How to Check If iPhone Is Unlocked with or Without SIM Card

Even when you don’t have a spare SIM card in your hand, you can still check if your iPhone is carrier-locked or not. In fact, there are multiple ways to find out the current carrier status. Next, we’ll show you exactly how to check if your iPhone is unlocked without a SIM card. And whether the phone is brand new or second-hand, old or recent, U.S. model or international, these methods work.

And if it turns out that your iPhone is SIM-locked? We’ll also walk you through how to remove the carrier lock using Passixer iPhone SIM Unlocker (yes, it works with major carriers in any region). Once unlocked, you can insert a SIM card you like and go about your day as it is.

Tip: Want to unlock your iPhone with hardware? You can try this R-SIM trick!

How to Check If iPhone Is Unlocked Without SIM Card

Here are all the ways to check your iPhone’s current carrier status, even if you don’t have a SIM card. Each method also lists which iPhone models it supports, so you can choose the one that fits your situation best.

Way 1. View “Carrier Lock” Option

Works For: iPhones with iOS 14 or later

On supported iOS models, including iPads with SIM support, Apple includes a dedicated Carrier Lock section inside the Settings menu. It will clearly mention the current status: No SIM restrictions or SIM locked. And it doesn’t need a SIM card in the tray to show up. That’s what makes it the easiest and most direct way to check your lock status early on.

Steps to Check Carrier Lock in Settings:

Step 1. Launch the Settings app.

Step 2. Tap General and then tap About,the first option.

Step 3. Scroll down to locate the Carrier Lock line.

If your iPhone is unlocked, you’ll see No SIM restrictions beside it. If locked, it can say SIM locked.

Note: Be that as it may, a few Redditors say this method doesn’t always work. Even when it says No SIM restrictions, the iPhone can still block an eSIM. This is especially common on models like iPhone X or XS and mostly with Verizon eSIMs.

So if you’re planning to use an eSIM, just know this method might not reflect the full picture.

Way 2. Use Online IMEI Services

Works For: All iPhones and iPads with SIM or eSIM support

Every iPhone has a unique 15-digit IMEI number. This allows carrier-checkers to see if your phone is locked/unlocked or is marked blacklisted by a carrier.

There are several websites to find this. However, here’s the thing: there are too many fake ones. So if you’re trying this, only access trust free and reliable platforms.

Step 1. How to Find Your IMEI Number

There are several ways to get it:

Option 1: Dial *#06# on the dialpad. A pop-up will show the IMEI digits.

Tip: Don’t share your IMEI code publicly, as it’s a sensitive number.

Option 2: On your iDevice, go to Settings > General > About. Scroll down and look for the line labeled IMEI under the “Physical SIM” section. Your IMEI will be listed clearly—15 digits long.

Step 2. How to Check IMEI Status via IMEI Using Swappa

One of the cleanest tools for this is Swappa’s Free IMEI Checker. It’s easy to use, doesn’t ask for your email and it works effectively. Swappa mainly helps people buy and sell phones, but it also lets anyone check their IMEI details for free.

1. Go to Swappa’s IMEI Checker. You’ll see a search bar on the page.

2. Enter your 15-digit IMEI number and hit the Search icon.

Swappa will instantly show whether the device is unlocked or locked, along with any known compatibility issues. It’ll look something like this:

• Carrier: Unlocked
• Carrier Compatibility: Unlocked, Cricket, Ting…

Way 3. Contact Carrier for Help

Works For: Any iPhone and any SIM-supported model

Contacting your carrier can help in more ways than one. First, they’ll confirm whether your phone is actually locked. If you already know which carrier you were using, the process becomes quicker.

And if you’re unsure, start by contacting Apple. They can tell you which carrier your iPhone is locked to. Then reach out to the carrier directly. Ask your carrier about pending bills, contracts, or leases still active on your SIM. They’ll check the status and guide you on what to do next.

How to Unlock iPhone SIM Without Carrier

If your iPhone is still carrier-locked after clearing all dues, you can contact your carrier to request an unlock. However, the process can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. You may need to wait a few days and provide quite a bit of information. Things get tricky at this time. Luckily, you can remove carrier lock from your iPhone yourself. What you’ll need is a dedicated carrier unlocker like Passixer iPhone Unlocker.

Passixer enables you to remove the SIM lock from your iPhone right at home and lets you insert a new SIM card right away. It doesn’t matter whether your phone was locked by AT&T, Verizon, or another carrier or whether you’re in the U.S., U.K., Philippines, Nigeria, or Indonesia. Passixer works across many regions and lets you unlock the phone for use with local or global SIM cards.

Key Features:

• Remove the Apple ID when you forgot the password and can’t reset it due to the unavailable trusted device.
• Unlock disabled/unavailable iPhone/iPad, even when the device screen is broken or unresponsive.
• Open your iCloud-locked iPhone if it’s locked with previous owner’s Apple ID or the related Apple ID is disabled.
• Get rid of Screen Time and MDM, enabling you to use your iDevice without restrictions.

Steps to Use Passixer to Unlock iPhone SIM without Carrier

Step 1. On the Passixer home screen, choose Remove SIM Lock to begin.

Step 2. Connect your iPhone to your Windows PC/Mac and trust the computer on your phone if it’s the first-time connection.

Step 3. Tap Start.

Step 4. Follow the on-screen instructions shown to jailbreak your iPhone. 

Step 5. After jailbreaking, Passixer will display your iPhone model, iOS version, and device ID. Check that everything matches your phone, then hit Start SIM Lock Removal to move ahead.

Step 6. Clear all saved Wi-Fi networks by going to Settings > WLAN. There, remove all entries under My Networks and switch off Wi-Fi.

Step 7. Passixer will now start removing the lock. You’ll see a live progress bar.

Step 8. A final message will confirm the unlock.

How to Check If iPhone Is Unlocked with SIM Card

A simple way to check your iPhone’s lock status is inserting a different SIM card. If you have a spare SIM, pop it into the phone. That’s it.

If your iPhone is locked by a carrier, you’ll see a pop-up that says SIM Not Supported. Along with that, it will also show a short message. This message explains what to do next—in case your iPhone is still tied to the previous network, like contacting Apple or the original carrier for more help.

This works even on newer iPhones with only eSIM support. Simply install the eSIM profile. And when you try to activate it on the locked iPhone, you will see the pop-up: Unsupported eSIM.

In case the phone is unlocked, it’ll skip all that. The new SIM or eSIM profile will be detected. The signal will show up, and the iPhone will start working on the new network like normal.

FAQs

There are always a few questions that keep coming up around iPhone unlock checks. Let’s clear them up right here.

Is My iPhone Unlocked If It Has No SIM Card?

No. You need to check your iPhone status manually. On newer iPhones, look inside the About menu in Settings and it will say No SIM restrictions if your phone is unlocked. On older iPhones where that line doesn’t appear, use a trusted IMEI checker.

Can My iPhone Still Work Without a SIM Card?

Yes but you can’t use the cellular and make phone calls, except for emergency calls. You’ll can use the WiFi-related features, such as listening to songs, watching Netflix, browsing the web, downloading any games, making WhatsApp calls and using iMessage and FaceTime. 

Final Words

Now you know the different ways to check whether your iPhone is with SIM lock without SIM through Settings, IMEI services. Alternatively, you can just insert a SIM or eSIM to check the carrier lock.

And if your iPhone turns out to be locked, don’t worry. Passixer iPhone Unlocker makes it easy to remove the SIM lock, even if you don’t know which carrier it’s locked to. There’s no data loss and once it’s done, you can pop in another SIM card or install an eSIM profile to start using your phone normally.