A locked cell phone is can only be used on certain telephone networks. This way, if you change your telephone company or travel abroad, the cell phone will refuse to work unless you first turn it on. The most important part is that you will usually not know that your phone is locked until it's too late (for example, if you go overseas and you can use a local SIM).
If you suspect your phone may be locked, there are many ways to be sure Check that the Android phone is free or not. This works best if you buy a mobile phone or if you bought it online elsewhere, don't be too confident. We will look at three common ways to succeed.
1. Trying to insert another SIM
By definition, a locked cell phone is only connected to a specific network of operators. Therefore, the empirical way to check that a cell phone is locked is easy try inserting another SIM card
This approach has the advantage of being it is very easy and reliable, although in exchange you need to have a SIM card from a different company than you normally use. This can be a problem, or you can always borrow a SIM from a friend: you'll need it for a few minutes.
2. Checking IMEI
One way to know if a mobile phone is locked is to look via IMEI. IMEI is a unique identifier that you can access in different ways, most often by dialing the number * # 06 #.
To access this information you need to rely on pages such as TIMEI.info, where you must enter the IMEI code (without hyphens or spaces). The choice is Check out SN / WARRANTY / CARRIER and, if you're lucky, on the screen for information you will have complete details on the phone's status. In the section Carrier (operator), when it says turn ON is a free service. When you enter an operator name, you are limited to that operator.
3. From mobile
Another possible way to look up information is from a mobile phone, or you'll usually need to use it secret codes. Understand the secret codes for special phone numbers you must enter in the phone app to open special menus The problem is that each manufacturer uses their own codes, or does not integrate them, and the same manufacturer can change the codes from one phone to another.
These menus change from one cell phone to another, as each manufacturer creates its own "service menu", or something very common in the network information section, with a name like SIM Lock details
The problem is getting the code to enter this menu, and if the menu in question is available. We won't end up collecting the possible codes for all Android phones, although we leave you with some if you want to try your luck:
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Huawei phones: * # * # 2846579 # * #
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Samsung Samsung: * # 7465625 #
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Sony phones: * # * # 7378423 # * # *
4. Questioning your operator
If none of the above solved your doubts, you will always leave ask your operator. If you purchased your cellphone for cash with an operator and are not sure whether it is free or not, then customer service may have provided you with an answer.
This won't be useful for phones you bought secondarily or you don't know where they come from, but it will at least serve as a confirmation for the calls you received directly from your operator and that you are unsure of whose situation you are. Keep the IMEI of the phone useful, as you may need to provide it.
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