Mobile phone is Bell locked

[SN257]

Hello,

I bought iPhone 14 pro max in Feb 2023 with Bell plan. I’ve come to India to visit my family and wanted to use Jio/Airtel SIM services available in India. Whenever I insert any of Jio/Airtel/Vodafone in the phone it says Updating and the next step it shows SIM not supported, either the phone is locked or the SIM not supported. I tried 3 carrier SIM in the phone and it says the same while the other device which I bought this month only on add a line from Bell works with any SIM inserted. I talked with chat service at Bell services and they say your device is unlocked from Bell. I’m not sure what the problem is. 

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❗AI Summary:

This thread discussion revolves around having a mobile phone that is locked to the Bell network. This means the device can only use a Bell SIM card and cannot operate on other carriers until it has been unlocked. After 60 days from the activation of your phone on the Bell network, your phone will unlock automatically at no cost.

Users often encounter a locked device after a new activation, hardware upgrade or when switching providers; when the phone has not been activated on the Bell network for a minimum of 60 days.

Unlocking Policy

Your phone must meet all eligibility conditions. Bell may refuse any unlock request that appears intended to defraud Bell or its customers.

Check if you’re eligible:

• The phone is not flagged as lost or stolen.
• Your phone must be locked to the Bell network. Bell can only unlock Bell devices.
• It has been at least 60 days since you activated your device on the Bell network.

If it has been less than 60 days since your phone has been activated on the Bell network but you meet the other eligibility criteria, you can request Bell unlock your device.

Bell phones that have been stolen or fraudulently acquired are permanently disabled from working on any Canadian, U.S. or international mobile networks. See Unlock your Bell device for full details.

To see if your Bell device is unlocked

Apple iOS devices:

Go to Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock. If No SIM Restriction is displayed, your device is unlocked.

Google devices:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs. Select the active SIM listed, scroll down to Network and toggle off Automatically select network. The device will scan for mobile networks. If you see network operators other than Bell, your device is unlocked.

Samsung devices:

Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Network operators and toggle off Select automatically. eSIM-activated devices may need to select the eSIM at the bottom of the screen if the toggle is greyed out. The device will scan for mobile networks. If you see network operators other than Bell, your device is unlocked.

Motorola devices:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Network > Advanced. Scroll down to Network and toggle off Automatically select network. The device will scan for mobile networks. If you see network operators other than Bell, your device is unlocked.

LG devices:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile networks > Network operators > Search networks. The device will scan for mobile networks. If you see network operators other than Bell, your device is unlocked.

[BellKris]

Hi there, @SN257. Welcome to the Community.

We'd be happy to take a closer look into this for you and will be reaching out in a private message. Please check your Messages within your profile avatar in the top right corner.

Unsure how to check or send a private message? See How to send a private message

[WelshTerrier · Accepted solution]

In most cases, the main reason why your iPhone says SIM not supported is that your iPhone is locked to a carrier. Therefore, you're not allowed to insert a SIM card from any other carrier. Besides, any software problems and bugs can also result from the error.

If you purchased it this year from Bell, then it should be unlocked. There are a few things you must do first.

Let's try the following:

1. Ensure you have first inserted your active Bell Mobility SIM card into the phone and completed the Set Up flow on the phone; i.e. choose your language, time zone, login with your Apple ID or Google profile etc. This registers the phone on the network and confirms its authenticity (not lost or stolen etc.). This must be completed first or the device will not show that it is 'unlocked'.
2. You can check if your iPhone is locked by the carrier you purchased the phone from.
   You can verify this by going to the Settings app > General > Select About > Scroll down to locate Carrier Lock. If your iPhone says No SIM restrictions, then it is unlocked
3. Make sure the alternate carrier's SIM card is active and working.
   Before inserting the SIM card into your iPhone, please make sure it has been activated by the carrier to provide services or the error message will pop up.
4.  Eject and reinsert SIM card.
   Simply restarting your SIM card on iPhone may help you fix the problem. Just open the SIM card tray using an ejector and insert the SIM card again. Wait for seconds to check if your iPhone stops saying SIM not supported.
5. Do a force restart of your iPhone.
6. Check that your iPhone is up to date with the most current iOS.
7. Check that all of your apps are up to date.

Hopefully, one of these suggestions will resolve your iPhone 14 Max Pro SIM issue.

For more details, check out Unlocking your Bell Mobility phone

Please keep us updated on the Bell Community Forum.

[WelshTerrier · Accepted solution]

Good Day.

This is a peer-to-peer community forum. As such we do not have access to your account information & device details. Have you contacted Bell Mobility Customer Services?

Have a look at the following after which if your device is still locked, I can only suggest that you contact Bell Mobility Customer Service. You can do so from India via Bell online Chat services. Contact Bell | Bell Mobility, Internet, TV and Home phone | Bell Canada

In most cases, the main reason why your device is locked to a carrier is your SIM is not supported.Therefore, you're not allowed to insert a SIM card from any other carrier. Besides, any software problems and bugs can also result from the error.

Was this device purchased from Bell? If you purchased it from Bell, then it should be unlocked. 

Your device must meet all eligibility conditions below:

• The device is not flagged as lost or stolen.
• Your device must be locked to the Bell network. Bell can only unlock Bell devices.

Let's try the following:

1. Ensure you have first inserted your active Bell Mobility SIM card into the phone and completed the Set Up flow on the phone; i.e. choose your language, time zone, login with your Apple ID or Google profile etc. This registers the phone on the network and confirms its authenticity (not lost or stolen etc.). This must be completed first or the device will not show that it is 'unlocked'.
2. You can check if your device is locked by the carrier you purchased the phone from.
   You can verify this by going to the Settings app > General > Select About > Scroll down to locate Carrier Lock. If your device says No SIM restrictions, then it is unlocked
3. Make sure the alternate carrier's SIM card is active and working.
   Before inserting the SIM card into your device, please make sure it has been activated by the carrier to provide services or the error message will pop up.
4.  Eject and reinsert SIM card.
   Simply restarting your SIM card on device may help you fix the problem. Just open the SIM card tray using an ejector and insert the SIM card again. Wait for seconds to check if your device stops saying SIM not supported.
5. Do a force restart of your device.
6. Check that your device is up to date with the most current iOS or OS.
7. Check that all of your apps are up to date.

Hopefully, one of these suggestions will resolve your device SIM issue.

For more details, check out Unlocking your Bell Mobility phone

Please keep us updated on the Bell Community Forum.

Take care.

[Grump1]

Unfortunately, if you are in another country and have no phone service, there is no way to get your phone unlocked. You can only do this by phone call. My iPhone 16 was still locked 7 months after activation, and I had never even been told it WOULD be locked. I was told "some phones do not unlock automatically". 

Unlocking is NOT automatic. After I got trapped in Europe, unable to install an eSIM on an iPhone 16 activated 8 months ago, upon returning to Canada I was told by Bell "some phones do to unlock automatically". I was never even told by the Bell store that it WAS locked. 

I tried to get my iPhone unlocked by chat from Ireland, and was told it could only be done by phone call. 

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome.

As you already know, this is a community website. A peer-to-peer forum. As such, we do not have access to your account & billing records.

If it has been active for more than 60 days, Bell phones usually unlock automatically or can be unlocked over the phone. If it’s an iPhone, it will usually unlock automatically over Wi-Fi or when you insert a non-Bell SIM card. If it’s an Android device, you will likely need to contact Bell to request an unlock code.

In order to assist in answering your question, we need for you to provide us with the specific details.

Bell may refuse to unlock a phone for various reasons, including if the device is reported as lost or stolen, if the customer is not in good standing (e.g., outstanding balance), or if the customer is not the original owner.

Bell also has a policy where new phones are initially locked to their network for a period of time, typically 60 days, but can be unlocked earlier upon request.

Were you still under contract to Bell? If Bell is refusing to unlock your phone, there has to be an explanation for this action. Situations such as this cannot be resolved on the Bell Community Forum.

If you require further clarification or additional specific details, you will need to Bell Mobility Customer Service by: Chat or dial *611 from any Bell mobile device.

Let us know if we can be of further assistance to you.

Take care.

[Grump1]

Thanks for your response. I did not expect this forum to resolve my dispute with Bell. I did, however, think it was a good place to warn Bell customers who have not been told that their phone has been locked by Bell that they may, as did I, find themselves in a foreign country with no phone and no way to get it unlocked. As one peer to another, I'd like to help others avoid this infuriating issue. 

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day @Grump1 

Thank you for input and gracious reply. 

The Bell Community forum is just what you suggest. It is all about members helping each other out.

It is a place for all of us to ask questions, find answers and share information on all of Bell's products and services with other members such as yourself.

It is not the end all or be all. We cannot solve individual disputes with Bell. We can help each out by sharing our thoughts, ideas and solutions.

I appreciate your feedback.

Take care.