
What does it mean for an iPhone to be unlocked?
An iPhone is either lock ( connected to one mailman ) or unbarred ( absolve to use with any carrier wave ).
- When you buy one from a carrier, such as AT&T® or Verizon®, you are typically tied to them—the phone is locked—for the duration of your contract.
- When you buy a new iPhone from the Apple® store, it is unlocked by default.
- A used iPhone is unlocked if the person you are buying it from has finished their contract and paid in full.
How to tell if your phone is unlocked
here ’ s a promptly summation of the different ways you can find out whether or not your telephone is unlock to work on any network.
Check with your carrier
The most accurate way to find out if your earphone is unlock ( or to get it unbarred ) is to call your carrier. But the call might be time-consuming, and you will only be able to get data about your own device—not for a call you ‘re concerned in buying. You can besides visit your aircraft carrier ‘s web site for free ( here are links for AT & T and Verizon ) to check if your phone is unlock. You may need to enter your iPhone ‘s serial act ( Go to Settings > General > About and look for the Serial number ) arsenic well as the IMEI total .
Check if your phone is unlocked using IMEI
Every iPhone comes with a unique, 15-digit IMEI number. While SIM cards are typically linked with the user, the IMEI number is permanently connected to the device and can be used to check if it ‘s connected to a sealed network. An iPhone IMEI check is a great creature to prevent stolen devices from being activated and to see if you are unblock to use a previously-owned phone with your network of choice .
How to find your iPhone IMEI number
You ‘ll find the IMEI number printed inside the battery compartment of your iPhone, or you can access it more easily by entering * # 06 # on the computer keyboard .
Use an online IMEI checker
once you ‘ve found your IMEI issue, you can see if your iPhone is unlocked by plugging it into an on-line database. There are many of these sites available ( search “ on-line IMEI checker ” ) but most or all will take you to a paywall to find out the device ‘s SIMlock condition or carrier condition. These are the same thing : Both tell you if your iPhone is unlock.
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Check the settings
Another agile, easy way to find out if your iPhone is unlocked is by checking the Settings app .
- Open Settings.
- Tap General > About.
- Look for Carrier Lock. If it says No SIM restrictions, then your iPhone is unlocked. If it says SIM locked or anything else, it is probably locked.
If this does n’t work, or you want to double-check—occasionally your Settings can be inaccurate—try checking your SIM poster .
How to check your SIM card to see if your iPhone is unlocked
Checking your SIM card to find out if your iPhone is unbarred will require some plan. You ‘ll need to have a SIM card from two different carriers—but both have to be the same size. If you merely have one SIM menu, you ‘ll need to borrow one from a friend. Follow these steps :
- Turn off your iPhone: If your phone has a Home button, press and hold the Side button until the Power Off slider appears, then drag it off; if your phone has Face ID, press and hold the Volume Up button and Side button until the Power Off slider appears, then drag it off.
- Use a straightened paperclip to open the SIM card tray.
- Remove the SIM card. Caution: Do not touch the metal on the SIM card as it is very fragile.
- Place the other SIM card into the SIM card tray and gently push it back in place.
- Turn on your iPhone by pressing and holding the Side button.
- Place a call. If you get an error message, your iPhone is locked. If the call connects, your device is unlocked.
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