Is My Phone Unlocked? Carrier Lock Check
Read the carrier lock on any IMEI, see the waiting period each US carrier publishes, and learn the one test that settles it on the phone.
Is this phone carrier locked? Check free
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Two kinds of "locked" that people mix up
A carrier lock (also called a SIM lock or network lock) ties the phone to one network. It is a setting held on the carrier's side and on the phone, and it ends when the carrier releases it. A blacklist or account lock is something else: the phone is blocked or tied to someone's account whatever SIM you use. This page is about the first kind. The second is covered in the blacklist check and the iCloud lock page.
Mixing them up costs people money. A phone that just needs a carrier unlock is a fine buy at a fair price. A phone that is blacklisted is not a buy at any price.
When each US carrier releases the lock
These are the waiting periods published on the carrier pages of this site. They are the carriers' general rules; your own account decides the final answer, and a rule can change, so confirm with the carrier before you plan around it.
| Carrier | The lock can be released when | Our page |
|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile | the device is paid off and has been active on T-Mobile for at least 40 days | T-Mobile |
| Metro by T-Mobile | 365 days have passed since the phone was activated | Metro |
| AT&T | the device is paid off and has been active for at least 60 days | AT&T |
| Verizon | 60 days have passed since purchase; most postpaid phones then unlock by themselves | Verizon |
| Visible | the phone has had 60 days of active service | Visible |
| Xfinity Mobile | the device is paid off and 60 days have passed | Xfinity Mobile |
| UScellular | the device is paid off and has had 120 days of service | UScellular |
| Cricket Wireless | the phone has had 6 months of active service | Cricket |
| TracFone, Straight Talk, Mint Mobile | the phone has had 12 months of active service | TracFone, Straight Talk, Mint |
| Boost Mobile | 12 months of service or the contract terms are met | Boost |
How to tell on the phone itself
Do these in order; stop at the first one that settles it.
- iPhone: Settings, General, About, then read the Carrier Lock line. "No SIM restrictions" means unlocked. "SIM locked" means it is tied to a carrier.
- Samsung and most Android: there is no single menu that says it. Settings, Connections, Mobile networks sometimes shows a lock notice, but the reliable method is the next step.
- Any phone: power off, put in a SIM from a different carrier, power on and place a call. Calls work: unlocked. "SIM not supported" or a prompt for a code: locked.
- Before you buy: ask the seller to do the SIM swap in front of you, then run the IMEI above for the blacklist state.
What this lookup adds that a SIM test does not
A SIM swap tells you what the phone does now. The IMEI lookup also names the model and shows the blacklist answer, which no SIM swap can. A seller who says "it is unlocked" and a result that reads "locked to T-Mobile" cannot both be right, and the result page flags that mismatch when you tell it what the seller claimed.
If the lock belongs to a carrier whose account is not the seller's, the rule above does not help you: only the account holder can ask for the release. Price the phone as locked, or pass.
Questions people ask
How do I know if my phone is unlocked without a SIM from another carrier?
Run the IMEI above: for phones on T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile the lookup reads the carrier lock directly. For other carriers the dependable test is a SIM from a different network. If it gets signal and you can make a call, the phone is unlocked; if you are asked for an unlock code or see "SIM not supported", it is locked.
Can an iPhone say "No SIM restrictions" and still be locked?
Rarely, but it happens with phones sold on a financing plan that was then reported unpaid, or with a carrier-installed profile on a business phone. On iPhone, Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock reads "No SIM restrictions" for an unlocked phone. Treat that line as strong evidence and a foreign SIM as proof.
How long until my carrier will unlock it?
It depends on the carrier and your account. The table above lists the published waiting period for the US carriers we cover. We cannot see your account, so the table says when the rule is met, not whether you meet it.
Is a "factory unlocked" phone the same as a carrier-unlocked one?
Mostly the same for your purposes: both accept any carrier. The difference is history. A factory-unlocked phone never had a lock; a carrier-unlocked one had its lock removed, and on some models that is recorded against the IMEI. Either is fine to buy if the blacklist check is clean.
Does unlocking cost money?
From your own carrier, when you meet its rule, it is free in the United States. Unlock sellers who charge for a phone that qualifies are charging for a form you could fill in yourself. A paid unlock is only worth considering when the carrier refuses and the account is not yours.