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Guide

How to Check If Your Old Phone Is Unlocked

A NextRange eSIM can only be added to a phone that's carrier-unlocked. A locked phone will only accept a SIM/eSIM from the carrier it's locked to. Checking this before you sign up saves a wasted setup attempt.

Why this matters

Phones sold directly by a carrier, or bought on an installment plan, are often locked to that carrier until the device is paid off (and sometimes need an explicit unlock request even after that). Phones bought at full price directly from the manufacturer are usually unlocked from the start. Since you're repurposing a phone that's been sitting unused for a while, it's worth confirming rather than assuming.

Checking on iPhone

  1. Go to Settings → General → About.
  2. Look for a line near the bottom about carrier lock status. "No SIM restrictions" means the phone is unlocked. If it instead names a specific carrier, it's locked to that carrier.
  3. If you want to double check with a second method: get the IMEI (Settings → General → About → IMEI, or dial *#06# from the Phone app) and check it with the original carrier. Most major carriers have a self-service unlock-eligibility tool if you give them the IMEI.

Checking on Android

Exact wording varies by manufacturer and Android version, but the unlock/network-lock status is generally found under Settings → About phone → Status information (sometimes under "SIM status" or "Network lock"). The most reliable universal method works on any phone, though:

  1. Get the phone's IMEI by dialing *#06# from the phone app (this works on virtually any phone, iOS or Android).
  2. Contact the carrier the phone was originally used with. Most major carriers can confirm unlock status or eligibility directly from the IMEI, either through customer service or a self-service portal.

The universal test (works on any phone)

If you have access to a SIM card from a different carrier than the one the phone was originally on, insert it and see what happens:

  • Connects and shows signal → the phone is unlocked.
  • Shows "SIM not supported," "Network locked," or asks for an unlock code → the phone is still locked.

If your phone is locked

Contact the original carrier and ask about unlocking it. Most carriers will unlock a phone for free once it meets their eligibility requirements: typically that the device is fully paid off, not reported lost or stolen, and has been active on their network for a minimum period. This is a request you make with the original carrier, not with NextRange. We can't unlock a phone that's tied to another carrier's account.

Unlock policies change with some regularity (Verizon significantly revised its own policy as recently as January 2026), so treat the summaries below as a starting point and confirm current requirements on the carrier's own page before assuming anything.

Verizon

Devices are unlocked automatically once fully paid off (full retail purchase or a completed device payment plan), paid through an eligible payment method. Verizon won't unlock a device flagged for fraud or reported lost/stolen. See Verizon's device unlocking policy and unlocking FAQs for current, exact requirements (prepaid devices follow a separate policy, covered on the prepaid unlock page).

AT&T

Requires the account to be in good standing with no past-due balance, the contract or installment plan completed (or paid off early, with another unlock request 24 hours later), and the device not active on another AT&T account. Submit a request directly at att.com/deviceunlock; you can check status at att.com/deviceunlock/status.

T-Mobile

Devices must not be reported lost, stolen, or blocked, and the account must be in good standing. Once eligible, T-Mobile unlocks the device automatically and remotely, typically within a couple of business days. Full current requirements are on T-Mobile's SIM unlock policy page, with step-by-step instructions at t-mobile.com/support/devices/unlock-your-mobile-wireless-device.

Other carriers

Prepaid and sub-brands (like Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, or Visible) generally follow their parent carrier's unlock policy: Cricket follows AT&T's rules, Metro follows T-Mobile's. If your phone came from a smaller regional carrier or MVNO not listed here, search for "[carrier name] device unlock policy" to find their official page directly, rather than a third-party unlocking service.

Once you've confirmed the phone is unlocked, head to the setup guide for your platform: iPhone, Android, or Samsung.