iPhone 8plus carrier unlocking

[JC_Derby]

This is a variation on a theme I guess for everyone.

In an ongoing role reversal my son has given me his old phone which appears to be sim locked to o2 - he has now gone abroad for 10 days so whilst contactable it’s taking a little time to correspond as his night is our day! He has completed the online form - returned correspondence to him says within 14days he will get a text. 
he factory reset the iPhone 8 before he left - and is using his new iPhone and new sim abroad (but kept his same phone number). 
how will I know when the phone is unlocked? Ive transferred my iPhone data onto it, but so far every time I’ve put my sim in it’s saying activation required and Network provider lock is still showing as SIM Locked. So then I’ve put his old sim back in for now. 
It’s not hugely urgent, but conversely I don’t want to be waiting another 11 days for something only to find out it’s already done, or I’ve needlessly waited because it was me that hadn’t done something.

also I’m confident he got this phone through O2, why isn’t it carrier unlocked anyway? 
thanks in advance.

JC

[pgn]

There is a link shown in this vid that seems to show what phone company an iPhone 8 plus is locked to - not sure if the later part of the video will be of any use, @JC_Derby?

[JC_Derby]

Thanks.

I’d watched this video previously. Apologies but unless I’ve missed the link somewhere…all this video appears to show is how to find the IMEI number (which I know already), who the phone appears to be locked to ( in my case O2 as that was who the contract was with) and to connect phone to iTunes with the to see if it’s unlocked - which I’ve done but under my installed profile and I don’t get an unlocked message. And I’m not paying the fee 😀

[pgn · Accepted solution]

Understandably, money for old rope, but not yours. I presume you have been through this too: https://www.o2.co.uk/help/device-and-sim-support/unlocking-an-o2-mobile-to-use-on-a-different-networ...

If nothing happens by Wednesday ( as this has been a long bank holiday weekend, after all), your best bet might be a corner mobile repair shop - there will be a small fee though, @JC_Derby.

[JC_Derby]

Yep form was filled in by son before he went away.

[pgn]

All I can suggest, in the absence of anything from your son to the contrary, is wait - slow are the wheels of O2's internal unlocking process when sunshine and street parties beckon ☀️😉

[JC_Derby]

😀

Sunshine???  This is England🤭

[pgn]

Sunny in this far northwestern outpost of the Kingdom today 🤣

Good luck with the phone unlock 🤞

[MI5]

@JC_Derby 

Your son will be notified by email when Apple have completed the process.

You don't need to do anything else as the process is all done on Apple's servers.

[JC_Derby]

Thanks MI5. Will I be able to tell on the phone at that point?or willi have to reboot and swap sims to confirm?