How to Check If Your Phone Is Unlocked (iPhone & Android)

The quickest way to check if your phone is unlocked is to put in a SIM card from a different carrier and see whether it connects. On an iPhone you can also look in Settings for a line called Carrier Lock, which says “No SIM restrictions” when the phone is unlocked. Android phones vary, so the SIM test and a call to your carrier are the most reliable checks.

What “unlocked” actually means

A carrier-locked phone only works with SIM cards (or eSIMs) from the carrier that sold it, and sometimes that carrier’s partner brands. An unlocked phone accepts service from any compatible carrier. Being unlocked has nothing to do with your screen passcode, your Apple ID or your Google account.

It’s worth knowing before you switch carriers, sell or buy a used phone, or travel and want a local SIM or eSIM. Finding out at the counter that the phone rejects the new SIM is a hassle you can avoid with a two-minute check.

In Canada, the CRTC’s Wireless Code has required the providers it covers to sell new phones unlocked, and to unlock existing phones free of charge on request, since December 1, 2017. So a phone bought new from a Canadian provider since then is very likely unlocked. Older phones, and phones bought abroad or from a US carrier, can still be locked. Our post on unlocking your phone in Canada covers the rules in more detail.

How to check on an iPhone

Apple added a clear status line to Settings, so this is the easy one:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General, then About.
3. Scroll down to Carrier Lock.

If it says No SIM restrictions, the iPhone is unlocked. If it says SIM locked or anything else, it’s still tied to a carrier. If you don’t see the line at all, update iOS and look again, or use the SIM test below.

If you’ve just asked your carrier to unlock an iPhone, the status can take a little while to change. Restarting the phone, or inserting a SIM from another carrier, often helps it pick up the change.

How to check on an Android phone

Android phones come from many manufacturers, and the menus differ between brands, models and software versions. Some phones show a network lock status in Settings; many don’t. Here’s what to try:

• Search Settings. Open Settings, tap the search bar and try words like “unlock”, “network lock” or “SIM lock”. If your model has a status screen, this is the fastest way to find it.
• Check the network menu. In Settings, look at your mobile network or SIM options. On some locked phones you can only choose networks from the original carrier, but this isn’t a reliable test by itself.
• Ask the carrier. The carrier that sold the phone can tell you its lock status from the IMEI number. To find the IMEI on almost any phone, dial *#06# and it appears on screen.

Be careful with apps or websites promising to “check” or “unlock” any phone from its IMEI. The carrier is the only source that actually knows.

The SIM card test (works on any phone)

This is the most direct check for both iPhone and Android:

1. Borrow an active SIM card from a friend on a different carrier from yours. A SIM from a brand owned by the same company as your carrier may not prove anything.
2. Turn the phone off, swap the SIM in with the SIM tray tool (or a straightened paper clip), and turn it back on.
3. Wait a minute for it to find the network, then try a phone call to a number you know.

Signs it’s unlocked: the phone shows the new carrier’s name or signal bars, and calls go through.

Signs it’s locked: a prompt for a “SIM network unlock PIN”, or messages like “SIM not supported”, “SIM not valid” or “Invalid SIM”.

If your phone only uses eSIM, you can’t do a quick swap. In that case the Settings check (on iPhone) or asking your carrier is the way to go. Our guide to eSIM vs physical SIM in Canada explains the differences.

Don’t enter random codes when a phone asks for a network unlock PIN. On some phones, too many wrong attempts can make unlocking harder. Get the correct code from the carrier that locked it.

Carrier lock vs Activation Lock vs a blocked phone

These three get mixed up a lot, especially when buying a used phone on Granville Street or through an online listing:

• Carrier lock: the phone only accepts that carrier’s SIM. The carrier that sold it can remove the lock.
• Activation Lock (iPhone) or Factory Reset Protection (Android): the phone is still linked to the previous owner’s Apple ID or Google account. Only that owner can remove it, by signing out or removing the device from their account. It is not something a carrier unlock fixes.
• Blocked phone: a phone reported lost or stolen can be blocked from Canadian networks by its IMEI, even if it’s carrier-unlocked.

When buying used, ask the seller to show you the Carrier Lock line in Settings, sign out of their account and erase the phone in front of you, and test it with your own SIM before paying.

What to do if your phone is locked

1. Contact the carrier that sold it. For phones covered by the Wireless Code, Canadian providers must unlock them free on request. Have your account details and the IMEI ready.
2. If it came from outside Canada, the original carrier’s own unlock policy applies. Contact that carrier.
3. Confirm it worked by checking Settings again (iPhone) or trying another carrier’s SIM.

We only help with legitimate carrier unlocking. We can’t and won’t bypass Activation Lock, Factory Reset Protection, employer device management or blocked phones.

Get help at our Downtown Vancouver kiosk

Not sure what your phone is telling you? Bring it to MyChoice Mobile Repair, our kiosk in Downtown Vancouver on Granville Street, open every day from 9 AM to midnight. We can help you check its status, talk you through phone unlocking options for your model, and sort out a SIM card once it’s ready for a new carrier.

Call (236) 785-8300 to check your model, or ask for a quote online.