Note: The process described in this tutorial applies to the iPhone 5S as well.
If you have purchased an iPhone from one wireless carrier and want to switch to another, you might want to bring your current device to your new network.
The unlocking process may take you up to five business days depending on your eligibility to unlock your device and the standing of your account.
Information Required to Request an Unlock (and Obtain Unlock Code)
In order to unlock your iPhone, you must call your carrier’s customer service department and place your unlock request. While making the call, you must keep the following information about your iPhone handy, as you may be asked for it to place the request.
• Type of subscription/customer. (Postpaid/Prepaid/Previous Customer)
• Your 10-digit wireless subscription number (mobile number).
• IMEI number of your iPhone. (You can find the IMEI number on the back of your iPhone).
• First and last name of the iPhone’s account.
• Last four digits of the Social Security Number (SSN) of the original buyer.
• Registered email address.
• Passcode of the carrier’s account holder’s account (if applicable).
Before calling your carrier’s customer service department, make sure that your device is eligible for placing an unlock request. An eligible iPhone:
• Must be locked to its current network and designed to use it.
• Must have all fees, financial commitments, and other monthly payments or otherwise due amounts paid in full.
• Must not be reported as stolen or lost.
• Must have successfully completed the contract. In some cases, the phone must be 60-days or older from the date of placing the unlock request. (The minimum threshold time offered by different wireless carriers in these cases may vary. Detailed information about the time duration and other requirements can be found on the wireless carrier’s official website.)
Note: The information and the eligibility criteria listed above for the iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus applies to almost all wireless carriers in US.
Once you have gathered all of this information and have confirmed that your iPhone is eligible to place the unlock request, you can go through the instructions under different wireless carriers’ names below to factory unlock your iPhone and use it with any other carrier of your choice.
For iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus on AT&T
Dial +1-(800)-331-0500 and follow the instructions thereafter to provide your information and place the factory unlock request. Alternatively, you can also go to the
https
/www.att.com/deviceunlock/index.html#/ link to place an online request to unlock your iPhone.
After you have placed the request to AT&T to unlock your iPhone, and have received a confirmation mail from them stating that your unlock request has been approved, you must follow the instructions given below to unlock your iPhone from the AT&T wireless carrier:
1. Power off your iPhone.
2. Remove the AT&T SIM card from your phone.
3. Insert the new SIM card (from the different carrier) in the SIM card slot.
4. Restart the iPhone.
5. After the iPhone restarts, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.
Note: In case you do not have a SIM card from a different carrier, back up your iPhone, fully erase the phone, and then restore the phone from the created backup. After the phone restarts, it will be unlocked and can be used with any other wireless carrier.
For iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus on Sprint
In order to unlock your Apple iPhone mobile from Sprint, your device must meet the above given eligibility criteria and you must have the needed information in hand as well.
An iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus can be unlocked as:
• Domestic SIM Unlock (DSU) – If you have purchased your iPhone that was launched before February 2015 (iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus for example), as soon as your phone becomes eligible to be unlocked, you will be notified via your bill. You can then contact the Sprint Customer Care and request for the Domestic SIM Unlock. With DSU, you can use your iPhone only with the domestic carriers within the US.
Note: The devices that are launched after February 2015 will be unlocked automatically as they become eligible, depending upon the contract duration and terms.
• International SIM Unlock (ISU) – You may want to request International SIM Unlock if you plan to move out of the US for some time and want to use the domestic SIM of the country you want to go to. Before requesting for ISU, make sure that your iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus has a compatible SIM slot. Once verified, you must contact Sprint Worldwide Care, provide the required details, and request for ISU for your iPhone.
Note: Requesting for and getting approval for ISU doesn’t unlock your iPhone for DSU. This means with ISU enabled, you can only use the SIM cards from international carriers, and the SIMs from the domestic wireless carriers won’t work in this situation.
You can request for DSU or ISU by contacting Sprint Customer Care or Sprint Worldwide Care respectively via live chat or email from the http/sprintworldwide.custhelp.com/app/chat/chat_launch/?ECID=vanity:swwsupport URL or by calling +1-(888)-226-7212 and following the instructions from there.
For iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus on T-Mobile
Once all your financial dues are paid (in case of a postpaid plan) or the tenure of 1 year is over (when using a prepaid plan), and your account is in good standing, you can either visit
https/support.t-mobile.com/community/contact-us and request the T-Mobile Customer Service via email to unlock your phone for other carriers, or you can dial +1-(877)-746-0909 and follow the instructions thereafter to place your unlock request.
Note: Do not forget to keep the details about your phone and T-Mobile account in hand before making a call to the T-Mobile Customer Service.
After you have received the confirmation that your iPhone unlock request has been approved, you can follow the below steps to switch to the different carrier:
1. Turn off your iPhone whose unlock request has been approved by T-Mobile.
2. Take the T-Mobile SIM card out of the slot.
3. Insert the SIM card from the other wireless carrier in the SIM slot.
4. Power your iPhone back on.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your iPhone with the new SIM from the different wireless carrier.
If you have purchased an iPhone from one wireless carrier and want to switch to another, you might want to bring your current device to your new network.
The unlocking process may take you up to five business days depending on your eligibility to unlock your device and the standing of your account.
Information Required to Request an Unlock (and Obtain Unlock Code)
In order to unlock your iPhone, you must call your carrier’s customer service department and place your unlock request. While making the call, you must keep the following information about your iPhone handy, as you may be asked for it to place the request.
• Type of subscription/customer. (Postpaid/Prepaid/Previous Customer)
• Your 10-digit wireless subscription number (mobile number).
• IMEI number of your iPhone. (You can find the IMEI number on the back of your iPhone).
• First and last name of the iPhone’s account.
• Last four digits of the Social Security Number (SSN) of the original buyer.
• Registered email address.
• Passcode of the carrier’s account holder’s account (if applicable).
Before calling your carrier’s customer service department, make sure that your device is eligible for placing an unlock request. An eligible iPhone:
• Must be locked to its current network and designed to use it.
• Must have all fees, financial commitments, and other monthly payments or otherwise due amounts paid in full.
• Must not be reported as stolen or lost.
• Must have successfully completed the contract. In some cases, the phone must be 60-days or older from the date of placing the unlock request. (The minimum threshold time offered by different wireless carriers in these cases may vary. Detailed information about the time duration and other requirements can be found on the wireless carrier’s official website.)
Note: The information and the eligibility criteria listed above for the iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus applies to almost all wireless carriers in US.
Once you have gathered all of this information and have confirmed that your iPhone is eligible to place the unlock request, you can go through the instructions under different wireless carriers’ names below to factory unlock your iPhone and use it with any other carrier of your choice.
For iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus on AT&T
Dial +1-(800)-331-0500 and follow the instructions thereafter to provide your information and place the factory unlock request. Alternatively, you can also go to the
https
/www.att.com/deviceunlock/index.html#/ link to place an online request to unlock your iPhone.After you have placed the request to AT&T to unlock your iPhone, and have received a confirmation mail from them stating that your unlock request has been approved, you must follow the instructions given below to unlock your iPhone from the AT&T wireless carrier:
1. Power off your iPhone.
2. Remove the AT&T SIM card from your phone.
3. Insert the new SIM card (from the different carrier) in the SIM card slot.
4. Restart the iPhone.
5. After the iPhone restarts, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.
Note: In case you do not have a SIM card from a different carrier, back up your iPhone, fully erase the phone, and then restore the phone from the created backup. After the phone restarts, it will be unlocked and can be used with any other wireless carrier.
For iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus on Sprint
In order to unlock your Apple iPhone mobile from Sprint, your device must meet the above given eligibility criteria and you must have the needed information in hand as well.
An iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus can be unlocked as:
• Domestic SIM Unlock (DSU) – If you have purchased your iPhone that was launched before February 2015 (iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus for example), as soon as your phone becomes eligible to be unlocked, you will be notified via your bill. You can then contact the Sprint Customer Care and request for the Domestic SIM Unlock. With DSU, you can use your iPhone only with the domestic carriers within the US.
Note: The devices that are launched after February 2015 will be unlocked automatically as they become eligible, depending upon the contract duration and terms.
• International SIM Unlock (ISU) – You may want to request International SIM Unlock if you plan to move out of the US for some time and want to use the domestic SIM of the country you want to go to. Before requesting for ISU, make sure that your iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus has a compatible SIM slot. Once verified, you must contact Sprint Worldwide Care, provide the required details, and request for ISU for your iPhone.
Note: Requesting for and getting approval for ISU doesn’t unlock your iPhone for DSU. This means with ISU enabled, you can only use the SIM cards from international carriers, and the SIMs from the domestic wireless carriers won’t work in this situation.
You can request for DSU or ISU by contacting Sprint Customer Care or Sprint Worldwide Care respectively via live chat or email from the http
/sprintworldwide.custhelp.com/app/chat/chat_launch/?ECID=vanity:swwsupport URL or by calling +1-(888)-226-7212 and following the instructions from there.For iPhone 5S/6/6 Plus on T-Mobile
Once all your financial dues are paid (in case of a postpaid plan) or the tenure of 1 year is over (when using a prepaid plan), and your account is in good standing, you can either visit
https
/support.t-mobile.com/community/contact-us and request the T-Mobile Customer Service via email to unlock your phone for other carriers, or you can dial +1-(877)-746-0909 and follow the instructions thereafter to place your unlock request.Note: Do not forget to keep the details about your phone and T-Mobile account in hand before making a call to the T-Mobile Customer Service.
After you have received the confirmation that your iPhone unlock request has been approved, you can follow the below steps to switch to the different carrier:
1. Turn off your iPhone whose unlock request has been approved by T-Mobile.
2. Take the T-Mobile SIM card out of the slot.
3. Insert the SIM card from the other wireless carrier in the SIM slot.
4. Power your iPhone back on.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your iPhone with the new SIM from the different wireless carrier.
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