If you're having trouble activating an eSIM on an iPhone you purchased secondhand, go to "Settings" > "General" > "About" and see what is says under "Network."

Several of our customers with secondhand iPhones report seeing the message "Phone not allowed."

When these customers spoke with Apple Store employees, they were told this message appeared because their secondhand iPhone was device-locked, likely due to the iPhone's previous owner having unpaid carrier bills.

What's interesting is that these carrier restrictions seem limited to certain countries or regions. For example, a secondhand iPhone might connect to networks in South America without an issue, but appear locked from networks in North America.

Apple is not able to unlock these secondhand iPhones, and they suggest if this happens to you, to please reach out to the iPhone's previous owner to see if the credit issue can be resolved.

If you experience the "Phone not allowed" error message after purchasing an aloSIM eSIM that you cannot use, please contact our Support team for a refund.