Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Today WikiHow teaches you how to determine if your mobile phone is locked to a specific carrier. If so, you should use another carrier's SIM card.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: General Methods

1. 

   Enter your phone name with the keywords "unlock", "unlock" or "unlock" into the search engine. You will know what most people did in this case. You can also search by phone model number (eg "Samsung Galaxy S6" instead of just "Samsung Galaxy") to narrow down your search.
   • In Vietnam, most genuine distributed Android phones have been unlocked by default.

2. 

   
   
   Look for the "Cellular Data Network" option in Settings or Settings. For iPhone, after opening Settings, tap Cellular (good Mobile Data - Mobile Data) near the top of the menu, click next Cellular Data Options (or Mobile Data Options) near the top of the page, where, if there is an option with the heading "Cellular Data Network" (or "Mobile Data Network") on the page, the iPhone is probably unlocked.
   • The "Carrier" option just below the "Cellular" section of the Settings menu also shows that this is an unlocked iPhone.

3. 

   
   
   Enter the IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity) into the IMEI inspection service. Some carriers offer a service on a website to determine if your phone has been unlocked. You can view your IMEI number by:
   • IPhone phones - Open Settings, click General (General), click About, and look for the "IMEI" entry. The 15-digit number listed here is the IMEI of the device.
   • Android phone - Open Settings, scroll down and tap About device, click Status, and look for the "IMEI" entry. The 15-digit number listed here is the IMEI of the device.
   • Most phones - Command dial *#060# on Phone or Phone app to display IMEI number.

4. 

   
   
   Call your carrier and have them confirm phone status. If you still can't determine if your phone is unlocked through searching and checking IMEI number, just call your carrier and give them account information. The operator will determine for you that your phone is unlocked, not unlocked or eligible to be unlocked. advertisement

Method 2 of 2: Use a different carrier's SIM card

1. 

   Buy or borrow a SIM card from another carrier. If you can successfully call out with another carrier's SIM card, your phone is unlocked, but otherwise it is network locked and you need to talk to your carrier about unlocking.
   • Before buying a new SIM, you should find out what kind of SIM your phone uses. You can look up the phone's manual, or search for the model on the internet.

2. 

   Power off the phone. While the process differs depending on the type of phone, it is usually necessary to press and hold the power button, then press the confirm button or swipe the switch to power off the phone.

3. 

   Identify the SIM slot. If your phone has a back cover, you need to remove the back cover first. Most of the time, you should research in your phone's manual or search the internet for SIM slot locations if you haven't already.
   • On an iPhone, the SIM slot is either located on the right edge of the chassis (iPhone 4 and up), or located at the top of the case.
   • For Android phones, the SIM slot location is different, but in general you should look on the side of the case or below the phone's battery.

4. 

   Remove the SIM card. For some phones, just pull out the SIM card; But for other phones (iPhones for example), you have to use a SIM pick-up tool or a straightened paper clip to insert it into the small hole next to the SIM slot.

5. 

   Insert the SIM card in the tray. You must look at the location of the old SIM card to make sure you insert the new SIM in the correct orientation.

6. 

   Turn the phone back on by pressing and holding the power button.

7. 

   Try making a call. Again, the process differs depending on the phone: open the phone's call application, dial the number and press the "dial" or "call" button. If the call succeeds, the phone is unlocked and capable of receiving any hardware-supported SIM cards from other carriers.
   • If you cannot call and you are sure that the number you are calling is valid, it means your phone is network locked.
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Advice

• The process of checking the unlock status of an iPhone is generally easier than verifying the unlock status of Android.
• Without a removable SIM card, your phone cannot be unlocked.
• Services that check IMEI numbers are often incorrect about iPhone lock (iPhone network lock) compared to an unlocked iPhone.

Warning

• Be wary of any websites or apps that pay money to unlock your phone.