Some users have probably seen ads about iPhone sale at a suspiciously low cost, and we can even talk about a new device. At the same time, the ad contains such a postscript - the iPhone is locked. What does it mean?
In some iPhone countries are sold locked under certain operators. This suggests that initially the device works with only one telecom operator. If you insert a SIM card of another operator into it, then you will not be able to make calls, receive calls, send and receive SMS messages.
As a rule, a locked iPhone initially costs less, but you need to understand that you can only use it by paying for the services of a certain telecom operator. And in some countries, the iPhone is even worth a penny if you buy it with a contract. But the point is that you are contractually obligated to use tariff plan within a certain time, which can not be called cheap.
How do locked iPhones get to Russia? Usually imported by individuals from other countries. Sometimes a person who decides to buy an iPhone abroad may not even suspect that his device will simply not work with us. Not surprisingly, there are many such offers on message boards.
How to check if iPhone is locked?
There are two ways:
- Check iPhone by IMEI. You can find many such services on the web.
Can i unlock a locked iPhone?
Most often, yes.
- You can use a Turbo SIM, a chip-like adapter. It replaces the operator ID with yours. The problem is that with every restarting iPhone the activation procedure has to be repeated.
- You can unlock the device officially, for which you need to contact the operator cellular and ask to unlock the device. The service is paid, its cost depends only on the operator itself.
Should you buy a locked iPhone?
Only if it is possible to unlock it and this promises considerable savings. If you are not sure that you can jailbreak your smartphone, it is better to refuse the purchase.
Desire to acquire iPhone 5s slightly cheaper than in official stores sometimes pushes potential buyers to buy a phone on the Internet. It would seem, well, what's wrong with that. However, this way you can purchase locked iPhone... If you come across such a smartphone, then most likely you will not be able to use it as a phone. What is it and how to find out what iPhone is locked?
Locked iPhone, what does it mean? This definition means that the smartphone is configured for a specific cellular operator and will not function with another. Such the phenomenon spreads precisely in Apple devices... The agreement of the mobile operator with the manufacturer gives it the opportunity to supply communication services to long term, and the consumer benefits from the fact that the device has a slightly lower price, the manufacturer is pleased that his products are being sold.
When choosing a phone to buy, hand-held or via the Internet, be careful, you run the risk of buying a locked iPhone. Most often, such a link is made to American operators. mobile network and less often in European ones. This is due to the fact that the product is initially aimed at the American consumer. How to check there is an unlock or not?
To figure out it can be done in practice. The first thing to do when examining is look into the tray for the SIM-chip, it must be empty. If you find a SIM card, especially an unfamiliar one, then this is a clear indicator that there is a connection with a specific telecom operator. Besides the chip, you can find a mini adapter board. These adapters are used for hardware removal of the block and are called R-sim or Gevey Turbo-sim.
These adapter cards are similar in appearance to flexible microcircuits. They fit into the slot along with the SIM chip. These adapters are equipped with IMSI of mobile operators, by means of which your telecom operator is substituted. Minuses this method the fact that when you reboot or if the signal is lost, you will have to reactivate the device. Can't be allowed iOS update or iPhone recovery... Interruptions in mobile communications.
Define probably this way is not an option. To check if it is locked place the communication chip of the operator being used and wait for it to be detected, then make a call. You need a format nano cards... If the signal does not pass and the display shows one of the messages: Restricted, Incompatible SIM, SIM Not Valid or Contact your carrier, then the blocking is on.
If it seems to you that everything is in order, do not rush to complete the deal. Better check your serial number and IMEI on a site like www.imei.info. For a free request, click on the green button labeled "simlock & warranty". If there is no blocking, the notification "simlock status: unlock, warranty to: none" will be issued. This message says that there is no unlock, and the warranty service has ended.
If you buy a smartphone from your hands, then check the accuracy serial number and IMEI yourself. If you buy via the Internet, then ask for a photo report of all the numbers from the packaging, screenshots from the screen. If checking the information, you get messages "invalid code", "IMEI unknown" - this is the designation incorrect unlock, as a result of which the code is lost. After losing this code, the phone will not function.
There is one more resource where you can check if a mobile operator is blocked. Website iphoneox.com. In the main settings, open the "About device" tab and copy the IMEI smartphone. Then go to the specified site and indicate it in the "Enter IMEI here "Then click on the" Check "button.
Please wait for the verification to complete. Further in the column "Contract status "Will be displayed iPhone status... Unlocked - indicates that you can use any operator. Unknown - may indicate problems with definition or unlock. The name of the mobile operator directly indicates to whom the smartphone is linked.
If you are interested in the question, " how to find out under which operator the iphone is locked? ", Then on this site you can get the answer. The SIM-chip found in the smartphone slot can also be the answer to this question.
If you were able to make a call, this does not guarantee that everything is in order. You need to go online. While going online, the phone can be blocked remotely by a legitimate reseller.
When making a purchase via the Internet, the phone status should be: sim free (indicates the absence of contracts with mobile operators), neverlock (makes it clear that the smartphone initially had no connection to any operator), out of contract (indicates that the contract has expired). Unlocked status is a sign that the lock was cracked, but it is impossible to guess by what method and how efficiently it was done.
It is important to know that any hacking procedure disappears when you update software on the device. And for it to appear again, you have to do it again. Here you have two options: either do not make firmware updates, or constantly contact the unlock masters (of course, this is a paid procedure).
Even if you try to jailbreak the device, it will not guarantee that the device will work properly. Or that your data won't fall into the hands of intruders. Besides, this procedure deprives you of warranty service, so think carefully about your actions before this step, all responsibility will fall on you.
Official unlocking
Definite telecom operator may do this is once and for all. In terms of time, this procedure takes from one day to a month, and you can find the performer on the Internet. To choose a good one, follow the tips: read reviews, choose a company with an existing office, do not transfer money electronically, ask for an electronic or paper check. There is no such thing as a quick unlock - keep this in mind.
Now you know, what does locked mean phone, you know how to determine which operator the iphone is locked on and know what to do... But still, be careful when buying a used smartphone via the Internet. Feel free to arrange a background check and ask for the necessary documentary and electronic evidence... After all, this is your money and you then use the phone.
Remember that any intervention will lead to the fact that you will not be able to use warranty service... Therefore, avoid using jailbreak services and illegal lock hacking. Use the service of official unblocking from a mobile operator. If you have not bought a phone yet, then think carefully, because you can save money, but waste your nerves.
When purchasing a smartphone "hand-held", buyers pay great attention to checking it appearance and basic functions, but completely overlook one important point: do not ask the seller if the gadget is locked. A locked smartphone will cost the buyer less, but then you will have to pay a hundredfold for the immediate benefit. What is a locked iPhone and why is it not recommended to buy such a device?
Locked iPhone ( Sim-Lock) Is a gadget that can work with SIM cards of only one mobile operator. These smartphones are sold with mobile contracts (usually two years). By purchasing a Sim-Lock device, the user voluntarily deprives himself of the right to choose: if the conditions offered by the communication provider cease to suit the owner of the iPhone, he will not be able to go to competitors.
The SIM card of the "desired" operator is required to activate the locked device. This means that a gadget with Sim-Lock cannot be used even as a multimedia device - for watching movies or listening to music.
The practice of selling locked iPhones is widespread in the United States, Australia and Western Europe. V Russian iPhone Sim-Lock on showcases large stores You will not find electronics and cellular salons, but when buying via the Internet you can easily come across such a copy. Most likely, the device will be locked under SIM cards not from a domestic mobile provider, but from a foreign one (like AT&T), so you won't be able to solve the problem simply by switching to another operator.
How to find out if the iPhone is locked or not?
Rather than solving a problem, it is better to prevent it from occurring. In order not to get into a stupid situation, being "on hand" with an expensive device, but absolutely unsuitable in Russian realities, you should check the iPhone for the presence of Sim-Lock before the transfer of money the seller.
There are several ways to understand that the iPhone is locked:
Insert your Sim card... Device without Sim-Lock quickly recognizes the operator. If the gadget is locked, you will see the inscription “ Activation Required» (« Activation required»).
Through internet services. Thematic sites claim that free services to check Sim-Lock iPhone by IMEI is not left, thereby misleading readers. At the time of this writing, the website www.iphoneox.com exists and works great, where for a similar check they will not ask for a ruble.
Before using the site, find out IMEI device - this number can be viewed on the iPhone box or in the smartphone settings (path “ Settings» — « The main» — « About this device»).
A table with detailed information about the smartphone. Find the item " Sim-Lock Status "- if opposite it stands “ Unlocked", Which means that the gadget will be able to work with SIM cards of all operators.
There are other similar portals (for example, more famous service www.imei.info), but you have to pay to use them. The cost of the check will be about $ 3.
By model... This is not about modification ( 5S, 6, 6S), namely about model... You can find out the model in the section " About this device»In the device settings.
The two letters after the numbers in the model designation indicate the country for which the device is intended for the market. In our example, these are the letters " RU" - we understand that this iPhone for Russia, which means Sim-Lock it cannot be.
If you buy "from hands" and see that in the designation of the model instead of " RU"Is, say," LL"(Gadgets for Americans), you will need additional verification, because iPhones are sold in the USA with and without sim-lock. pay attention to digital code in the notation: numbers 608 , 610 , 318 , 319 indicate that the device is locked.
How to unlock an iPhone?
There are two ways to unlock an iPhone, and each of them requires material costs on the part of the owner of the gadget.
Hardware "unlock"
Hardware "unlock" involves the use of a special adapter called Turbo-Sim, which is placed in the SIM card tray along with the card itself. The microcircuit of such a device contains unique IMSI identifiers of several well-known cellular operators- this allows you to get rid of the blockage.
When activation occurs, on iPhone with Turbo-Sim comes special code, which will unlock the radio module and the modem of the device.
Hardware unlock has a number of disadvantages:
- The connection is getting worse.
- After each loss of signal, the activation procedure has to be carried out again.
- Functions iMessage and Face time to configure is problematic.
- Many Turbo-Sim(for example, firms R-sim) do not allow you to perform any actions with the gadget's firmware - in particular, update the OS.
In Russia, widespread Turbo-Sim manufacturers such as Gevey, R-Sim, Heicard... Adapters from each of the firms have their own pros and cons. Let's say Turbo-Sim from Gevey are very fragile, but allow users to update the iPhone. R-sim on the contrary, they are durable, but for each upgrade the owner of the gadget will have to buy a new adapter from this manufacturer. Heicard compare favorably with the rest in that they provide high quality communication.
The cost of one adapter ranges from 1,300 to 2,000 rubles.
Official "unlock"
What to do if you do not want to endure the inconvenience associated with use Turbo-Sim? Then you need to create official request operator, notifying him of the desire to remove the lock. The operator can meet halfway, but he will have to pay him the n-th amount - we can say that the owner of the iPhone buys from a particular provider the right to choose a cellular service provider.
The cheapest way to unlock an iPhone locked under an American operator AT&T- it will cost about 1 thousand rubles. Request to cancel blocking AT&T should be submitted here - www.att.com/esupport/index.jsp. The cost of "unlock" reaches 15 thousand rubles (when removing Sim-Lock, say, a Finnish operator DNA).
You can contact not only directly to the operators, but also to third-party performers who are able to organize an official "unlock" faster (the operator will have to wait about a month for a response to a direct request). It is important to approach the choice of the contractor responsibly: you should contact companies that have real offices, and avoid companies that require payment by electronic money and promise instant unlocking.
Conclusion
Before making an informed purchase of a locked smartphone, consider whether this deal will be profitable in the long run. To do this, you need to take into account the cost of the adapter Turbo-Sim or specialist services unlocking iPhone(depending on the preferred type of "unlock"). It should also be taken into account that the buyer will not be able to use the iPhone. straightaway- he will have to wait for the completion of the removal Sim-Lock or delivery of the required adapter. This inconvenience gives the buyer the right to claim an additional discount.
The question of how to know if the iPhone is locked is of paramount importance when buying a smartphone. If it turns out that the iPhone is locked to work with only one operator from another country, then you will have to suffer to unlock the device. The iPhone will not turn into a "brick", but additional financial investments may be required to unblock it.
Besides the fact that the iPhone will not be able to work with SIM cards from different providers, there are other problems. If you restore your iPhone in iTunes or reset it, you won't be able to activate the device without the SIM card of the operator it is locked to.
Phone check
If the user found an iPhone 3GS, 4, 5, 6, 7 or buys it hand-held at a low price, the first thing to do is to check if the phone is locked. What do we have to do:
- Install your operator's SIM card.
- Turn on the iPhone and see if the logo appears in the status bar.
If the smartphone is locked, then instead of information about the operator there will be a message like "Activation Required", "Invalid SIM".
What else can you do with buying an iPhone to make sure it's not blocked:
- Restart your smartphone while holding down the Power + Home keys... Make sure iPhone detects the network immediately after turning it on, without requiring additional manipulation. This applies to all models - 3GS, 4, 5, 5S, 6, 6 Plus, etc.
- Look at what iOS version installed. An unlocked iPhone should work with current version iOS. For example, the iPhone 5 must have iOS 10. On the iPhone 3GS and 4, the version will be lower - 6.1.6 and 7.1.2, respectively.
- Go to settings, open the "General" section and click "About this device". Make sure that the correct cellular provider is indicated next to the "Operator" item - the one whose SIM card you installed in your phone.
Find out if the iPhone is blocked by the IMEI code. You can find it in the following places:
- The box in which the iPhone is sold.
- Device case(iPhone 5, 6, SE) or SIM tray (iPhone 3, 3GS, 4, 4S).
- IPhone Settings: Basic - About the device - IMEI.
The received code must be entered on the website imei.info or iphoneox.com. These are unofficial services, so the result may not always be correct. If iPhone 5 does not usually have problems, then older models (3, 3GS, 4, 4S) may not be detected.
Unlocking your phone
What to do if the IMEI code or other signs showed that the iPhone is locked? Try to remove the block. An iPhone 3GS or 4 could be unlocked using the SAM app from Cydia. That is, first it was necessary to jailbreak, then install the software and carry out quite complex manipulations to unlock the device. On the iPhone 5, the old algorithm stopped working, not to mention the 6 and 7 models.
Now, you can get rid of the lock and remove the ban on working with other operators in only two ways:
- Hardware, using a Turbo SIM card.
- Program, executed officially at the level of the telecom operator.
There are no other ways to jailbreak your iPhone. The phone model does not matter. Old programs to remove a block have stopped working. Now, to remove the lock on operators and on 3GS, and on iPhone 4, and 5, you need to pay money.
Hardware unlock
Turbo SIM is an adapter that allows you to remove the ban on working with other operators. There are three types of working Turbo SIM cards that can jailbreak iPhone:
- Heicard.
- R-SIM.
- Gevey AIO.
They differ in compatibility, price and complexity of use. Even the IMEI code affects whether it is possible to get rid of the blockage using one of the adapters. For example, an iPhone 5 can be unlocked with an R-sim 9 / mini2 adapter. But if the IMEI starts with 013xx, then nothing will work. If the iOS version is higher than 7.1.2, then a jailbreak is required to unlock. There are a lot of such nuances, so when buying a Turbo SIM, it is imperative to check the compatibility. Otherwise, you won't be able to unlock your iPhone.
Hardware unlock is not ideal solution... If you unlock an iPhone with with Turbo SIM, you may encounter the following disadvantages:
- The need to reactivate the device after losing the signal or restarting the phone.
- Deny iPhone update and restore.
- FaceTime activation issues.
- Decreased communication quality.
That is, it will be possible to unlock the phone, but the language does not dare to call it fully working.
Unlocking at the operator
If you want to officially unlock your iPhone, then you need to contact the operator to which the phone is locked. The provider will unlock the device once and for all, without restrictions on use. The service is paid, but there is no other way to unlock iPhone without loss.
What to do for official unlocking? Find performers by request « official unlocking". When choosing a contractor, follow the recommendations:
- Choose a company with a real office, not just a representative office on the Internet.
- Read reviews on different sites.
- Ask for proof of payment.
Unlocking is never instant. Depending on the operator, you will have to wait from 3 to 30 days.
Unlock cost
Unlocking won't be free anyway. You can unlock an iPhone from an operator through providers, the cost of which differs depending on the cellular provider. For example, to remove the blocking from the Finnish operator DNA, you will have to pay about $ 200.
If you want to unlock your iPhone without contacting the operator, you will have to spend money on Turbo SIM with a programmer to update the firmware. Therefore, it is so important to check the iPhone before buying using the IMEI code or other methods. Unlocking can easily “eat up” the money that was saved when buying a smartphone at a better price.
Not all future iPhone owners are familiar with such a concept as "Locked iPhone"... Let's talk about this in detail today. First, let's decipher this concept.
Locked iPhone Is a phone tied to a specific telecom operator.
For example, if you bought a locked iPhone tied to the American operator AT&T, this means that you can use it only if you use a SIM card this operator... Sim cards from other operators will not work in such a phone, and therefore you will not be able to use the phone.
How not to buy a locked iPhone
If you buy new phone from an official reseller, then before buying, you should clarify the condition of the lock. If he sim free- this means that the phone is unlocked, if locked, then the phone is tied to a specific operator.
Usually, official resellers (not telecom operators) have unlocked phones.
If the seller cannot give you an answer, then the only way out is to insert your SIM card into the phone and try to call somewhere. If you succeed, then the phone is jailbroken, if not, then most likely the latter.
In my case, after opening the SIM card slot, I saw a SIM card from the AT&T operator inside, which made me suspicious. After inserting my SIM card, my phone demanded reactivation which I just couldn't do with my sim.
If you decide to buy a phone via the Internet not on the official Apple website, then the only way to find out the status of the lock is to punch it by IMEI. But the guarantee of such a check is negligible. Therefore, I would categorically not recommend buying such equipment on the Internet.
How to find out if iPhone is locked by IMEI
There are many free sites on the Internet that are ready to provide you with this information but not all of them work. One of the sites where you can punch your phone by imei is http://www.imei.info/.
First, you need to find out the IMEI of your phone. There are several ways to find it out:
- If you have the phone in your hands, then unfold it and on back cover you will see a 15-digit number, this is the IMEI.
- Dial the combination * # 06 #, then press the call button. The IMEI will appear on your screen.
- In the phone menu, go Settings -> General -> About this device, in the table you will see IMEI number.
- Ask your salesperson. But it's important to remember that you can be tricked into calling it from another phone.
If everything was done correctly, then you will see basic information about your phone. For example, this is how the information about my phone looks like, see the photo below.
To find out whether the phone is locked or not, you must press the button "SimLock & Warranty", I circled it in a red rectangle. IMPORTANT! You must be registered on this site in order to carry out such verification.
After clicking on this button, the phone will be checked, after a few seconds the result will appear on your screen.
As you can see, the status SIM lock: Unknown, which means - "unknown". In my case, it is not clear whether the phone is locked or not. If the phone is not tied to an operator, then you will see the Unlocked status, otherwise Locked.
As practice shows, by the end of 2013, almost all websites stopped issuing reliable information about the status of the phone.
How to find out where the iPhone is from and on which operator it is locked
To do this, you need to look at your phone model. This can be done in two ways:
- Look for similar symbols on the back of the box: ME303LL / A
- Enter the Settings - General - About device menu, find similar symbols in the model field, as shown in paragraph 1.
Now pay attention to two last letters, I have it LL... We are looking for them in the list below and it becomes more or less clear to us where the phone comes from and which operator it can be tied to. In my case, this is the USA AT&T.
List of country abbreviations
- AB - United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (Operators Mobily, etisalat)
- B - Great Britain and Ireland (operator O22)
- BZ - Brazil (operator Claro, VIVO)
- C - Canada (operators Fido and Rogers)
- CR - Croatia (operator T-Mobile, blocked)
- СZ - Czech Republic (operators O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone, unlocked)
- DN - Austria, Germany, Netherlands (T-Mobile operator, blocked)
- E - Mexico (Telcel operator, blocked)
- EE - Estonia (operator EMT)
- FD - Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland (operators One (Austria), Orange (Lich, Shwe), Swisscom (Lich, Shwe).
- FB - France (operator SFR)
- GR - Greece (operator Vodafone)
- HN - India (operators Airtel and Vodafone)
- J - Japan (operator SoftBank)
- KN - Denmark and Norway (operators Telia (Dan) and NetcCom (Nor)
- KS - Finland and Sweden (operators Telia (Sw), Sonera (Fin)
- LA - Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador (operators Comcel (Col), Claro (Gond, Gua, Peru, Sal), Movistar, Porta (Equ), TM SAC (Peru)
- LE - Argentina (operators Claro, Movistar)
- LL - USA (operator AT&T)
- LT - Lithuania (operator Omnitel)
- LV - Latvia (operator LMT)
- LZ - Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay (operators CTI Movil (Par, Uru), Claro (Chile), Movistar (Uru), TMC (Chile)
- MG - Hungary (operator T-Mobile)
- NF - Belgium, France (operators Mobistar (Bel) and Orange (Fr), Luxembourg (operator Vox Mobile)
- PL - Poland (operators Era and Orange)
- PO - Portugal (operators Optimus and Vodafone)
- PP - Philippines (Operator Globe)
- RO - Romania (operator Orange)
- RS - Russia (operators VimpelCom, MegaFon, MTS)
- SL - Slovakia (operators Orange, T-Mobile)
- SO - South Africa (Operators Vodacom)
- T - Italy (operator TIM and Vodafone)
- TU - Turkey (operator Vodafone, TurkCell)
- TA - Taiwan (operator of Chunghwa Telecom)
- X - Australia and (operators Optus (ABC), Telstra (ABC), Vodafone)
- X - New Zealand(operator Vodafone)
- Y - Spain (operator Movistar)
- ZA - Singapore (operator SingTel)
- ZP - Hong Kong and Macau (Operator Three)
- TH from Thailand
Video - locked iPhone
That's all, I hope I didn't miss anything, I'm waiting for your edits and questions in the comments.
We will talk about how to unlock an iPhone in the following articles.
