Find out whether a phone is locked to a carrier or factory unlocked before you buy it, sell it or put in a new SIM. Enter the 15-digit IMEI (dial *#06# on any phone) or the Apple serial number, and the checker returns the carrier lock / SIM-lock status, the model and the device details Apple holds for it in seconds.
The free check runs on the same supplier network as our paid Carrier Policy Report, so you get the live carrier answer, not a guess from an old database. Registered users get 2 free checks a day; no balance is needed.
Available for free today
What the result means: Locked, Unlocked, Unknown
- Locked
- The Carrier line names a network with a "Locked Policy" (for example "US Spectrum Mobile Locked Policy"): the phone accepts SIMs from that carrier only. You need a carrier unlock; see the AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket and Verizon unlock pages, or the catalog for UK and Canadian networks.
- Unlocked
- The Carrier line reads "Unlock.": the device is factory unlocked and any SIM from any carrier works. Nothing to do.
- Unknown
- The phone itself or a carrier tool reports "SIM lock status unknown" when there is no lock record on file, for example for a device that was never activated or a regional or prepaid carrier that is reported less consistently. The IMEI check reads the activation policy straight from Apple's records. If the Carrier line is missing from the report too, there is no record on file for that device.
iPhone vs Android. For iPhone and iPad the Carrier line is the Apple activation policy, the same record Apple applies when the phone is activated, so it is the definitive answer. Apple's records do not cover Samsung, Pixel or other Android phones: for those, the free GSMA blacklist check works with any IMEI, and the quickest SIM-lock test is a SIM card from another carrier.
How to find the IMEI and check SIM lock on iPhone and Android
- Dial *#06# on any phone and the IMEI appears on screen. On iPhone it is also under Settings → General → About, next to the serial number and the Carrier Lock line; on Android under Settings → About phone → Status. The IMEI is printed on the SIM tray of an iPhone and on the box label. Dual-SIM phones have two IMEIs; either one identifies the device.
- Paste the 15-digit IMEI, or the serial number of an Apple device, into the form above and press Check. The result comes back in seconds.
- Read the Carrier line: a network name with "Locked Policy" means locked, "Unlock." means factory unlocked, and the Sim-Lock line confirms it. The same report shows the model, warranty status and Find My (FMI).
Example result
A sample reply of the Carrier Policy Report [IMEI/SN] check, numbers masked:
Here the Carrier line says "US Spectrum Mobile Locked Policy": the phone is locked to Spectrum Mobile, and Sim-Lock: Locked confirms it. FMI ON means Find My iPhone is enabled, and the warranty line shows the device is out of coverage.
Free check vs paid reports
The free check is the same Carrier Policy Report [IMEI/SN] report that paying customers order; the only difference is the daily quota. When you need more checks than the free quota allows, or want to run them through the API, order the paid version from your balance. Its page shows the current price, and a rejected order is refunded automatically.
The Carrier Policy Report includes the Find My (FMI) line but not MDM; to see whether a device is enrolled in corporate management (MDM), order the MDM On/Off Status [IMEI/SN] check or the Full GSX report.
For Apple devices that need the full picture — purchase date and country, Sold By, applied activation policy, unlock date, warranty, Find My and MDM status — order the Full GSX report.
Lock status and blacklist are different things: a factory-unlocked phone can still be reported lost or stolen. The GSMA Blacklist Check is part of the free daily quota, and the GSMA Blacklist Worldwide Pro Check returns the blacklist status with the number of records on file. What the GSMA status means and what to do with a blacklisted phone is on the IMEI blacklist check page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SIM lock check really free?
Yes. After sign-in every account gets 2 free checks a day, no balance needed. The same Carrier Policy Report is also sold as a paid service for resellers who need more volume or API access; the current price is on its page. Carrier Policy Report [IMEI/SN] →
Does the check unlock the phone?
No. It is a report only: nothing is changed on the device. If the result says the phone is locked, you order a carrier unlock separately. IMEI unlock services →
Does it work for Samsung, Pixel and other Android phones?
The carrier and SIM-lock report reads the activation record Apple keeps for the device, so it is for iPhone and cellular iPad. For Android phones the free GSMA blacklist check accepts any IMEI, and the quickest SIM-lock test is a SIM card from another carrier: a locked phone shows a network-lock message instead of connecting. GSMA Blacklist Check →
What does "SIM lock status unknown" mean?
It means there is no lock record on file, not that the phone is unlocked. Common causes: the device was never activated, the policy belongs to a regional or prepaid carrier that is reported less consistently, or the checker relies on a carrier database rather than Apple's activation record. Run the IMEI check: the Carrier line shows the policy Apple holds for the device. If that line is missing from the report as well, there is no record on file, and a missing line is not a reason for a refund.
Can you check if the phone is blacklisted?
Yes. Lock status and blacklist are different things: a factory-unlocked phone can still be reported lost or stolen. Use the GSMA Blacklist Check, which is also part of the free daily quota, or the Worldwide Pro check for the number of records on file. GSMA Blacklist Worldwide Pro Check →
The phone is locked. What next?
Pick the unlock service for the carrier named in the Carrier line. AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket and Verizon each have a page that lists their services, requirements and the official unlock route; UK and Canadian networks have their own services in the catalog. Orders are processed automatically and a rejected order is refunded to your balance. AT&T unlock · T-Mobile & Metro unlock · Cricket unlock · Verizon unlock · All IMEI unlock services
Need another check? The paid IMEI and serial-number checks are listed with their prices on the IMEI check page; unlocks are in the IMEI services catalog.