How to unlock iphone from service provider

In case you are looking to unlock your iPhone, there are two things you might want to do. First, either your iPhone is locked to a specific mobile operator or carrier. The second option is that you have entered the wrong password or PIN-code too many times and your iPhone has been disabled.

We’ll go through both options in this guide and get you back to using your iPhone just like before.

Option 1: How to unlock an iPhone to be used with a different carrier

If your iPhone is locked to a specific carrier or mobile operator, you’ll need to contact your operator to unlock the phone. After doing this, it might take some days until the phone is again unlocked for use.

Once the carrier has unlocked your iPhone, there are two options for what to do next. This depends on whether or not you have a SIM card. In case you have a SIM card at your disposal, simply enter the new SIM card into your iPhone to unlock your phone. The second option demands a bit more work.

How to unlock iPhone without a SIM card 

If you do not have the appropriate SIM card, you’ll have to backup and reset your phone. Here’s how to do that.

  1. Start by backing up your iPhone. You can read our other blog post to learn how to do this.
  2. After you have backed up your phone and made sure that everything is secured, proceed to reset your iPhone. To do this, go to your phone’s Settings, then select “General” and “Reset”. To finalise the reset, choose “Erase All Content And Settings”
  3. Once you have finished resetting your iPhone, power it back on again and restore your backup that you made in step 1.
  4. Insert a new SIM card to start using your iPhone.
  5. Done!

Here at Swappie, all of our phones are unlocked. This means that you can start using your new phone right out of the box! Our refurbished iPhones also work internationally and with local service providers.

Option 2: How to unlock a disabled iPhone

You might run into a situation where your iPhone is disabled because you have entered an incorrect password or PIN code too many times. Luckily there is something you can do to fix this. 

However, to unlock a disabled iPhone, you need to reset your phone back to its factory settings. This means that you’ll lose everything on your phone if you haven’t made a backup. This is why backing up your iPhone regularly is so important. Read our other blog post to learn how to back up your iPhone. 

Once your iPhone is locked to a SIM card, your first solution might be to contact the service carrier to request an unlock. But not all SIM-locked users are so lucky to have their device unlocked in doing so because this solution has requirements for your account. If you cannot meet the criteria, then this way isn't available for you. Under that situation, how to unlock your iPhone without a carrier?

If you want to know the answer, see the following instructions. 

Part 1. Unlock an iPhone Without a Carrier with EaseUS MobiUnlock

Contacting your carrier is not the only way to unlock your iPhone. In addition to that way, you can also utilize some professional and safe iPhone unlock toollike EaseUS MobiUnlock to do the same thing. With such a tool, you can remove the SIM lock, bypass Screen Time passcode, decrypt the iTunes backup encryption, unlock Apple ID, bypass the Activation Lock, etc. Best of all, removing the SIM lock feature is totally free to use, which is a nice option for users on a budget. 

But everything has two sides, and EaseUS MobiUnlock is no exception. While removing the SIM lock from your device, you need to jailbreak your device. Needless to say, this will make your device vulnerable to viruses. Besides, you can't make a call with your device after removing the SIM lock. 

After weighing the pros and cons of EaseUS MobiUnlock, you can decide whether to use it or not. If you want to give it a try, just download it on your computer and follow these steps to do it. 

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer and run EaseUS MobiUnlock. Select "Remove SIM Lock" from the home-page. 

Remove SIM card - Step 1

Step 2. Check your device's infromation displayed on the screen, and then click "Start." After that, you'll see our Terms of Use, click "I Agree" and then click "Start" again to proceed. 

Remove SIM card - Step 2

Step 3. Then, you'll need to confirm your device information and click "Start Unlocking" to strat the unlocking process. Wait until the process is completed. 

Remove SIM card - Step 3

Step 4. Once the SIM card is unlocked, you can disconnect your iPhone and go to check whether it is SIM lock removed. 

Remove SIM card - Step 4

Part 2. Unlock an iPhone Without a Carrier via Online Unlock Services

In addition to using EaseUS MobiUnlock, you can also use some online unlock services to achieve the same goal. But not all online services are trustworthy. It has been reported in many cases that such services scammed people for their money without providing an unlock solution. Thus, you need to think carefully before choosing any of such services. 

We collect some key factors to consider to help you select a reliable and safe one. 

  • Don't trust any unlocking services just asking for your credit cards.
  • You'd better select an unlocking service with a money-back guarantee. Thus, if you have them unsatisfied with your needs, you can ask for your money back. 
  • Most unlocking services require you to provide personal and sensitive information, making exposing your personal information easy.
  • After knowing these factors, you might know how to select the right unlocking service.

Unlock an iPhone without a carrier

Part 3. Bonus Tip to Unlock an iPhone with a Carrier

The safest way to unlock an iPhone is to contact your carrier and request an unlock. After you submit the request, it might take a few days to complete. After your carrier confirm that they unlocked, then you can remove your SIM card and insert the new SIM card. If you don't have another SIM card, you can back up your device, restore your iPhone to factory settings, and restore your device from the backup. 

In Conclusion

Have you known all the tips for unlocking an iPhone without a carrier? After reading this guide, we guess you've gotten all possible tips. As you can see, using EaseUS MobiUnlock is the easiest and quickest way to unlock an iPhone without a carrier. In addition to SIM cards, it also works to bypass many other locks like Apple ID, Activation Lock, iTunes backup encryption, etc. Don't miss this tool if you often get yourself to be locked out of an iPhone. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Carrier-Locked iPhone

Learning how to unlock an iPhone without a carrier might not be enough for some people interested in the "carrier-locked iPhone" topic, so we prepared more questions about it. If you're interested in that topic, check the following frequently asked questions to learn more.

1. Can you jailbreak a carrier-locked iPhone?

Yes, you can. There are many services you can use for this purpose. But in most cases, you cannot make a call after jailbreaking. Besides, a jailbreak may make your device vulnerable to viruses, so you'd better be careful to do it if you don't want to make your device a brick one.

2. Can you unlock a phone that is locked to a carrier?

Yes, we can. The safest way to do this is by contacting your service carrier and requesting an unlock.

3. How to check if your iPhone is locked by a carrier?

You can check if the carrier locks your iPhone via Settings. Here are the steps. 

Step 1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Mobile Data. 

Step 2. Then, tap Cellular and then Cellular Data Option.

Step 3. Check for the option Mobile Data Network/Cellular Data Network. If you see either of these options, that means you device is unlocked and vice versa.

Can you carrier unlock an iPhone for free?

Ideally you shouldn't pay anything to unlock your iPhone, because your carrier should unlock it for you for free. But some carriers are still setting admin charges, so you might prefer looking at third-party options.

Can you unlock a provider locked phone?

When a handset is locked it means it will only work with the provider that you bought it from. If your phone is locked it won't automatically become unlocked when your contract expires with your provider. You'll have to specifically ask your carrier to unlock it.

How much does it cost to unlock an iPhone from a carrier?

iPhone: $20 to $80 for some carriers and $120 to $220 for premium & high guaranteed unlocks. Samsung: Start at $3 and range between $20 to $30 for higher-end models. Models with some carriers even cost up to $80.

Why is my iPhone network provider locked?

When you buy a new iPhone, if you don't pay the entire price up front, it'll be "locked" to your carrier. This means that, until you pay it off, your phone can only connect to that carrier's network and no others.