A Definative Tutorial On How To Unlock An iPhone 12 Pro

The Perfect Tutorial On How To Unlock iPhone's

Today’s the day you finally made the last payment on your iPhone and that baby is eventually all yours. This means that you’re able to use it while traveling abroad with a domestic SIM card and are free to switch networks as you want, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Paris or running to AT&T just yet as, unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.

So as to prevent individuals from switching over to a rival’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or completed their contract, a large number of carriers put a SIM lock (sometimes known as a network lock) on their smart phones. This inevitably ensures that you, or the person who you sell your second hand iPhone to, are saddled with them in the future. If you’re thinking this sounds like a fairly dysfunctional relationship, we're inclined to agree with you. Happily, along with a little legwork and an account in good standing, you are on the right track to a SIM-unlocked iPhone very quickly!

Before we proceed, a quick note on the sort of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should stay away from! There are apps on the market that offer the ability to unlock a mobile phone yourself, however they require you to jailbreak your iPhone, and this is inadvisable, for numerous reasons. You can do your own research into jail-breaking, but it's not a sensible choice, and to be avoided. The easiest way to unlock your iPhone is by talking directly with your cellular provider. Your journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone relies largely on your network, with the procedure being either comparatively quick and painless or painfully difficult. To get you a step closer to a life free from carrier-locked tyranny, we researched all the steps to be able to get an iPhone unlock with this comprehensive guide. Please note that although this was written with iPhone owners in mind, much of the recommendations can easily be used with other smartphones.

What Is Network Unlocking?

As mentioned before, when you buy an iPhone or some other smartphone through your network provider, that device will only function on that specific network unless you either request to have your network unlock it or your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (more on that later). Also 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.

The good news is, not every iPhone require unlocking. As an example, if you buy your iPhone straight from Apple and purchase it outright, it will already be unlocked and able to use with a variety of carriers.

Please be aware, however, that not all phones purchased outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For instance, although sold as “unlocked”, smartphone's bought at Best Buy are actually considered universal. So, whenever you insert a Sim for the first time, the device will essentially lock itself to the provider linked to the SIM card. Then, given that certain networks like T-Mobile will only unlock your iPhone if you bought it directly from them, you may end up having an eternally network-locked device. In other words, you find yourself paying factory-unlocked prices for a network-locked smartphone.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a network-unlocked iPhone comes with a good number of perks which include the ability to operate on (nearly) any network in the Unites States and overseas and increased second-hand values.

Carrier-unlocking gives you the flexibility to use your cellphone with the network provider of your choice, almost whenever and wherever you wish (with a couple of exceptions, as you’ll find out later). Such as, if you're currently using T-Mobile but are relocating to a new part of the country with lousy T-Mobile coverage, you can switch to AT&T on a dime

A IMEI-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a cinch. Unlocking also provides the ability to use your phone in foreign countries. International roaming fees, pricey international plans, and crazy dashes for WiFi are a thing of the past with an unlocked iPhone. Simply put in a SIM card from a local network and you’re in business.

Network-unlocked iPhones have considerably higher resale values.

In the event you don’t plan on swapping service providers or going overseas any time soon, unlocking your iPhone remains a smart idea. If you intend on trading in your old iPhone whenever you upgrade, you’ll almost always get more money for it if the iPhone is already carrier unlocked because of a higher interest in them on the resale marketplace.

Is it illegal to SIM Unlock your mobile phone?

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 customers to unlock their phones. However, the conditions under which a service provider will unlock a mobile phone vary widely from provider to provider. On the whole, the majority of service providers require you to finish your contract, cover your financial obligations in full, or otherwise have an account in good standing before they’ll permit you to unlock your iPhone.

The way to determine whether your iPhone is Unlocked

Before beginning the iPhone-unlocking process, you’ll first want to see if your iPhone has already been unlocked (no need in suffering the hassle if you don’t absolutely need to). All you have to do is be sure that you’re connected to WiFi and insert a brand-new SIM card from a different network provider and your mobile phone will do the rest automatically. This confirmation check normally takes no more than a minute to complete once a SIM has been inserted.

Through the verification process, you’ll notice that your iPhone will boot onto a white screen and attempt to check that it has been unlocked with your service provider. If Apple confirm that your iPhone is SIM-unlocked, it will return to the home screen and signal bars ought to appear from the new service provider. 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

Once you determine that your mobile phone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you will need to take a look at your service provider’s unlocking eligibility requirements. Should your iPhone meet those unlocking guidelines, you can ask that the device can be unlocked from their network. As recommended previously, both the eligibility requirements and the unlocking process vary from company to company. They all have been outlined below for the major carriers including T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint.

Please note that, as long as you’ve met the unlock conditions and so are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, requesting that your iPhone be unlocked may possibly be completely free. If you work through a third party unlocking service, you're going to be charged, but utilizing a third party company is your only option if you bought the phone used. So, before you spend money unnecessarily, try using the directions outlined below beforehand.

Find An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When factory-unlocking your iPhone, you will need to supply your provider the cell phones IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is essentially your cellphone’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 it will be listed listed next to IMEI.

You can also look for the IMEI number on the smartphone outer shell itself. For older iPhone's (1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5, 6, 6 Plus), the IMEI number will also be imprinted on the back or the SIM tray.

After you’ve established the IMEI, we strongly recommend that you store it somewhere for safekeeping.

Unlock an iPhone on AT&T

Unlocking your iPhone from the AT&T network is about as easy as one-two-three. Just run on over to the AT&T website, answer a couple of questions, and you'll be well on your way to SIM-unlocked freedom.

After you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to review your AT&T unlocking status. After you get your validation text or email, simply open it up and click on the verification link. That’s it! AT&T will unlock your iPhone in just a couple of business days.

For an iPhone to be unlocked from AT&T, it needs to fulfill 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 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 requirements, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Depending on when you bought your phone and if it has SIM-unlock capabilities, there are a few different unlock choices. If you obtained a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it should be SIM-unlock capable) and it's currently being used on their network, Sprint can unlock it automatically once it meets their eligibility requirements. So, you actually don’t have to do anything apart from keep your account in good standing. Even so, if your iPhone is inactive or was purchased prior to February 2015, you’ll have to get in touch with Sprint Customer Service directly to request an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or phone 888-211-4727).

We have seen reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't always work as it should, so it’s definitely a very good idea to verify that your iPhone is unlocked before attempting to switch to a different provider or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you're planning to sell it to a buyback business or on craigs list.

In order for an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it must satisfy the following conditions:

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
Must be on an account in good standing

If the 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 precise eligibility prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

If your reading this and own an Android cellphone and your handset meets the eligibility prerequisites, consider yourself fortunate: It is possible to unlock it directly from the handset itself. For the 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 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 on a postpaid plan, it needs to also satisfy the following conditions:

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

For in depth eligibility requirements, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

Verizon is, by far and away, the best carrier to work with for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone Sixty days after the purchase of the handset. If you bought your iPhone from a retail partner, it will be unlocked automatically 60 days after device activation.

There are no catches. You don’t have to pay off your phone, satisfy any specific conditions, or even contact them to request to unlock your phone from their network. So long as your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, just wait a couple of months following purchase or activation and your phone will be ready to go.

Hard to believe? Just click here.

Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?

Several years ago, you’d need to connect your iPhone up to iTunes and complete a software restore to perform the unlock process. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier now. All you have to do is stick to the same steps you took earlier to find out whether your phone was already unlocked to begin with.

When you don’t have access to a Sim from a different carrier, you may still confirm that your iPhone has been unlocked by performing iTunes software restore. Simply connect your iPhone with a computer running iTunes and click the “restore” option. When the restoration process has finished, you will see a message which says “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Good job! You successfully IMEI-unlocked your iPhone! Meaning your able to use whichever network you wish to now, yes? We hate to tell you this, but sadly not. As a result of two different types of systems in use in the Unites States, CDMA and GSM, your available cellular providers will depend on the model 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 service providers abroad are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you’ve probably guessed, both these different network types do not talk to each other (because that would be too easy). Thankfully, as we move closer to world wide 5G access and as older networks are retired, this will hopefully no longer be a major problem.

To see which networks you have access to determined by both 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

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! Once your phone has been Sim-unlocked, it will remain that way for the life of the handset. You are able to restore your iPhone or up-date apps without worrying about your unlock vanishing afterwards.

About This Author

Russell Abdi
Joined: February 8th, 2021

Article Directory /

Arts, Business, Computers, Finance, Games, Health, Home, Internet, News, Other, Reference, Shopping, Society, Sports