How To Know If iPhone IMEI is Whitelisted?

Question: So I see dozens of discussions in forum talking about iPhones and whitelisting IMEI. I recently bought a new iPhone, so can I know how do I know if IMEI number of Apple iPhone is whitelisted? Do I have to give IMEI number of network operator?

There are many ways to whitelist a blacklisted iPhone, for which you have to spend money. I won’t be talking about that, as this question is specially about IMEI whitelisting for iPhones.

Before we begin, it’s important to know that a lot of smartphone owners are confused with this simple concept. So here’s the simple answer:

Whitelisting = Unlocking.

That’s right. If someone says, on the Internet or anywhere else that they want to whitelist an iPhone, then what it means it that the iPhone is locked and they want to unlock it.

Every registered iPhone that is purchased from a local mobile store or online has an IMEI number. This 15-digit number is added to Apple’s IMEI list. Once done, the phone can be used.

This is not a special case — every phone goes through this procedure. Let me explain in details.

Suppose you purchased an iPhone locked down to a carrier like AT&T in the US. Now, carriers have access to this list where your phone’s IMEI number is added. Once done, your iPhone is registered. In other words, you have an unlocked iPhone.

This is further confirmed when you connect iPhone to your computer via iTunes. Information is sent to Apple’s sever through iTunes and your baseband is updated.

So that’s all you need to know. So having an IMEI whitelisted iPhone is a good thing. And how do you know if you have one? Don’t worry — if you have purchased from a store you will always get a guarantee that the device is unlocked (or restricted to a specific carrier — in which case, still, it is unlocked and usable). If you want more details, go through this article: “IMEI Blacklist Check!

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