to unlock iPhone backup if it is encrypted.)
Method 1: How Can I Check if iPhone is Unlocked with a Different SIM CardRecommend!!!
What's a Carrier Unlocked iPhone?
General speaking, a factory or carrier unlocked iPhone will a little bit expensive than a GSM locked iPhone. Most discount iPhone models basically have contract locks, so they'll ask you to sign a specific contract to protect the money in their pocket. Carrier Locked iPhone has manufacturer built-in technical restriction on GSM and CDMA handsets, which limit the use of these handsets in the network or in specific countries.
Therefore, be sure to check if your iPhone whether unlocked before you get a discount on the iPhone at a store or online.
For your convenience, here are some effective ways to tell if your iPhone is unlocked or still locked. Before you decide to buy a new iPhone X / 8/8 Plus or a second-hand iPhone 7 Plus / 6 Plus / 6s Plus, please read the following guidelines and check.
(Please know that Carrier unlock is different from unlocking iPhone without password.)
Compare 3 Check iPhone Unlock Status methods: (SIM card, iOS Settings, and IMEI Number)
1. Tell if iPhone is unlocked with two different SIM Cards
Accuracy: 100% Accurate
Weakness: This method does not tell you which network your iPhone is locked to.
2. Check the lock status of your iPhone with iOS Settings
Accuracy: 60% Accurate
Weakness: This method can give you a hint, but it is not an accurate way for you to check if your iPhone is unlocked.
3. Check if iPhone is Unlocked with IMEI Number
Accuracy: 100% Accurate
Weakness: This is the quickest and easiest way to check if your iPhone does not have a locked SIM card even if your iPhone is stolen or lost. And you can check it by using the IMEI number.
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Method 1: How Can I Check if iPhone is Unlocked with a Different SIM Card
This is a reliable way to check if the iPhone is unlocked using a SIM card. To check your iPhone's lock / unlock status, you must have two SIM cards from different carriers for this test. If you can use your iPhone with another SIM card from another provider, your iPhone is unlocked. In addition, you can purchase a new SIM card or buy it from your friends or family.
Follow these steps to check the locked/unlocked condition:
Step 1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until you see the 'Slide to power off' of the screen, then right swipe it to turn off your iPhone.
How To Check If IPhone Is Unlocked Or Locked In 3 Ways
Step 2. Using your SIM eject tool or a small tool like a paperclip, toothpick etc. to eject the current working SIM card.
Step 3. Remove the current SIM card and insert the other SIM carrier's card, then slide it back into the iPhone.
Step 4. Turn on your iPhone just like the step 1.
Step 5. Now you can see the name of the carrier on the top left corner to check if the new carrier SIM works on your iPhone.
Step 6. To test the condition, you can make a call to check if is unlocked. And if you see an 'Activation Code', 'SIM Unlock Code', or a similar error before calling/opening the app, then your iPhone is carrier-locked. If successfully, then it means that your iPhone is unlocked.
Method 2: Without Sim Card? How do I Know if iPhone is Unlocked with iOS Settings
This is a very practical and easy way to know if your iPhone is unlocked and you can go to the settings menu and find specific options. However, this is not suitable for all iPhone, but if you want to check, you can try this way first.
Tap Setting option on your iPhone, look for the Cellular Data option, and if you can see it, then it means that your iPhone is unlocked. If not, your iPhone is locked.
Method 3: Check if iPhone is Unlocked with IMEI Number
To real-time unlock progress monitoring, the use of IMEI numbers should be the quickest way. The IMEI number is your iDevice's unique serial number, which provides all the information about your iDevices. Through the IMEI Checker website, you can easily check the iPhone's lock status. But most reliable IMEI checker service is not free. It will charge a proper fee.
But you are also recommended to use your Carrier IMEI check sites, like AT&T IMEI Unlock Check and T-Mobile IMEI Unlock Check. It will be appreciated if you know any free IMEI Check site and leave a comment. Here is a 3-party IMEI number Checker website.
Step 1. Open IMEI Info's registration page and create an account. (You may need to fill out the following forms including The Login name, First name, Email address, Country, Verification code, Password etc.)
Step 2. After activating your account, it will take you to IMEI info's main page, then you can enter your IMEI number.
And to know your iPhone's IMEI number, you can open your iPhone's Settings, and tap General > About to scroll down to the 'IMEI' section, then you will see your iPhone's IMEI number.
Step 3. After entering and verifying your IMEI number, you can click Check Apple Phone Details. Then you will see one of the text as below:
How To Check If An IPhone Is Locked Or Unlocked - Macworld UK
Unlocked: false - Your iPhone is locked.
Unlocked: true - Your iPhone is unlocked.
How To Check Whether My Iphone Is Unlocked - Video Results
By the way, if you are considering transferring previous files from old phone to a new iPhone, you can use this Mobile Transfer to migrate data directly from phone to phone. In addition, transferring WhatsApp from Android to iPhone is also recommended. Moreover, you may also interested in the method to fix iPhone is disabled, connect to iTunes.
How To Know That My Iphone Is Unlocked
The Bottom Line
How To Check If Iphone Is Unlocked
To sum up, knowing if your iPhone is unlocked or locked is crucial because this can help you avoid unnecessary hassles after buying an iPhone, no matter a used iPhone/iPad or a new iPhone/iPad. This post has discussed 3 practical solutions to tell if your iPhone is unlocked or locked with simple steps. The easiest way is to use another SIM Card to test. In case you don't own another SIM card on a different network, we've also listed two useful way to check if iPhone is unlocked without SIM Card. Why not follow the step-by-step guide and check iPhone unlock status right now?