How to Unlock Your iPhone From a Carrier
Your iPhone may be “locked” to your current phone company. This means your iPhone is configured to only work with a company’s network and you can’t switch phone companies without switching phones—or unlocking the phone. (In this case, “unlocking” refers to a connection to a phone company, not using a passcode to access your iPhone.) Phones are locked to phone companies when you’re under contract or are paying a monthly plan to buy the phone (you can buy unlocked phones from Apple, among others). If you want to start using your phone with another phone company, you may qualify to unlock your iPhone if:
You’ve fulfilled the terms of any discount or promotion applied when you got your phone.Your installments for buying the phone are fully paid.Your phone number has been active for at least 40 days (for some carriers, it’s 60 days).Your account is in good standing.The phone has not been reported stolen.You don’t request unlocking too often.The phone is used with a pre-paid plan, there may be additional conditions.
If you meet those conditions, follow these steps to unlock your iPhone from a carrier:
Reasons to Unlock Your iPhone
The only reason to unlock your iPhone is so you can keep your current phone and move to a new phone company. You may be happy with your phone (or at least not interested in spending hundreds to get a new one) and want to take advantage of better coverage or better rates offered by another company.
AT&T Unlocking Instructions Sprint Unlocking Instructions T-Mobile Unlocking Instructions Verizon Unlocking Instructions
Phone companies in other countries should have similar pages on their websites. After the unlock is complete, you can keep using your iPhone with your current phone company (if so, you’re done!) or move to another phone company whenever you want. Unlocking an iPhone doesn’t offer any other benefits—it’s not the same as jailbreaking, for instance—but keeping your phone while choosing a new phone company is reason enough.
Using an iPhone With More Than One Phone Company
If you have an iPhone XS or newer and your iPhone is unlocked, you can use two phone numbers from two different phone companies on your iPhone at the same time! That’s because these models add a second, all-digital eSIM in addition to the physical SIM card (starting with the iPhone 14, there’s no physical SIM at all). This means one iPhone can have one number for personal use and another for business calls. You can also add a temporary local number while traveling in other countries. This only works on unlocked iPhones. On locked phones, both phone numbers need to be from the same phone company. Learn all about using two phone numbers and eSIMs from Apple.
