If you purchased your iPhone as part of a contract from a carrier then that device may be locked to your carrier. If you want to switch from one carrier to another then you will need to unlock your iPhone to use with the new carrier.
If you purchased your iPhone outright from Apple or from another retailer then it should not be locked to your carrier and it can be easily switched to the new carrier without having to contact your previous carrier to have the device unlocked.
If your iPhone is locked to your current carrier then you can follow the steps below to get it unlocked, if you are still in a contract with this carrier then you may still have to pay the remainder of the contract. It is always worth checking first to see if there are any additional fees.
How do I unlock my iPhone to use with a new mobile carrier?
If your iPhone is locked to a mobile network then the only way you can unlock your handset from the carrier is to contact them. You will need to request that they will unlock your device so that you can use it with either another carrier or additional carriers.
Whether or not they will unlock your handset depends on whether you have met the obligations of the contract you signed with them. This will usually include paying off any outstanding balance on your device. They should then unlock the device, it can take a couple of days with some carriers.
How do I set up your unlocked iPhone with a new mobile carrier?
Once your iPhone has been unlocked this is easy to set up with the new carrier. What you need to do is remove your old SIM card from your device and replace it with the new one.
Wait a couple of minutes for the device to activate and your new SIM card will be activated, you can now make and receive calls with the new carrier and also send texts, use your data, and more.
How do I remove the existing carrier without a new SIM card?
If you are looking to remove the existing carrier from your iPhone without a new SIM card, then this can be done by restoring your device. You may want to do this if you are giving your iPhone to someone else or you may want to use it without a SIM card.
The first thing you need to do is backup your iPhone and then you will need to erase it, you can find out how to do that over at Apple’s website. Once it has been erased you can either restore it so you can use it yourself without a SIM card or if you want to give it to someone else you can just skip the restore part. The person to who you give the iPhone will then be able to set it up as a new device.
We hope you will find this guide on how to unlock your iPhone from your carrier useful, you can find out more details over at Apple’s website, if you have any questions, please leave a comment below and let us know.
