What is iPhone Factory Unlock?
It is vital that you, as a smartphone user, know how to find out if the device you are going to buy is locked or unlocked for a single carrier, especially if you are going to get a used iPhone device. Once that particular iPhone device is locked to a carrier, it means that you won’t be able to use it on a different SIM card. Though the factory or carrier unlocked iPhone is slightly more expensive than a GSM locked iPhone, you can use any carrier you want without any restriction.
The main advantage is the ability to activate any carrier without jailbreaking the device. When you jailbreak the device, the manufacturer’s warranty on the phone is canceled. So buying a factory unlocked iPhone is a great way to use any carrier without jailbreaking. Though the cost of unlocked phones is a little higher than locked phones, if you are a frequent traveler and who uses different networks, factory unlocked iPhones are the best choice for you.
Factory Unlock iPhone vs. Locked iPhone
The locked iPhone has built-in restrictions for GSM and CDMA devices, which means this type of device is only limited to one carrier or specific country. That is why you have to check if your iPhone is locked or unlocked. An iPhone that is unlocked can connect to any carrier. If your iPhone is unlocked, you could move from Sprint to Verizon tomorrow, and your phone would work perfectly. iPhones that have been fully paid for and purchased directly from Apple are probably unlocked. But if you purchased the iPhone through a contract reseller, the phone will be locked until the contract ends and is paid for in full.
How to Factory Unlock My iPhone?
Here, we will discuss the 4 main carrier brands in the USA. In most cases, the unlocking steps are pretty similar, but they have their prerequisites to complete.
AT&T
- Step 1: Go to their official unlocking request page.
- Step 2: Then check the eligibility requirements, which we will discuss below.
- Step 3: Next, fill the request form, including your wireless status, AT&T mobile number/IMEI number, and agree to terms and conditions to proceed.
- Step 4: Then, you will receive the unlock request number via email. Then you need to click on the provided link within 24 hours to accept the request officially.
- Step 5: After few days, they will send further instructions about your unlocking.
Requirements
- You must have an active connection for at least 60 days.
- You must have completed paying all the termination fees or any remaining installation fees.
- The iPhone should not be reported as stolen, lost, or used for any fraudulent activity.
- After upgrading iPhone, you must wait 14 days before you’re eligible for unlock.
- Your device isn’t active on another AT&T account. Having multiple active subscriptions causes the AT&T to hold your unlocking process. If you have 2 or more, better to cancel them before requesting the unlocking.
If all these conditions are met, you are eligible for the unlocking of AT&T provider.
Sprint
All the SIM card-based devices released after 2015 are automatically eligible for unlocking. If the device is purchased before 2015, Sprint will inform you of the date device is eligible. Then you have to request for unlock. Sprint handles both the domestic and international unlocking processes separately. So you have to make 2 requests to ensure that your device is unlocked for domestic and international use.
Requirements
- You must have a national SIM that can be unlocked.
- It must not have been reported as lost, stolen, blocked, or associated with other fraudulent activity.
- It must be linked to an account in “good standing.”
- The phone must have been active for at least 40 days. If you are a new user, you won’t be eligible for the unlocking even if you met all the remaining criteria.
- There should be no outstanding fees or payments. Any payment due should be cleared before the unlocking. You can check the remaining payments through your portal.
If all these conditions are met, you are eligible for the unlocking of Sprint provider.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has a flexible unlocking process when compared to most carriers. If all the prerequisites are completed, the device is automatically eligible for unlocking. In most cases, T-Mobile will unlock your device within 2 business days remotely. So you don’t need to visit any T-Mobile customer support centers. But in some cases, few types of models are not eligible for unlocking remotely. So, in that case, T-Mobile will send a notification to the device about the process.
Requirements
- It must not have been reported as lost, stolen, or blocked (via IMEI).
- It must be attached to an account that has not been terminated and is “in good standing.”
- The device must be fully paid for on postpaid accounts and must have been active for at least 40 days.
- The device must have had more than $100 in recharges on prepaid accounts since the first date of use or have been active for at least one year.
- Have made less than two unlock requests, per line, in a single year.
If all these conditions are met, you are eligible for the unlocking of T-Mobile provider.
Verizon
Verizon unlocking is similar to many of the other carriers we discussed above. That is because if you have followed all their terms and conditions and fulfilled the requirements, after 60 days of activation, your device is automatic gets unlocked. If you still have an issue regarding that, you can contact customer support and get more information.
Requirements
- You should have completed all the outstanding payments from the date of activation.
- You should have an active Verizon account at the moment of unlocking. If you possess multiple active subscriptions, you should cancel them before the unlocking process. Otherwise, the process can get delay due that.
- Should be an active user for the last 60 days in minimum. Once you reaches the 60 days, you are automatically get eligible for the unlocking.
- The iPhone shouldn’t be reported as stolen, lost, or used for fraudulent activities.
If all these conditions are met, you are eligible for the unlocking of Verizon provider.
Read Also: How to Unlock iPhone on Verizon Before Paid Off
How to Unlock iPhone if Factory Unlock Does Not Work?
Even if you try to unlock your iPhone with the carrier, but no success yet? Don’t worry now. We have introduced software to unlock any iPhone within few minutes. Introducing iToolab SIMUnlocker, specifically designed to cater to the needs of iPhone users who want to unlock the carrier network quickly and easily. Since this process doesn’t result in data loss, users can easily get the unlocking done. iToolab SIMUnlocker helps with common problems like SIM Not Supported, SIM Not Valid, etc. Also, you can use to unlock any device registered by any major carrier provider, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
Key features
- Bypass carrier SIM lock on your iPhone
- Compatible with all the iOS versions from 12.0 and all the models from 5s
- The whole process would less than 6 minutes, and you can get it done at the comfort of your home
- No technical knowledge required
- The safest method to unlock the device without losing the data
- This process will unlock your device permanently
- 24×7 customer support service and frequent updates to the software
- Comparatively low price compared to all other third-party unlocking services and tools.
How to steps
Step 1: Launch SIMUnlocker and connect your iPhone to your computer
Once you download and install the SIMUnlocker on your PC, please open it and connect your iPhone to the PC using the USB cable. Then press the Start button in the SIMUnlocker software.
Step 2: Jailbreak with the built-in Checkra1n tool
Since the unlocking process required jailbreaking, SIMUnlocker will automatically download the jailbreaking tool checkra1n. If your device is already jailbroken, you can skip this step. If not, you can click on the Jailbreak button. When prompted, click Start to have your iPhone enter recovery mode. Then click on the Done to close the popup after the process completes.
Step 3: Confirm your iPhone information and unlock
Once the jailbreak is completed, confirm the device information on the screen and click on the Remove button to complete the process.
Step 4: Wait for the unlocking process to complete
Finally, wait few minutes to finalize the process and click on the Done button to complete the unlocking process. Now you can insert a new SIM card to check the status.
Note: If you have followed our article from the beginning, you should have realized how easy to get the unlocking done through iToolab SIMUnlocker. Now you don’t need to wait any longer until your carrier process your request. Using our software, get the unlocking done in few minutes.
Other Ways to Unlock iPhone Similar to the Factory Unlocking
In this article, we mainly discussed the factory unlocking method. But there are various methods we can utilize to unlock the device if any method mentioned doesn’t work for you. One method can be to contact the carrier and request for unlock. If you don’t meet their requirements, you should check for a different method to unlock the device. For that, you can use third-party software or online service, or else if you know programming and technical stuff, you can use a Semi factory unlock chip. To get more details about this, you can check our article on here.
