Check your phone is carrier-unlocked

Phones bought on a contract or from a carrier are often locked to that carrier for a while. A locked phone will not use any other network, so a travel eSIM may install but never connect. Check before you buy; it takes a minute.

iPhone

1. Open Settings, then General, then About.
2. Find Carrier Lock.
3. “No SIM restrictions” means the iPhone is unlocked. A carrier’s name there means it only works with that carrier.

Samsung Galaxy

1. Open Settings, then Connections, then More connection settings.
2. Open the network unlock or lock status entry.
3. It says whether the phone is restricted to one carrier. If you cannot find it, use the SIM card check below.

Google Pixel

1. Open the Phone app and dial *#*#7465625#*#*.
2. The screen that opens shows the SIM lock status. If a network lock is on, the phone is locked to its carrier.
3. Pixels bought from the Google Store are always unlocked.

Any other phone

• Put in a SIM card from a different network. If the phone asks for an unlock code, or says the SIM is not supported, it is locked.
• Or ask the carrier you bought the phone from. They can tell you, and unlock it.

If your phone is locked

Only the carrier that locked it can unlock it. Many do it for free once the phone is paid off; ask well before you travel, as it can take a few days. Wait until it is unlocked before you buy a plan: we cannot refund a plan bought for a carrier-locked phone.