Easily check if your smartphone is carrier-locked
Are you switching carriers or giving away your old phone? If so, you'll need to check if your phone is unlocked first. While you can't unlock your phone by yourself, it only takes a quick call to your carrier. Here's how to know if your phone is unlocked using your iPhone or Android.
Confirming an iPhone or Android is Unlocked
- On iPhones, go to Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock . If you see No SIM restrictions, your phone is unlocked.
- On Android, go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Network operators . If multiple carriers appear, your phone is unlocked.
- To unlock your phone, contact your current carrier. The request should be granted within a few days.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
Using an iPhone
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Open the settings app. This is the grey cog icon.
- If your phone is unlocked, you'll be able to use it with different carriers. [1] X Research source
- You can also contact your current carrier to confirm if your iPhone is unlocked .
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Tap General . You may need to scroll down to find this option.Advertisement
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Tap About . This is at the top of the page.
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Find "Carrier Lock". This is towards the bottom of the page, underneath your EID number.
- If you see No SIM restrictions , your phone is unlocked.
- If you don't see this message, your phone is locked. You'll need to contact your carrier to unlock your phone.
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Section 2 of 3:
Using an Android
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Open the settings app. This is the grey cog icon.
- You can also contact your current carrier to confirm if your phone is unlocked.
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Tap Connections . You can find this underneath your account name.
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Tap Mobile networks . This is towards the middle of the page.
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Tap Network operators . This is at the bottom of the page.
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Toggle off "Select automatically". The switch will turn grey.
- A list of networks will appear underneath the toggle.
- If you see multiple networks, your phone is unlocked.
- If you see only one network, your phone is locked to that carrier.
- A list of networks will appear underneath the toggle.
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Use a SIM card (optional). If you don't see the options above, you can try using a SIM card from a different carrier. Turn off your phone, insert the new SIM card , and then turn your phone on again.
- If you see the new network in the top-right corner and you can make calls, your phone is unlocked.
- If you see Invalid SIM card or you're unable to make calls, your phone is locked. You'll need to contact your carrier to unlock your phone.
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