The Ultimate Tutorial On How To Unlock iPhone's

So, you've at long last made the last payment on your iPhone and that bad boy is officially all yours. So you’re able to use it while traveling abroad with a domestic SIM card and have the freedom to switch networks when you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to the Caribbean or running to Sprint just yet as, unfortunately, it’s not quite that clear-cut.

So as to stop people from transferring to a rival’s network before they’ve paid off their iPhone or fulfilled their contract, quite a few carriers place a SIM lock (commonly known as as a carrier lock) on their phones. This consequently makes sure that you, or the person who 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 partnership, 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 carrier-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we continue, a quick note on the sort of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should stay away from! There are apps available that provide the capability to unlock your phone yourself, however you need to jailbreak your mobile phone, and this is a stupid idea, for numerous reasons. You can do your own research into jail-breaking, but it's very risky, and not recommended. The best way to unlock your iPhone is actually talking directly with your cellular provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone will depend largely on your network, with the procedure being either comparatively quick and painless or painfully difficult. To get you a step closer to a life free of carrier-locked tyranny, we put together all the steps in order to get an iPhone unlock in this comprehensive guide. Please be aware 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 noted earlier, when you purchase an iPhone or any other smartphone through your cellular provider, that mobile phone is only going to work on that individual network unless you either request to have your carrier unlock it or your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more about that later). Also referred to 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.

Luckily for us, not all iPhones have to be unlocked. For instance, if you purchase your iPhone from Apple and pay it off in full, it will already be unlocked and able to use on a variety of networks.

Please be aware, however, that not all phones purchased outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For instance, although sold as “unlocked”, smartphones bought at Best Buy are in fact considered universal. So, if you insert a SIM card for the first time, the iPhone will basically lock itself to the network linked to the SIM card. Subsequently, given that certain service providers like T-Mobile will only unlock your iPhone if you got it directly from them, you could end up with an permanently network-locked device. Put simply, you find yourself paying factory-unlocked prices for a carrier-locked smartphone.

Why Should I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a SIM-unlocked iPhone comes with a good number of benefits which include the freedom to operate on (virtually) any network both in the US and abroad as well as higher second-hand values.

1. Carrier-unlocking allows you the ability to use your cellphone with the cellular provider of your choice, almost wherever and whenever you like (with some exceptions, as you’ll see later on). As an example, if you're currently using T-Mobile but are moving to a new part of the country with lousy T-Mobile coverage, you can switch to AT&T on a dime




2. A IMEI-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a piece of cake. Unlocking also gives you the flexibility to use your cellphone abroad. Global roaming fees, expensive international plans, and crazy dashes for WiFi become a distant memory with an unlocked iPhone. Merely pop in a SIM card from a local service provider and you’re in business.




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

Even if you don’t intend on switching networks or heading overseas any time soon, unlocking your iPhone remains a smart idea. If you ever plan on trading in your old iPhone once you upgrade, you’ll usually get more cash for it if the iPhone has already been network unlocked because of a greater interest in them on the resale market place.

Is it illegal to Network Unlock your cell phone?

Not at all! As a result of Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, signed 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 provider will unlock a cell phone vary greatly from service provider to service provider. On the whole, the vast majority of providers 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 let you unlock your iPhone.

The way to determine whether your iPhone is Unlocked

Before you start the smartphone-unlocking process, you’ll first need to determine whether your iPhone has already been unlocked (no sense in enduring 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 an alternative network provider and your handset will do the rest automatically. This validation check typically takes no more than a minute to complete as soon as a SIM has been inserted.

During the verification procedure, you’ll notice that your iPhone will boot to a white screen and try to authenticate that it has been unlocked with your carrier. Should Apple determine that your iPhone is SIM-unlocked, it will go back to the home screen and signal bars ought to appear from the new service provider. However, if you see a white screen that says SIM Not Supported, your mobile phone is not unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from any Network

Once you establish that your cellphone is definitely locked to your current cellular provider, next you will need to take a look at your service provider’s unlocking eligibility requirements. Should your iPhone meet those unlocking guidelines, you can then request that 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 has been outlined below for the major carriers including Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T.

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

Find An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When IMEI-unlocking your iPhone, you'll need to give your provider your handsets IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is effectively your cellphone’s VIN or social security number. To find your IMEI, on your phone, go to Settings > General > About and search to the bottom of the list where you will see it listed next to IMEI.

You can also locate the number on the mobile phone casing itself. For older iPhone models (6, 6 Plus, 1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5), the number may also be printed on the back or the SIM tray.

When you’ve found the IMEI, 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 simple as it gets. Just pop on across to the AT&T website, answer a few basic questions, and you'll be well on your way to carrier-unlocked freedom.

After you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to check on your AT&T unlock status. Once you acquire your validation 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 AT&T, it needs to meet the following requirements:

• 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
• Must not have a past-due balance

If the iPhone is part of a term agreement or installment plan, it has to also adhere to these requirements:

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

For precise eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Dependent on when you bought your phone and if it has got SIM-unlock capabilities, you've got a several different unlock choices. In the event you purchased a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it will be SIM-unlock capable) and it's currently being used on their network, Sprint can unlock it automatically once it meets their eligibility requirements. So, you actually don’t need to do anything more besides keep your account in good standing. Even so, if your iPhone is inactive or was purchased before February 2015, you’ll need to contact Sprint Customer Care directly to request an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or phone 888-211-4727).

There are reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program does not always operate as it should, so it’s definitely a good idea to confirm that your iPhone is unlocked before attempting to switch to another carrier or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you wish to sell it to a buyback company or on eBay.

In order for an iPhone to be unlocked from the Sprint network, it has to adhere to the following requirements:

• 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
• Must be on an account in good standing

If your iPhone is part of a service agreement, lease agreement, or installment plan, it has to also satisfy these conditions:

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

For precise eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

If your reading this and own an Android smartphone and your handset matches the eligibility requirements, consider yourself lucky: It is possible to unlock it right from the device itself. For all you iPhone owners out there, you’ll need to get in touch with T-Mobile’s Team of Experts directly (either dial 611 from your T-Mobile iPhone, call 877-746-0909.

For an iPhone to be unlocked from T-Mobile, it needs to fulfill the following requirements:

• 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
• Must be paid for in full

If your iPhone is part of a pre-paid plan, it needs to also adhere to these requirements:

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

For detailed eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

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

There are no catches. You don’t have to pay off your phone, satisfy any unique prerequisites, or even get in touch with them to ask to unlock your phone from their network. Provided that your iPhone hasn’t been reported lost or stolen, merely wait a couple of months after purchase or activation and your phone will be a-ok.

Hard to believe? Just click here.

Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — now what?

In the past, you’d have to hook your iPhone up to iTunes and perform a software restore to complete the unlock procedure. Fortunately, it’s much simpler these days. All you have to do is go through same steps you used earlier to check if your phone had been unlocked in the first place.

If you don’t have access to a Sim from a different carrier, you may still confirm that a iPhone has been unlocked by performing iTunes software restore. Just connect your iPhone with a computer running iTunes and click the “restore” option. After the restoration process has finished, you should see a message saying “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Great job! You successfully factory-unlocked your iPhone! Meaning you're able to use whatever service provider you wish to now, yes? We hate to break this to you, but no. As a result of two different kinds of systems deployed in the US, CDMA and GSM, your available cell 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 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 will not 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, it will hopefully no longer be an issue.

To discover which networks you have access to based on both these factors, continue 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?

You got it! Once your phone has been carrier-unlocked, it will stay that way for the lifetime of the handset. It is possible to restore your iPhone or update apps without worrying about your unlock vanishing afterwards.