Is My Phone Unlocked? Here’s How To Know – iPhone and Android

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One of the most important things to know about your phone is whether it’s unlocked or not. If it is, you have to option to switch carriers and potentially lower the cost of your cell phone bill. If your phone is not unlocked, you may be able to do it easily.

In this article, I’ll show you how to tell whether your iPhone or Android phone is unlocked. And if it’s not, I’ll show you how to unlock it.

Is My Phone Unlocked? Here Are the Easiest Ways To Tell

1. Check Your Settings

iPhone

To tell if your iPhone is unlocked, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data. If you see Cellular Data Network, then your phone is probably unlocked. While this method is the easiest, it’s not foolproof.

iPhone settings to unlock your phone

Android

There are a lot of different Android phones out there, so there are many different Settings configurations. But in general, you can go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Operators and tap Search Now to see if the names of other carriers come up. If multiple carrier names show up, your phone might be unlocked. This method works a lot of the time but is not always 100% accurate.

Android settings to unlock your phone

2. Switch SIM Cards

Another way to determine whether your phone is unlocked is by inserting a SIM card from another carrier and seeing if you can make a call. If your call successfully connects, then your phone is unlocked and should work with other SIM cards.

3. Contact Your Carrier

Call the customer service number of your carrier to ask whether your phone is unlocked. Here are the phone numbers for some well-known wireless carriers:

What If My Phone Is Locked?

If you find out that your phone is locked, fear not. See the steps below to learn how to unlock your phone.

I personally went through the steps to unlock my phone with T-Mobile, but I’ve also researched how to unlock phones bought from AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

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How To Unlock Your Phone on These Major Carriers

Table of Contents:

Many carriers now sell phones advertised as unlocked. Others have simple steps you can follow to unlock your phone, including special rules for deployed military personnel.

Please note that all of the carriers have similar eligibility requirements that they use to decide whether to unlock your phone or not. Here’s the gist: if the phone you want to unlock has been reported lost, stolen or involved in fraudulent activity, none of the major carriers will unlock it. You also can’t have a past-due balance on the device.

Before you request that your phone be unlocked, you need to have some basic information handy including:

  • Your phone number
  • Basic account information (name, password, etc.)
  • Your phone’s IMEI number

Using that information, here’s how to unlock your phone on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint.

How To Unlock Your AT&T Phone

How to unlock an AT&T phone

AT&T allows you to submit an unlock request for your phone. But note that the company says on its website, “The wireless number assigned to the device must be active for at least 60 days. Wait 48 hours after you make your final payment to submit your unlock request.”

If your phone meets the requirements and your unlock request is approved, you’ll get an email with information on how to unlock your device and insert the new carrier’s SIM card.

Some of AT&T’s requirements to unlock your phone include:

  • You can’t have a past-due balance.
  • You need to have your company’s permission if it’s a business phone.
  • The phone can’t be active on another AT&T account.

Check out AT&T’s full eligibility requirements.

How To Unlock Your T-Mobile Phone

How to unlock a T-Mobile phone

T-Mobile has made it easier to unlock your mobile phone. The company may even send you a notification letting you know that your device is unlocked, but not always.

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For T-Mobile to unlock your phone:

  • Your account must be in good standing.
  • The device must be sold by T-Mobile.
  • Your phone must meet the unlocking requirements for prepaid or postpaid devices.

Check out T-Mobile’s full eligibility requirements.

For iPhones: T-Mobile allows you to request an unlock code by logging into your account and contacting Customer Care online or by calling 1-800-937-8997 or 611 from a T-Mobile phone. There is a T-Mobile Device Unlock App for Google Pixel phones, but the app is not available for iPhones or other Android phones, as of June 2023.

For Android phones: Log into your T-Mobile account and select your phone line on the Accounts page. Once you select Check device unlock status to see whether your phone is locked or unlocked.

If it is eligible to be unlocked, swipe up on your home screen to open your apps list and from there you’ll need to follow the steps laid out by your manufacturer. Here are some steps from T-Mobile to unlock select Android phone models:

  • Samsung: Settings Connections More Connection Settings > Network Unlock
  • OnePlus: Settings Wi-Fi & internet > SIM & network, then choose Advanced or Network Unlock
  • LG: Settings Network & internet > Mobile networks > Network unlock > Continue
  • Motorola: Settings About phone > Device unlock > Continue
  • T-Mobile REVVLRY: Settings Network & Internet > Mobile network > Advanced Network Unlock
  • TCL: Settings System > About phone > Device Unlock

T-Mobile’s device unlock policy says, “Once a device becomes eligible for unlocking, T-Mobile will automatically and remotely unlock the device within two business days if the device supports remote unlock.”

The carrier goes on to say that for those devices that it can’t remotely unlock, “T-Mobile will send a notification to the device within two business days of it becoming eligible, with next steps to complete the unlock process.”

How To Unlock Your Verizon Phone

How to unlock a Verizon phone

Verizon’s unlocking policy lists different rules for postpaid and prepaid devices.

Unlocking Rules for Postpaid Verizon Phones:

  • Verizon says on its website that if you buy the phone from it, the device will be locked for 60 days after purchase. If bought from a Verizon partner, the device will be locked for 60 days after activation. After that, Verizon will automatically remove the lock.

Unlocking Rules for Prepaid Verizon Phones:

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  • If you buy a prepaid phone from Verizon, as well as certain devices from its retail partners, it will be locked for 60 days after activation. Then the lock is automatically removed.

If you purchased a 4G Phone-in-a-Box from one of Verizon’s authorized retailers, the carrier says, “You should review the back of the box to determine the lock period applicable to that device.”

How To Unlock Your Sprint Phone

How to unlock a Sprint phone

Because Sprint merged with T-Mobile a few years back, the process of unlocking your Sprint phone is the same as it is with T-Mobile, according to a T-Mobile representative that I live-chatted with in January 2024.

T-Mobile chat with representative.

Screenshot via T-Mobile live chat

If you follow the steps above for T-Mobile, they should work for Sprint as well, according to the company.

Final Thoughts

If you choose to contact your carrier to request that your phone be unlocked, note that the process could take up to 72 hours. To make sure that the process is successful, you may want to reach out to your carrier to confirm (like I did).

T-Mobile unlocked phone confirmation message

Thinking about bringing an unlocked device to a new cell phone service provider? Make sure to read up on how to avoid a major mistake when switching cell phone service.

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