The Ultimate Tutorial On How To Unlock iPhone's

Today’s the day you finally made the last payment on your iPhone and that baby is eventually all yours. This means that you’re able to use it while traveling abroad with a domestic SIM card and are free to switch networks when you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Asia or running to Sprint quite yet since, unfortunately, it’s not quite that clear-cut.

So as to stop people from changing to a competitor’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or satisfied their contract, lots of carriers place a sim lock (sometimes known as a carrier lock) on their smart phones. This ultimately means that you, or anyone you sell your second-hand iPhone to, are stuck with them for the long haul. If you’re thinking this sounds like a pretty dysfunctional working relationship, we're inclined to agree with you. Thankfully, with a bit of effort as well as an account in good order, you are on the right path to a SIM-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we carry on, a quick note on the sort of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should avoid! There is software available on the market that offer the ability to unlock your smartphone yourself, but they require you to jailbreak your mobile phone, and this is inadvisable, for many reasons. You can do your own investigating into jail-breaking, but it's not a sensible choice, and not recommended. The simplest way to unlock your iPhone is actually by talking directly with your wireless provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone will depend largely on your network, with the process being either reasonably quick and simple or painfully challenging. To help you get a step closer to a life free from carrier-locked tyranny, we put together all the steps on how to obtain an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please be aware that even though this was written with iPhone owners in mind, plenty of the advice could be used for other smartphones.

What Is SIM Unlocking?

As mentioned earlier, when you purchase an iPhone or other smartphone from a cellular carrier, that phone will only operate on that individual network until you either request to have your carrier unlock it or maybe your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more about that later). Also known as a SIM unlock, factory unlock, or network unlock, carrier unlocking means removing a network’s restrictions on a device, so that you can use it with a different cellular provider.

Luckily, not all iPhones require unlocking. As an example, should you buy your iPhone straight from Apple and pay for it in cash, it will already be unlocked and able to use with a variety of carriers.

Please note, however, not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For example, although sold as “unlocked”, smartphones bought at Best Buy are actually considered universal. So, if you insert a SIM card for the first time, the cell phone will essentially lock itself to the service provider associated with the Sim. Subsequently, given that certain carriers like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you purchased it directly from them, you can end up having an permanently carrier-locked device. Quite simply, you find yourself paying factory-unlocked prices to get a carrier-locked cell phone.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Having a factory-unlocked iPhone comes with its fair share of advantages such as the freedom to use (virtually) any network within the Unites States and abroad and increased resale values.

1. SIM-unlocking offers you the flexibility to use your mobile phone with the cellular provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you wish (with a few exceptions, as you’ll find out in a while). Such as, if you're currently using T-Mobile but are relocating to a new part of the country with lousy T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to switch to AT&T in a heartbeat




2. A Network-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a breeze. Unlocking also provides the ability to use your phone in foreign countries. Worldwide roaming fees, pricey international plans, and crazy dashes for WiFi are a thing of the past with an unlocked iPhone. Merely pop in a SIM card from a local network and you're good to go.




3. SIM-unlocked iPhones have much higher resale values.

Even when you don’t plan on changing networks or going abroad any time soon, unlocking your iPhone is still a smart idea. If you anticipate trading in your old iPhone once you upgrade, you’ll usually get more cash for it if the iPhone has already been carrier unlocked because of a greater interest in them in the resale market place.

Is it against the law to Carrier Unlock your smartphone?

Definitely not! A result of the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, finalized into law by President Barack Obama in 2014, all US-based cellular providers have to allow customers to unlock their phones. However, the conditions under which a service provider will unlock a mobile phone vary widely from carrier to carrier. Generally speaking, the majority of 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.

How you can see if your iPhone is Unlocked

Before beginning the smartphone-unlocking process, you’ll first want to see if your iPhone is already unlocked (no need in under-going the hassle when you don’t really need to). All you need to do is make sure that you’re connected with WiFi and insert a new SIM card from a different network provider and your mobile phone will do the rest automatically. This verification check usually takes less than a minute to complete after a SIM has been inserted.

During the verification procedure, you’ll note that your iPhone will boot onto a white screen and attempt to authenticate that it has been unlocked with your service provider. Should Apple verify that your iPhone is network-unlocked, it will return to the home screen and signal bars should appear from the new service provider. However, if a white screen appears that says SIM Not Supported, your smartphone has not been unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from any Carrier

Once you determine that your phone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you'll need to take a look at your service provider’s unlocking eligibility prerequisites. Should your iPhone meet those guidelines, you can then request that the handset can be unlocked from their network. As suggested previously, both the eligibility requirements and the unlocking process vary from company to company. They all have been outlined below for the major carriers including Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T.

Please be aware that, provided you have met the unlock conditions and so are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, asking for your iPhone be unlocked is often absolutely free. If you opt to use a third party unlocking service, you have to pay for the service, but working with a 3rd 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 outlined below as a first step.

How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When IMEI-unlocking your iPhone, you will have to supply your service provider your mobiles IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is fundamentally your cellphone’s VIN or social security number. To locate your IMEI, on your phone, select Settings > General > About and search to the bottom section where you'll see it displayed next to IMEI.

You can also search for the number on the cellphone outer shell itself. For earlier iPhone models (6, 6 Plus, 1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5), the number may also be imprinted on the back or the SIM tray.

When you’ve located the IMEI number, it highly advisable that you store it somewhere for safekeeping.

Unlock an iPhone on AT&T

Unlocking your iPhone from the AT&T network is about as easy as A-B-C. Just pop on across to the AT&T unlock portal, answer a few simple questions, and you'll be well on your way to network-unlocked freedom.

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

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

• 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
• 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 the iPhone is part of a term agreement or installment plan, it must also meet these requirements:

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

For in depth eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

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

We have seen reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program does not always function as it needs to, so it’s unquestionably a good idea to confirm that your iPhone is unlocked before trying to change to another provider or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you intend to sell it to a buyback business or on eBay.

In order for an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it's got to satisfy the following requirements:

• Must be on an account in good standing
• Must not be reported as lost, stolen, or associated with fraud
• 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

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

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

For detailed eligibility prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

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

To have an iPhone unlocked from the T-Mobile network, it has to meet the following prerequisites:

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

If the iPhone is part of a postpaid plan, it must also adhere to these conditions:

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

For detailed eligibility prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

Verizon is, by far and away, the leading service provider to work with 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 from a retail partner, it'll be unlocked automatically 60 days after device activation.

There are no catches. You don’t have to pay off your phone, meet any specific conditions, or even contact them to request to unlock your phone from their network. As long as your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, simply wait a couple of months following purchase or activation and your phone will be a-ok.

Don’t believe us? Just click here.

Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?

Back many years ago, you’d have to hook your iPhone to iTunes and conduct a software restore to perform the unlock procedure. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier now. All you have to do is follow the same steps you used earlier to determine whether your phone was already unlocked in the first place.

In the event you don’t have access to a Sim from a different carrier, you can still verify that your iPhone has been unlocked using an iTunes software restore. Just hook up your iPhone with a computer running iTunes and hit the “restore” option. When the restoration process has finished, you will see a message saying “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Well done! You successfully factory-unlocked your iPhone! Which means your able to use what ever network you wish to now, right? We hate to tell you this, but sadly not. As a result of two different types of technologies employed in the US, GSM and CDMA, your available mobile providers is determined by the model of your iPhone and the original carrier it's locked to. Specifically, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and the majority of providers in other countries are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you’ve probably guessed, these two different network types don't talk to each other (because that's too logical). Fortunately, as we move closer to worldwide 5G access and as older networks are phased out, this will hopefully no longer be a challenge.

To find out which carriers you can access depending on both these factors, keep 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 is going to remain that way for the lifetime of the device. You'll be able to restore your iPhone or update apps without worrying about your unlock disappearing afterwards.