How to Check If Your Phone Is GSM or CDMA (And If It Matters)

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Everything you need to know about GSM and CDMA networks

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: February 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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How to Check

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Does it matter?

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Check for 5G Support

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Q&A

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Tips

If you're shopping for a new cell phone or a new mobile carrier, you might be worried about whether your phone supports CDMA or GSM. Now that CDMA networks are mostly obsolete, modern phones support GSM technologies like 4G, LTE, and 5G. However, if you're using an older phone, you might want to check to see if it supports CDMA or GSM so you know whether it's still usable. Read on to learn how to tell whether your Android or iPhone is CDMA or GSM, if it matters, and how to make sure your phone supports the latest 5G networks.

GSM or CDMA: Which do I have?

CDMA is now obsolete, and most carriers worldwide have shut down their CDMA networks. If your phone still works on mobile networks, it's GSM. You can also check your phone's "About" section (or dial *#06# on Android) to look for an MEID or IMEI number. If you have an IMEI, the phone is GSM. If you see MEID, it's CDMA.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Check if Your Phone is CDMA or GSM

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Find out if your phone has an MEID or IMEI number. If you see a MEID category in your phone's "About" settings, your phone is CDMA. If you see an IMEI category, your phone is GSM. If you see both, your phone supports both CDMA and GSM and may use either network. Here's how to check:^{[1] X Research source}
- iPhone:^{[2] X Research source}
  - Open the Settings app.
  - Tap General.
  - Tap About.
  - Scroll down to look for the IMEI, MEID, or ESN number.
- Android:^{[3] X Research source}
  - Open the Phone app.
  - Enter *#06#.
  - This code will return the IMEI or MEID number.

Section 2 of 3:

CDMA or GSM: Does it matter?

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CDMA is obsolete in the US and in nearly all other countries. When it comes to choosing a modern phone or carrier in the United States and most other regions, you no longer need to worry about whether a phone or carrier supports CDMA or GSM. LTE, 4G, and now 5G–all technologies that run on GSM–have overtaken older technologies like 2G and 3G, and it's more important to make sure your phone supports these technologies.^{[4] X Research source}
- This also means that your phone having a SIM card no longer helps determine whether you're using CDMA or GSM.
- Additionally, this means that it's easier to switch your phone between carriers as long as the phone is carrier-unlocked.

Section 3 of 3:

Check If Your Phone Supports 5G

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Now that CDMA is obsolete, it's more important to make sure your phone supports more modern technologies like 5G. While 4G/LTE networks still exist, most carriers in the US (and many other countries) are beginning to phase out these older networks in favor of 5G.^{[5] X Research source} Here's how to make sure your phone is using 5G:
- iPhone
  - If you have an iPhone 12 or later (including iPhone SE 3rd gen. and newer), your iPhone supports 5G. As long as your carrier has 5G networks, you should be able to connect to 5G when available.^{[6] X Research source}
  - If a 5G network is not available, your iPhone can still connect to older 4G/LTE networks.
- Android
  - Open your Settings.
  - Go to Connections > Mobile Networks.
  - Tap Network mode.
  - If you see a 5G option available, your phone supports 5G.^{[7] X Research source}
  - If a 5G network is not available but your Android supports it, your phone can still connect to older 4G/LTE networks.

Community Q&A

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Question

Are there different sized sim cards?

Community Answer

Yes, there are. As electronic circuits are becoming smaller in size and weight, sim cards come in two types - micro sim and nano sim.

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I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 with a SIM card slot that was used with a Verizon plan. So what network does this run on? GSM or CDMA?

Community Answer

Some phones support both GSM and CDMA. In this case, the phone works with any GSM carrier, but will not necessarily work with any CDMA carrier.

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I have a Galaxy S3 that I bought from Verizon. According to what I read is is CDMA; it also has what I think is a SIM card - that means it's GSM. Obviously it can't be both. How to resolve this conundrum?

Community Answer

Some phones support both GSM and CDMA. In this case, the phone works with any GSM carrier, but will not necessarily work with any CDMA carrier.

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Tips

If you're still using an older CDMA-only phone, it's best to upgrade as soon as you can. As carriers continue to shut down older networks, you could wind up with an unusable phone otherwise.

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