The Ultimate Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's

So, you have finally completed the contract on your iPhone and that bad boy 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 change networks when you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to New Zealand or running to T-Mobile quite yet since, unfortunately, it’s not quite that straightforward.

In order to stop individuals from shifting to a rival’s network before they’ve paid off their iPhone or completed their contract, plenty of carriers put a sim lock (sometimes known as a network lock) on their mobile phones. This inevitably means that you, or the individual you sell your second-hand iPhone to, are tied to them in the future. If you’re thinking this sounds like a rather dysfunctional arrangement, we’d tend to agree with you. Thankfully, along with a little legwork plus an account in good standing, you will be on the way to a network-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we carry on, a quick note on the type of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should stay clear of! There are apps out there that offer a chance to unlock your handset yourself, but you need to jailbreak your cellphone, and this is a dumb move, for a lot of reasons. You can do your own investigating into jail-breaking, but it's very risky, and not recommended. The easiest way to unlock your iPhone is simply by discussing directly with your wireless provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone relies largely on your network, with the procedure being either relatively quick and easy or painfully challenging. To help you get one step closer to a life free of carrier-locked tyranny, we accumulated all the steps to be able to get 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 can easily be used with other smartphones.

What Is Carrier Unlocking?

As noted earlier, when you buy an iPhone or other smartphone from your network carrier, that cellphone will still only work on that specific network unless you either request to have your network unlock it or maybe your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more about that later). Also called 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. As an example, if you purchase your iPhone directly from Apple and purchase it outright, it will already be unlocked and able to use on a variety of networks.

Take note, however, not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. In particular, although sold as “unlocked”, cell phones bought at Best Buy are in fact considered universal. So, if you insert a Sim for the first time, the device will essentially lock itself to the service provider associated with the SIM card. Then, given that certain networks like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you got it directly from them, you could end up getting an permanently network-locked device. Simply put, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices to get a carrier-locked phone.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a factory-unlocked iPhone comes with a number of benefits such as the freedom to utilize (virtually) any network in the US and abroad as well as increased secondhand values.

1. Carrier-unlocking provides you the flexibility to use your mobile phone with the service provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you want (with several 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 poor T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to shift to AT&T on a dime




2. A Carrier-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a piece of cake. Unlocking also provides the ability to use your smartphone in foreign countries. International roaming fees, costly international plans, and mad dashes for WiFi are a thing of the past with an unlocked iPhone. Just pop in a SIM card from a local carrier and you're golden.




3. Officially-unlocked iPhones have higher resale values.

In the event you don’t plan on switching carriers or going overseas in the near future, unlocking your iPhone is still a smart idea. Should you ever anticipate trading in your old iPhone whenever you upgrade, you’ll generally get more cash for it if the iPhone is already network unlocked due to higher demand for them in the resale marketplace.

Is it illegal to Network Unlock your smartphone?

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 must allow people to unlock their phones. However, the circumstances under which a network will unlock a smartphone vary greatly from carrier to carrier. Generally speaking, most networks require you to complete your contract, pay for your financial obligations fully, or at least have an account in good standing before they’ll enable you to unlock your iPhone.

The way to determine if your iPhone is Unlocked

Before starting the SIM-unlocking process, you’ll first need to determine if your iPhone has already been unlocked (no sense 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 a different service provider and your cellphone will do the rest automatically. This authentication check generally takes under a minute to finish after a new SIM has been inserted.

Through the verification process, you’ll note that your iPhone will boot to a white screen and try to confirm that it has been unlocked with your network. If Apple confirm that your iPhone is IMEI-unlocked, it will go back to the home screen and signal bars ought to appear from the new carrier. However, if a white screen appears that says SIM Not Supported, your phone is not unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from a Network

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

Please note that, provided you have met the unlock prerequisites and are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, asking for your iPhone be unlocked can be completely free. If you want to use a third party unlocking service provider, you'll be charged, but utilizing a 3rd party provider is your only option if you bought the phone second-hand. Before you spend money unnecessarily, try using the directions below first.

How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number

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

You could also look for the IMEI number on the cellphone outer shell itself. For older iPhone's (1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5, 6, 6 Plus), the number may also be imprinted on the back or the SIM tray.

When you’ve established the IMEI, we strongly recommend that you store it someplace 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 over to the AT&T site, answer a few straightforward questions, and you'll be well on your way to SIM-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 confirmation text or email, just 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 any iPhone to be unlocked from the AT&T network, it needs to fulfill 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

When the iPhone is included in term agreement or installment plan, it requires 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 prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Based on when you acquired your phone and if it has got SIM-unlock capabilities, there are a couple of different unlock options. In the event you obtained a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it will be SIM-unlock capable) and it's actively being used on their network, Sprint can unlock it automatically after it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you really don’t have to do anything at all apart from keep your account in good order. However, if your iPhone hasn't been activated 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 dial 888-211-4727).

We have seen reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't necessarily perform as it needs to, so it’s undoubtedly a very good idea to confirm that your iPhone is unlocked before attempting to switch to another carrier or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you propose to sell it to a buyback business or on craigs list.

In order for an iPhone to be unlocked from the Sprint network, it's got to adhere to the following conditions:

• 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
• 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)

If the iPhone is part of a service agreement, lease agreement, or installment plan, it's got to also meet 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 in depth eligibility prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

If your reading this and own an Android mobile phone and your handset satisfies the eligibility conditions, consider yourself in luck: You are able to unlock it easily from the phone itself. For those iPhone owners out there, you’ll have to contact T-Mobile’s Group 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 fulfill the following requirements:

• 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 your iPhone is part of a postpaid plan, it must also fulfill the following 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 provider to work with for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone Sixty days after the purchase of the handset. If you bought your iPhone from a retail partner, it will be unlocked automatically Sixty days after device activation.

There are no catches. You don’t have to pay off your phone, fulfill any special demands, or even contact them to ask to unlock your phone from their network. Provided your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, just wait 60 days following purchase or activation and your phone will be ready to go.

Hard to believe? Just click here.

Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?

A few years back, you’d have to connect your iPhone to iTunes and conduct a software restore in order to complete the unlock procedure. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier nowadays. All you need to do is follow the same steps you used earlier to verify whether your phone was already unlocked in the first place.

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

Great job! You successfully network-unlocked your iPhone! Meaning you can use what ever network you wish to now, true? We hate be the bearer of bad news, but no. Due to the two different types of technologies used in the Unites States, GSM and CDMA, your available cellular providers is determined by the model of your iPhone as well as the original carrier it was locked to. Primarily, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and the majority of providers abroad are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you’ve probably guessed, these two different network types do not talk to each other (because that's too logical). Thankfully, as we approach world-wide 5G access and as older networks are retired, this will hopefully no longer be a major issue.

To determine which networks you have access to depending 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

Will the Unlock last forever?

Yes! After your phone has been IMEI-unlocked, it'll remain like that for the life of the device. You'll be able to restore your iPhone or up-date applications without worrying about your unlock disappearing afterwards.