Carrier lock check: is it SIM-locked?
Enter the IMEI to identify the phone and build its verification report, starting with carrier lock and US carrier eligibility. You get an online result where a provider is connected, or the 30-second check on the phone itself.
- Free, no sign-up
- Model lookup runs in your browser
- A source on every line
Check it on the phone
iPhone
Open Settings → General → About and find Carrier Lock. Apple says “No SIM restrictions” means the iPhone is unlocked. Anything else, such as “SIM locked”, means only one carrier’s SIM will work.
Android (Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi, Motorola…)
Put in a SIM card from a different carrier and restart. If you see “SIM not supported”, “SIM network unlock PIN” or have no service, the phone is locked. If calls and mobile data work, it accepts that carrier.
US carrier eligibility
Before buying a phone to use in the US, enter its IMEI in your carrier’s “bring your own device” checker, such as Verizon or AT&T. It flags phones with unpaid balances that the carrier will not activate.
Questions
Is carrier-locked the same as blacklisted?
No. A carrier lock (SIM lock) means the phone only accepts SIM cards from one carrier until that carrier unlocks it. A blacklist entry blocks the IMEI on networks after a loss, theft or fraud report. A phone can be unlocked but blacklisted, or locked but clean. The report checks them separately.
What is “carrier eligibility”?
US carriers can refuse to activate a phone that still has an unpaid balance or a financing agreement with them, even if it is not reported stolen. Eligibility checks (T-Mobile, Verizon and others) show whether a carrier will accept the IMEI.
How do I get a phone unlocked?
Only the carrier it is locked to can unlock it, usually once it is paid off and has been active for a minimum period. Paid “unlock code” services that are not the carrier are not a reliable route.
Does the IMEI show which carrier sold the phone?
Not by itself. Some licensed providers can report the carrier lock policy from carrier or manufacturer records. When an online check is connected, the report shows the carrier name if the provider returns one.