The Ultimate Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's

So, you have at long last fulfilled the contract on your iPhone and that bad boy's officially all yours. That means you’re able to use it while traveling in another country with a local SIM card and are free to move networks when you want, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Mexico or running to Sprint quite yet since, unfortunately, it’s not quite that clear-cut.

So as to prevent users from moving to a competitor’s network before they’ve paid off their iPhone or satisfied their contract, a large number of carriers place a sim lock (sometimes known as a carrier lock) on their smart phones. This consequently makes sure that you, or the person you sell your used iPhone to, are stuck with them for the long term. If you’re thinking this sounds like a extremely dysfunctional arrangement, we're inclined to agree with you. Fortunately, with a bit of legwork and an account in good order, you will be well on your way to a network-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we go on, a quick note on the sort of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should stay away from! There is software available on the market that provide the capability to unlock your cell phone yourself, but they require you to jailbreak your iPhone, and this is a stupid idea, for many reasons. You can do your own investigating into jail-breaking, but it's very risky, and to be avoided. The simplest way to unlock your iPhone is by discussing directly with your wireless provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone will depend largely on your network, with the procedure being either reasonably quick and painless or painfully challenging. To get you one step closer to a life free from carrier-locked tyranny, we researched all the steps in order to obtain an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please be aware that even though this was written with iPhone owners in mind, a great deal of the recommendations can easily be carried over to other smartphones.

What Is Carrier Unlocking?

As noted before, when you buy an iPhone or other smartphone from your cellular provider, that mobile phone will still only work on that network unless 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, letting you use it with a different cellular provider.

Fortunately, not all iPhones require unlocking. As an example, should you buy your iPhone from Apple and purchase it outright, it should be unlocked and ready to use on a variety of networks.

Please be aware, however, that not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For example, although sold as “unlocked”, smart phones bought at Best Buy are actually considered universal. So, when you insert a Sim initially, the phone will basically lock itself to the network linked to the Sim. Subsequently, since certain service providers like T-Mobile will only unlock your iPhone if you got it directly from them, you could potentially end up having an eternally carrier-locked device. Simply put, you find yourself paying factory-unlocked prices to get a network-locked cellphone.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a SIM-unlocked iPhone comes with its fair share of advantages such as the flexibility to operate on (almost) any network both in the US and abroad and higher second-hand values.

1. Network-unlocking gives you the flexibility to use your cell phone with the cellular provider of your choice, almost wherever and whenever you like (with a number of exceptions, as you’ll find out later). Such as, if you are currently using T-Mobile but are moving to a new area of the country with bad T-Mobile coverage, you can switch to AT&T on a dime
2. A Carrier-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a cinch. Unlocking also gives you the flexibility to use your mobile phone overseas. International roaming fees, pricey 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 carrier and you're golden.
3. SIM-unlocked iPhones have much higher resale values.

Even when you don’t plan on changing carriers or traveling abroad soon, unlocking your iPhone is still a smart idea. Should you ever plan on trading in your old iPhone once you upgrade, you’ll typically get more cash for it if the iPhone is already carrier unlocked due to higher interest in them in the resale marketplace.

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

Certainly 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 differ greatly from provider to provider. Typically, many networks require you to finish your contract, pay for your financial obligations fully, or at a minimum have an account in good standing before they’ll allow you to unlock your iPhone.

The best way to check if your iPhone is Unlocked

Before starting the smartphone-unlocking process, you’ll first need to check if your iPhone is already unlocked (no sense in undergoing the hassle if you don’t absolutely need to). All you need to do is be sure that you’re connected to WiFi and insert a brand new SIM card from another cellular provider and your mobile phone will do everything else automatically. This authentication check usually takes under a minute to complete as soon as a new SIM has been inserted.

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

How to Unlock iPhones from any Service provider

Having confirmed your phone is definitely locked to your current cellular provider, next you'll need to look at your provider’s unlocking eligibility demands. Should your iPhone meet their unlocking criteria, you can ask them if the device can be unlocked from their network. As recommended 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 have met the unlock conditions and therefore are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, requesting that your iPhone be unlocked may possibly be absolutely free. If you wish to work through a third party unlocking provider, you will have to pay for the service, but utilizing a third party company 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 beforehand.

Find An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When permanently-unlocking your iPhone, you'll have to give your service provider your cellphones IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is effectively your cell phone’s VIN or social security number. To find your IMEI, on your phone, go to Settings > General > About and scroll down to the bottom section where you will see it displayed next to IMEI.

You could also search for the IMEI number on the cell phone housing itself. For older iPhone's (6, 6 Plus, 1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5), the number will also be written 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 AT&T is about as simple as one-two-three. Just pop on over to the AT&T website, answer a few simple questions, and you’re well on your way to SIM-unlocked freedom.

When you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to review your AT&T unlocking status. Once you obtain your verification text or email, just 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 business days.

For an iPhone to be unlocked from AT&T, it must satisfy 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 included in term agreement or installment plan, it has to also meet 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 in depth eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Based on when you purchased your phone and if it has got SIM-unlock capabilities, you've got a few different unlock options. If you bought a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it should be SIM-unlock capable) and it's actively being used on their network, Sprint can unlock it automatically once it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you honestly don’t need to do anything apart from keep your account in good standing. Even so, if your iPhone hasn't been activated or was purchased before 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 ring 888-211-4727).

There have been reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't always perform as it should, so it’s unquestionably a good idea to verify that your iPhone has been unlocked before trying to swap to a different service provider or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you're planning to sell it to a buyback business or on auction web sites.

For an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it needs to fulfill the following requirements:

• 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
• Must not be reported as lost, stolen, or associated with fraud

If your iPhone is part of a service agreement, lease agreement, or installment plan, it must 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 in depth eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

If your reading this and own an Android smartphone and your device meets the eligibility conditions, consider yourself in luck: You can unlock it straight from the device itself. For the 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 T-Mobile, it has got to meet 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 has got to also satisfy these requirements:

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

For precise eligibility conditions, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

Verizon is, without a doubt, the leading provider to work with for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone Sixty days following the purchase of the handset. If you purchased your iPhone at 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, satisfy any special requirements, 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 sixty days following purchase or activation and your phone will be good to go.

Don’t believe us? Just click here.

Now I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?

A few years back, 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 need to do is follow the same steps you used earlier to find out whether your phone is unlocked to start with.

In the event you don’t have access to a SIM card from another carrier, you may still confirm that your iPhone has been unlocked using an iTunes software restore. Just connect your iPhone to a computer running iTunes and press the “restore” option. After the restoration process has finished, you should see a message that says “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Well done! You successfully officially-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you can use whatever carrier you want to now, yes? We hate to break this to you, but sadly not. As a result of two different kinds of technologies in use in the US, GSM and CDMA, your available cell providers depends 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 most providers in other countries are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you’ve probably guessed, these two different network types will not talk to each other (because that would be too easy). Fortunately, as we approach world-wide 5G access and as older networks are retired, this will hopefully cease to be a major problem.

To find out which networks you can access based on both of these factors, keep 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! Once your phone has been factory-unlocked, it will remain that way for the lifetime of the device. It is possible to restore your iPhone or up-date software without having to worry about your unlock disappearing afterwards.