Help with blacklisted iPhone 11 pro max

[Aghilesh_Poovakode]

Hi everyone,

I bought an iPhone 11 Pro Max from Cashify in India on 2022, and it was working perfectly there with Indian SIM cards.

Recently, I moved to Canada, but when I insert a Canadian SIM card, the phone only shows “SOS” and doesn’t connect to the network. I’m guessing the device might be blacklisted in North America or have some regional/network restriction, even though it works fine in India.

Has anyone faced a similar issue before? Is there any way to get the phone unblacklisted (if that’s the problem), or is there any other solution that would allow me to use a Canadian SIM in this device?

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
@SRZ @TheJoker pls help

[R0B0TS]

@Aghilesh_Poovakode

I bought an iPhone 11 Pro Max from Cashify in India on 2022, and it was working perfectly there with Indian SIM cards.

Recently, I moved to Canada, but when I insert a Canadian SIM card, the phone only shows “SOS” and doesn’t connect to the network. I’m guessing the device might be blacklisted in North America or have some regional/network restriction, even though it works fine in India.

Has anyone faced a similar issue before? Is there any way to get the phone unblacklisted (if that’s the problem), or is there any other solution that would allow me to use a Canadian SIM in this device?

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

A few different issues can cause an iPhone to show only SOS in Canada, and a blacklist is only one possibility.

1. Check whether the iPhone is carrier-locked

Go to:

Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock

• If it says “No SIM restrictions”, the phone is unlocked.

• If it shows a carrier name or indicates restrictions, the device is locked and may not accept Canadian carriers.

Since you bought it from Cashify as a used device, it’s worth confirming this first.

2. Check if the IMEI is blacklisted

A blacklisted IMEI can result in a phone working in one country but being blocked on some networks in another country.

Find your IMEI:
Settings → General → About → IMEI

Then ask your Canadian carrier (e.g., Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, or Telus) to verify whether the IMEI is blocked on their network.

You can also check through the Canadian stolen-device database operated by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association:

Device Check Canada

If the IMEI is blacklisted because it was reported lost or stolen, only the party that originally reported it (or the carrier involved) can normally remove the blacklist.

3. Verify model compatibility

The iPhone 11 Pro Max was sold in multiple regional variants. Most Indian-market iPhone 11 Pro Max models support Canadian LTE bands, so complete incompatibility is uncommon, but it’s still worth checking the model number:

Settings → General → About → Model Number

Tap the model number until you see something like A2218, A2161, etc.

If you tell me the model number, I can check Canadian network compatibility.

4. Try basic network troubleshooting

• Update iOS to the latest version available for the device.

• Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings.

• Test with SIM cards from more than one Canadian carrier.

• Enable and disable Airplane Mode.

• Check whether the carrier offers an eSIM and try activating one.

5. Determine whether it’s a network registration issue

Insert the Canadian SIM and check:

Settings → General → About

Does the carrier name appear anywhere, or does it remain blank and show only SOS?

Also try:

Settings → Cellular → Network Selection

Turn off Automatic and see whether Canadian networks appear in the list.

Most likely scenarios

• Carrier lock → Can usually be resolved by the original carrier that locked the device.

• Blacklisted IMEI → Much harder; generally only the reporting carrier/owner can remove it.

• Provisioning or network compatibility issue → Often fixable with carrier settings updates, network reset, or a different SIM/eSIM.