An Essential Tutorial On How To Unlock iPhone's

Today’s the day you finally completed the contract on your iPhone and that baby is eventually all yours. That means you’re able to use it while traveling overseas with a domestic SIM card and have the freedom to move networks when you want, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Aruba or running to AT&T quite yet because, unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy.

So as to stop individuals from moving to a rival’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or fulfilled their contract, a great deal of carriers place a sim lock (commonly known as a network lock) on their mobile phones. This inevitably means that you, or anyone who you sell your used iPhone to, are tied to them for the long haul. If you’re thinking this sounds like a rather dysfunctional relationship, we’d have a tendency to agree with you. Fortunately, with a bit of legwork as well as an account in good order, you can be well on your way 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 steer clear of! There is software to be found offering the capability to unlock a mobile phone yourself, but they require you to jailbreak your mobile phone, and this is a dumb move, for numerous reasons. You can do your own investigation into jail-breaking, but it's very risky, and to be avoided. The easiest way to unlock your iPhone is actually speaking directly with your network provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone depends largely on your network, with the procedure being either comparatively quick and painless or painfully tedious. To get you a step closer to a life free of carrier-locked tyranny, we accumulated all the steps to be able to obtain an iPhone unlock in this comprehensive guide. Please note that even though this was written with iPhone owners in mind, most of the recommendations could be used with other smartphones.

What Is IMEI Unlocking?

As noted earlier, when you buy an iPhone or some other smartphone through your network carrier, that phone will only work on that individual network unless you either request to have your network unlock it or your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more on that later). Commonly known as 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.

The good news is, not all iPhones have to be unlocked. For example, should you buy your iPhone straight from Apple and purchase it outright, it should be unlocked and able to use on a variety of networks.

Take note, however, not all phones purchased outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For example, although sold as “unlocked”, cell phones purchased at Best Buy are in fact considered universal. So, whenever you insert a Sim for the first time, the device will basically lock itself to the provider linked to the SIM card. Subsequently, given that certain service providers like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you got it directly from them, you could end up with an permanently carrier-locked device. Quite simply, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices for a network-locked cell phone.

Why Should I Unlock My iPhone?

Having a officially-unlocked iPhone comes with a good number of benefits including the ability to use (pretty much) any network both in the Unites States and overseas and higher second-hand values.

1. SIM-unlocking provides you the choice to use your cellphone with the network provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you like (with a number of exceptions, as you’ll see later). For example, if you are currently using T-Mobile but are relocating to a new part of the country with weak T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to swap to AT&T on a dime




2. A IMEI-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a breeze. Unlocking also gives you the flexibility to use your phone in foreign countries. International roaming fees, expensive international plans, and mad 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. Officially-unlocked iPhones have higher resale values.




Even if you don’t plan on changing carriers or traveling overseas anytime soon, unlocking your iPhone remains a smart idea. If you plan on trading in your old iPhone if you upgrade, you’ll typically get more cash for it if the iPhone has already been network unlocked due to greater interest in them in the resale marketplace.




Is it unlawful to Network Unlock your smartphone?




Absolutely not! Because of Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, finalized into law by President Barack Obama in 2014, all US-based cellular providers must allow people to unlock their phones. However, the conditions under which a service provider will unlock a smart phone differ widely from carrier to carrier. As a rule, almost all service providers require you to complete your contract, pay for your financial obligations in full, or at a minimum have an account in good standing before they’ll permit you to unlock your iPhone.




How to find out if your iPhone is Unlocked




Before you begin the SIM-unlocking process, you’ll first want to check if your iPhone is already unlocked (no need in under-going the hassle when you don’t really need to). All you have to do is be sure that you’re connected with WiFi and insert a new SIM card from a different cellular provider and your smart phone will do the rest automatically. This verification check generally takes no more than a minute to finish as soon as a new SIM has been inserted.




During the verification procedure, you’ll observe that your iPhone will boot to a white screen and attempt to confirm that it has been unlocked with your provider. If Apple confirm that your iPhone is IMEI-unlocked, it will return to the home screen and service bars will appear from the new carrier. However, if you see a white screen that says SIM Not Supported, your smartphone is not unlocked.




How to Unlock iPhones from a Provider




Having established your cellphone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you will need to look at your service provider’s unlocking eligibility demands. If your iPhone meets those guidelines, you can then request that the handset can be unlocked from their network. As suggested previously, 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 be aware that, provided you’ve met the unlock requirements and therefore are completing the network-unlocking directly with your network, asking for your iPhone be unlocked is likely to be completely free. If you wish to go through a 3rd party unlocking service, you need to pay for the service, but making use of a 3rd party service will be your only option if you bought the phone second-hand. So, before you spend any money, try using the directions below as a first step.




How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number




When IMEI-unlocking your iPhone, you will have to supply your provider the mobiles IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is effectively your smartphone’s VIN or social security number. To locate your IMEI, on your phone, go to Settings > General > About and scroll down to the bottom section where it will be listed displayed next to IMEI.




You could also search for the number on the smartphone housing itself. For earlier iPhone's (6, 6 Plus, 1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5), the number will also be written on the back or the SIM tray.




Once you’ve found the IMEI number, we strongly recommend that you keep it somewhere for safekeeping.




Unlock an iPhone on AT&T




Unlocking your iPhone from the AT&T network is about as uncomplicated as A-B-C. Just run on across to the AT&T site, answer a few questions, and you'll be well on your way to SIM-unlocked freedom.




Once you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to review your AT&T unlocking status. After you receive your verification 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 2 business days.




For any iPhone to be unlocked from AT&T, it must 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 included in term agreement or installment plan, it requires 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 in depth eligibility conditions, click here.




Unlock an iPhone on Sprint




Dependent on when you acquired your phone and if it has got SIM-unlock capabilities, you've got a few different unlock choices. In the event you purchased a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it should be SIM-unlock capable) and it is actively being used on their network, Sprint should unlock it automatically after it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you actually don’t need to do anything at all besides keep your account in good standing. However, if your iPhone is inactive or was purchased prior to February 2015, you’ll need to contact Sprint Customer Care 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 doesn't necessarily perform as it needs to, so it’s most certainly a very good idea to verify that your iPhone has been unlocked before trying to swap to a different carrier or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you want to sell it to a buyback company or on craigs list.




In order for an iPhone to be unlocked from the Sprint network, it must adhere to 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's got to also satisfy these requirements:





• 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 in depth eligibility prerequisites, click here.




Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile




If you’re an Android smartphone owner reading this and your handset meets the eligibility prerequisites, consider yourself lucky: You are able to unlock it right from the phone itself. For those iPhone owners out there, you’ll have to get in touch with T-Mobile’s Team of Specialists directly (either dial 611 from a T-Mobile iPhone, call 877-746-0909.




To have an iPhone unlocked from T-Mobile, it must fulfill the following conditions:





• 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 the iPhone is part of a postpaid account, it has got to also meet the following prerequisites:





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




For in-depth eligibility prerequisites, click here.




Unlock an iPhone on Verizon




Verizon is, without a doubt, the leading network to work with for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone Sixty days after the purchase of the device. If you bought your iPhone at 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 get in touch with them to request to unlock your phone from their network. Provided your iPhone hasn’t been reported lost or stolen, just wait 8 weeks following purchase or activation and your phone will be all set.




Don’t believe us? Just click here.




Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?




Several years ago, you’d have to hook your iPhone to iTunes and do a software restore in order to complete the unlock procedure. Fortunately, it’s much simpler nowadays. All you have to do is go through same steps you followed earlier to check whether your phone is unlocked to begin with.




In the event you don’t have access to a SIM card from another carrier, you can still verify that your iPhone has been unlocked using an iTunes software restore. Simply hook up your iPhone with a computer running iTunes and click the “restore” option. When the restoration process has completed, you will see a message saying “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”




Well done! You successfully network-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you can use whichever service provider you want to now, right? We hate to tell you this, but sadly not. Because of the two different types of systems used in the US, GSM and CDMA, your available cell phone providers will depend on the type of your iPhone and the original carrier 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 may have guessed, both these different network types will not talk to each other (because that's too logical). Fortunately, as we approach global 5G access and as older networks are phased out, it will hopefully no longer be a challenge.




To determine which carriers you can access determined by 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?




Yup! Once your phone has been officially-unlocked, it's going to remain that way for the life span of the handset. It is possible to restore your iPhone or update software without having to worry about your unlock vanishing afterwards.