Today, you will learn how to find the Carrier from a second hand iPhone 5s, regardless from where you are planning to buy it OR if you already bought it.
Find if this second hand iPhone 5s is SIM-Locked or not.
Find which Carrier is locking it.
EXTRA: Find if it has other locks, such as Blacklist, Financial or iCloud.
The goal here is to be able to identify if a second hand iPhone 5s can work with your local carriers BEFORE buying it.
One more thing which is ideal for users that already bought a second hand iPhone, is that you will also learn if that iPhone’s locks can get UNLOCKED.
The IMEI number holds the Carrier info of a used iPhone 5s
I will not explain in detail anything about the IMEI number, but you can read more about what it is and how to locate it to the “iPhone’s IMEI number” article.
In short, the IMEI number is a unique number that all iPhones have.
It contains all available information that Apple and Mobile Networks should know.
That being said, the SIM-Lock and the Carrier name can be found from it.
How to find the Carrier from a second hand iPhone 5s with its IMEI number
The procedure is called “iPhone IMEI Unlock Check”, and the name is very straight forward.
By analyzing the IMEI number of an iPhone, this service is able to locate:
- SIM-Lock status of that IMEI number (Basically of that iPhone)
- Identify the Carrier that is locking it
- and much more
You might be asking: “How and from where this service gets all that information?”
Imagine a big Excel sheet which contains ALL iPhone’s IMEI numbers and their details.
Now, this Excel sheet “lives” to a Computer (Server) inside Apple’s headquarters.
So, the iPhone IMEI Unlock Check service, goes to that office, opens that computer and searches for a specific IMEI number.
Once it finds it, it copies all available info and sends it to you.
(Of course this is not how that happens – You can read about the GSX databases here)
Find the Carrier of a second hand iPhone 5s with IMEI Unlock Check service
Unfortunately, accessing this Excel Sheet (GSX database) is not for public use. This means that you or me as individuals, cannot take a look into it.
Apple “allows” certain companies to have access there, such as Mobile Networks and certified iPhone IMEI Check companies.
Mobile Networks are not allowed to share those information to the public, only to verified customers (Their customers) – But if you are a customer, you will already know the SIM-Lock and Carrier of your iPhone.
Certified iPhone IMEI Check companies will reveal that information to you, but not for free. The reason that this is a paid service, is because Apple charges every time someone do a search to their precious Excel Sheet!
We have already created a list with the Top 8 Online iPhone IMEI Checkers, with their Pros & Cons – Go ahead and check them out.
Extra info that only an IMEI Unlock Check provides
As our How to avoid 6 Lethal Risks of buying a used iPhone without wasting any time [2019] article explains in detail, an iPhone can have MANY locks.
An iPhone Checker, will also include the following:
- If this iPhone is reported as Lost or Stolen (Of Fraud)
- If this iPhone has Unpaid Contract Bills
- If it is still Under Contract or Warranty
- If it is iCloud Locked
I know that this is a lot of information to digest, but in order to find the Carrier of a second hand iPhone 5s (Or other model) you will have to order an iPhone IMEI Unlock Check service.