How do I check if a refurbished iPhone is unlocked?

Open Settings, tap General, then About, and look at the Carrier Lock row. If it says "No SIM restrictions", the iPhone is unlocked and works with any compatible carrier. If a carrier's name appears there instead, the phone only works with that carrier's SIMs. This is the check Apple gives in How to unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier, and it takes less than a minute.

How do I check Carrier Lock in Settings?

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap General, then tap About.
3. Find Carrier Lock. "No SIM restrictions" means the iPhone is unlocked.

Apple's advice for buying a preowned iPhone lists the same check, and adds that a carrier name in that row means the iPhone can be used only with that carrier. If the seller lets you see the phone before you pay, do it then.

Can I test it with another carrier's SIM?

Yes, if you have one. Put in a SIM from a different network than the one the phone came from. An unlocked iPhone activates on it, which is how Apple describes the switch once a carrier has lifted the lock.

A locked iPhone refuses the card instead. Apple's page quotes the alert you get: "The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported."

Can my carrier tell me?

Yes. Only the carrier the iPhone is locked to can unlock it, and Apple says plainly that it can't do this for you. Give the carrier the phone's IMEI, which you find in Settings > General > About or by dialling *#06#, and they can confirm the lock status. Apple notes that an unlock request can take a few days to go through.

Are refurbished iPhones from Apple unlocked?

Yes. On the Apple Refurbished Store, every iPhone listing ends in "(Unlocked)" in the US. The UK store labels them "SIM-Free", and the Canadian store uses both labels. In everyday use the two terms mean the same thing, as our page on unlocked vs SIM-free iPhones explains.

Other refurbishers sell both locked and unlocked phones. On RefurbMe, the Carrier filter lets you show unlocked iPhones only before you buy.

What if the iPhone turns out to be locked?

If the listing said unlocked and Carrier Lock shows a carrier name, contact the seller and ask for a replacement or refund under their return policy. If you bought a locked phone on purpose, ask that carrier to unlock it.

Carrier lock and blacklisting are separate problems. An unlocked iPhone can still be blocked from every network if it was reported lost or stolen, so run the IMEI through a blacklist check as well. Planning to travel with it? See whether an unlocked iPhone works overseas.