Unlock an Apple Phone — IMEI Checks, Carrier Unlocks and Codes

Apple handsets are locked by the carrier that sold them or by a code derived from the IMEI. This page lists the 90 models our device register recognises, explains how Apple locks a handset, and links the checks and unlocks that apply to it.

How Apple devices are locked

iPhone, iPad and Watch are never locked with a code. Apple holds an activation policy against the IMEI that names the carrier the device may activate on, and the unlock is a change to that policy. Everything else — restoring, changing SIM, resetting network settings — re-reads the same record.

The practical consequence is the same for every family: the phone works, and it refuses to activate on a SIM from another network until the record against the IMEI changes. Wi-Fi keeps working, so the device looks healthy right up to the moment the new SIM goes in.

Apple models in the register

Apple services

What to check first

Guides that apply to Apple

Model names and TAC counts come from the GSMA TAC register we query for /tac. Last updated 2026-10-28.