Unlock an AT&T iPhone
Unlocking your iPhone will allow you to use it with SIM cards from other wireless carriers. This is great for travelling, since you won’t have to buy or rent a phone while you’re there. It is also useful if you want to keep your phone when you change to a new network. Follow this guide to learn how to unlock your AT&T iPhone.
Contents
Steps
Unlocking Through AT&T
- Check your eligibility for a carrier unlock. AT&T will unlock your phone for free if you meet the criteria for unlocking. If you don’t meet the criteria, you will have to resort to a paid unlock from a third party.
- Your phone iPhone must be completely paid off.
- Your contract must be completed. If it is not, you may be charged an early termination fee.
- Your iPhone wasn’t reported lost or stolen
- Your account is in good standing.
- Get your iPhone’s IMEI number. You can access this number by dialing *#06#. You do not need to call the number; your IMEI number will be automatically displayed. Write this number down.
- Visit the AT&T Device Unlock Portal. This is an online form provided by AT&T that allows you to request an unlock for your iPhone. You will need to enter the following information:
- Indicated if you are a current or past customer.
- Your wireless number
- Your iPhone’s IMEI number
- Your first and last name.
- A valid email address.
- The last four digits of your Social Security Number.
- Your AT&T account passcode if you have one.
- Submit your request. Once you have filled out all of the fields, submit your request for processing. Unlocks can happen as quickly as a few hours after you submit, but may take up to five business days. You can check the status of your request by clicking the Check Status link at the top of the Device Unlock Portal page.
- Although the site claims it can take up to five business days, users have reported receiving codes within half an hour.
- Check your email. Your unlock code will be sent to you via email. Check your spam folder in case the email was misidentified as spam.
- Backup your iPhone. To complete the unlock process, you will need to restore your iPhone to factory settings. This means that all of your data and settings will be erased. To preserve this so that you can load it back on later, perform a backup of your iPhone using the Backup function in iTunes.
- Insert your new SIM card. Insert a SIM card from a carrier other than AT&T. To do this you will need to remove your old SIM card and insert the new one in its place.
- Restore your iPhone. After you’ve backed up your phone and inserted the new card, restore your iPhone to its factory settings. You will be prompted to enter in the unlock code that you received from AT&T. Once you’re phone has been unlocked, you can restore your backup from iTunes to restore all of your data and settings.
Unlocking Through a Third Party
- Get your iPhone’s IMEI number. You can get this number by dialing *#06#. Your IMEI number will be automatically displayed on your screen. Write it down so that you can access it later.
- Find a third party service. There are a few services online that will unlock your AT&T iPhone for a fee. The fee varies by service. Be sure to read reviews about the service you are choosing, as getting refunds from these companies can be a difficult process.
- Enter your IMEI number. All third party services will require the IMEI number for your phone. Enter it to continue the unlock process.
- Pay the fee. The fees are constantly changing for unlock services as unlock servers come and go. You will most likely be paying around $50 to unlock the phone.
- Receive the code. The time it takes to receive your code varies by the service you choose, but expect to wait at least 48 hours. You should receive the code through the email address that you provided when you ordered the unlock.
- Backup your iPhone. To complete the unlock process, you will need to restore your iPhone to factory settings. This means that all of your data and settings will be erased. To preserve this so that you can load it back on later, perform a backup of your iPhone using the Backup function in iTunes.
- Insert your new SIM card. Insert a SIM card from a carrier other than AT&T. To do this you will need to remove your old SIM card and insert the new one in its place.
- Restore your iPhone. After you’ve backed up your phone and inserted the new card, restore your iPhone to its factory settings. You will be prompted to enter in the unlock code that you received from AT&T. Once you’re phone has been unlocked, you can restore your backup from iTunes to restore all of your data and settings.
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