How to check if your phone is unlocked

If you are looking to switch to a different network or sell your phone, first you need to check whether your phone is carrier unlocked or not. We will show you how.

As you may know, if your phone is locked to a specific network, you can only use that network. Obviously, no one likes restrictions like these and we believe that everyone should be free to choose which network they want. 

But, in order to switch to a different carrier, your phone should be network unlocked. Is your phone unlocked? Well, in this post, we will show you how to check if your phone is unlocked.

How To Check If Your Android Phone Is Unlocked

The easiest and most economical way to find out if your phone is unlocked is to put a SIM card from other networks/carriers in it. Borrow a SIM card from a friend or family member, pop it in your phone and see if it works.

If it does, then you know your phone is unlocked. If it doesn’t, don't worry. You can easily unlock your phone within minutes. The process is simple, and you can find many guides online to help you with it.

Read More:How To Check Battery Health On Android

How To Check If Your Phone Is Unlocked With IMEI

In case a SIM Card isn't readily available, you can still check the carrier lock status using your device's IMEI number. There are a few websites that allow you to check if your phone is unlocked by just providing its IMEI number. However, these websites require you to pay a small fee (1-3 dollars) for their service.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Dial *#06# from your device. You'll see your IMEI number displayed on your screen. Take a note of it.
2. Now, navigate to http://www.imei.info/ and type in your IMEI number.
3. You will be presented with some basic information about your phone such as model, brand, IMEI, etc.
4. Under TOP CHECKS, you will find Carrier & Lock Status & FMI option - click on it.
5. Then, you will be asked to pay a fee of 2.99 USD. Once the payment is done, the website will present you with an information card with your Lock Status on it.

Read More:How To Check If Your Phone Has A Virus

How To Check If Your iPhone Is Unlocked

Certain iPhones are locked, while others are unlocked, so if you want to know which one you have, you can always follow the methods mentioned in the previous sections.

However, iOS offers a pretty straightforward way to check if your iPhone is unlocked. You can find it in just 3 taps - without any hassle of switching SIM cards or spending bucks on websites. Here is how:

1. First, open Settings.

1. Go to General > About.
2. Scroll to the bottom and look for Network Provider Lock. If the device is set to American English you'll need to look for Carrier Lock.
3. If it says No SIM restrictions, then your iPhone is unlocked and you're free to use any carrier.

How To Check If Your Samsung Phone Is Unlocked

For some select Samsung devices, dialling a special code will reveal if your phone is unlocked. Here is what you need to do.

1. Open your dial-up screen and dial the following code: *#7465625#
2. A dialog box will open with three items: Network Lock, Network Subset Lock and SP Lock.
3. Under the Network Lock option, if the status is [ON], then your Samsung smartphone is locked. If it is unlocked the status would show as [OFF].

Read More:How To Check If Samsung Phone Is Original

How To Check If Your Phone Is Unlocked Without SIM

If you do not have a SIM card at hand, you can find whether your phone is locked or not with your IMEI number, as mentioned in the previous section. It will cost you a dollar or two but it's a very simple process and gets you what you need.