A Definitive Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's

Today’s the day you finally completed the contract on your iPhone and that baby is officially all yours. What this means is you’re able to use it while traveling abroad with a local SIM card and have the freedom to swap networks as you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Aruba or running to Verizon just yet since, unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.

In order to prevent individuals from swapping to a rival’s network before they’ve paid off their iPhone or completed their contract, many carriers put a SIM lock (sometimes known as a carrier lock) on their cell phones. This consequently means that you, or the individual you sell your second hand iPhone to, are tied to them for the long haul. If you’re thinking this sounds like a pretty dysfunctional relationship, we’d tend to agree with you. Fortunately, along with a little legwork plus an account in good standing, you are on the right path to a network-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we proceed, a quick note on the type of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should avoid! There is software to be found offering the capability to unlock your smartphone yourself, but they require you to jailbreak your mobile phone, and this is inadvisable, for a lot of reasons. You can do your own investigation into jail-breaking, but it's very risky, and not recommended. The best way to unlock your iPhone is actually talking directly with your network provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone will depend largely on your network, with the process being either fairly quick and easy or painfully tedious. To help you get a step closer to a life free from carrier-locked tyranny, we put together all the steps to be able to obtain an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please note that even though this was written with iPhone owners in mind, much of the recommendations could be carried over to other smartphones.

What Is Network Unlocking?

As mentioned previously, when you purchase an iPhone or another smartphone from a network carrier, that smartphone is only going to operate on that network until you either request to have your network unlock it or maybe your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (read more about that later). Commonly known as a SIM unlock, factory unlock, or network unlock, carrier unlocking means removing a network’s restrictions on a device, permitting you to use it with a different cellular provider.

Thankfully, not every iPhone need to be unlocked. As an example, if you purchase your iPhone from Apple and pay it off in full, it should be unlocked and able to use with a variety of carriers.

Please note, however, that not all phones purchased outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. In particular, although sold as “unlocked”, mobile phones purchased at Best Buy are actually considered universal. So, whenever you insert a SIM card for the first time, the phone will basically lock itself to the provider associated with the SIM card. Subsequently, since certain networks like T-Mobile will only unlock your iPhone if you bought it directly from them, you may end up getting an eternally network-locked device. Simply put, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices to get a carrier-locked phone.

Why Should I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a SIM-unlocked iPhone comes with a good number of perks which include the flexibility to utilize (nearly) any network within the US and overseas in addition to increased secondhand values.

1. Factory-unlocking gives you the choice to use your phone with the service provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you like (with a couple of exceptions, as you’ll find out later). Such as, if you are currently using T-Mobile but are moving to a new part of the country with lousy T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to swap to AT&T on a dime




2. A Factory-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a cinch. Unlocking also gives you the ability to use your mobile phone overseas. International roaming fees, costly international plans, and crazy dashes for WiFi are a thing of the past with an unlocked iPhone. Just pop in a SIM card from a local service provider and you're golden.




3. Factory-unlocked iPhones have significantly higher resale values.

Even if you don’t plan on changing carriers or heading abroad anytime soon, unlocking your iPhone is still a good idea. If you plan on trading in your old iPhone if you upgrade, you’ll almost always get more cash for it if the iPhone has already been carrier unlocked due to higher interest in them on the resale market place.

Is it against the law to Network Unlock your cellphone?

Not at all! Thanks to the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, finalized into law by President Barack Obama in 2014, all US-based cellular providers must allow customers to unlock their phones. However, the circumstances under which a network will unlock a mobile phone differ greatly from network to network. For the most part, most service providers require you to finish your contract, pay for your financial obligations in full, or at a minimum have an account in good standing before they’ll enable you to unlock your iPhone.

The best way to determine if your iPhone is Unlocked

Before you start the phone-unlocking process, you’ll first need to see if your iPhone has already been unlocked (no need in suffering the hassle when you don’t actually need to). All you need to do is make sure that you’re connected to WiFi and insert a brand new SIM card from an alternative service provider and your mobile will do everything else automatically. This confirmation check generally takes under a minute to finish once a Sim card has been inserted.

Through the verification process, you’ll notice that your iPhone will boot onto a white screen and attempt to validate that it has been unlocked with your service provider. Should Apple determine that your iPhone is IMEI-unlocked, it will go back to the home screen and service bars ought to appear from the new provider. However, if a white screen appears that says SIM Not Supported, your iPhone will not be unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from any Provider

Once you determine that your cellphone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you'll need to take a look at your service provider’s unlocking eligibility demands. Should your iPhone meet those unlocking guidelines, you can ask that the device can be unlocked from their network. As hinted at previously, both the eligibility requirements and the unlocking process vary from network to network. Each one has been outlined below for the major carriers including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Please note that, provided you’ve met the unlock prerequisites and therefore are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, asking for your iPhone be unlocked can be absolutely free. If you choose to go through a 3rd party unlocking company, you will have to pay for the service, but making use of a third party company is going to be your only option if you are not the original owner of the phone. Before you spend money unnecessarily, try using the directions below beforehand.

How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When factory-unlocking your iPhone, you will have to supply your service provider your handsets IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is fundamentally your smartphone’s VIN or social security number. To locate your IMEI, on your phone, go to Settings > General > About and search to the bottom of the list where you'll see it listed next to IMEI.

You can also look for the IMEI number on the phone casing itself. For earlier iPhone models (1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5, 6, 6 Plus), the IMEI number will also be printed on the back or the SIM tray.

After you’ve located the IMEI, we strongly recommend that you keep it someplace for safekeeping.

Unlock an iPhone on AT&T

Unlocking your iPhone from the AT&T network is about as uncomplicated as 1-2-3. Just pop on over to the AT&T website, answer a few questions, and you'll be well on your way to network-unlocked freedom.

After you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to review your AT&T unlocking status. When you get your confirmation text or email, simply open it up then click on the verification link. That's all there is to it! AT&T will unlock your iPhone in just a couple of working days.

For an iPhone to get unlocked from the AT&T network, it needs to adhere to the following requirements:

• Must not be reported as lost, stolen, or blocked
• Must not have a past-due balance
• Must not be active on a different AT&T account
• If it is a work phone, you must have your employer’s permission to unlock it
• If it is an AT&T PREPAID phone, it must be active for at least six months

If your iPhone is part of a term agreement or installment plan, it's got to also meet these requirements:

• The term agreement must be complete
• The device must be active on the AT&T network for at least 60 days
• The installment plan must be paid off

For in-depth eligibility requirements, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Depending on when you acquired your phone and if it has SIM-unlock capabilities, there are a couple of different unlock choices. In the event you bought a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it should be SIM-unlock capable) and it is currently being used on their network, Sprint will unlock it automatically after it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you honestly don’t need to do anything at all apart from keep your account in good standing. However, if your iPhone is inactive or was purchased before February 2015, you’ll have to get in touch with Sprint Customer Care directly to request an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or dial 888-211-4727).

There have been reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't always perform as it should, so it’s definitely a very good idea to confirm that your iPhone has been unlocked before trying to change to another service provider or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you wish to sell it to a buyback company or on craigslist or ebay.

In order for an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it needs to fulfill the following conditions:

• Must have SIM-unlock capabilities (if it doesn’t, it is MSL (Master Subsidy Lock) locked and you will need to call Sprint for the MSL code)
• Must be active on the Sprint network for at least 40 days
• Must be on an account in good standing
• Must not be reported as lost, stolen, or associated with fraud

If your iPhone is part of a service agreement, lease agreement, or installment plan, it must also satisfy these requirements:

• If leased, the end-of-lease purchase option must be fully paid
• Any early-termination fees must be fully paid
• Any lease or installment payments must be fully paid

For in-depth eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

If you’re an Android mobile phone owner reading this and your handset matches the eligibility conditions, consider yourself lucky: You can unlock it easily from the phone itself. For all you iPhone owners out there, you’ll have to speak to T-Mobile’s Team of Specialists directly (either dial 611 from a T-Mobile iPhone, call 877-746-0909.

For an iPhone to be unlocked from the T-Mobile network, it has to adhere to the following conditions:

• For prepaid accounts, it must have been active on the account for at least 12 months
• Must have been purchased directly from T-Mobile
• Must be paid for in full
• Must not have been reported as lost, stolen, or blocked

If your iPhone is part of a pre-paid plan, it's got to also meet these requirements:

• Must have been active on the account for at least 40 days
• The account must be in good standing

For precise eligibility requirements, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

Verizon is, by far, the top service provider to use for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone Sixty days following the purchase of the handset. If you bought your iPhone at a retail partner, it can be unlocked automatically 60 days after device activation.

There are no catches. You don’t have to pay off your phone, fulfill any specific prerequisites, or even contact them to request to unlock your phone from their network. Provided your iPhone hasn’t been reported lost or stolen, simply wait a couple of months after purchase or activation and your phone will be good to go.

Hard to believe? Just click here.

Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — now what?

Back many years ago, you’d need to connect your iPhone to iTunes and conduct a software restore to finish the unlock process. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier these days. All you need to do is go through same steps you used earlier to check if your phone had been unlocked to begin with.

When you don’t have access to a Sim from an alternative carrier, you can still verify that your iPhone has been unlocked using an iTunes software restore. Just connect your iPhone to a computer running iTunes and hit the “restore” option. Once the restoration process has finished, you should see a message which says “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Great job! You successfully carrier-unlocked your iPhone! Which means your able to use whatever carrier you would like to now, right? We hate be the bearer of bad news, but no. Due to the two different types of networks employed in the Unites States, CDMA and GSM, your choice of mobile phone providers is dependent upon the model of your iPhone and the original network it's locked to. Specifically, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and most providers abroad are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you’ve probably guessed, both of these different network types will not talk to each other (because that would be too easy). Fortunately, as we approach world wide 5G access and as older networks are retired, it will hopefully cease to be a major problem.

To discover which networks you can access depending on both of these factors, carry on reading.

AT&T

GSM networks only (AT&T, T-Mobile, international GSM carriers): Original iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X

Any carrier worldwide: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max

Sprint

International networks only: iPhone 4s and iPhone 5

Any carrier worldwide: iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max

T-Mobile

GSM networks only (AT&T, T-Mobile, international GSM carriers): Original iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X

Any carrier worldwide: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max

Verizon

Compatible with any carrier in the world, but with limitations when using GSM networks: iPhone 4s, iPhone 5

Any carrier worldwide: iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max

Will the Unlock last forever?

Yes indeed! Once your phone has been network-unlocked, it'll stay like that for the life of the device. It is possible to restore your iPhone or up-date software without having to worry about your unlock disappearing afterwards.