If One Carrier Unlocks a Phone Can Another Carrier Lock It Again

Major cellular carriers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and others — typically lock their networks to the iPhone you buy from their stores or pay for via an installment program. What does that really mean, though? A jail cell telephone lock is a software code that ensures your mobile phone connects only to a specific network. Conversely, unlocking your iPhone means that yous can switch carriers if you're dissatisfied with the service, motion to a different region, are traveling, or want to keep your former handset when you alter networks.

To switch carriers, yous must rely on your current carrier to unlock your phone. While Apple tin can't unlock your iPhone, its back up page lists the carriers that offer unlocking services, such as AT&T, Boost Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Virgin Mobile, Xfinity, and many more.

Unlocking your iPhone requires yous to run across certain criteria. For example, your phone must exist paid in full, by completing an installment plan or coming to the end of any other contract y'all signed. The handset cannot be reported lost or stolen, and your account must be in adept standing. If y'all paid for your iPhone in full upon purchase, and so it's probably unlocked already. Unlocked iPhones are mostly worth more than locked mobile devices. It'southward generally a good idea to unlock your telephone when information technology goes off-contract. If you're set up to unlock your iPhone, here'southward how to do information technology.

Contacting your carrier

Verify that your carrier offers unlocking. Note that information technology might take a few days to complete the process later on you submit your request.

• Contact your carrier and asking an unlock.
• Look for your carrier to confirm that your iPhone is unlocked.
• If you take a SIM card from a unlike carrier, remove it and insert the new ane.
• Set up your iPhone again.
• If you lot don't have another SIM card, dorsum upwardly your iPhone.
• Subsequently the backup, erase your iPhone.
• Restore your iPhone from the backup yous made.

Mistake message? Here'south what to practice

You might see this message on your estimator or on your iPhone: "The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does non announced to exist supported. Only compatible SIM cards from a supported carrier may be used to actuate iPhone. Please insert the SIM bill of fare that came with your iPhone or visit a supported carrier shop." If you lot run across that message, do this:

• Since iOS 14, you should cheque your telephone'southward condition. Go to Settings, General, and select About. Look for the section called Carrier Lock. This section should say No SIM Restrictions. If you don't see that message, then your carrier probably hasn't unlocked your telephone yet. Contact your carrier immediately to detect out what is going on.
• This should exist plenty to become your iPhone properly unlocked, but if y'all keep having difficulties, you lot may have to restore your iPhone to factory settings and reboot from a backup.

Unlocking an AT&T iPhone

Start the process hither.

If y'all have AT&T, you can utilise the convenient device unlock portal to avoid client service phone contact. This process could take a few days, and you lot will receive a confirmation once information technology's completed. To disengage your iPhone from the AT&T network, you must first do the following.

• If yous are on a current contract or an installment programme, pay off the balance, including any termination fees.
• If you've paid off your balance early, await at least 24 hours after payment.
• Make certain your phone has not been reported lost or stolen, that it hasn't been involved in fraud, and that the account is in good standing.
• Your phone must have been agile for at least 60 days, with no past due or unpaid remainder. It also cannot exist active on a different AT&T customer'southward account.
• If you upgraded early on, you must look for the xiv-twenty-four hours "heir-apparent's remorse" period (30 days for business customers) before unlocking your old phone.
• War machine members can unlock iPhones, including those on installment plans, but make certain to register your agile-duty status when filling out AT&T's forms.
• When fix, provide AT&T with your EMEI number on the unlock page (dial *#06# to find it).

Double-check whether the unlock has been completed by consulting AT&T's online Unlock Status Folio, or wait for the confirmation email. If the unlock has gone through, remove your AT&T SIM card and insert the SIM for your new carrier to begin the setup process. Don't worry about iPads and wearable devices with LTE connections. Those are handled separately from smartphones and are sold unlocked.

Unlock a Verizon iPhone

Start the process here.

Both prepaid and post-paid iPhones you lot purchase from Verizon are locked for threescore days after buy, then will be automatically unlocked.

• Devices purchases from Verizon retail partners are locked for 60 days after activation, not buy.
• Prepaid and Postpay devices both follow the same 60-mean solar day dominion.
• If you are deployed as a member of the military, contact Verizon directly to unlock past asking.

Devices that you purchase from Verizon'due south retail partners are locked for sixty days after activation. After 60 days, Verizon automatically removes the lock. That means that if you have fulfilled all financial obligations and your telephone is otherwise clean, you tin remove the Verizon SIM carte and insert a different one of your choosing. Customers who are in the U.S. military and stationed outside of the Verizon coverage area can become their iPhones unlocked on request even during the 60-day lock period.

Unlock a T-Mobile iPhone

Start the process here.

T-Mobile has a number of terms and conditions yous must run into earlier information technology volition unlock your iPhone from the network.

• Your account must be in practiced continuing, and your phone must not be reported lost, stolen, or blocked to T-Mobile.
• You have requested no more than 2 mobile device unlock codes per service line in the final 12 months.
• If the device was financed using T‑Mobile'southward Equipment Installment Plan (EIP), then all payments must be fabricated and the device must be paid in full unless otherwise specified.
• For post-paid accounts, your phone must be active on the T‑Mobile network for at least 40 days. If the device is on a canceled account, the remainder must be paid in full.
• If the device is on an account with a service contract term, and then at least 18 consecutive monthly payments must accept been made. Or, the account must take been migrated to a no-contract rate program.
• Prepaid iPhones must have been agile on the T‑Mobile network for more than one year. If active for less than a year, the prepaid account must have more than than $100 in refills since the outset use engagement.
• T‑Mobile may request proof of purchase or additional information at its discretion, and certain other exceptions may apply.
• Equally with other carriers, exceptions for military personnel, business, and government accounts may utilize under certain circumstances.

T-Mobile should send unlock notifications to your phone once it is eligible, and may send you an unlock code you will need to enter. If yous don't have this information, contact T-Mobile straight and ask for information technology. You volition then demand to look in your phone settings for the Permanent Unlock choice, this can vary a scrap between manufacturers, but the link we provided above has more information. Contact T‑Mobile Customer Service for details.

Unlock a Sprint iPhone

Sprint no longer exists. After its merger with T-Mobile, the carrier is no longer an entity. Yet, this presents a problem, as T-Mobile will but unlock iPhones purchased direct from T-Mobile, not Sprint. If you take a Dart iPhone that is nonetheless locked, your best bet is to call Customer Care numbers and explain your situation:

• Post-paid customers: 888-211-4727
• Previous Sprint Forward customers: 855-639-4644

Unlock a UScellular iPhone

Start the process here.

iPhone models 7 through 12 and the SE2 are locked into the UScellular network for 120 days after activation to prevent fraud and theft. For locked 4G LTE devices launched earlier Feb 1, 2016, some tin can be unlocked via a software update. UScellular-locked 1X and 3G devices launched before Feb 1, 2016, can be unlocked with a request to customer service.

Afterwards the 120-day lock menstruum ends, UScellular automatically unlocks the aforementioned iPhone models if your account is in good continuing. During the 120-solar day lock period, the carrier will unlock your post-paid device on request if you are on military duty with deployment overseas. Your mail service-paid account must be in practiced standing or paid in full, and you must accept otherwise met all fiscal obligations.

Third-party lock breakers

If yous encounter problems with an official carrier unlock, yous can still opt for an IMEI unlock, which works identically to the official carrier unlock. There are plenty of IMEI unlock companies, but it's best to get with trusted vendors like Express Unlocks, DoctorSIM, MobileUnlocked, UnlockBase, Cellphone Unlock, UnlockUnit, Unlock River, and Unlock Radar. Check review sites like Trustpilot before making a final determination or paying upwards. The price to unlock an iPhone varies based on your carrier. Lock breaker services back up models from the newest iPhone eleven series all the way dorsum to the iPhone four.

Well-nigh tertiary-party unlocking services operate the same fashion. From their website, you pay varying amounts, usually under $100, for an email-based unlock code. Most require upfront payment. Reputable unlocking services take customer support lines and deliver codes rapidly.

Buy an unlocked iPhone

Every iPhone you buy from Apple — either online or from an Apple tree Store — is unlocked, except for specific carrier financing options. An unlocked iPhone lets y'all cull any carrier y'all want. To get started with a new carrier, practise the post-obit:

• Switch off your iPhone.
• Remove the current SIM bill of fare from your old carrier.
• Insert the new SIM card for your new carrier.
• Restart your telephone.
• Upon restart, follow the on-screen instructions to fix your telephone.

You can as well purchase a SIM-gratis iPhone, which ways your iPhone does not come with a carrier SIM card, which frees you to use a SIM card from any compatible carrier. Of course, you will have to pay for your new phone upfront and in total.

If y'all tin't pay in full, you might consider Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program, where you go an unlocked iPhone in much the same manner as the SIM-complimentary selection. Not simply do you avoid the upfront cost, merely you also get to pay in monthly installments and are eligible for an upgrade afterward 12 payments. The program includes the AppleCare+ protection program aslope a $4.17 per month addition for AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss protection. The upgrade plan does require a credit check.

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Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-unlock-your-iphone-to-use-with-another-carrier/

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