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The Ultimate Tutorial On How To Unlock An iPhone 5

The Definative Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's


Today’s the day you at long last fulfilled the contract on your iPhone and it's eventually all yours. This means that you’re able to use it while traveling in another country with a local SIM card and have the freedom to change networks when you want, right? Don’t start booking your flight to New Zealand or running to AT&T quite yet because, unfortunately, it’s not quite that straightforward.

In order to stop individuals from moving over to a rival’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or fulfilled their contract, a lot of carriers put a lock (also known as a network lock) on their smartphone's. This consequently means that you, or whoever you sell your second hand iPhone to, are stuck with them in the future. If you’re thinking this sounds like a fairly dysfunctional arrangement, we’d have a tendency to agree with you. Luckily, along with a little legwork plus an account in good order, you will be well on your way to a network-unlocked iPhone before you know it!


Before we go on, just a quick note on the type of unlock's that are avialable, and the one's you should avoid! There is software on the market that provide the cabability to unlock your mobile phone yourself, however they require you to jailbreak your smartphone, and this is unadvisable, for many reasons. You can do your own investigating into jailbreaking, but it's fraught with danger, and to be avoilded. The easiest way to unlock your iPhone is actually speaking directly with your wireless provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone depends largely on your network, with the procedure being either comparatively quick and easy or painfully tedious. To get you a step closer to a life free of carrier-locked tyranny, we accumulated all the steps in order to obtain an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please note that while this was written with iPhone owners in mind, a great deal of the advice could be used for other smartphones.


What Is IMEI Unlocking?


As noted previously, when you purchase an iPhone or other smartphone from a cellular provider, that mobile phone will still only function on that individual network until you either request to have your network unlock it or your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more on that later). Often called 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.


Luckily, not all iPhones have to be unlocked. For example, if you buy your iPhone straight from Apple and pay for it in full, it should be unlocked and able to use on a varitey of networks.


Please be aware, however, not all phones purchased outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For example, although sold as “unlocked”, cell phones bought at Best Buy are actually considered universal. So, when you insert a SIM card initially, the iPhone will effectively lock itself to the provider associated with the Sim. Subsequently, since certain service providers like T-Mobile will only unlock your iPhone if you got it directly from them, you can end up having an permanently network-locked device. In other words, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices to get a carrier-locked cellphone.


Possessing a network-unlocked iPhone comes with quite a few advantages such as the freedom to make use of (almost) any service provider in both the United States and overseas as well as heavily elevated resale prices.


Why Should I Unlock My iPhone?


Possessing a IMEI-unlocked iPhone comes with a good number of benefits including the freedom to operate on (pretty much) any network both in the US and overseas as well as increased secondhand values.



  1. SIM-unlocking offers you the ability to use your smartphone with the service provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you want (with a handful of exceptions, as you’ll see in a while). Such as, if you are currently using T-Mobile but are relocating to a new area of the country with poor T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to swap to AT&T on a dime


  2. A Network-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a breeze. Unlocking also offers you the flexibility to use your cell phone abroad. International roaming fees, costly international plans, and mad dashes for WiFi become a distant memory with an unlocked iPhone. Just pop in a SIM card from a local network and you're good to go.


  3. IMEI-unlocked iPhones have higher resale values.


Even when you don’t intend on swapping networks or traveling overseas soon, unlocking your iPhone remains a smart idea. Should you ever intend on trading in your old iPhone once you upgrade, you’ll typically get more cash for it if the iPhone is carrier unlocked due to higher demand for them in the resale market place.


Is it illegal to Carrier Unlock your cellphone?


Not at all! Due to the 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 circumstances under which a network will unlock a mobile phone vary widely from service provider to service provider. Typically, 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 permit you to unlock your iPhone.


How you can check if your iPhone is Unlocked


Before beginning the carrier-unlocking process, you’ll first need to determine whether your iPhone has already been unlocked (no need in dealing with the hassle if you don’t absolutely need to). All you need to do is ensure that you’re connected to WiFi and insert a brand-new SIM card from another cellular provider and your cellphone will do everything else automatically. This confirmation check generally takes no more than a minute to finish as soon as a SIM has been inserted.


Throughout the verification procedure, you’ll observe that your iPhone will boot onto a white screen and attempt to authenticate that it has been unlocked with your service provider. If Apple confirm that your iPhone is SIM-unlocked, it will go back 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 mobile phone will not be unlocked.


How to Unlock iPhones from a Service provider


Having established your cellphone is definitely locked to your current cellular provider, next you will need to start looking at your network’s unlocking eligibility requirements. If your iPhone meets those guidelines, you can then request that the handset can be unlocked from their network. As recommended earlier, 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 be aware that, as long as you’ve met the unlock requirements and so are completing the network-unlocking directly with your network, asking for your iPhone be unlocked can be completely free. If you choose to work through a 3rd party unlocking company, you'll be charged, but using a 3rd party service is your only option if you are not the original owner of the phone. Before you spend any money, try using the directions outlined below beforehand.


How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number


When permanently-unlocking your iPhone, you'll have to supply your service provider your cellphones IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is essentially your smartphone’s VIN or social security number. To locate your IMEI, on your phone, select Settings > General > About and scroll down to the bottom of the list where you'll see it displayed next to IMEI.


Additionally you can look for the number on the cellphone casing itself. For earlier iPhone models (1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5, 6, 6 Plus), the IMEI number will also be imprinted 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 AT&T is about as easy as 1, 2, 3. Just pop on across to the AT&T site, answer a few questions, and you’re well on your way to IMEI-unlocked freedom.


When you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to check on your AT&T unlock status. When you get your validation text or email, simply open it up then click on the confirmation 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's got to 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 your iPhone is part of a term agreement or installment plan, it's got to also meet these requirements:



  • The term agreement must be complete
  • The device must be active on the AT&T network for at least 60 days
  • The installment plan must be paid off


For detailed eligibility conditions, click here.


Unlock an iPhone on Sprint


Depending on when you acquired your phone and if it has SIM-unlock capabilities, there are 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's currently being used on their network, Sprint should unlock it automatically once it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you really don’t need to do anything more besides keep your account in good order. However, if your iPhone hasn't been activated or was purchased before February 2015, you’ll need to contact Sprint Customer Service directly to request an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or dial 888-211-4727).


There are reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't always perform as it should, so it’s undoubtedly a good idea to check that your iPhone has been unlocked before attempting to move to another carrier or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you want to sell it to a buyback business or on craigs list.


In order 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 has to also satisfy these conditions:



  • 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 detailed eligibility conditions, click here.


Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile


If your reading this and own an Android phone and your device satisfies the eligibility prerequisites, consider yourself in luck: You are able to unlock it directly from the handset itself. For the iPhone owners out there, you’ll need 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 T-Mobile, it must satisfy 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 on a postpaid account, it's got to also fulfill these prerequisites:



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


For in depth eligibility conditions, click here.


Unlock an iPhone on Verizon


Verizon is, without a doubt, the top network to use for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone Sixty days following the purchase of the device. If you purchased 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, fulfill any unique demands, or even contact them to request to unlock your phone from their network. Providing your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, simply wait 60 days following purchase or activation and your phone will be good to go.


Hard to believe? Just click here.


Now I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?


In the past, you’d have to hook your iPhone to iTunes and complete a software restore to carry out the unlock procedure. Luckily, it’s much easier today. All you have to do is stick to the same steps you followed earlier to verify whether your phone is unlocked in the first place.


When you don’t have access to a SIM card from another carrier, you can still verify that your iPhone has been unlocked by performing iTunes software restore. Just connect your iPhone to a computer running iTunes and hit the “restore” option. Once the restoration process has completed, you should see a message which says “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”


Congratulations! You successfully carrier-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you can use what ever network you would like to now, right? We hate to tell you this, but no. As a result of two different kinds of technologies in use in the Unites States, GSM and CDMA, your choice of cell phone providers is determined by the type 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 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 phased out, it will hopefully no longer be a major issue.

To see which service providers you have access to 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?


You got it! 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 update software without worrying about your unlock vanishing afterwards.


About This Author


Campos HarboCampos Harbo
Joined: February 3rd, 2021
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