How to Tell If Your iPhone Is Carrier Locked

Secret Codes app home screen with iPhone utility categories
See the app on the App Store: Secret Codes: IMEI & Carrier

Secret Codes: IMEI & Carrier app icon

A carrier-locked iPhone may work only with the network that originally sold it. This matters when buying a used phone, changing carriers, activating an eSIM, or traveling internationally. Here is the safest way to check the status and what to do when the result is unclear.

Check the iPhone settings

Open Settings > General > About and find Carrier Lock. If it says “No SIM restrictions,” the phone is generally unlocked. If it shows a restriction or does not show the expected information, contact the carrier that sold the device.

Carrier lock is not Activation Lock

Carrier Lock controls which mobile networks can accept the device. Activation Lock is connected to the previous owner's Apple Account. A phone can be unlocked by a carrier and still be unusable because Activation Lock has not been removed. The seller must erase the phone and remove their account before you pay.

Check compatibility before switching

An unlocked iPhone is not automatically compatible with every plan. Confirm the model, supported bands, eSIM support, and carrier policy. Ask the new carrier to check the IMEI before moving your number or deleting an existing eSIM.

Keep the important identifiers private

Carriers may ask for an IMEI, IMEI2, EID, or ICCID during support. Provide those identifiers through the carrier's official channel, not a public post or marketplace listing. A screenshot can expose more information than you intended.

Get the carrier checks in one place

Download Secret Codes: IMEI & Carrier for verified references covering carrier lock, SIM, eSIM, major US carriers, MVNOs, and related iPhone shortcuts. It prepares a code in Apple's Phone app but does not dial it automatically.

When the carrier must help

Contact the carrier for an unlock request, financed-device restriction, account issue, or compatibility decision. Do not use random online codes to bypass a lock. Official carrier support is the reliable path.

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