Having denied access to your phone’s apps and necessary files can be a very frustrating problem in this civilized era where our smartphones play so many vital roles in our lives both financially, socially and otherwise. You probably had just changed your smartphone ( bought a new one, or a fairly used on contract terms with a mobile phone company etc) and somehow cannot get a sim card handy to allow you quick access to your phones menu.
Asides having a sim card there is the possibility that your phone is locked temporarily as a result of outstanding debt yet to be cleared by the original owner and is automatically released when he or she has finished paying the contract etc – this is a common issue on iPhones. This article will show you how you can check if your phone is unlocked or locked to be certain.
iPhones
- Visit the Settings menu: You will have access to this in most cases.
- On your Home screen, tap the icon that displays to open the Settings menu.
- Tap Cellular Data – it is usually situated next to a green icon and sometimes referred to as “Mobile Data” for phones outside the US.
Note: If you can find this option, it is a good indication that your iPhone is most likely unlocked “No SIM restrictions” will be displayed and the opposite might be the reason you can’t.
To “unlock”, your iPhone you will need to unlock by contacting the carrier it is locked to, or by using a third-party.
Still on “settings”
- Press to find General > About.
- Look for an option called “Carrier Lock”
- Find Out if Contacting Carrier unlocks your iPhone
To do this go to Apple’s support site and get the list of all the operators available in your region. To find out which carrier can be unlocked, you will see an ‘unlock’ feature just below their name. This means that the carrier can be unlocked from your iPhone.
Alternatively, contact customer service agents directly, now that you’ve successfully identified your problem it’s easier to get it solved – call to make an unlock request. The customer care contact numbers of each provider can be found via their sites. Once your application has been successfully submitted, you may need to wait 3-5 business days for your iPhone to be unlocked.
Androids
- Open the Settings menu, swipe down from top and tap the icon that resembles a gear in the upper-right corner.
Alternatively, you can open your Apps menu and tap the icon that looks like a Gear.
- Tap on Connections or “Network & Internet” or something similar varying with devices model and version you use.
- Tap Network Operators > most usually is the last option in the Networks menu. It displays options for connecting to a different mobile network.
- Tap Search Now >This will scan for different mobile networks you can connect to. If it displays more than one network, your phone is most likely unlocked. If it only displays one network, your phone is most likely locked to that network.
- If your phone is locked, similarly to the iPhone procedure you will need to unlock your phone by contacting the carrier it is locked to, or by using a third-party.
- You can contact customer service agents directly, now that you’ve successfully identified your problem it’s easier to get it solved – call to make an unlock request. The customer care contact numbers of each provider can be found via their sites. Once your application has been successfully submitted, you may need to wait a few days for your android phone to be unlocked.
Another option is by Using an IMEI checker
To use this Dial *#06#. This will display your phone’s IMEI number on-screen. You won’t have the need to hit the send button. The information will pop up automatically as soon as you are done typing the digits. Unfortunately, this does not work on Verizon phones.
Also, you can find your IMEI number by opening the Settings menu > tap on About, About Phone or something similar.
Write down the IMEI number dispalyed – it is a unique number used to identify your own mobile device. Mobile carriers and third-party companies can use your IMEI number to check if your phone is locked or unlocked or if it’s been blacklisted after being reported lost or stolen.
Warning: There is no guarantee that the information these websites display is correct or that they can tell you if your phone is unlocked or not. You should do some homework by checking the reviews for a website to help you decide how authentic before using their service. Especially if you are asked to pay a fee. The safest way to check your phone's lock status is to contact the carrier it is locked to
