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To use a travel eSIM, your iPhone must not be locked to a carrier. Open Settings > General > About: if No SIM restrictions appears next to Carrier Lock, you are ready. If not, only the carrier that sold the phone can unlock it; Apple cannot. In the US, eligible phones are unlocked at no charge, usually within a few days.
Key takeaways
- The check is Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock: No SIM restrictions means unlocked
- Only your carrier can unlock an iPhone, and US carriers that follow the CTIA code do it at no charge for eligible customers
- AT&T requires the phone to be paid off and bought more than 60 days ago; Verizon unlocks postpaid phones automatically once they are paid off
- A carrier lock applies to eSIMs as well as physical SIMs: eSIM-only does not mean unlocked
- Carrier Lock, SIM PIN and Activation Lock are three different locks, each with its own fix
Check the Carrier Lock field in Settings
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General, then About.
- Find Carrier Lock. No SIM restrictions means the iPhone is unlocked; any other message means it is still locked to a carrier.
These steps come from Apple's unlocking guide and work on iOS 14 and later, including iOS 26 and iOS 27. On an iPhone without a SIM tray, such as US models from the iPhone 14 onward or the iPhone Air, this field is the only reliable check, since you cannot test with another carrier's SIM card. Apple's travel page states it plainly: to use another carrier's eSIM abroad, the iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier.
What a carrier lock does to a travel eSIM
A locked iPhone is tied by software to the network of the carrier that sold it, usually because the phone was sold at a discount or on installments. The FCC notes that locking can apply to both physical SIM cards and eSIMs. In practice, the travel eSIM may install and appear under Settings > Cellular, but it never connects to the network at your destination, or the installation stops with an error. It looks like a faulty eSIM; the cause is the lock.
eSIM-only iPhones can still be carrier-locked
US models of the iPhone 14 and later have no SIM tray, and the iPhone Air has none anywhere. Many people assume that a phone working only with eSIM is open to any carrier. It is not: an iPhone 16 or 17 financed through a US carrier is eSIM-only and locked at the same time, until that carrier's conditions are met. The Carrier Lock field applies to these models exactly as it does to older ones.
Carrier unlock rules: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and the UK
Apple cannot unlock an iPhone for use with another carrier; only your current carrier can. Each carrier sets its own conditions, and the main US carriers, as participants in the CTIA Consumer Code, must publish their unlocking policy, unlock eligible devices without charging existing or former customers, and respond to a request within two business days.
- AT&T: the device must have been bought more than 60 days ago and be paid in full, with no installment balance left. Eligible Apple, Samsung and Google devices on an AT&T plan should unlock by themselves; otherwise, submit a request at att.com/deviceunlock (AT&T unlock policy).
- Verizon: postpaid phones are unlocked automatically when bought at full retail price or once the device financing is paid in full; paying with a Verizon gift card delays the unlock by 35 days. Prepaid phones stay locked until 365 days of paid, active service (Verizon policy, effective February 18, 2026).
- T-Mobile: eligibility depends on the plan and on payment of the device; check the current conditions in its device unlock policy or in the T-Mobile app before you request.
- United Kingdom: Ofcom has banned mobile providers from selling locked phones since December 2021. An older phone that is still locked can be unlocked by the provider that sold it.
If you owe money on the device or are still under contract, the carrier can wait until the balance is paid. A phone reported lost or stolen is not unlocked until it is cleared. Once the carrier confirms the unlock, Apple says it can take a few days to go through.
After the unlock: install the travel eSIM
Once Carrier Lock shows No SIM restrictions, there is nothing else to do on the iPhone for an eSIM: Apple's instructions go straight to setting up the new carrier's eSIM. With a Simsima eSIM, you receive a Smart Link by email, tap it on your iPhone at home on Wi-Fi, and the eSIM installs. APN settings are applied automatically on most plans; if data does not start, our support team can give you the right APN.
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At your destination, set the travel line as your cellular data line and make sure data roaming is on for that line. The eSIM activates on its own when it connects to a supported network. For each screen of the installation, see the eSIM for iPhone guide.
If Carrier Lock still says SIM locked
- Restart the iPhone on Wi-Fi, then open Settings > General > About again.
- If you see a message saying the SIM is not supported, check Carrier Lock: if No SIM restrictions does not appear, contact your carrier, as Apple advises for iOS 14 and later.
- Ask the carrier to confirm that the unlock was applied in its system, and request it again if needed.
- As a last resort, Apple describes backing up the iPhone, erasing it and restoring the backup to finish an unlock when you have no other SIM to test with.
Locks that a carrier unlock does not remove
- SIM PIN: a code that protects a SIM or eSIM line after a restart, set under Settings > Cellular > SIM PIN. Never guess it: wrong attempts can lock the line for good, and only the carrier can give you the PUK code (Apple Support).
- Activation Lock: tied to the previous owner's Apple Account through Find My. Only that account can remove it; a carrier unlock does not touch it.
- Network compatibility: the FCC points out that an unlocked phone is not automatically compatible with every network; Apple's cellular band specifications show which bands your model supports.
- Hardware faults: a damaged antenna or modem shows the same symptoms as a lock, and no unlock fixes it.
Buying a used iPhone: check before you pay
A used iPhone can show a carrier lock even when the seller says it is unlocked, because the lock is tied to the device, not to the seller's account. Check Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock before paying. If the phone is locked, you need the carrier that sold it originally, and that carrier's conditions, such as the device being paid off, still apply. A phone reported lost or stolen will not be unlocked until the report is cleared.
Sites that sell unlock codes deserve caution: iPhones do not use unlock codes, and the carrier is the only party that can remove a carrier lock. A site asking for your Apple Account password is a phishing attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on which lock you mean. If the iPhone asks for a SIM PIN, go to Settings > Cellular > SIM PIN, or tap the line first on a dual SIM iPhone, and enter the PIN from your carrier. If you mean the carrier lock that blocks other networks, there is no setting to change on the phone: the carrier that sold it has to unlock it.
iPhones do not use network unlock codes: the carrier applies the unlock remotely. US carriers that follow the CTIA code do it without charge for existing and former customers whose device is eligible. Paid code sites cannot do anything that your carrier will not do for free.
SIM lock, or SIM PIN, protects your line with a code. Open Settings > Cellular, tap SIM PIN, or the line first if you have two, and turn it on with the default PIN from your carrier. If you do not know that PIN, do not guess: ask the carrier.
Yes, the same way as a phone with a SIM card: the carrier lock covers eSIMs too, and the carrier that sold the phone removes it once you meet its conditions. Check Carrier Lock in Settings afterwards.
Under the CTIA code, carriers respond to an unlock request within two business days. AT&T and Verizon unlock eligible phones automatically, and Apple notes that a carrier can take a few days to complete a request.
Not with a travel eSIM from another provider. The eSIM may install, but the iPhone will not connect with it until the carrier lock is removed. Unlock the phone before your trip.
Yes. Once Carrier Lock shows No SIM restrictions, a Simsima eSIM installs from its Smart Link and connects to a supported network when you arrive.
eSIM for iPhone — full compatibility guide — Covers every iPhone model that supports eSIM and how to install a profile
eSIM-compatible phones — Check whether your device supports eSIM before buying a plan
Browse Simsima eSIM plans — Travel eSIM plans available for instant Smart Link installation once your iPhone is unlocked
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Dimitri MorvanFounder
Founder of Simsima. A passionate traveler based in Barcelona, he helps travelers stay connected without breaking the bank on roaming fees.
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