Here is how you can unlock your iPhone to use with any operator

iPhone tips and tricks : Here is how you can unlock your iPhone for using it with any operator

Break the restriction of a specified operator and use your phone with the SIM card of your wish. Read on to find out the methods for various default operators.

Although iPhones are restricted to work with the carrier they are locked to, there are ways by which you can unlock your iPhones to work with almost any operator.

In this article we’re discussing on some operators to which iPhones are generally locked in. And the ways to gain freedom of choice.

O2:

O2 requires you to fill out an online form to unlock your Phone. If you’re a Pay Monthly customer you can unlock your iPhone at any time, but you’ll still need to finish paying for your contract.

O2’s website claims that Pay & Go customers will have to wait for 12 months before they can unlock their iPhone, and that it’ll cost them £15, but an O2 representative has claimed that O2 will now unlock all iPhones for free.

3:

On Three’s website, the company states that all iPhones purchased after 1 January 2014 from Three will be unlocked as soon as you activate it over WiFi or connect it to iTunes on your computer.

However, in order to unlock an iPhone running iOS 7 or above that wasn’t purchased from Three recently, you’ll need to connect to iTunes and do a restore of your device to unlock it. It’s important to back up your content first, as restoring your device will wipe all of the data.

EE (Orange and T-Mobile):

To unlock your EE iPhone, you’ll need to have had your account for at least six months, and you’ll need to have paid all of your bills to date. EE says it’ll take up to 20 days to unlock your Phone, and it’ll cost you £20.42.

However, if you’re not an EE customer and you’ve got an iPhone that’s locked to EE, you’ll need to find out the name of the original owner, their EE phone number and any additional account information you can acquire in order to unlock the iPhone. If you’re happy with that, you’ll need to fill out the online form.

Vodafone:

Vodafone also requires you to have an account with the company or know the details of the person who had the account before. If you do know those details, you’ll need to fill out Vodafone’s online form. The company says it’ll get back to you within 48 hours, but it could take up to 10 days if there’s an issue that requires getting in touch with the phone’s manufacturer.

Unlocking through Vodafone will be free if you’ve had your plan with the company for more than 12 months, but less than that and you’ll need to pay £19.99. If you’re Pay as you go it’s £19.99, too.

Tesco Mobile:

Tesco’s website says it will only provide you with a code to unlock your iPhone if you’ve been with the carrier for 12 months or if you’ve completed your contract. You can get said code by calling 0345 301 4455, and choosing the “unlock your mobile” option.

Virgin Mobile:

Any iPhone purchased from Virgin Mobile recently will be unlocked, and can be used with other SIMs. However, some older iPhones may be locked to Virgin Mobile, but you’ll just need to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS to automatically unlock your iPhone.

Alternatively, if your iPhone isn’t compatible with iOS 8, Apple’s newest operating system, you can perform a full restore of your iPhone just like you can if you’re unlocking from Three, as described above.

Apart from these, you can also use some third party agents to unlock your iPhone, but watch out for the hidden extra charge that many providers slap at the time of checkout.

When your carrier has agreed to unlock your iPhone and has processed your request, you’ll need to replace the old SIM card with a SIM card of the carrier you wish to change to. Make sure your iPhone is off when you do this, and when your turn your iPhone back on it will talk you through any further updates that may be required.

If you don’t have the original SIM card but have requested for your iPhone to be unlocked by the original carrier, you’ll need to reset your device.

Make sure you back up your iPhone by connecting it to your computer and using iTunes to perform a backup, and then completely reset your device by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Everything will be wiped from your iPhone following this process, so backing up your iPhone is EXTREMELY important to do first.

Post your further queries in the comments.