phone restricted to one carrier
What is carrier lock?
A software restriction that prevents a phone from using SIMs (physical or eSIM) from carriers other than the one it was originally sold by.
In context
Common on phones financed through US carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, EE, Vodafone UK). The eSIM hardware works, but the phone refuses foreign profiles. Most carriers unlock automatically after 60–90 days of paid bills; you can also request an unlock from their support.
Related terms
Things you'll meet alongside carrier lock.
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