Before you buy
Unlocked or locked to an operator: why it matters for an eSIM
It's the second condition for installing an eSIM and the one most people find out about too late. How to check, how to unlock it and how long it takes.
Dani Requena 6 min Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash Installing an eSIM takes two things and most people only check one. The first is that the phone supports eSIM. The second is that it's unlocked, meaning it accepts lines from any operator. A locked phone won't accept any line that isn't its own network's, on a card or in digital form.
Why some phones are locked
When a handset is bought on finance through an operator, in instalments or as part of a deal with a minimum term, it often comes locked to that operator until it's paid off. It's a legal, common practice and it's usually written into the contract.
Phones bought unlocked in a shop or from the manufacturer's own site don't have that lock.
How to tell whether yours is
- The direct test: put in another operator's card, borrowed from a friend or family member. If the phone asks for an unlock code or says the SIM isn't valid, it's locked.
- The eSIM test: if the phone rejects someone else's profile when you try to install it even though the option exists, that points to a lock.
- The no-test route: ask your operator. They're obliged to tell you and to unlock it once the conditions are met.
If you bought the phone unlocked in a shop, or secondhand from a private seller who bought it unlocked, you can skip this check.
How to get it unlocked
- Ask your operator, through the app, by chat or by phone. It's free once your contract's conditions are met.
- Have your phone's IMEI to hand. You'll find it by dialling the information code or in Settings, in the device information section.
- Wait for the timeframe they give you. It's usually a matter of working days, not hours.
- Confirm the unlock with someone else's card before you consider the trip sorted.
Step three is the one to bear in mind if your trip is next week: unlocking a phone isn't an instant job with every provider.
A secondhand phone
Buying secondhand, it's worth asking two things before you pay: whether it's unlocked, and whether it has the manufacturer's account lock, which is a different padlock and a considerably worse one. A phone still tied to the previous owner's account can't be used at all, even if it's carrier unlocked.
If you can't get it done in time
If the trip is imminent and the phone is still locked, there are two ways out: take a second unlocked handset, which works perfectly well as a data device even if it isn't your main one, or use a local SIM at your destination, which won't work either if the phone is locked.
Put another way: a locked phone limits every option, not just the eSIM. That's why it's the first check and not the last.
If you don't yet know whether your phone supports eSIM, that check is in how to tell whether your phone supports eSIM.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an unlocked phone to use an eSIM?
Yes. A phone locked to an operator won't accept lines from other providers, on a physical card or as an eSIM.
How do I know if my phone is locked?
Try putting in another operator's card: if it asks for a code or says the SIM isn't valid, it's locked. You can also just ask your provider.
How much does unlocking a phone cost?
It's free once your contract's conditions are met, normally when the handset or its associated minimum term is paid off.
How long does it take?
Usually a matter of working days. If you have a trip coming up, request it with time to spare and check afterwards that it works with someone else's card.
Can a secondhand phone cause problems?
Yes, for two separate reasons: it may still be locked to an operator, or it may still have the previous owner's manufacturer account on it, which is a separate padlock.
