Wondering if your phone is locked to another network? Here are some signs to look out for:
You might get a message like "SIM card not valid", "SIM lock" or "Insert correct SIM card" when you pop in your giffgaff SIM.
Some phones may display a message like, “SIM not accepted” when they’ve been barred as lost or stolen
If your phone has the logo of a mobile network printed on the outside or on the home screen then it could be locked to that network. But it’s worth checking with your giffgaff SIM anyway as the presence of a logo doesn't always mean the phone is locked.
Other ways to check if your phone is locked to another network
Other ways to check if your phone is locked to another network
If your phone has the logo of a mobile network printed on the outside or on the home screen when it's switched on.
Take the giffgaff SIM card out, and put a SIM from another network into the phone. If it gets a signal/network and you're able to use your services, that means your phone is unlocked. Be sure not to use an O2 SIM as giffgaff uses the O2 network.
Check in the settings of your phone:
Android
1. Open 'Settings'
2. Tap ‘Connections’, ‘Network and internet’, or other similar name
3. Tap ‘Mobile network’, or similar
4. Tap ‘Choose network’ or ‘Automatically select network’. If your phone shows several available networks it is unlocked. If you can only select one then it is locked to that one.
Apple
1. Open Settings
2. Tap ‘General’, then ‘About’
3. Tap ‘Carrier lock’. If it says ‘No SIM restrictions’, then your phone is unlocked. If it names a network, that means it is locked to that one.
Any phone you buy from us should be already unlocked.
How do I unlock my phone?
This can be tricky. It depends a lot on your phone. Have a look at our unlocking guide Unlockapedia for info on your specific phone. Phones locked to O2 work on our network without needing to be unlocked.
You can also check how to unlock your mobile phone on any network using Uswitch's guide.
Here are other ways you can get your phone unlocked:
If you've recently joined giffgaff, contact your previous network provider for a Network Unlock Code. (If you don't know the previous network, check if there’s a logo from another network printed on the phone)
Contact the manufacturer
Contact the seller
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