How To Check Which Network Iphone Is Locked To

Many iPhones are locked to a specific network. Unlocked iPhones can be used on any network, and are therefore worth more money. Here's how to check which one you've got

Some iPhones are locked, some are unlocked, and it's important to know which sort you've got. An unlocked iPhone can be used on any network, while a locked handset is tied to just one.

The iPhones you pay full price for (typically from the Apple Store) are unlocked by default. But an iPhone bought from a network, usually as part of an ongoing network plan, will be locked. This is normally for a set period (24 months is common), and the monthly fee you pay covers part of the cost of the device - which is why you can't simply stop paying halfway through and walk away with the handset.

It's not possible to tell, just by looking at the iPhone, whether it's locked or unlocked: Apple does not allow other phone companies to brand iPhones. (You don't get Three- or EE-branded iPhones, for example.) To confuse matters even further, some phones are locked when sold, but are unlocked at a later date when the owner finishes paying off the contract.

But don't worry. It's relatively easy to find out if your iPhone is locked or unlocked, using either the Settings app or a SIM card, and in this article we're going to show you how.

How to check if an iPhone is unlocked in Settings

The simplest method of checking if an iPhone is locked or unlocked is to check in the Settings app.

Open Settings.
Tap Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options. (If the device is set to American English you'll need to tap Cellular > Cellular Data instead.)
Check for an option named Mobile Data Network (or Cellular Data Network).
If you see an option for Mobile Data Network, your iPhone is most likely unlocked. This option should not appear on locked iPhones.

How to tell if an iPhone is locked or unlocked: Settings

This method is not 100 per cent effective, however, and we get the impression that it has become less accurate since the launch of iOS 13. If you need to know for sure - if you're buying a second-hand iPhone, for example, and want to know if you're paying a fair price - you should use a SIM card to check if it's unlocked. We'll walk through that method next.

How to check if an iPhone is unlocked using a SIM card

For this method it's best to have two SIM cards, from different networks. Follow these steps to check that the iPhone is unlocked:

Make a phone call using the current SIM card. Make sure it connects.
Power off the iPhone. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and use the Slide to Power Off option to switch off the iPhone.
Use the SIM-card ejector tool (or a paper clip) to eject the SIM card from the iPhone.
Insert your new SIM card.
Press the Sleep/Wake button to wake up the iPhone.
Make a phone call. Check that the iPhone can connect a call using the new SIM card.

If the phone call does not connect with the new SIM card, the iPhone is locked.

How to tell if an iPhone is locked or unlocked: Slide to power off

You can sometimes get a carrier to unlock an iPhone by calling them, or use a third-party unlocking service such as Doctor SIM. For more on that, see How to unlock an iPhone.

Contact your carrier

It's not such a quick solution - it may take a while for the carrier to get back to you - but if you need to know for sure then it may be worth getting in touch with the network provider you've signed up to and seeing if they can help. Many carriers can check for you if you provide a handset's IMEI.

There are independent IMEI checking services too, but these services would always charge a fee for this (the legitimate ones would, at any rate). Your carrier may well offer the service for free. It can't hurt to ask, anyway.

Use an online IMEI checker

You know how to find your IMEI, right? Once you've got that code, you can go to one of the many IMEI-checking tools online and find out if the handset it's assigned to is locked or unlocked. The problem is that most of these services ask for a payment (although generally just a few quid).

There are free services too: you could try IMEI24.com, which appears legit and has been recommended by others. We must stress, however, that we don't know the company and cannot vouch for its services - other than to say that we've tried it, it returned a bunch of information that was correct (about age and type of device, when it was purchased, how long the warranty had to run and similar) and... it couldn't in the end tell us whether our iOS 13-based iPhone 11 Pro was locked or not. If you'd paid for the service this would be profoundly annoying.

How to check if an iPhone is locked or unlocked: IMEI checker