How Can I Tell If My Device Is Unlocked?

iOS Devices

If you’re an iOS user, you can easily unlock your iPhone. This feature only applies if you bought your device straight from Apple (either at full retail or through their iPhone Upgrade Program), through a third party (assuming the seller did not have a carrier agreement before purchasing), or through your carrier.

If you got your device from Apple directly, you had the choice to buy a model from a pre-selected carrier or purchase the phone outright with no carrier affiliation. If you choose the second option, your device is already unlocked, and you can use any SIM card and pick up a full signal on any carrier.

How to Check Locked/Unlocked Status on iPhone

1. On iOS 14 and above, open Settings,
2. Scroll down and tap on General, then select About.
3. If you see the No SIM Restrictions message next to Carrier Lock, then your iPhone is unlocked.

Android Devices

Android doesn’t have an option to check SIM restrictions in the settings as newer iPhones do.

How to Check Locked/Unlocked Status on Android

1. Access Settings from the drop-down menu or through your App Drawer.
2. Tap on Connections, Network & Internet, or other variations depending on brand and model.
3. Select Mobile network, Cellular network, or other variation depending on brand and model.
4. Tap on Advanced (if needed) and select Choose Network, Automatically select network, or another variant to open the list of carriers.
5. If several carriers appear, the chances are that your phone is unlocked and just needs the appropriate SIM card. 
6. Remove the old SIM card from your phone and insert the newly activated one from the other carrier. Try using mobile data to browse the internet but ensure that Wi-Fi is disabled.
7. If you successfully browsed the internet, your phone is definitely unlocked.

If you want to know if your phone is unlocked without having an activated SIM card for the new carrier, try borrowing someone else’s SIM card and see if you can make a call or browse the web.

Aside from inserting a valid SIM card, you can try calling the current carrier to confirm if your device is unlocked.