In the early days of smartphones, pretty much the only way to get one was by purchasing it through a wireless carrier or in conjunction with a wireless plan from a specific carrier. Generally, your iPhone would be "locked" to that carrier for your initial wireless contract — and often for the life of the phone, with no way to change wireless service providers. Show
In recent years, it has become simple and routine to purchase an iPhone unlocked — or to unlock it after purchase, which lets you use the phone with almost any wireless provider. Here's how to check to see if your iPhone is, in fact, unlocked. How to check if your iPhone is unlocked in Settings1. Start the Settings app and tap General. 2. Tap About. 3. Look for Carrier Lock. If it says No SIM restrictions, it's unlocked. The easiest way to check for an unlocked phone is to go to the About page in Settings. Dave JohnsonHow to check if your iPhone is unlocked with an IMEI lookupYou can also plug your iPhone's IMEI number into an online checker to see if your phone is unlocked. First, you'll need to find the IMEI number, and then you can use it online. 1. Start the Settings app and tap General. 2. Tap About. 3. Write down the Serial Number, IMEI, and IMEI2 (if there is one — you will only see this if you have an iPhone 11 or later). 4. In a web browser, go to IMEIcheck.com. 5. Enter the information you recorded from the iPhone's About screen and click Check. 6. In the pop-up window, you should see your phone's details, including the lock status. If you have your IMEI and serial number, you can go online to see if your phone is unlocked. Dave JohnsonHow to check if your iPhone is unlocked using your SIM cardIf for some reason the first two methods didn't definitively tell you if your phone is unlocked, you can use what you might consider a brute force method: You can simply insert a SIM card registered with another wireless carrier and see if it works. To do this, turn off your iPhone — in the Settings app, tap General and then tap Shut Down. Then remove the SIM card from your phone. Insert a working SIM card from another phone, turn on your iPhone, and attempt to place a call. If it works, your phone is unlocked. Then shut it down again and swap SIM cards back to their original devices. If you have another working SIM card on another network, insert it in your iPhone and see if it works. Steven John
Dave Johnson Freelance Writer Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider. Read more Read less
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement Add New Question
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement Video
Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Advertisement About This ArticleArticle SummaryX 1. Open Settings. Did this summary help you? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,850,485 times. Is this article up to date?Can I check if my iPhone is locked?In Settings, tap “General,” then select “About.” On the “About” screen, scroll down to the very bottom of the page and locate the “Carrier Lock” item. If you see “No Sim Restrictions,” then your iPhone is unlocked. If it says “SIM Locked” (or something similar), then your iPhone is locked to a particular carrier.
How can I check if my iPhone is unlocked for free?How to check if your iPhone is unlocked in Settings. Start the Settings app and tap General.. Tap About.. Look for Carrier Lock. If it says No SIM restrictions, it's unlocked.. Can you tell me if my phone is locked?The simplest way to definitively tell whether your phone is locked is to call your current carrier and ask. Though inconvenient, it's the most reliable way to determine the lock status of your phone. Here are the customer service phone numbers for all four major carriers: Verizon: 1-800-837-4966.
|