How can you check if iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s are unlocked?

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Level 1

23 points

How can you check if iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s are unlocked?

Hello everyone, this is my first time on this support community.

I have a question I cannot find a clear answer for online.

I have 3 iPhone 4s phones and one iPhone 5s. I need to check whether they are unlocked or locked to a carrier / mobile network. This is because I would like to sell these phones.

I am in the UK. I have access to an EE SIM card that is active and an Orange SIM card that is not active.

Each iPhone 4s has iOS 9.3.6

The iPhone 5s has iOS 12.5.5

Please let me know how I can check the lock / unlock status of each phone for free.

I consider myself to have a good knowledge of iPhones and technology in general, so I should understand any method suggested.

Let me know if any more details are needed. Thank you in advance for the help.

iPhone 4s, iOS 9

Posted on Dec 4, 2021 3:07 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Raicya

Level 10

209,067 points

Dec 5, 2021 7:46 AM in response to Kaiffe

Kaiffe wrote:

iPhone 4s (2) - Activation lock asks for an Apple ID and password that I do not know (this phone wasn't originally mine),

This could cause problems (sorry).

The iPhone is Locked To Owner, Activation Lock prevents anyone who is not the owner from using the iPhone.

To unlock that iPhone, you need the Apple ID and password that were used during set up.

Without Apple ID and password that were used during set up that iPhone wouldn't have any value.

it seems like the iPhones are all unlocked,

The iPhones you have tested with your active EE SIM card are therefore unlocked.

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Answer 2

Raicya

Level 10

209,067 points

Dec 5, 2021 6:03 AM in response to Kaiffe

OK, got it.

See also this Apple article: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201351

If you follow the steps in that article, the iPhones are clean, ready to sell.

Thanks for your feedback & you're welcome.

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Answer 3

Raicya

Level 10

209,067 points

Dec 5, 2021 8:03 AM in response to Kaiffe

Kaiffe wrote:

The iPhone that has Activation Lock belonged to my brother, so I will ask him to enter his Apple ID and password for it when I next see him.

If you brother has forgotten his Apple ID password, ask him to see this Apple article: If you forgot your Apple ID

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201354

Thanks for your feedback & you're welcome.

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Answer 4

Raicya

Level 10

209,067 points

Dec 5, 2021 6:41 AM in response to Kaiffe

A phone cannot be locked by carrier forever, normally that is 2 to 3 years, at least in Europe.

You can test with your active EE SIM card, if there is no message “SIM invalid”, then the iPhone is not locked by a carrier.

The reason I need to know is because the company I am selling the phones to give me a different amount of money for locked and unlocked phones.

That company can also test, I assume they are honest.

Thanks for your feedback & you're welcome.

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Answer 5

Raicya

Level 10

209,067 points

Dec 5, 2021 5:14 AM in response to Kaiffe

If both iPhones still have a SIM card, check with the carrier. The one with an active SIM card is not locked.

It also depends on whether it is the subscription or a prepaid.

The validity of a prepaid (depending on your region) differs per carrier.

Contact your carrier.

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Answer 6

Kaiffe Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 5, 2021 5:56 AM in response to Raicya

Hi Raicya, thanks for responding. The active EE SIM card is only in my iPhone 8, which is my primary phone I do not want to sell.

As for the four phones I wish to sell (three 4s, one 5s), I have the non-active Orange SIM, however I could likely use the EE active SIM from my iPhone 8 to check the others if needed.

I only have those two SIM cards between all 5 of my iPhones. One active, one not.

I will contact my carrier if needed, but I was wondering if it is possible to check unlocked/locked status by myself without needing to contact my carrier.

By the way, my region is South East United Kingdom. I have had these iPhones for many years and do not remember the subscription/prepaid status of them.

Once again, thank you for your help!

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Answer 7

Kaiffe Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 5, 2021 6:16 AM in response to Raicya

Thank you for the link, that's very helpful. I will be sure to follow those steps before selling the phones. I don't think it says how to check if the iPhones are unlocked/locked. The reason I need to know is because the company I am selling the phones to give me a different amount of money for locked and unlocked phones.

If needed, I will contact my carrier to find out, but if I can check the lock/unlock status for free without doing so, that would be even better.

Thanks once again.

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Answer 8

Kaiffe Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 5, 2021 7:25 AM in response to Raicya

Thank you very much for your very helpful answer! I would mark it as Helpful as before, but it is greyed out.

I put the same EE SIM card in each iPhone. Here are the results for each phone:

iPhone 4s (water damaged) - "Searching..." for ages, then says T-Mobile UK in top left for about a second, then changes to EE. No message saying "SIM invalid" or similar.

iPhone 4s (1) - Top-left starts out as T-Mobile UK for a second or so, then changes to EE. No message saying "SIM invalid" or similar.

iPhone 4s (2) - Activation lock asks for an Apple ID and password that I do not know (this phone wasn't originally mine), no carrier displayed whatsoever. No message saying "SIM invalid" or similar.

iPhone 5s - Top-left says EE WiFiCall (same as on my iPhone 8). No message saying "SIM invalid" or similar.

Once again, I will state that I used the exact same SIM card to test each phone. None of them gave a message saying "SIM invalid", or something similar.

From this, it seems like the iPhones are all unlocked, but please do correct me if I'm wrong, if you can.

Thank you so much for all your help so far on this thread, you've been really helpful!

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Answer 9

Kaiffe Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 5, 2021 7:54 AM in response to Raicya

Thank you very much for confirming that all my iPhones are unlocked!

The iPhone that has Activation Lock belonged to my brother, so I will ask him to enter his Apple ID and password for it when I next see him.

I believe I now know everything I need to know, so once again, thank you very much!

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Answer 10

Kaiffe Author

Level 1

23 points

Dec 5, 2021 8:07 AM in response to Raicya

Thank you very much for that link! I will give that to him if he has forgotten his Apple ID and/or password.

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How can you check if iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s are unlocked?

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