Question Old Phone Found - Is it still usable?

[oldtimer114]

I just found a phone I thought I had lost a few years ago. It's a Motorola Moto G8 Power (2021) with Android 11 installed. I believe I bought it unlocked but I used it on Consumer Cellular with their sim card. When I lost it 3+ years ago, I replaced it with a flip phone and then quit C. Cellular 18 months later.
This old phone looks functional. It powers up fine and holds a charge even with no sim card in it. However, it shows the software channel of Consumer Cellular. I would like to use this as a 2nd phone with one of those third party services like RedPocket.
My questions are:
1. How do I tell if this phone is locked (can't ask C. Cellular. We parted badly & they won't talk to me now).
2. Is this phone really too old to be practically usable?

 

[COLGeek]

Since it shows Consumer Cellular when powering on, without a SIM installed, it is safe to assume that it is currently locked to them.

Please see here to confirm: https://en-us.support.motorola.com/...714/~/unlock-my-phone-from-a-specific-carrier

That phone does not support 5g service, by the way, if that is something you had hoped to be able to use.

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with this old phone, except maybe as a controller for a drone.

 

[oldtimer114]

I had to actually call Motorola and speak to a live person. But she confirmed that this phone is not locked to Consumer Cellular, or anyone else. I thought I had purchased it separately but was not sure. She said I can simply put anyone's sim card in and it will work.
I don't really care if it has 5G service or not. I only wish to use it because my boss has ordered me to set up a personal Facebook account and I do not wish to my daily use phone or any other device I regularly use for that. I do not like and have never used Facebook (or any other social media) but it was an order or I lose my job. This seemed to be the cheapest way to accomplish that with the least loss of privacy.

 

[COLGeek]

What is this personal Facebook account supposed to do? You don't need a second phone to set up a Facebook account. You can create this second account from any device.

 

[oldtimer114]

Several of our customers and contacts insist on using Facebook as their primary communications path. But I do not want to "pollute" any of my daily use devices by allowing Facebook access. Personally I hold Facebook, along with Microsoft & Alphabet/Google to be the great evils in the cyberworld. But I have been unsuccessful in getting a burner phone set up to have access to Facebook.
So using the old smartphone as the sole Facebook access and leaving it on my desk at all times is a work around.

 

[CParsons]

Several of our customers and contacts insist on using Facebook as their primary communications path. But I do not want to "pollute" any of my daily use devices by allowing Facebook access. Personally I hold Facebook, along with Microsoft & Alphabet/Google to be the great evils in the cyberworld. But I have been unsuccessful in getting a burner phone set up to have access to Facebook.
So using the old smartphone as the sole Facebook access and leaving it on my desk at all times is a work around.

There's a whole lot wrong there legally if you want to go down that rabbit hole. Your Boss cannot demand you open a personal account, nor expect it to be on your personal phone or make you pay for said phone without compensation. But perhaps that's not a fight you are interested in having and that's fine too.