How to Know if Your Phone is Truly Unlocked – Know Your Phone

It is always good to own an unlocked smartphone and every consumer nowadays prefers it. On one hand, though phones that are being bought in recent times come with the unlocked tag, it is better to check if it is really unlocked. On the other hand if you are using an older phone and not sure about its compatibility, you need to check whether it is usable across services and countries. This article will give you a detailed answer to your questions about locked and unlocked phones.

Why unlocked phones are better.

Unlocked phones give the freedom to change carriers easily and if the user wants to take the phone outside the country there is no problem with carriers. If a buyer gets a phone with a contract or lease combined with a carrier, he/she has to wait until the payment for the device is paid off fully. The phone will get unlocked automatically once the full amount is paid and this is not a good deal for people who want to change carriers.

While buying mobile phones online, it is good to choose a phone which has the locked or Unlocked status mentioned clearly. Because, we don’t want to get stuck with a carrier which we don’t fancy. Phones that are bought directly from stores can be checked and choosing unlocked phones are not an issue. It’s better to double check, because not all phones that are shipped come unlocked. Find the ways to check if your phone is unlocked below.

Is your phone Unlocked?

There are various ways to find out if your phone is open to use different carriers in different countries. Let’s look at them one by one.

• If you are an iPhone user who bought the phone by paying for it fully or through a carrier either on a contract or monthly payment plan, it is very easy to check the carrier lock status. In iOS 14, open Settings and tap on “General” to get into “About”. Scroll down and find what’s given next to “Carrier lock.

• Another simple way to check if your phone is carrier-locked is by changing the SIM. Power down your phone and replace the existing SIM with another which is of a different carrier. Turn on the phone and make calls or use mobile data, if you are able to make calls using another SIM then your phone is definitely unlocked
• Android users can try the SIM replacing technique and if you are not able to find another SIM, no worries. Enter the IMEI code in the carrier’s website and check the lock status. If this doesn’t work you can always call the customer service of your carrier to find whether your phone is locked or unlocked.

What if the phone is locked?

As mentioned earlier, if you had bought your phone under contract or using a monthly installment plan, the only way to get your phone unlocked is by paying out the whole amount. Otherwise, it is as easy as calling your carrier’s customer care to unlock your phone. This lock, Unlock problem must be kept in mind before we purchase a phone every time. While buying a phone from a third party, have the phone unlocked before payment so that you don’t have to go through different processes. Visiting the carrier or mobile store is also not a bad option to unlock your phone, because experts are always there to guide you through the process. The unlocking process might take a maximum of 7 days from the day you filed the request and you will receive an email once your phone is unlocked.