The Ultimate Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's

So, you've finally completed the contract on your iPhone and that bad boy is officially all yours. Meaning you’re able to use it while traveling overseas with a domestic SIM card and have the freedom to change networks when you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to London or running to Sprint quite yet as, unfortunately, it’s not quite that clear-cut.

So as to stop users from switching over to a rival’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or satisfied their contract, a large number of carriers place a lock (also known as a network lock) on their phones. This inevitably ensures 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 extremely dysfunctional working relationship, we’d have a tendency to agree with you. Fortunately, along with a little effort as well as an account in good standing, you are on the right path to a SIM-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we proceed, a quick note about the sort of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should steer clear of! There are apps to be found offering a chance to unlock a cell phone yourself, however they require you to jailbreak your cell phone, and this is a dumb move, for lots of reasons. You can do your own investigation into jail-breaking, but it's not a sensible choice, and not recommended. The simplest way to unlock your iPhone is as simple as speaking directly with your cellular provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone hinges largely on your network, with the procedure being either comparatively quick and easy or painfully tedious. To get you one step closer to a life free from carrier-locked tyranny, we accumulated all the steps on how to get an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please be aware that although this was written with iPhone owners in mind, the majority of the advice could be used for other smartphones.

What Is IMEI Unlocking?

As mentioned earlier, when you purchase an iPhone or any other smartphone through your network carrier, that mobile phone will still only work on that network until you either request to have your service provider unlock it or your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more about that later). Often called a SIM unlock, factory unlock, or network unlock, carrier unlocking means removing a network’s restrictions on a device, enabling you to use it with a different cellular provider.

The good news is, not every iPhone require unlocking. For example, should you buy your iPhone directly from Apple and pay for it in full, it should already be unlocked and able to use with a variety of carriers.

You should be aware, however, not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For example, although sold as “unlocked”, cell phones bought at Best Buy are in fact considered universal. So, whenever you insert a SIM card for the first time, the phone will essentially lock itself to the provider associated with the SIM card. Then, given that certain carriers like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you bought it directly from them, you could end up with an permanently network-locked device. Quite simply, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices for a carrier-locked cellphone.

Why Should I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a SIM-unlocked iPhone comes with a number of rewards such as the ability to use (nearly) any network both in the US and in another country and higher resale values.

1. IMEI-unlocking offers you the ability to use your mobile phone with the service provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you wish (with a couple of exceptions, as you’ll find out later). For instance, if you're currently using T-Mobile but are relocating to a new part of the country with bad T-Mobile coverage, you can shift to AT&T on a dime




2. A SIM-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a cinch. Unlocking also provides you with the ability to use your phone abroad. Worldwide roaming fees, costly international plans, and crazy dashes for WiFi are a thing of the past with an unlocked iPhone. Simply pop in a SIM card from a local service provider and you're good to go.




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

Even if you don’t plan on changing carriers or traveling internationally in the near future, unlocking your iPhone is still a smart idea. If you ever plan on trading in your old iPhone once you upgrade, you’ll more often than not get more cash for it if the iPhone is already network unlocked due to higher demand for them on the resale market place.

Is it illegal to IMEI Unlock your smartphone?

Definitely not! As a result of Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, finalized into law by President Barack Obama in 2014, all US-based cellular providers must allow people to unlock their phones. However, the circumstances under which a network will unlock a smartphone differ widely from provider to provider. As a general rule, most networks require you to complete your contract, pay for your financial obligations fully, or at a minimum have an account in good standing before they’ll assist you to unlock your iPhone.

The best way to see if your iPhone is Unlocked

Before starting the phone-unlocking process, you’ll first need to determine whether your iPhone is already unlocked (no need in going through the hassle if you don’t absolutely need to). All you have to do is ensure that you’re connected to WiFi and insert a brand-new SIM card from a different service provider and your iPhone will do the rest automatically. This authentication check normally takes under a minute to accomplish once a new SIM has been inserted.

Throughout the verification process, you’ll notice that your iPhone will boot onto a white screen and try to establish that it has been unlocked with your carrier. If Apple determine that your iPhone is IMEI-unlocked, it will return to the home screen and service bars should appear from the new service provider. However, if a white screen appears that says SIM Not Supported, your cell phone will not be unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from any Provider

Having confirmed your mobile phone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you'll need to take a look at your network’s unlocking eligibility requirements. If your iPhone meets their criteria, you can ask them if the device can be unlocked from their network. As hinted at earlier, 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, as long as you’ve met the unlock conditions and therefore are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, requesting that your iPhone be unlocked can be absolutely free. If you decide to use a 3rd party unlocking company, you're going to be charged, but using a third party provider will be your only option if you are not the original owner of the phone. Before you spend any money, try using the directions below first.

How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When factory-unlocking your iPhone, you will have to give your service provider your cellphones IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is fundamentally your phone’s VIN or social security number. To find your IMEI, on your phone, select Settings > General > About and search to the bottom section where you will see it listed next to IMEI.

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

Once you’ve established the IMEI, we strongly recommend that you keep it somewhere for safekeeping.

Unlock an iPhone on AT&T

Unlocking an iPhone from the AT&T network is about as uncomplicated as 1-2-3. Just pop on across to the AT&T website, answer a few quick questions, and you’re well on your way to SIM-unlocked freedom.

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

For an iPhone to be unlocked from the AT&T network, it must fulfill the following requirements:

• 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
• Must not be reported as lost, stolen, or blocked

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 precise eligibility requirements, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Depending on when you acquired your phone and if it has SIM-unlock capabilities, you have a several different unlock choices. If you bought a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it should be SIM-unlock capable) and it is actively being used on their network, Sprint will unlock it automatically once it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you honestly don’t have to do anything besides keep your account in good standing. Even so, if your iPhone is inactive or was purchased prior to February 2015, you’ll need to contact Sprint Customer Care directly to request an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or dial 888-211-4727).

There has been reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't necessarily operate as it needs to, so it’s certainly a good idea to check that your iPhone has been unlocked before attempting to switch to another service provider or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you intend to sell it to a buyback company or on craigslist or ebay.

For an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it must meet the following conditions:

• 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'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 mobile phone owner reading this and your handset matches the eligibility conditions, consider yourself lucky: It is possible to unlock it directly from the handset itself. For the 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 T-Mobile, it needs to meet the following requirements:

• Must have been purchased directly from T-Mobile
• 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

If your iPhone is on a pre-paid account, it needs to also satisfy the following conditions:

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

For precise eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

Verizon is, hands down, the best carrier to use for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone 60 days after the purchase of the device. If you bought your iPhone from a retail partner, it'll be unlocked automatically Sixty days after device activation.

There are no catches. You don’t have to pay off your phone, fulfill any special requirements, or even get in touch with them to request to unlock your phone from their network. So long as your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, merely wait sixty days following purchase or activation and your phone will be good to go.

Don’t believe us? Just click here.

Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — what do I do now?

Several years ago, you’d need to hook your iPhone up to iTunes and conduct a software restore in order to complete the unlock process. Luckily, it’s much simpler these days. All you have to do is go through same steps you used earlier to determine if your phone was already unlocked in the first place.

When you don’t have access to a SIM card from a different carrier, you may still verify that your iPhone has been unlocked using an iTunes software restore. Just hook up your iPhone with a computer running iTunes and click the “restore” option. Once the restoration process has finished, you should see a message which says “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Congratulations! You successfully officially-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you can use whatever network you wish to now, yes? We hate to tell you this, but no. Due to the two different types of networks in use in the Unites States, GSM and CDMA, your available mobile providers depends on the type of your iPhone and the original carrier it's locked to. Primarily, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and most service providers abroad are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you’ve probably guessed, both these different network types will not talk to each other (because that's too logical). Thankfully, as we approach global 5G access and as older networks are phased out, this will hopefully no longer be a problem.

To find out which service providers you can access 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 is going to stay that way for the lifetime of the device. You'll be able to restore your iPhone or up-date applications without worrying about your unlock vanishing afterwards.