IMEI Check
How to Check Whether an iPhone Is Carrier-Locked
A five-minute procedure to find out which carrier an iPhone is locked to, before you buy an unlock service — or before you buy the phone at all.
Last reviewed 2026-10-26
There are two ways to ask whether an iPhone is unlocked. The first is to put a foreign SIM in it and see what happens — free, but only usable if you already have the phone. The second is to look up the IMEI, which works before you buy and tells you the carrier name as well.
This guide covers the second method, what each field means, and the decisions that follow from it.
What the report tells you
- Lock status: “Unlocked”, “Locked”, or a specific carrier activation policy.
- Carrier: the network the device is currently tied to — this is what you need to order a matching unlock.
- Model, colour and storage: catches devices sold as one model but actually another.
- The next activation policy (Next Tether): useful for resellers tracking devices that were re-locked or originally came from a different carrier.
Reading the result
- 1If the report says Unlocked, stop — you do not need to buy an unlock. If the phone still refuses a SIM, the blocker is a blacklist or activation lock, so run those checks next.
- 2If it says Locked and names a carrier (e.g. “AT&T”), pick the unlock service for that carrier and that device generation.
- 3If it says Locked but the carrier name is missing or generic, use the initial-carrier + next-tether service to resolve the policy before ordering an unlock.
- 4If the report shows a coverage or maintenance window error, retry outside provider maintenance hours (Apple and some carriers run overnight maintenance windows).
Important
Never trust a screenshot of “Settings → Carrier Lock: No SIM restrictions” from a seller. Screenshots are trivially edited — always re-check the IMEI yourself.Common statuses you will see
- Available for unlock: the carrier will release it, order the standard unlock.
- Past due / financed: needs a premium or past-due unlock service.
- Blacklisted: a theft or finance report exists; an unlock will not remove it.
- iCloud ON: the device is bound to an Apple ID; this is not a carrier problem at all.
- FMI ON / MDM ON: supervised or activation-locked by a business or school profile.
Services used in this guide
These are the exact catalogue entries this guide refers to. Prices and turnaround are live.
Open the catalogueFrequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Does removing the SIM prove the phone is unlocked?
No. Removing the SIM only proves the phone boots. Insert a SIM from another carrier, or read the IMEI report for the activation policy.
Can I check an IMEI before I meet the seller?
Yes — that is the main reason to use an IMEI check service. Ask the seller for a photo of Settings → General → About so the IMEI is not mistyped.
What is Next Tether?
The next activation policy Apple would apply to the device. On used devices it reveals whether the phone was originally from another carrier or was re-locked after a previous unlock.
Related guides
US AT&T
AT&T iPhone Carrier Unlock by IMEI
AT&T iPhones stay locked to AT&T until the line is paid off and active for 60 days. Here is how to read the AT&T lock status of an iPhone, which AT&T policy your device falls under, and which IMEI unlock service matches it.
Sprint legacy
Sprint Legacy iPhone Unlock
Sprint devices no longer resolve as a separate carrier — they go through T-Mobile while keeping Sprint-era flags. Older iPhone generations have their own listings.
Xfinity / Spectrum
Xfinity Mobile & Spectrum Unlock
Comcast and Charter devices follow their own pay-off and active-period rules, and each has generation-split listings. This page covers both.
GSMA blacklist
GSMA Blacklist Check: Buying a Used Phone Safely
A GSMA blacklist entry is the difference between a working phone and a device that loses signal anywhere in the world. Here is what the flag means, how it is raised, and whether it can be removed.
UK / Europe carriers
UK, Ireland & Europe Carrier Unlock (O2, EE, Vodafone, A1, Magenta)
European carrier unlocks are mostly free through the operator, which means a device that is still locked is usually financed, blacklisted or from a sub-brand. This guide covers UK, Ireland, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, France and Romania.