How to Check If Your iPhone or Android Phone Is Unlocked
Learn the quick iPhone check, the Android methods that actually work, what each result means, and how to get a locked phone unlocked before your trip.
Quick answer
On an iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then About, and read the Carrier Lock line: "No SIM restrictions" means the phone is unlocked, and any other message means you should contact your carrier. Android has no single universal setting, so use your carrier account, the lock-status screen some models show (including newer Samsung phones), or a SIM or eSIM from a different carrier. Check before buying a travel eSIM: a carrier-locked phone won't connect with another provider's SIM or eSIM, and getting it unlocked can take days.
What "carrier-locked" means, and why it matters abroad
A carrier lock (also called a SIM lock or network lock) is software that stops a phone working with any carrier except the one that sold it. Carriers use it on phones sold at a discount or on installments, until the phone is paid off or a set period has passed. The FCC notes that even full-price phones may be locked briefly to help prevent theft and fraud.
The part travelers miss: the lock covers eSIMs too, as the FCC's consumer guide spells out. A travel eSIM is just another provider's network on your phone, so a locked phone rejects it like any other carrier's SIM: the install can fail, or the eSIM can install and never connect.
It also blocks the setup most travelers want. Apple's Dual SIM guide says that to use two carriers at once, your carrier must unlock your iPhone unless both plans come from the same carrier, so a locked iPhone can't run your home line next to someone else's travel eSIM.
What a carrier lock doesn't block is your own carrier's international roaming, because that runs on your carrier's own SIM. That's your fallback if an unlock can't happen in time.
Four locks people confuse, and one thing that isn't a lock
"Locked" gets used for very different things, and only the first row is what this guide is about:
| What it's called | What it does | Who can remove it | Effect on a travel eSIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier lock (SIM lock, network lock) | Ties the phone to the carrier that sold it | Only that carrier | Blocks it |
| Activation Lock ("iPhone Locked to Owner") | Apple's anti-theft lock, tied to the owner's Apple Account via Find My | The owner, with their Apple Account password | Blocks the whole phone without that password |
| Screen lock (passcode, PIN or pattern) | Protects the data on your phone | You | None |
| SIM PIN | Stops a physical SIM card being used in another phone | You, with the PIN | Affects only the card it protects |
| No eSIM support | Not a lock: the model or regional version has no eSIM | Nobody; unlocking won't add it | No eSIM at all |
Apple's unlocking article notes that a forgotten passcode isn't a carrier problem at all. And never guess a SIM PIN: Apple warns that a wrong guess can permanently lock the SIM card. If your phone has no option to add an eSIM, check the exact model on our eSIM compatibility list before assuming it's a lock.
How to check if your iPhone is unlocked
This takes a few taps, and Apple's steps don't involve a SIM card:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General, then tap About.
- Scroll to the Carrier Lock line and read it.
If it says "No SIM restrictions", your iPhone is unlocked; that's the only result that means unlocked. AT&T's support guide shows "SIM locked" on an iPhone that is still locked, and for any other message Apple's advice is the same: contact your carrier.
Apple can't remove the lock for you: Apple's unlocking article says only your current carrier can, and that the carrier might take a few days. Once it's done, set up the new provider's eSIM, or swap in the new SIM card and let the phone activate.
A few details matter here:
- Missing Carrier Lock line: Apple's check applies to iOS 14 and later, so update iOS and look again.
- eSIM support: iPhones support eSIM from the XS and XR onward, with regional exceptions such as mainland China, where only a few recent models do.
Cellular iPads
Cellular iPads follow the same idea. The FCC notes that tablets can be locked too, and Apple's iPad guide says an iPad is subject to its carrier's policies, which may restrict switching providers. Apple's Carrier Lock instructions are written for iPhone, so if your iPad's About screen doesn't show that line, ask the carrier that sold it.
How to check if an Android phone is unlocked
Android has no single universal setting: what you can see depends on the brand, model and carrier. Use the check that matches your phone, and fall back on your carrier or the SIM test below.
Google Pixel
Google's Pixel help doesn't point to a Settings screen that shows lock status. It does explain what decides it: every Google Store phone ships unlocked, while a Pixel bought from a carrier could be SIM-locked for up to two years, until the seller removes the lock or the contract ends.
So the Pixel check is about where the phone came from. Bought from Google, you're set; bought from a carrier, check that carrier's account or app, or ask them.
If a new SIM still fails after your old carrier confirms the unlock, Google's help page has a short refresh procedure for exactly that case. Use Google's steps, not codes copied from other sites.
Samsung Galaxy
Samsung says it doesn't lock any of its devices to a particular network: a network lock comes from the carrier or retailer that originally sold the phone. Where the status shows up depends on the model:
- Newer Galaxy models: AT&T's unlock page says Samsung phones released after September 1, 2025 show Network lock status under Settings > Connections > More connection settings. T-Mobile's Galaxy phones keep a Network Unlock option in that same menu.
- Older Galaxy models: the same AT&T page has you read Settings > About phone > Software information > Service provider software version. On an AT&T phone, a value ending in ATT/ATT means you still need to request the unlock, while one that contains ATT but ends differently was already unlocked. For other carriers, Samsung's support page says the entry shows the sale code, network code and carrier ID, which help identify the carrier: a strong clue, not a verdict.
- Another carrier's SIM: if the phone asks for a network unlock code, the lock is almost certainly still on. Samsung says you have to request that code from the original provider or retailer.
Menu names vary between models and software versions. If you can't find these entries, search Settings for "lock" or go straight to your carrier.
Other Android phones
Motorola and other brands vary even more, so lean on the checks that work for every brand: your carrier account, the carrier's support team, or the SIM test. AT&T's online account, for example, shows "Device unlocked" in the device info.
Be wary of dialer codes and IMEI checkers
Search results are full of hidden dialer codes and free "IMEI unlock checker" sites, and neither is a reliable answer. The lock checks on Apple's and Samsung's support pages don't use dialer codes, and the one code on Google's Pixel unlocking page refreshes a SIM rather than checking for a lock. A third-party IMEI checker isn't your carrier's record of your phone.
There's a privacy cost, too: the IMEI is your phone's unique hardware ID, so don't hand it to sites you don't know. For an IMEI-based answer, ask the carrier that sold the phone.
The definitive test: a SIM or eSIM from another carrier
Settings screens can be missing, unclear or out of date. The test that settles it is service from a different carrier: if a working SIM from another provider connects, and you can make a call and load a web page, the phone isn't locked to your old carrier.
- Borrow an active SIM from someone on a different carrier, not another line on your own account.
- Turn the phone off, swap the SIM cards, and turn it back on.
- Turn Wi-Fi off, then make a short call and open a web page.
- Note any error message, then put your own SIM back.
A message that the SIM isn't supported, or a request for a network unlock code, means the phone is almost certainly locked. On an iPhone, Apple's wording is that the SIM "does not appear to be supported," and AT&T gives the same test for its prepaid phones.
Two cautions before you rely on this:
- US iPhones: models bought in the US since the iPhone 14 have no SIM tray, so a swap test would mean installing an eSIM. The Carrier Lock line is the simpler check.
- Paid travel eSIMs: don't use one as your test. If the phone is locked, you're left relying on the provider's refund or replacement terms, so do the free checks first.
A failed test isn't absolute proof, either. A SIM without an active plan, or a network your phone isn't built for, can fail for reasons that have nothing to do with a lock. If the phone shows as unlocked but a travel eSIM still won't activate later, work through our guide to eSIM activation errors on iPhone.
What your result means
Use this table to turn whatever you saw into a next step:
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier Lock says "No SIM restrictions" (iPhone) | Unlocked | Buy and install your travel eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi |
| Carrier Lock says "SIM locked" or anything else | Locked to a carrier | Check that carrier's eligibility rules and request the unlock |
| No Carrier Lock line on an iPhone | Probably an older iOS version | Update iOS and look again, or ask your carrier |
| Network lock status shows locked (Samsung) | Locked | Contact the carrier that sold the phone |
| Your carrier account says the device is unlocked | Unlocked in the carrier's records | Restart; if a new SIM still fails, follow the phone maker's post-unlock steps |
| Another carrier's SIM makes calls and loads pages | Unlocked | You're ready for a travel eSIM or a local SIM |
| "SIM not supported" or a network unlock code request | Almost certainly locked | Contact the carrier that sold the phone |
| "iPhone Locked to Owner" or a prompt for someone else's Apple Account | Activation Lock, not a carrier lock | Only the previous owner can remove it |
| No option to add an eSIM | No eSIM support, not a lock | Check the exact model; use a SIM card or another phone |
If your phone is locked: how unlocking works
Start with the good news: unlocking is legal in the US, under a 2014 federal law, and for an eligible phone it's normally free. The FCC's consumer guide to unlocking says carriers that follow the industry's CTIA Consumer Code, including all the nationwide carriers, don't charge current or former customers to unlock an eligible device.
The catch is eligibility, which each carrier sets. Verizon's rules changed in January 2026, when the FCC waived the rule requiring Verizon to unlock phones 60 days after activation, for phones activated from January 13, 2026; Verizon now unlocks postpaid phones once they're paid off. An older Verizon phone came under the 60-day rule, so check its status before assuming it's locked. Here's how each carrier's published policy read in 2026; confirm on the carrier's own page before you count on a date:
| Carrier | Postpaid phones | Prepaid phones | How the unlock happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Bought more than 60 days ago, paid in full, not reported lost or stolen, not active on another AT&T account, bill not past due | 12 months of paid AT&T service, not active on another AT&T account, not reported lost or stolen | Eligible Apple, Samsung and Google phones on an AT&T Wireless plan should unlock by themselves; otherwise submit an unlock request (non-customers can too) |
| T-Mobile | Sold by T-Mobile, active on its network for at least 40 days, financed or leased phones paid in full, account in good standing | 365 days since activation, or more than $100 in refills per line before that (and at least 14 days since purchase); no more than 2 unlocks per line in 12 months | Automatic and remote, within two business days, for eligible phones that support it; others get a notification with next steps |
| Verizon | Locked at purchase; unlocked automatically once bought at full retail price or the device financing balance is paid in full | Locked until 365 days of paid, active service, then unlocked automatically | Automatic, and Verizon says it never re-locks a phone; paying off with a Verizon gift card delays the unlock by 35 days |
Smaller carriers and prepaid brands set their own rules, and the FCC says carriers that follow the code post them on their websites. If you've already paid the phone off, check its status first, because many eligible phones on the big three now unlock automatically. Otherwise, contact the carrier with the phone's IMEI and your account details.
Outside the US
Rules vary by country, so start with the carrier or retailer that sold the phone. Some regulators go further than the US: the UK's Ofcom banned the sale of locked phones from December 2021, though older phones may still be locked. Samsung notes that some providers unlock free or for a small charge while others won't unlock at all, so ask early.
Do it at home, and check used phones twice
Unlock before you travel, not at the gate
Start the unlock weeks, not hours, before you fly. Apple says the carrier side can take a few days, and some rules involve waiting periods you can't shortcut: 40 days of service or 60 days after purchase, often a year on prepaid, or a 35-day hold after a gift-card payoff.
Once your phone shows as unlocked, buy and install the travel eSIM at home, where you have reliable Wi-Fi and time to fix mistakes. Our step-by-step eSIM installation guide covers both iPhone and Android.
If you find out the day before you fly
A last-minute unlock isn't guaranteed, so work through this in order:
- If you already meet your carrier's rules, request the unlock now; carriers that follow the industry code have agreed to act on it, or explain the delay, within two business days.
- On Verizon, paying off the device balance with a secure payment method can unlock the phone immediately, while a Verizon gift card delays it by 35 days.
- Hold off on buying the travel eSIM until the phone shows as unlocked.
- If it's still locked at departure, use your carrier's own roaming, which works on a locked phone, or a spare unlocked phone or portable hotspot.
Buying a used phone
A used phone can carry any of the locks above, so check before money changes hands:
- Carrier lock: the FCC tells shoppers to ask whether a phone is locked. On an iPhone, read the Carrier Lock line yourself too.
- Activation Lock: Apple says not to take a used iPhone or iPad that shows "iPhone Locked to Owner." A phone that's ready for you starts at the Hello screen; if setup asks for the previous owner's Apple Account, hand it back until they remove it.
- Unpaid balance or theft reports: carriers won't unlock a device that still has an unpaid installment balance or has been reported lost or stolen.
- The original carrier: T-Mobile unlocks only devices it sold, while AT&T accepts unlock requests from people who aren't its customers. Find out which carrier sold the phone before you buy.
An unlocked phone for travel: what it gets you
Unlocking doesn't mean leaving your carrier. It means you get to choose, trip by trip:
- A travel eSIM: data from a provider that sells plans for your destination, installed before you leave.
- A local SIM card: bought on arrival, if your phone still has a SIM tray.
- Both lines at once: your home number stays active for calls and texts while the travel eSIM handles data. Apple's Dual SIM guide lists adding a local data plan for travel among its uses, and our dual SIM travel setup guide walks through the settings.
- Your carrier's roaming: still there whenever it's the better deal, such as a very short trip or when you mainly need calls.
Be realistic about what unlocking fixes: it removes the carrier's software restriction, not differences in network technology. The FCC points out that carriers use different frequencies and technologies, and that some features may not work fully on another network, so check that your model supports eSIM and suits your destination's networks.
If you're buying a phone with travel in mind, buy one sold as unlocked.
FAQ
Does it cost money to unlock a phone?
Usually not, if the phone is eligible. Carriers that follow the CTIA Consumer Code, which the FCC says includes all the nationwide US carriers, don't charge current or former customers to unlock an eligible device. They may charge a reasonable fee to people who were never customers.
Can I check if my phone is unlocked with the IMEI?
Yes, through the carrier that sold the phone, which holds the record that counts. Third-party IMEI checker sites aren't that record, and the IMEI is a unique ID you shouldn't hand out casually. Find it under Settings > General > About on an iPhone, or Settings > About phone on Android.
How do I check if my phone is unlocked without a SIM card?
On an iPhone, Apple's check doesn't involve a SIM: read the Carrier Lock line under Settings > General > About. On Android, check your carrier account (AT&T's shows "Device unlocked" in the device info), ask your carrier, or use a lock-status screen if your model has one.
Will a travel eSIM work on a locked phone?
No. A carrier lock applies to eSIMs as well as physical SIM cards, so a phone locked to one carrier won't connect with a travel eSIM from another provider. Your own carrier's roaming isn't affected by the lock.
Are new phones sold unlocked?
Not necessarily in the US. The FCC says that unless a phone was specifically sold as unlocked, it is probably locked, whether it came from a carrier, a store or a third party. In the UK, Ofcom has banned mobile companies from selling locked phones since December 2021.
Is it legal to unlock my phone in the US?
Yes. The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act of 2014 lets owners unlock phones to move to another network. The normal route is to ask the carrier that locked it once you meet its eligibility rules.
Next step
Once the Carrier Lock line or your carrier confirms the phone is unlocked, pick your destination in our country directory and compare travel eSIM plans from 79 providers, with prices re-checked weekly. Install the eSIM at home, switch it on when you land, and keep your home line for calls and texts.