An iPhone purchased from a specific carrier will only work with SIM cards issued by that carrier. Therefore, iPhone customers are stuck with their current carrier until the contract’s end date, even if they want to switch SIM cards. While this is true, there are still ways to SIM unlock your iPhone.
If your iPhone is paid in full, your account is in good standing, and you haven’t reported it stolen or lost, your wireless provider should be able to unlock it for you. On the other hand, extra criteria may be imposed by various carriers. The SIM lock can also be bypassed by jailbreaking your handset.
If you aren’t happy with your current service or are relocating to a new area, unlocking your iPhone will allow you to use it with other carriers.
Let’s have a look at the procedures needed to jailbreak your iPhone and unlock your SIM card.
Contents
What Does Carrier Locked Mean?
A phone that cannot be used on any other network after purchase is said to be “carrier-locked.” Thus, customers are unable to use the gadget with any other mobile operator or while traveling internationally. You will be unable to use a SIM card from a different carrier unless the lock is removed by the carrier or another manner.
In most circumstances, the carrier can unlock the device by inputting a numeric password or a special code, although there may be some exceptions.
Are All Phones Carrier Locked?
Phones purchased from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc., the four largest U.S. mobile carriers, among others, are typically “locked” to their respective networks. An electronic lock restricts the use of a mobile device by a single service provider.
When you move to a new area, are out of town for an extended period, change networks but want to keep using the same phone, or are otherwise dissatisfied with your existing provider, unlocking your phone will allow you to do so with ease.
If you’d like to switch mobile carriers, you’ll need to get in touch with your current provider. There are, however, requirements that must be met before the lock can be broken.
First and foremost, your phone should be paid off or your contract should have ended. The user must have a high credit score and the gadget must not have been reported stolen or lost.
An unlocked phone may have been purchased with full payment. There is a price premium for phones that can be unlocked. Unlocking your phone once your contract ends is a good idea.
Generally speaking, iPhones purchased through the Apple Store or Apple Online Store are already unlocked. Unlocked phones can be used with any GSM network provider of your choosing.
How to Find Out if Your Phone Is Carrier Locked
There is a simple technique to determine whether or not your iPhone is locked without having to contact your carrier or a customer care agent for guidance. Those of you using iOS 14 or iOS 15:
Access the Preferences menu.
Select the Settings menu option.
Pick a Subject.
Carrier Lock is located near the page’s last stretch. If you also see SIM locked beside Carrier Lock, likely, you haven’t finished all of the installments on your phone. On the other hand, if you read No SIM limitations before the Carrier Lock, then your phone is unlocked.
Can You Unlock an iPhone From Its Carrier?
If you’ve paid off your iPhone in full, you can request the carrier unlock code. However, further action may be required, depending on your service provider.
Unlocking an AT&T iPhone
Customers of AT&T can save time and energy by using the company’s handy device unlock portal instead of calling customer support. In a few days, once the unlocking process is finished, you will receive a notification. To stop using AT&T’s service with your iPhone, follow these steps:
Your first step should be to settle any outstanding payments or costs associated with ending your contract.
If you have cleared your balance early, please wait at least 24 hours.
Verify that your gadget has not been reported as stolen or lost, or used in any fraudulent activity. Additionally, your account’s creditworthiness should be high.
Your iPhone must be at least two months old and have no outstanding balances or fees. Furthermore, your iPhone cannot be activated on the account of any other AT&T subscriber.
There is a 14-day waiting period before early upgraders can access their previous phones.
By verifying their active-duty status on AT&T forms, military personnel can unlock their iPhones, even if they are on installment plans.
On AT&T’s Unlock page, enter your EMEI number.
To verify that your iPhone has been unlocked, visit the Unlock Status Page on the AT&T website. The business will provide you updates on the unlocking of your iPhone. Once your iPhone has been unlocked, you can swap out the SIM card and use it with a different carrier.
Unlocking a Verizon iPhone
For the first 60 days following purchase, any Verizon iPhone, whether postpaid or prepaid, will be inaccessible outside of Apple’s iTunes & App Store. Afterward, access will be granted mechanically.
After 60 days of activation, iPhones purchased from Verizon’s retail partners will be unlocked.
Both postpaid and prepaid phones are subject to the 60-day policy.
Active military personnel can contact Verizon to have their iPhones unlocked before the 60-day lock period ends.
Unlocking a T-Mobile iPhone
The following are the requirements for unlocking an iPhone from T-Mobile:
You must have a solid credit history with T-Mobile and your iPhone must not have been reported lost, stolen, or blocked.
Two unlock codes per service line per calendar year have been requested.
All outstanding balances on T-Mobile iPhones purchased using the EIP must be paid in full.
To qualify for a full refund, post-paid devices must have been active on the T-Mobile network for at least 40 days. The iPhone’s account balance should therefore be zero if the account has been terminated.
Prepaid iPhones should have been connected to their respective carriers’ networks for at least a year. Otherwise, more than $100 in refills must have been made on the account since its inception date.
T-Mobile has the right to request further information or proof of purchase in some rare cases.
Advantages may be available for military personnel, government agencies, and corporate clients.
T-Mobile may provide you with an unlock code once your iPhone is eligible. However, if you haven’t received an unlock notification from your carrier, you might try contacting them directly.
Contacting Your Carrier
Alternatively, you can call your carrier to have your iPhone unlocked, but before you do, you should verify that your carrier supports iPhone unlocking. There could be a delay of several days after you submit your request before you can follow through with it.
You can ask your service provider to unlock your phone.
Your provider will notify you that your iPhone has been unlocked.
Take out your current SIM card and replace it with the new one from your preferred carrier.
Restart the gadget and set it up.
When you can’t get a replacement SIM card for your iPhone, it’s important to back it up.
After you’ve finished backing up your iPhone, reset it.
It’s time to bring your device back from the past.
How to Jailbreak Your iPhone
There are several tools available that allow you to jailbreak your iPhone. One such popular tool is the Ecolab SIMUnlocker.
Ecolab SIMUnlocker
One-click of this unlocking tool will resolve the “SIM not supported/not valid” problem. Ecolab SIMUnlocker is a program that can assist you to unlock your phone so that you can switch carriers.
This program uses the phone’s built-in Checkra1n as a backdoor. Because it bypasses Apple’s protections, the technique of unlocking the phone is also referred to as “jailbreaking.”
Here’s what you have to do to jailbreak your iPhone:
Get SIMUnlocker from their website and install it on your computer.
After that, link your iPhone up to your laptop. Afterward, double-check that the USB cable is firmly attached and that the screen is unlocked on your gadget.
As part of its functionality, SIMUnlocker has a built-in jailbreak toolkit called Checkra1n, which will download for you.
After the jailbreak process is finished, the tool will determine if the gadget is compatible. Details on the device, including whether or not it qualifies, would be displayed.
To disable the SIM lock, press the Unlock button now.
After unlocking your iPhone via jailbreak, you can use it with any carrier in the world. Your phone’s SIM card will not be unlockable, however, if it is on a blacklist. TheActiveNews.Com is where you should go to stay up to speed on everything that’s happening right now.