How to unlock your iPhone for use with a different network provider
Your iPhone may be locked to your network provider. Unlocking your iPhone means you can use it with different network providers.
About unlocking
You can find out if your iPhone is locked as follows:
Open the Settings app.
Tap General.
Tap About. If “No SIM restrictions” appears next to Network Provider Lock, your iPhone is unlocked.
If you don’t want to switch network provider and your device is locked because you’ve forgotten the passcode, you don’t need to use the steps in this article. Find out how to reset your passcode.
Apple can’t unlock your iPhone for use with a different network provider. Only your current network provider can unlock your iPhone.
Contact your network provider
Only your network provider can unlock your iPhone.
It may take the network provider a few days to complete your request to unlock your iPhone. Contact your network provider to check the status of your request.
After your network provider has confirmed that they’ve unlocked your iPhone, review the following scenarios that may apply.
If you need to activate an eSIM from a network provider other than your current network provider
Find out how to set up an eSIM on your iPhone
If you have a SIM card from a network provider that's different to your current network provider
Use the following steps to finish unlocking your iPhone.
Insert the new SIM card. Your device will activate.
If you don't have another SIM card to use
Use the following steps to finish unlocking your iPhone.
After you’ve made a backup, erase your iPhone.
Restore your iPhone from the backup you’ve just made.
Get help
You may see this message on your computer or iPhone: “The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported. Only compatible SIM cards from a supported network provider may be used to activate iPhone. Please insert the SIM card that came with your iPhone or visit a supported network provider’s shop.”
If you see this message on a device that's running iOS 14 and later, follow these steps:
Open the Settings app.
Tap General.
Tap About.
Under Network Provider Lock, you should see a message that says “No SIM restrictions”. If you can’t see that message, contact your network provider.
If your device is on iOS 13 or earlier, follow these steps:
Contact your network provider to confirm that they’ve applied the unlock in their system.
Restore your iPhone to factory settings.