How to Unlock Your iPhone on Verizon, AT and T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Virgin Mobile

Before connecting your smartphone to a different network, you must satisfy a set of prerequisites. In the first place, it must be a valid device. This means that it hasn't been reported lost or stolen, or associated with any criminal activities. To be eligible, your account has to be free of financial obligations. If you've signed the contract as part of an upfront cost that was subsidized, you'll need to wait until the contract is over (usually for 24 months), or when you purchased your phone through the payment plan, you'll have to pay for the remaining balance.

In addition, many companies require that accounts be active for specific days before they let devices be unlocked. For T-Mobile, the minimum is 40 days. For Sprint, it's 50, and AT&''T is the longest, with 60 days. Verizon does not have a minimum duration. You may need to reset your phone's factory settings before the new network can be recognized, so be sure you've backups. The procedure differs for each provider:

Verizon

Surprisingly, Verizon has the best unlocking guidelines available for LTE phones. Big Red states that it will not block any 4G LTE device; thus, no code is required to unlock your iPhone with a different carrier. If you'd like to change to a different network, simply end your current service and start an entirely new one with the company you prefer.

AT&''T

For those who are AT&''T customers, this process is slightly more complicated than other carriers. iPhones purchased from AT&''T remain tied to AT&''T's network; switching to a different carrier may not be the same as just pulling out the SIM. The first thing to do is send an application to the provider to discover whether the device is suitable to be unlocked. To do this, sign in to your online account. Select the device you wish to unlock, click "Unlock your tablet or phone to use a different wireless provider," and then follow the steps. If you cannot access your account for a reason, you can utilize the device unlock portal offered by the company to determine if the phone is eligible.

You'll receive an email confirmation with the unlock number when you've submitted your request. Follow the link within your email and confirm your request. When the phone is considered acceptable after the review period, you'll be able to remove the original SIM and then insert it with the latest one.

T-Mobile

Unlocking an iPhone purchased through T-Mobile isn't difficult at all. In essence, you'll have to contact customer support at (877) 746-9009 to obtain your device's Mobile Device Unlock code. In two days, if your phone is eligible or not. You'll be sent an email with the unlock codes if it's. Follow the steps, pop out your SIM, and you'll be able to change networks.

Sprint

The phone is likely to be unlocked if you own one of the iPhones with Sprint that meets the criteria listed in the general requirements portion. Sprint claims that it will unlock phones when they're eligible. Therefore, you'll be able to connect an additional SIM and begin using it with the new provider immediately. If you're unsuccessful or have not fulfilled all the criteria, contact customer support via (888) 211-4727. The customer service representative will be there to assist.

Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile is now an iPhone-only service; therefore, if you're inclined to sign up for the brand new Inner Circle plan at an Apple Store, the phone you receive won't be tied by their networks (which is Sprint's disguise). This means that you can transfer it to any provider provided the requirement above is satisfied. If you purchase the same phone on virginmobileusa.com, the phone is locked "for fraud prevention."

An iPhone 7, 8, or X purchased within the same time frame is unlocked after 14 days. In the same way, if you purchased an unsubsidized iPhone, which isn't an eight or an X, between September 29 and Nov 16, you'll have to wait for 12 months before it's unlocked. Customers who are already Virgin Mobile customers won't get the same benefits. Any device purchased on prior plans will need to be active for 12 months before Virgin can unlock it. Once it's been activated, you can give customer service a phone call, and they'll be able to handle the unlocking process for you.