The Definative Guide On How To Unlock An iPhone 11 Pro

The Perfect Guide On How To Unlock iPhone's

So, you've at long last fulfilled the contract on your iPhone and that baby is eventually all yours. So you’re able to use it while traveling in another country with a domestic SIM card and have the freedom to swap networks when you please, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Mexico or running to T-Mobile quite yet because, unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy.

In order to prevent individuals from moving over to a rival’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or completed their contract, a lot of carriers place a SIM lock (also known as a network lock) on their mobile phones. This ultimately makes sure that you, or anyone who you sell your used iPhone to, are tied to them in the future. If you’re thinking this sounds like a pretty dysfunctional relationship, we’d have a tendency to agree with you. Fortunately, with a bit of effort and an account in good order, you will be on the way to a SIM-unlocked iPhone in no time!

Before we go on, a quick note about the sort of unlocks that are available, and the one's you should avoid! There is software around offering the capability to unlock a smartphone yourself, but you need to jailbreak your smartphone, and this is a dumb move, for numerous reasons. You can do your own investigation into jail-breaking, but it's not a sensible choice, and not recommended. The best way to unlock your iPhone is actually discussing directly with your network provider. Your journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone relies largely on your network, with the procedure being either reasonably quick and easy or painfully challenging. To help you get one step closer to a life free of carrier-locked tyranny, we researched all the steps on how to obtain an iPhone unlock in this comprehensive guide. Please note that while this was written with iPhone owners in mind, much of the recommendations could be used for other smartphones.

What Is IMEI Unlocking?

As mentioned earlier, when you buy an iPhone or other smartphone through your cellular carrier, that smartphone will only function on that network until you either request to have your network unlock it or maybe your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (read more about that later). Often known as a SIM unlock, factory unlock, or network unlock, carrier unlocking means removing a network’s restrictions on a device, enabling you to use it with a different cellular provider.

The good news is, not every iPhone have to be unlocked. For instance, should you buy your iPhone directly from Apple and pay for it in full, it will already be unlocked and able to use on a variety of networks.

Please be aware, however, not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For example, although sold as “unlocked”, smartphones bought at Best Buy are actually considered universal. So, whenever you insert a SIM card for the first time, the cell phone will effectively lock itself to the network linked to the SIM card. Subsequently, because certain carriers like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you got it directly from them, you could potentially end up getting an permanently network-locked device. Put simply, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices to get a network-locked cell phone.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Having a carrier-unlocked iPhone comes with its fair share of advantages such as the freedom to use (virtually) any network in the Unites States and abroad together with higher second-hand values.

Carrier-unlocking allows you the freedom to use your phone with the cellular provider of your choice, almost wherever and whenever you wish (with a couple of exceptions, as you’ll find out later). For example, 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 shift to AT&T on a dime

A Network-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a piece of cake. 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. Merely put in a SIM card from a local carrier and you're good to go.

Carrier-unlocked iPhones have significantly higher resale values.

Even if you don’t plan on changing networks or heading internationally anytime soon, unlocking your iPhone remains a smart idea. Should you ever anticipate trading in your old iPhone once you upgrade, you’ll almost always get more cash for it if the iPhone is carrier unlocked because of a greater interest in them in the resale market.

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

Absolutely 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 must allow people to unlock their phones. However, the circumstances under which a carrier will unlock a cell phone vary greatly from service provider to service provider. As a rule, a lot of service providers require you to finish your contract, pay for your financial obligations in full, or at least have an account in good standing before they’ll allow you to unlock your iPhone.

The way to determine if your iPhone is Unlocked

Before you start the phone-unlocking process, you’ll first want to check if your iPhone is already unlocked (no sense in enduring the hassle when you don’t absolutely need to). All you have to do is ensure that you’re connected to WiFi and insert a brand-new SIM card from another service provider and your handset will do the rest automatically. This confirmation check generally takes no more than a minute to finish after a SIM has been inserted.

Throughout the verification process, you’ll observe that your iPhone will boot to a white screen and attempt to establish that it has been unlocked with your carrier. Should Apple confirm that your iPhone is carrier-unlocked, it will go back to the home screen and signal bars should appear from the new network. However, if a white screen appears that says SIM Not Supported, your cellphone is not unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from any Service provider

Having confirmed your smartphone is definitely locked to your current network provider, next you will need to take a 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 before, both the eligibility requirements and the unlocking process vary from company to company. 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 have met the unlock requirements and therefore are completing the network-unlocking directly with your carrier, requesting that your iPhone be unlocked is often absolutely free. Should you decide to work through a 3rd party unlocking service, you'll be charged, but using a third party provider will be 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 factory-unlocking your iPhone, you'll have to supply your service provider your handsets IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is effectively your 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 of the list where you'll see it displayed next to IMEI.

Additionally you can search for the IMEI number on the phone housing itself. For older iPhone models (1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5, 6, 6 Plus), the number may also be written on the back or the SIM tray.

Once you’ve established the IMEI number, 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 easy as A-B-C. Just run on over to the AT&T unlock portal, answer a couple of questions, and you'll be well on your way to IMEI-unlocked freedom.

Once you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to review your AT&T unlock status. When you acquire your verification text or email, just open it up then 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 the AT&T network, it needs 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 needs 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 detailed eligibility prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Sprint

Dependent on when you bought your phone and if it has got SIM-unlock capabilities, you've got a few different unlock choices. If you bought a new iPhone from Sprint after February 2015 (it will be SIM-unlock capable) and it's actively being used on their network, Sprint will unlock it automatically once it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you honestly don’t need to do anything more apart from keep your account in good order. Even so, if your iPhone is inactive or was purchased before February 2015, you’ll need to get in touch with 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 doesn't always work as it needs to, so it’s definitely a good idea to verify that your iPhone is unlocked before attempting to move to another provider or advertising your iPhone as unlocked, if you're planning to sell it to a buyback company or on eBay.

In order for an iPhone to get unlocked from the Sprint network, it needs to adhere to the following requirements:

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
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)

If your iPhone is part of a service agreement, lease agreement, or installment plan, it has to also meet these conditions:

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 precise 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: It is possible to unlock it directly from the phone itself. For those iPhone owners out there, you’ll need to get in touch with T-Mobile’s Group of Experts directly (either dial 611 from a T-Mobile iPhone, call 877-746-0909.

For an iPhone to be unlocked from T-Mobile, it has got to meet the following requirements:

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 pre-paid plan, it needs to also adhere to the following conditions:

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, by far, the best provider to use for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone 60 days following the purchase of the handset. If you purchased your iPhone at 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, meet any specific demands, or even get in touch with them to ask to unlock your phone from their network. Provided your iPhone hasn’t been reported lost or stolen, merely wait two months after purchase or activation and your phone will be a-ok.

Hard to believe? Just click here.

Now I've Unlocked my iPhone — what now?

Several years ago, you’d have to hook your iPhone to iTunes and complete a software restore to perform the unlock procedure. Luckily, it’s much simpler nowadays. All you need to do is stick to the same steps you took earlier to find out whether your phone was already unlocked to start with.

If you don’t have access to a Sim from a different carrier, you can still verify that a iPhone has been unlocked by performing iTunes software restore. Just hook up your iPhone with a computer running iTunes and click the “restore” option. Once the restoration process has finished, you will see a message that says “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Congratulations! You successfully IMEI-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you can use whatever network you wish to now, yes? We hate to break this to you, but sadly not. Because of the two different kinds of systems employed in the Unites States, CDMA and GSM, your available cellular providers will depend on the type of your iPhone as well as the original carrier it was locked to. Primarily, 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 don't talk to each other (because that would be too easy). Thankfully, as we approach world-wide 5G access and as older networks are phased out, this will hopefully no longer be an issue.

To find out which carriers 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

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?

Yes indeed! Once your phone has been carrier-unlocked, it will stay that way for the life span of the device. You can restore your iPhone or update applications without worrying about your unlock vanishing afterwards.

About This Author

Boyle Carney
Joined: February 18th, 2021

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