A Definative Guide On How To Unlock An iPhone XS

The Definative Tutorial On How To Unlock iPhone's

So, you have finally made the last payment on your iPhone and it's eventually all yours. What this means is you’re able to use it while traveling abroad with a local SIM card and are free to switch networks as you want, right? Don’t start booking your flight to Paris or running to Sprint quite yet since, unfortunately, it’s not quite that clear-cut.

So as to stop users from switching over to a rival’s network before they’ve payed off their iPhone or fulfilled their contract, quite a few carriers put a lock (commonly known as as a network lock) on their mobile phones. This consequently means that you, or anyone you sell your second hand iPhone to, are saddled with them for the long haul. If you’re thinking this sounds like a rather dysfunctional partnership, we’d tend to agree with you. Luckily, with a bit of effort and an account in good standing, you are well on your way to a network-unlocked iPhone before you know it!

Before we continue, just a quick note about the kind of unlock's that are avialable, and the one's you should avoid! There is software out there that provide a chance to unlock a device yourself, however they require you to jailbreak your cellphone, and this is a stupid idea, for lots of reasons. You can do your own research into jailbreaking, but it's not a sensible choice, and not recommended. The best way to unlock your iPhone is simply by discussing directly with your wireless provider. The journey to a carrier-unlocked iPhone relies largely on your network, with the procedure being either reasonably quick and painless or painfully tedious. To help you get one step closer to a life free from carrier-locked tyranny, we accumulated all the steps to be able to get an iPhone unlock in this comprehensive guide. Please note that while this was written with iPhone owners in mind, a great deal of the advice could be used with other smartphones.

What Is Carrier Unlocking?

As mentioned earlier, when you buy an iPhone or other smartphone from a cellular provider, that smartphone will still only work on that specific network until you either request to have your carrier unlock it or maybe your carrier automatically unlocks it for you (read 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, enabling you to use it with a different cellular provider.

Fortunately, not all iPhones require unlocking. For example, if you purchase your iPhone directly from Apple and pay for it in full, it should be unlocked and ready to use with a variety of carriers.

You should be aware, however, that not all phones bought outright from third-party retailers are automatically unlocked. For example, although sold as “unlocked”, smart phones bought at Best Buy are actually considered universal. So, if you insert a Sim initially, the iPhone will essentially lock itself to the network associated with the SIM card. Then, since certain carriers like T-Mobile may only unlock your iPhone if you bought it directly from them, you could potentially end up with an eternally carrier-locked device. Put simply, you wind up paying factory-unlocked prices for a network-locked phone.

Why would I Unlock My iPhone?

Possessing a officially-unlocked iPhone comes with its fair share of rewards which include the freedom to use (nearly) any network both in the Unites States and in another country and higher resale values.

Carrier-unlocking offers you the freedom to use your phone with the network provider of your choice, almost wherever and whenever you wish (with a couple 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 lousy T-Mobile coverage, you'll be able to swap to AT&T on a dime

A Factory-unlocked iPhone makes international travel a piece of cake. Unlocking also provides you with the flexibility to use your phone overseas. Global roaming fees, costly 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 service provider and you're good to go.

Network-unlocked iPhones have higher resale values.

In the event you don’t intend on changing carriers or traveling abroad soon, unlocking your iPhone remains a smart idea. If you plan on trading in your old iPhone when you upgrade, you’ll almost always get more cash for it if the iPhone is carrier unlocked due to higher interest in them on the resale market place.

Is it against the law to SIM Unlock your cell phone?

Not at all! Thanks to 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 circumstances under which a network will unlock a smart phone vary widely from service provider to service provider. As a general rule, many networks require you to complete your contract, cover your financial obligations in full, or at a minimum have an account in good standing before they’ll will let you unlock your iPhone.

How you can find out if your iPhone is Unlocked

Prior to starting the network-unlocking process, you’ll first need to find out if your iPhone has already been unlocked (no sense in undergoing the hassle when you don’t absolutely need to). All you need to do is ensure that you’re connected with WiFi and insert a brand-new SIM card from an alternative service provider and your smart phone will do everything else automatically. This validation check generally takes no more than a minute to accomplish as soon as a Sim card has been inserted.

During the verification procedure, you’ll see that your iPhone will boot to a white screen and try to confirm that it has been unlocked with your network. Should Apple confirm that your iPhone is SIM-unlocked, it will return to the home screen and signal bars will appear from the new carrier. However, if you see a white screen that says SIM Not Supported, your cell phone is not unlocked.

How to Unlock iPhones from a Provider

Having established your cellphone is definitely locked to your current cellular provider, next you'll need to start looking at your service provider’s unlocking eligibility conditions. If your iPhone meets their criteria, you can ask that the device can be unlocked from their network. As recommended before, both the eligibility requirements and the unlocking process vary from network to network. Each has been outlined below for the major carriers including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Please be aware that, provided you’ve met the unlock conditions and therefore are completing the network-unlocking directly with your provider, requesting that your iPhone be unlocked is likely to be absolutely free. If you wish to work through a third party unlocking service, you will have to pay for the service, but making use of a 3rd party service is going to 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 beforehand.

How To Locate An iPhone’s IMEI Number

When network-unlocking your iPhone, you'll need to supply your provider your cellphones IMEI number. This unique, 15-digit identifier is fundamentally your 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.

You can also locate the number on the cellphone shell itself. For earlier iPhone models (1st-generation SE, 5s, 5c, 5, 6, 6 Plus), the IMEI number may also be imprinted on the back or the SIM tray.

Once you’ve located the IMEI, it highly advisable that you keep it someplace for safekeeping.

Unlock an iPhone on AT&T

Unlocking an iPhone from the AT&T network is about as simple as a, b, c. Just run on across to the AT&T unlock portal, answer a couple of questions, and you'll be well on your way to network-unlocked freedom.

Once you submit your request, use your IMEI and request reference numbers to check on your AT&T unlocking status. Once you receive your verification text or email, simply open it up then click on the verification link. That’s it! AT&T will unlock your iPhone within 2 working days.

For any iPhone to get unlocked from the AT&T network, it needs to adhere to 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

When the iPhone is part of a term agreement or installment plan, it must 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 precise eligibility requirements, 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 options. In the event 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 after it meets their qualifications requirements. So, you really don’t have to do anything more besides keep your account in good standing. Even so, if your iPhone hasn't been activated or was purchased before February 2015, you’ll need to speak to Sprint Customer Care directly to ask for an unlock (either dial *2 on your Sprint phone or call 888-211-4727).

There are reports from some Sprint users that the auto-unlock program doesn't always perform as it needs to, so it’s definitely a good idea to confirm that your iPhone has been unlocked before trying to move to a different network 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 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 requirements:

Any lease or installment payments must be fully paid
If leased, the end-of-lease purchase option must be fully paid
Any early-termination fees must be fully paid

For detailed eligibility prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on T-Mobile

If your reading this and own an Android phone and your device meets the eligibility requirements, consider yourself in luck: You can actually unlock it easily from the handset itself. For all you iPhone owners out there, you’ll have to contact T-Mobile’s Team of Specialists directly (either dial 611 from your T-Mobile iPhone, call 877-746-0909.

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

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 the iPhone is part of a pre-paid plan, it must also meet the following requirements:

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

For detailed eligibility prerequisites, click here.

Unlock an iPhone on Verizon

Verizon is, hands down, the leading network to use for unlocking an iPhone. Why? Because Verizon will automatically unlock your phone 60 days following the purchase of the handset. If you obtained 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 special conditions, or even contact them to ask to unlock your phone from their network. Provided your iPhone hasn’t been reported stolen or lost, just wait a couple of months after purchase or activation and your phone will be ready to go.

Don’t believe us? Just click here.

Once I've Unlocked my iPhone — now what?

Back many years ago, you’d need to connect your iPhone up to iTunes and complete a software restore to perform the unlock process. Luckily, it’s much simpler now. All you need to do is follow the same steps you took earlier to find out if your phone had been unlocked in the first place.

When you don’t have access to a SIM card from an alternative carrier, you may still verify that a iPhone has been unlocked by performing iTunes software restore. Simply connect your iPhone with a computer running iTunes and click the “restore” option. After the restoration process has completed, you will see a message stating “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.”

Congratulations! You successfully network-unlocked your iPhone! Which means you can use whichever carrier you wish to now, yes? We hate to tell you this, but no. Because of the two different kinds of systems employed in the US, GSM and CDMA, your choice of cellular providers will depend on 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 service providers abroad are GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks.

As you may have 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 issue.

To discover which networks you can access determined by both of 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?

You got it! Once your phone has been IMEI-unlocked, it's going to remain like that for the life of the handset. You are able to restore your iPhone or up-date software without having to worry about your unlock disappearing afterwards.