iPhone
- Open Settings → General → About.
- Find Carrier Lock. “No SIM restrictions” means the iPhone is unlocked.
- If it says anything else, the iPhone may be locked to a carrier. Only that carrier can remove the lock.
Before you buy an eSIM
Is my phone unlocked for eSIM?
A travel eSIM only works on a phone that is not locked to one carrier. Your phone may show its lock status in Settings. If it doesn't, a SIM from another carrier will tell you.
Where does my phone show its carrier lock?
The place to look depends on the phone.
Your phone
Samsung Galaxy
- Open Settings → Connections → More connection settings.
- Tap Network unlock, then Network lock status, to see whether the phone is locked to a carrier.
- The options vary by carrier. If your Galaxy doesn't show Network unlock, use the SIM test below or ask the carrier or shop that sold you the phone.
Google Pixel
- A Pixel bought from the Google Store comes unlocked.
- A Pixel bought from a mobile carrier may be locked to that carrier until the lock is removed or the contract ends. Ask the carrier, or use the SIM test below.
Other Android phones
- Menus differ between brands and Android versions.
- Ask the carrier or shop that sold you the phone, or use the SIM test below.
How do I test any phone with another SIM?
This check works on every phone, whatever its settings show.
- Get a SIM or eSIM from a different carrier, one that has service where you are. A friend's SIM card is enough.
- Add it to the phone. Turn the phone off before you put in a SIM card, then turn it back on.
- If the phone connects to that carrier's network, it is unlocked. If it asks for a network unlock code, it is locked.
- Any other error doesn't settle it: the SIM may be faulty or have no active plan. Try another SIM, or ask your carrier.
What if my phone is locked?
A locked phone can't use another provider's eSIM, Horizon's included, until its carrier removes the lock.
- Ask the carrier that sold you the phone, or the shop where you bought it, to remove the carrier lock.
- A carrier may keep the lock until your contract ends or the phone is paid off.
- When the carrier confirms the unlock, check the lock status again before you buy an eSIM.
On iPhone, only the carrier can remove the lock. Apple can't do it for you.
Is my phone eSIM compatible?
An unlocked phone also needs eSIM support. Dial *#06#: on many eSIM phones an EID appears, a number with 32 digits. Some Android phones don't show it there, so also look for the EID under Settings → About phone.
eSIM support can differ between versions sold under the same phone name, so check your exact model on our supported devices page.
Questions about unlocked phones and eSIM
Is my phone unlocked for eSIM?
On iPhone, open Settings → General → About: Carrier Lock says “No SIM restrictions” when the phone is unlocked. On a Samsung Galaxy, look under Settings → Connections → More connection settings → Network unlock, if your carrier offers it. On any phone, a SIM from another carrier that connects shows the phone is unlocked.
Does a locked phone work with a travel eSIM?
No. A carrier-locked phone works only with that carrier's SIM and eSIM profiles, so it can't use a Horizon eSIM, or any other provider's, until the carrier removes the lock. Check the lock before you buy a plan.
How do I unlock my phone?
Ask the carrier that sold it, or the shop where you bought it, to remove the carrier lock. A carrier may keep the lock until your contract ends or the phone is paid off. On iPhone, only the carrier can unlock it. When the carrier confirms, check the lock status again.
Is a phone bought outright always unlocked?
Usually, but check. A Pixel from the Google Store comes unlocked, for example. A phone that came from a mobile carrier may be locked to it, so look in its settings or test it with another carrier's SIM before you buy an eSIM.
Does unlocking my phone delete my data?
On iPhone, not if you have another carrier's SIM ready. Once the carrier confirms the unlock, Apple's steps are to take out the old SIM and put in the new one, and the iPhone activates. Without another SIM, the steps are to back up the iPhone, erase it and restore it from that backup. On Android, ask the carrier what its unlock involves.