A Definitive Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's

Today’s the day you finally completed the contract on your iPhone and that baby is officially all yours. That means you’re able to use it while traveling in another country with a domestic SIM card and are free to move networks when you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Europe or running to T-Mobile quite yet because, unfortunately, it’s not quite that straight-forward.

In order to stop individuals from changing to a rival’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or completed their contract, many carriers place a lock (also known as a carrier lock) on their phones. This consequently means that you, or anyone who you sell your pre-owned iPhone to, are stuck with them for the long haul. If you’re thinking this sounds like a pretty dysfunctional working relationship, we’d have a tendency to agree with you. Thankfully, with a bit of legwork plus an account in good standing, you can be on the right track to a carrier-unlocked iPhone before you know it!

Before we carry on, just a quick note about the kind of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should avoid! There is software on the market offering the ability to unlock a device yourself, but you need to jailbreak your smartphone, and this is not a smart move, for a lot of reasons. You can do your own investigating into jail-breaking, but it's very risky, and to be avoided. The best way to unlock your iPhone is actually by speaking directly with your cellular provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone hinges largely on your network, with the process being either comparatively quick and simple or painfully challenging. To get you a step closer to a life free from carrier-locked tyranny, we accumulated all the steps to be able to get an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please note that while this was written with iPhone owners in mind, plenty of the advice may be carried over to other smartphones.

What Is Network Unlocking?

As mentioned earlier, when you purchase an iPhone or some other smartphone through your cellular carrier, that smartphone will still only function on that specific network until you either request to have your network unlock it or your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more on that later). Often known as a SIM unlock, factory unlock, or network unlock, carrier unlocking means removing a network’s restrictions on a device, allowing you to use it with a different cellular provider.

Fortunately, not every iPhone need to be unlocked. For instance, if you buy your iPhone from Apple and pay it off in full, it should already be unlocked and able to use on a variety of networks.

You should be aware, however, not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. In particular, although sold as “unlocked”, smartphones purchased at Best Buy are in fact considered universal. So, if you insert a Sim initially, the cell phone will essentially lock itself to the provider linked to the Sim. Then, because certain service providers like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you bought it directly from them, you could potentially end up having an permanently network-locked device. Basically, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices to get a network-locked phone.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a IMEI-unlocked iPhone comes with a good number of advantages including the flexibility to use (virtually) any network both in the US and abroad and increased resale values.

1. Officially-unlocking allows you the flexibility to use your phone with the service provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you like (with a few exceptions, as you’ll see in a while). As an example, if you're currently using T-Mobile but are moving to a new area of the country with poor T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to shift to AT&T in a heartbeat




2. A Officially-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a cinch. Unlocking also offers you the flexibility to use your phone in another country. Worldwide roaming fees, costly international plans, and crazy dashes for WiFi are a thing of the past with an unlocked iPhone. Merely put in a SIM card from a local carrier and you're good to go.




3. Network-unlocked iPhones have higher resale values.

In the event you don’t intend on switching service providers or traveling abroad anytime soon, unlocking your iPhone is still a good idea. If you ever intend on trading in your old iPhone if you upgrade, you’ll almost always get more money for it if the iPhone is already carrier unlocked because of a greater interest in them on the resale market place.

Is it illegal to SIM Unlock your smartphone?

Absolutely 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 have to allow people to unlock their phones. However, the circumstances under which a carrier will unlock a smartphone vary widely from network to network. For the most part, the majority of service providers require you to finish your contract, cover your financial obligations fully, or at best have an account in good standing before they’ll permit you to unlock your iPhone.

How you can verify that your iPhone is Unlocked

Before you start the iPhone-unlocking process, you’ll first need to find out if your iPhone has already been unlocked (no sense in undergoing the hassle when you don’t really need to). All you need to do is be sure that you’re connected to WiFi and insert a new SIM card from a different network provider and your cellphone will do everything else automatically. This verification check generally takes under a minute to accomplish as soon as a new Sim card has been inserted.

Throughout the verification process, you’ll note that your iPhone will boot onto a white screen and try to authenticate that it has been unlocked with your provider. Should Apple verify that your iPhone is network-unlocked, it will go back to the home screen and signal bars will appear from the new service provider. However, if you see a white screen that says SIM Not Supported, your phone will not be unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from any Service provider

Once you establish that your cell phone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you will need to start looking at your service provider’s unlocking eligibility requirements. Should your iPhone meet their criteria, you can request that the handset can be unlocked from their network. As recommended earlier, both the eligibility requirements and the unlocking process vary from provider to provider. Each one has been outlined below for the major carriers including Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T.

Please be aware that, as long as you have met the unlock prerequisites and are completing the network-unlocking directly with your network, asking for your iPhone be unlocked is often completely free. If you decide to work through a third party unlocking provider, you'll be charged, but using a third party service is your only option if you are not the original owner of the phone. Before you spend money unnecessarily, try using the directions outlined below first.

Find An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When SIM-unlocking your iPhone, you'll need to supply your service provider the device’s IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is effectively 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'll see it displayed next to IMEI.

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

After you’ve established the IMEI, it highly advisable that you store it someplace for safekeeping.

Unlock an iPhone on AT&T

Unlocking an iPhone from AT&T is about as simple as it gets. Just pop on over to the AT&T website, answer a few questions, and you’re well on your way to SIM-unlocked freedom.

Once 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 and click on the verification link. That's all there is to it! AT&T will unlock your iPhone within two working days.

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

• 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 it is a work phone, you must have your employer’s permission to unlock it

If the iPhone is included in term agreement or installment plan, it's got to 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 precise eligibility requirements, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Depending on when you bought your phone and if it has SIM-unlock capabilities, you've got a couple of different unlock options. In the event you bought a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it will be SIM-unlock capable) and it is currently being used on their network, Sprint will unlock it automatically after it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you honestly don’t need to do anything at all besides keep your account in good standing. Even so, if your iPhone hasn't been activated or was purchased prior to February 2015, you’ll need to contact Sprint Customer Care directly to ask for an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or ring 888-211-4727).

There are reports from some Sprint customers that the auto-unlock program doesn't necessarily work as it needs to, so it’s most certainly a very good idea to verify that your iPhone is unlocked before attempting to swap to another service or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you plan to sell it to a buyback company or on eBay.

For an iPhone to be unlocked from the Sprint network, it has to adhere to 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 has to also adhere to 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 your reading this and own an Android phone and your handset meets the eligibility prerequisites, consider yourself in luck: You can actually unlock it straight from the phone itself. For those iPhone owners out there, you’ll have to contact 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 the T-Mobile network, it must fulfill the following conditions:

• 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 the iPhone is part of a pre-paid account, it must 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 in-depth eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

Verizon is, hands down, the top network to work with for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone 60 days following the purchase of the device. If you purchased 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, satisfy any unique prerequisites, or even get in touch with them to ask to unlock your phone from their network. Provided your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, simply wait eight weeks following purchase or activation and your phone will be ready to go.

Hard to believe? Just click here.

Now I've Unlocked my iPhone — now what?

In the old days, you’d need to connect your iPhone to iTunes and perform a software restore to finish the unlock process. Luckily, it’s much easier nowadays. All you have to do is follow the same steps you took earlier to determine whether your phone is unlocked to begin with.

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

Well done! You successfully SIM-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you're able to use what ever network you wish to now, yes? We hate to tell you this, but sadly not. Due to the two different types of systems deployed in the US, CDMA and GSM, your choice of mobile providers will depend on the type of your iPhone and the original network it was locked to. Specifically, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and most providers abroad 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 retired, this will hopefully cease to be a major issue.

To discover which service providers you can access determined by both these 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

Will the Unlock last forever?

Yes! After your phone has been Sim-unlocked, it's going to stay like that for the life of the device. It is possible to restore your iPhone or up-date apps without having to worry about your unlock vanishing afterwards.