It is extremely important to know the iPhone Lock Status because it will determine if it can be used or not.
There are a few ways to check the Lock status, which should be the first thing to do BEFORE buying or trying to unlock an iPhone.
Is my iPhone Locked?
Everyday visitors ask me to help them unlock their iPhones and I am more than glad to do so. But what does it mean that an iPhone is locked?
All iPhones have a Lock status, but there are way too many Lock variations than the ones you expect.
From a user’s perspective, there are only two ”Locked or Unlocked”.
From an iPhone Unlocking Expert view, there are so much more.
So, what the real iPhone Lock Status when you see this message on your screen?
There are 3 ways to tell if an iPhone is locked
- Using two different SIM Cards
- Through iOS Settings
- An iPhone IMEI Check service (The best option in my opinion)
The iPhone IMEI Check Service explained
IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique 15 digit code for every iPhone.
All iPhone IMEIs are stored inside GSX and GSMA databases. The only ones with access to these servers are:
- Apple (and of course other cell phone Manufacturers)
- Cellular Networks
- Official third-party partners
So, a legitimate IMEI Check provider can spot an iPhone, using only the IMEI number and verify everything through a check report.
But what makes iPhone lock status really important?
Explaining IMEI Check results
A solid IMEI Checker will fetch all available info from GSMA & GSX databases and provide you with an accurate and up to date report which includes the following:
- SIM-Lock Status
- Locked or Unlocked status
- Network Identification
- Activated Network (Tether Policy)
- Current Network (Next Tether Policy)
- Blacklist / Financial Status
- CLEAN, Lost, Stolen, Fraud or Replaced
- Network Identification of Blacklisted IMEI number
- Financial Balance Status
- Contract Status
- Under or Out of Contract status
- Warranty status
- Under or Out of Contract status
- Warranty End date
- Find My iPhone & iCloud Status
- Find My iPhone status (ON or OFF)
- iCloud Status Identification (CLEAN or LOST)
- Replacement Status
- IMEI Replacement Check
- Serial Replacement Check
- Original IMEI/Serial
This is the overall iPhone Lock Status. Skipping one of those pieces of information never ends well.
iPhone Lock Status IMEI info detailed explanation
As you can see, an IMEI lookup brings many and complicated data but an iPhone Unlocking expert is able to “translate” them and explain you in simple terms what you can and cannot do with an iPhone.
iPhone SIM-Lock Status & Wireless Network Identification:
The report will inform you if an iPhone is SIM LOCKED or UNLOCKED.
If an iPhone is UNLOCKED, the “Next Tether Policy” (The network that is currently locked to) will appear as UNLOCKED or as other Policy which also means UNLOCKED.
If the SIM Lock is enabled then the network identification results will show you in which carrier an iPhone was firstly activated (What SIM-Card was initially used with that iPhone) and with which Carrier it is currently working (In which mobile network your iPhone is currently locked to).
But the SIM Lock Status is only a fraction of the overall iPhone Lock Status. Let’s continue.
Blacklist & Financial Status:
It will check all Blacklist Databases worldwide and determine
- If an iPhone’s IMEI number is inside them
- What is the reason for being there (stolen/lost/fraud/replaced/pending contract bills)
- Which Wireless Network Blacklisted the iPhone
- In which country
So, those Blacklists contain all IMEI numbers that have violated some specific Carrier’s rules and they are not allowed to operate inside the country that they were blacklisted.
Also, this service will inform you if an iPhone’s IMEI number has Outstanding Financial Balance or Unpaid Bills with a Mobile Network (another blacklisting reason).
Keep in mind, that a carrier will never agree to SIM Unlock a blacklisted iPhone. At least, not without iPhone unlocking experts help.
Contract Status:
The iPhone contract status check will fetch all the contract information. You will be able to determine if an IMEI number is still Under or Out of Contract with a Carrier, what kind of a contract it is and when it is expiring.
An Under Contract iPhone might cause you issues after a few months and get your iPhone blacklisted since the original owner still holds the right to report it as lost, stolen or just stops paying the monthly bills.
Warranty Status:
Similar to contract check it will show:
- If an iPhone Under or Out of Warranty
- What kind of warranty (Apple Warranty, AppleCare+, Insurance Plan)
- Warranty’s expiring date
Again, the previous owner can report the iPhone as stolen or lost and ask for a replacement. Then your iPhone will be flagged as Replaced and get blacklisted after a while.
Find My iPhone & iCloud Status:
One of the most crucial IMEI Checks is this one. The report will show you if Find My iPhone is ON or OFF and its iCloud status.
After all, the iCloud status is critical because in certain cases it is possible to remove iCloud Activation Lock.
Replacement Status:
Some iPhone repair shops (Not authorized by Apple), can remove the logic board from a Locked or Blacklisted iPhone, and replace it with a new CLEAN one.
Those devices are tracked down by Apple (Not instantly though) and they are being marked as Replaced.
The iPhone IMEI/Serial Replacement check will show you the Original & Current IMEI/Serial number of an iPhone. Also, it will identify the SIM Lock and Blacklist status of the Original IMEI number, since Apple will also add the same status to the new IMEI/Serial numbers.
This means that if an iPhone is Blacklisted and its IMEI/Serial number get replaced, the new IMEI/Serial number will also get blacklisted after a few days or weeks.
Check iPhone Lock Status before Unlocking
iPhone Unlocking is not an easy job, but a Lock status report simplifies the process.
An IMEI iPhone Lock Status report:
- Will tell which Network locks your iPhone
- If & why it is Blacklisted
- The contract, warranty and iCloud Status
PRO Tip: The next time you will buy a refurbished iPhone you can use an IMEI Checker and uncover the iPhone Lock Status BEFORE you purchase it.