Is my phone unlocked?

Jacqui Dent - Editorial Strategist

Last updated 16 June 2023

Contents

In this guide:

Did you buy it outright?
Did you buy it on a postpaid plan?
Did you buy it with a prepaid SIM?
Does it work if you put in a SIM card from a different carrier?
So your phone is unlocked, now what?

Want to know if your phone is unlocked? There's a short answer: it most likely is.

An unlocked phone is one that can be used with any telco. And unlike in the US where locked phones are widespread, most phones sold in Australia are unlocked – with the exception of phones sold with prepaid plans. This is good news because having an unlocked phone means you can easily switch to another telco if you're getting bad service or have found a better deal.

So is your phone unlocked? Use this quick guide to find out for sure and, if yes or no, what you can do next.

Did you buy it outright?

If yes, it's almost definitely unlocked. That's regardless of whether you bought it in Australia or as a grey import. This means you're free to browse SIM-only plans and find the best phone plan for you. There are always cheap mobile plans around if you're in the mood to switch phone providers. Here's a selection of the cheapest SIM-only plans in our database with at least 10GB of data and a minimum 28-day expiry:

#1	OnePass mobile	OnePass mobile 28 Day Plan - 22GB 22GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $12.50 - Get 22GB for only $12.50 for the first 6 recharges! Recharges $25/22GB. New customers only. T&Cs apply $12.50 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$12.50 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#2	Lyca Mobile Editor's Pick	Lyca Mobile Editor's Pick Unlimited Plan S 50GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: $15 for first 6 renewals when you activate this plan. Offer ends 31.12.26. T&Cs apply $15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#3	iiNet	iiNet 30GB Small Plan 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $15/mth for first 6 months, then $30/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
#4	TPG Editor's Pick	TPG Editor's Pick 30GB Small Plan 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $15/mth for first 6 months, then $30/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
#5	Kogan Mobile	Kogan Mobile Small Monthly Plan 25GB data On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network $23.00 Per 30 Day Renewal Go to Site	$23.00 Per 30 Day Renewal	Go to Site

Did you buy it on a postpaid plan?

If yes, it's probably unlocked. Unless you bought it a long time ago (usually 2013 or earlier). If that's the case, don't worry. Contact your telco and they should unlock it for you for free.

Did you buy it with a prepaid SIM?

There's a chance your phone is locked. Telcos subsidise the price of prepaid phones and, as such, lock them to their network. You can get your phone unlocked but you may have to pay a fee.

Telcos calculate unlocking fees based on how long you have owned the phone. Here's what you'll pay for each network, depending on how long you've owned your phone:

	Less than six months	Less than two years	More than two years
Telstra	$80	$25	Free
Optus	$80*	$25*	$25*
Vodafone	$50	$25	$25

*Unless you've recharged your service to a minimum accumulated amount of $80.

Getting your phone unlocked should be a pretty straightforward process, though steps differ slightly depending on whether you bought it from Optus, Telstra or Vodafone. Here are our detailed guides on how to get your phone unlocked from each network:

Does your phone work with a SIM card from a different carrier?

Still not sure if your phone is locked? Try swapping in a SIM card from a different network provider. For example, if you're with a Telstra network provider, you'll need to get an Optus SIM. Maybe you already know which carrier you want to switch to, in which case sign up for the new SIM and just try it out. Or maybe you have a friend or family member using a different telco who'll lend you their SIM for a few minutes of testing.

Either way, all you need to do is switch SIM cards and see if you can send and receive calls and texts. If your phone is unlocked, you should be able to. If it's not, you should see a dialogue box asking you to enter an unlock code. You can get that from your telco.

So your phone is unlocked, now what?

Time to shop around! Unless you're still on your postpaid contract, you're free to look at some of the best SIM-only plans to find a better deal. And even if you are on postpaid, most telcos now let you leave early and pay nothing except the remaining cost of your phone.

The mobile phone market is becoming so competitive there are usually some pretty nice deals up for grabs. Check out the cheapest mobile phone plans available in our database including our best prepaid plans:

#1	OnePass mobile	OnePass mobile 28 Day Plan - 22GB 22GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $12.50 - Get 22GB for only $12.50 for the first 6 recharges! Recharges $25/22GB. New customers only. T&Cs apply $12.50 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$12.50 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#2	Lyca Mobile Editor's Pick	Lyca Mobile Editor's Pick Unlimited Plan S 50GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: $15 for first 6 renewals when you activate this plan. Offer ends 31.12.26. T&Cs apply $15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#3	OnePass mobile	OnePass mobile 28 Day Plan - 32GB 32GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $15 - Get 32GB for only $15 for the first 6 recharges! Recharges $30/32GB. New customers only. T&Cs apply $15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#4	iiNet	iiNet 30GB Small Plan 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $15/mth for first 6 months, then $30/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
#5	TPG Editor's Pick	TPG Editor's Pick 30GB Small Plan 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $15/mth for first 6 months, then $30/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$15.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
#6	iiNet	iiNet 50GB Medium Plan 50GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $17.50/mth for first 6 months, then $35/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $17.50 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$17.50 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
#7	TPG Editor's Pick	TPG Editor's Pick 50GB Medium Plan 50GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $17.50/mth for first 6 months, then $35/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $17.50 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$17.50 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied
#8	Lyca Mobile	Lyca Mobile Unlimited Plan M 120GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: $20 for first 6 renewals + includes 40GB bonus data on activation and first 11 renewals. Offer ends 31.12.26 $20.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$20.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#9	OnePass mobile	OnePass mobile 28 Day Plan - 65GB 65GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $20 - Get 65GB for only $20 for the first 6 recharges! Recharges $40/65GB. New customers only. T&Cs apply $20.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Link not supplied	$20.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Link not supplied
#10	iiNet	iiNet 100GB Large Plan 100GB data at download speeds up to 250Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: 50% off - $22.50/mth for first 6 months, then $45/mth ongoing. Available until withdrawn. T&Cs apply. $22.50 Per 1 Month Renewal Link not supplied	$22.50 Per 1 Month Renewal	Link not supplied

If you're after long-expiry plans, these cheap plans will have you covered:

365 Day Plan - 200GB

350GB data
Optus 4G Plus Mobile Network in available areas
Deal: Save $51! 350GB for $149 for the first 365 days! Recharges $200/200GB. New customers only. Offer ends 20.10.26

$149.00

Per 365 Day Renewal

Link not supplied

$149.00

Per 365 Day Renewal

Link not supplied

Small - 365 Day Flex Plan

220GB data
On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network
Deal: Get 220GB data for only $149 (incl. $30.90 off + 80GB bonus data) on the Small 365 Day Flex Plan. Offer ends 11.10.26

$149.00

Per 365 Day Renewal

Go to Site

$149.00

Per 365 Day Renewal

Go to Site

Medium - Long Expiry Plan

360GB data at download speeds up to 100Mbps
On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network
Deal: $240 plan discounted to $150 for first renewal when you activate this plan. Ends 31.12.26. New customer only.

$150.00

Per 360 Day Renewal

Link not supplied

$150.00

Per 360 Day Renewal

Link not supplied

Jacqui Dent

Editorial Strategist

Jacqui Dent is an Editorial Content Strategist at WhistleOut Australia, where she writes about mobile phone plans, NBN plans and everything in between. Over her ten-year career, she has worked to provide informed advice to the public, first in the sphere of writing and now in the world of consumer tech. Jacqui has also written about consumer telco products for Business Insider, Pedestrian and the 50Up Club.

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