The Perfect Tutorial On How To Unlock iPhone's
So, you have finally made the last payment on your iPhone and that baby is officially all yours. What this means is you’re able to use it while traveling abroad with a local SIM card and are free to change networks when you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Australia or running to Verizon just yet as, unfortunately, it’s not quite that clear-cut.
In order to stop individuals from moving over to a competitor’s network before they’ve paid off their iPhone or completed their contract, plenty of carriers put a SIM lock (also known as a network lock) on their mobile phones. This ultimately means that you, or whomever you sell your second-hand iPhone to, are tied to them for the long haul. If you’re thinking this sounds like a fairly dysfunctional partnership, we’d tend to agree with you. Thankfully, along with a little effort and an account in good standing, you can be on the right track to a network-unlocked iPhone very quickly!
Before we go on, just a quick note on the type of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should avoid! There is software out there offering the ability to unlock a handset yourself, however you need to jailbreak your smartphone, and this is not a smart move, for a lot of reasons. You can do your own homework into jail-breaking, but it's not a sensible choice, and to be avoided. The simplest way to unlock your iPhone is simply by talking directly with your network provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone hinges 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 put together all the steps on how to obtain an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please be aware that although this was written with iPhone owners in mind, much of the advice may be used with other smartphones.
What Is Carrier Unlocking?
As mentioned earlier, when you purchase an iPhone or other smartphone through your cellular carrier, that device is only going to work on that network unless 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, permitting you to use it with a different cellular provider.
The good news is, not every iPhone need to be unlocked. For example, if you purchase your iPhone directly from Apple and pay for it in cash, it will be unlocked and ready to use with a variety of carriers.
Take note, however, that not all phones purchased outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For instance, although sold as “unlocked”, mobile phones purchased at Best Buy are in fact considered universal. So, if you insert a SIM card initially, the phone will essentially lock itself to the network linked to the SIM card. Then, because certain carriers like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you bought it directly from them, you may end up having an permanently network-locked device. Put simply, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices for a network-locked phone.
Why Should I Unlock My iPhone?
Having a officially-unlocked iPhone comes with its fair share of benefits including the ability to utilize (just about) any network in the US and abroad in addition to higher second-hand values.
- Factory-unlocking allows you the choice to use your cell phone with the network provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you wish (with a few exceptions, as you’ll see in a while). For example, if you're currently using T-Mobile but are moving to a new part of the country with poor T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to switch to AT&T in a heartbeat
- A Network-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a breeze. Unlocking also provides you with the flexibility to use your mobile phone overseas. Global 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.
- Factory-unlocked iPhones have significantly higher resale values.
Even when you don’t intend on switching service providers or heading overseas any time soon, unlocking your iPhone is still a good idea. Should you ever anticipate trading in your old iPhone if you upgrade, you’ll almost always get more cash for it if the iPhone is already network unlocked because of a greater demand for them on the resale marketplace.
Is it against the law to IMEI Unlock your cellphone?
No! A result of the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, finalized 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 network will unlock a smart phone vary widely from provider to provider. On the whole, many providers require you to finish your contract, pay for your financial obligations in full, or otherwise have an account in good standing before they’ll allow you to unlock your iPhone.
The best way to see if your iPhone is Unlocked
Before starting the iPhone-unlocking process, you’ll first need to see if your iPhone has already been unlocked (no sense in under-going the hassle if you don’t absolutely need to). All you have to do is be sure that you’re connected with WiFi and insert a new SIM card from another service provider and your cellphone will do everything else automatically. This verification check normally takes under a minute to finish as soon as a Sim card has been inserted.
During the verification process, you’ll note that your iPhone will boot to a white screen and try to establish that it has been unlocked with your service provider. If Apple confirm that your iPhone is IMEI-unlocked, it will go back to the home screen and service bars should appear from the new provider. However, if a white screen appears that says SIM Not Supported, your smartphone is not unlocked.
How to Unlock iPhones from a Network
Once you establish that your phone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you'll need to start looking at your service 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 hinted at earlier, both the eligibility requirements and the unlocking process vary from service provider to service provider. Each one has been outlined below for the major carriers including Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T.
Please note that, provided you’ve met the unlock requirements and are completing the network-unlocking directly with your carrier, requesting that your iPhone be unlocked can be absolutely free. If you choose to go through a third party unlocking provider, you'll be charged, but making use of a third party provider is your only option if you are not the original owner of the phone. So, before you spend any money, try using the directions outlined below first.
Find Your iPhone’s IMEI Number
When network-unlocking your iPhone, you'll need to supply your provider the cellphones IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is fundamentally your cell phone’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.
Additionally you can search for the IMEI number on the cell phone shell 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 located the IMEI, it highly advisable that you keep it somewhere for safekeeping.
Unlock an iPhone on AT&T
Unlocking your iPhone from the AT&T network is about as simple as one-two-three. Just pop on across to the AT&T site, answer a couple of questions, and you'll be well on your way to IMEI-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, just open it up and click on the verification link. That’s it! AT&T will unlock your iPhone in just 2 working days.
For an iPhone to be unlocked from the AT&T network, it has to adhere to 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
If your iPhone is included in term agreement or installment plan, it requires 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 in depth eligibility prerequisites, click here.
Unlock an iPhone on Sprint
Dependent on when you bought your phone and if it has SIM-unlock capabilities, you've got a few 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 should unlock it automatically after it meets their eligibility requirements. So, you actually don’t need to do anything more apart from keep your account in good order. However, if your iPhone is inactive or was purchased prior to February 2015, you’ll need to speak to Sprint Customer Service directly to request an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or call 888-211-4727).
There are reports from some Sprint customers that the auto-unlock program does not always work as it should, so it’s unquestionably a very good idea to confirm that your iPhone is unlocked before attempting to swap to a different carrier or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you propose to sell it to a buyback business or on auction web sites.
For an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it's got to adhere to 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 your iPhone is part of a service agreement, lease agreement, or installment plan, it's got to also adhere to these requirements:
- If leased, the end-of-lease purchase option must be fully paid
- Any early-termination fees must be fully paid
- Any lease or installment payments must be fully paid
For in-depth eligibility requirements, click here.
Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile
If your reading this and own an Android mobile phone and your handset matches the eligibility requirements, consider yourself in luck: You are able to unlock it right from the phone itself. For those iPhone owners out there, you’ll have to speak to T-Mobile’s Group of Specialists directly (either dial 611 from your T-Mobile iPhone, call 877-746-0909.
To have an iPhone unlocked from the T-Mobile network, it has to adhere to 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 part of a pre-paid account, it has to also fulfill these conditions:
- 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, hands down, the leading carrier to work with for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone 60 days after the purchase of the handset. 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 requirements, or even contact them to ask to unlock your phone from their network. Provided that your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, simply wait a couple of months following purchase or activation and your phone will be ready to go.
Hard to believe? Just click here.
Now I've Unlocked my iPhone — what do I do now?
In the past, you’d have to hook your iPhone to iTunes and conduct a software restore to finish the unlock process. Luckily, it’s a lot easier now. All you have to do is follow the same steps you used earlier to find out whether your phone is unlocked to begin with.
When you don’t have access to a SIM card from a different carrier, you can still verify that your iPhone has been unlocked by performing iTunes software restore. Just hook up your iPhone to a computer running iTunes and press the “restore” option. When the restoration process has completed, you will see a message saying “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”
Good job! You successfully IMEI-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you're able to use what ever service provider you would like to now, right? We hate to tell you this, but no. Because of the two different kinds of networks employed in the US, CDMA and GSM, your choice of network providers is determined by the model of your iPhone and the original network it's locked to. Primarily, Verizon and Sprint are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and the majority of service providers abroad are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.
As you may have guessed, both of these different network types will not talk to each other (because that would be too easy). Fortunately, as we approach global 5G access and as older networks are phased out, this will hopefully no longer be a major problem.
To see which networks you have access to depending 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
Will the Unlock last forever?
Yup! Once your phone has been Sim-unlocked, it is going to remain that way for the life span of the handset. You'll be able to restore your iPhone or up-date software without having to worry about your unlock disappearing afterwards.