What Does No SIM restrictions mean?

If you’ve gone through your iPhone or Android device’s settings, you may have stumbled upon a ‘no SIM restrictions” message.

But what does no SIM restrictions mean?

In this blog post, we’ll explain what that means, how you can check whether your phone is unlocked, and how to unlock it.

What Does No SIM Restrictions Mean?

A ‘No SIM restrictions’ message on your phone means that your phone is not carrier-locked and that you can use any SIM card on it, regardless of the carrier provider you use. 

How To Check If a Phone is Unlocked?

The best way to check whether your phone is unlocked is to try SIM cards from different carriers and see if they work. If your phone is locked, you’ll see a message on the top of the screen, usually next to the signal icon, that says ‘SIM not supported.’

If it has no SIM restrictions but says ‘phone not allowed,’ you can try resetting your network settings. If that doesn’t work, it’s best to contact your phone network provider.

If you don’t have a SIM card and want to find out what network your phone is on or whether it is locked, you can check your device’s settings.

How to check if your iPhone is unlocked?

To check if you have no SIM restrictions on an iPhone:

1. Open the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Under ‘General,’ tap ‘About.’
3. Scroll down to ‘Network Provider Lock’ or ‘Carrier Lock.’

If you see a message that says ‘No SIM Restrictions’ next to it, that means your iPhone is unlocked and you can use it with any SIM card.

However, if next to Carrier Lock is a  ‘SIM locked’ or ‘SIM not supported’ message, then your phone is locked to a certain carrier. 

How to check if your Android phone is unlocked?

To check whether you have a carrier lock or no SIM restrictions on your Android: 

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app. 
2. Tap ‘Connections’ or ‘Network & Internet.’
3. Select ‘Mobile Network’ or ‘Cellular Network.’
4. Go to ‘Advanced’ and tap ‘Choose Network’ or ‘Automatically Select Network’ to open the list of available carriers.

If you see more than one carrier, that usually means that there is no SIM restriction on your device.

How To Unlock Your SIM Restrictions?

With an unlocked phone, you can use different SIM cards in and outside of the UK and make phone calls or send texts while abroad or switch to a different provider if you find cheaper plans. You can also use two different SIM cards from different carriers in the same phone (if it supports dual SIM cards). 

Luckily, few phones come with SIM restrictions nowadays. But, if you’re one of the ‘unlucky’ ones with a locked phone, you can easily unlock it. 

To unlock your phone:

1. Contact the network provider and request an unlock.
2. Wait for a confirmation that your phone has been unlocked.

Once you’ve received a confirmation:

• If you have an old SIM card and insert the new one. Your device will automatically activate the card. 
• If you don’t have another SIM card, backup your phone, restore the device to factory settings, and restore the phone from backup. 

If your phone still doesn’t support the SIM card, you can check in the Settings app if any features are blocking the card from activating. If next to Network Provider Lock is a ‘No sim restriction’ message, you should call your carrier provider and ask for further instructions.

Bottom Line

If your phone is not locked to a certain carrier, you’ll likely see a ‘No SIM restrictions’ message, meaning you can use your phone with any SIM card, regardless of whether you’re in the UK or abroad. If your phone is locked, you can contact your carrier and ask them to unlock your phone.