The Ultimate Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's

So, you have finally fulfilled the contract on your iPhone and it's eventually all yours. What this means is you’re able to use it while traveling in another country with a local SIM card and have the freedom to change networks as you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Mexico or running to Sprint quite yet since, unfortunately, it’s not quite that straight-forward.

In order to stop individuals from changing to a rival’s network before they’ve paid off their iPhone or fulfilled their contract, lots of carriers place a sim lock (commonly known as as a network lock) on their smartphone's. This ultimately guarantees that you, or anyone who you sell your second hand iPhone to, are tied to them in the future. If you’re thinking this sounds like a fairly dysfunctional working relationship, we’d tend to agree with you. Fortunately, along with a little effort plus an account in good standing, you will be on the right track to a SIM-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we proceed, a just a quick note about the type of unlock's that are avialable, and the one's you should steer clear of! There is software on the market that offer the cabability to unlock a phone yourself, but they require you to jailbreak your iPhone, and this is a stupid idea, for lots of reasons. You can do your own investigation into jailbreaking, but it's fraught with danger, and not recommended. The best way to unlock your iPhone is as simple as speaking directly with your cellular provider. Your journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone will depend largely on your network, with the procedure being either fairly quick and simple or painfully difficult. To get you one step closer to a life free of carrier-locked tyranny, we resarched 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, the majority of the advice may be used for other smartphones.

What Is SIM Unlocking?

As mentioned before, when you buy an iPhone or other smartphone through your network provider, that phone will still only function on that specific network unless you either request to have your carrier unlock it or your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more about that later). Often 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 for us, not every iPhone require unlocking. For instance, if you buy your iPhone directly from Apple and purchase it outright, it will already be unlocked and able to use with a variety of carriers.

You should be aware, however, that not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For instance, although sold as “unlocked”, smart phones bought at Best Buy are in fact considered universal. So, whenever you insert a SIM card initially, the iPhone will effectively lock itself to the carrier associated with the SIM card. Subsequently, seeing that certain networks like T-Mobile will only unlock your iPhone if you got it directly from them, you may end up with an eternally carrier-locked device. Simply put, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices for a carrier-locked cellphone.

Possessing a carrier-unlocked iPhone includes its fair share of rewards including the freedom to work with (almost) any service provider in the US and overseas as well as substantically elevated resale prices.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Having a SIM-unlocked iPhone comes with a number of perks such as the ability to operate on (practically) any network both in the US and in another country in addition to increased secondhand values.

1. IMEI-unlocking allows you the choice to use your smartphone with the cellular provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you want (with a few exceptions, as you’ll find out later on). For example, if you're currently using T-Mobile but are relocating to a new area of the country with lousy T-Mobile coverage, you can switch to AT&T on a dime




2. A Network-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a cinch. Unlocking also provides the flexibility to use your cell phone abroad. Global roaming fees, expensive international plans, and crazy dashes for WiFi become a distant memory with an unlocked iPhone. Merely put in a SIM card from a local service provider and good to go.




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

Even if you don’t plan on swapping service providers or going internationally in the near future, unlocking your iPhone is still a good idea. Should you ever intend on trading in your old iPhone once you upgrade, you’ll generally get more cash for it if the iPhone has already been carrier unlocked because of a greater demand for them on the resale market place.

Is it against the law to Carrier Unlock your mobile phone?

No way! A result of the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2014, all US-based cellular providers have to allow people to unlock their phones. However, the conditions under which a carrier will unlock a mobile phone vary widely from network to network. For the most part, virtually all networks require you to complete your contract, cover your financial obligations in full, or at a minimum have an account in good standing before they’ll assist you to unlock your iPhone.

How to see if your iPhone is Unlocked

Prior to starting the smartphone-unlocking process, you’ll first need to find out if your iPhone has already been unlocked (no need in going through the hassle when you don’t absolutely need to). All you have to do is be sure that you’re connected with WiFi and insert a new SIM card from an alternative cellular provider and your smart phone will do everything else automatically. This confirmation check normally takes less than a minute to finish as soon as a SIM has been inserted.

Through the verification procedure, you’ll observe that your iPhone will boot onto a white screen and attempt to verify that it has been unlocked with your network. If Apple determine that your iPhone is carrier-unlocked, it will go back to the home screen and signal bars will appear from the new carrier. However, if you see a white screen that says SIM Not Supported, your cellphone will not be unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from a Service provider

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

Please be aware that, provided you have met the unlock requirements and so are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, requesting that your iPhone be unlocked can be absolutely free. Should you decide to go through a 3rd party unlocking provider, you will be charged, but utilizing a third party provider is your only option if you are not the original owner of the phone. Before you spend any money, try using the directions outlined below as a first step.

How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When SIM-unlocking your iPhone, you will need to supply your service provider your cell phones IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is essentially your phone’s VIN or social security number. To find your IMEI, on your phone, go to Settings > General > About and search to the bottom section where it will be listed displayed next to IMEI.

Additionally you can look for the number on the smartphone housing itself. For earlier iPhone models (6, 6 Plus, 1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5), the IMEI number may also be branded on the back or the SIM tray.

When you’ve found the IMEI number, we strongly recommend that you store it somewhere for safekeeping.

Unlock an iPhone on AT&T

Unlocking your iPhone from AT&T is about as easy as it gets. Just run on across to the AT&T unlock portal, answer a few basic questions, and you'll be well on your way to SIM-unlocked freedom.

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

For any iPhone to be 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 the iPhone is included in term agreement or installment plan, it has to also adhere to 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 detailed 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 have a several different unlock choices. In the event you obtained a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it will be SIM-unlock capable) and it's currently being used on their network, Sprint should unlock it automatically after it meets their eligibility requirements. So, you honestly don’t need to do anything more apart from keep your account in good order. Even so, if your iPhone hasn't been activated or was purchased prior to February 2015, you’ll have to get in touch with Sprint Customer Service directly to ask for an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or phone 888-211-4727).

There have been reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't always work as it needs to, so it’s definitely a very good idea to check that your iPhone has been unlocked before trying to switch to another carrier or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you intend to sell it to a buyback business or on craigslist or ebay.

In order for an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it must fulfill 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 the iPhone is part of a service agreement, lease agreement, or installment plan, it has to also satisfy these conditions:

• 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 requirements, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

If your reading this and own an Android cellphone and your handset meets the eligibility prerequisites, consider yourself in luck: It is possible to unlock it easily from the phone itself. For all you iPhone owners out there, you’ll need to speak to T-Mobile’s Team of Experts directly (either dial 611 from a T-Mobile iPhone, call 877-746-0909.

To have an iPhone unlocked from T-Mobile, it must 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 the iPhone is part of a postpaid account, it must also fulfill these prerequisites:

• 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, without a doubt, the best carrier to work with for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone Sixty days following the purchase of the device. If you purchased your iPhone at a retail partner, it'll be unlocked automatically 60 days after device activation.

There are no catches. When you have confirmed a phone isn't Blacklisted and you wanna to unlock it so you can use it on another carrier, then the most trustworthy websites to learn about Unlock.Zone out there is Unlock.Zone - be sure you search them out.You don’t have to pay off your phone, fulfill any unique demands, or even contact them to request to unlock your phone from their network. As long as your iPhone hasn’t been reported lost or stolen, merely wait two months following purchase or activation and your phone will be a-ok.

Don’t believe us? Just click here.

Now I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?

In the old days, you’d have to connect your iPhone up to iTunes and do a software restore in order to complete the unlock process. Thankfully, it’s much easier these days. All you have to do is follow the same steps you used earlier to check whether your phone was already unlocked to begin with.

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

Congratulations! You successfully factory-unlocked your iPhone! That means you're able to use what ever network you wish to now, true? We hate to tell you this, but no. As a result of two different kinds of technologies in use in the US, GSM and CDMA, your available cellular providers will depend on the model of your iPhone as well as the original network it was locked to. Primarily, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and the majority of service providers in other countries are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you’ve probably guessed, both these different network types do not talk to each other (because that would be too easy). Thankfully, as we move closer to global 5G access and as older networks are phased out, it will hopefully no longer be a challenge.

To see which carriers you have access to based on these two 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

Is the Unlock permanent?

Yup! After your phone has been factory-unlocked, it will remain that way for the lifetime of the handset. You can restore your iPhone or update applications without worrying about your unlock disappearing afterwards.