Your iPhone might be locked to your carrier. Unlocking your iPhone means that you can use it with different carriers. To contact your carrier and unlock your iPhone, use these steps.
If you don’t want to switch carriers and your device is locked because you forgot the passcode, then you don’t need to use the steps in this article. Learn how to reset your passcode.
Apple can't unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier. Only your carrier can unlock your iPhone.
Contact your carrier
- See if your carrier offers unlocking. Only your carrier can unlock your iPhone.
- Contact your carrier and request an unlock. Your account might need to meet requirements for unlocking. After you submit the request, it might take a few days to complete. To get your request's status, contact your carrier.
- After your carrier confirms that they unlocked your iPhone, follow the steps below.
If you have a SIM card from a carrier other than your current carrier
Use these steps to finish unlocking your iPhone:
- Remove your SIM card and insert the new one.
- Set up your iPhone again.
If you don't have another SIM card to use
Use these steps to finish unlocking your iPhone:
- Back up your iPhone.
- After you make a backup, erase your iPhone.
- Restore your iPhone from the backup you just made.
Get help
You might see this message in iTunes or on your device: "The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported. Only compatible SIM cards from a supported carrier may be used to activate iPhone. Please insert the SIM card that came with your iPhone or visit a supported carrier store."
If you see this message, use these steps:
- Restore your iPhone to factory settings.
- Contact your carrier to make sure that they applied the unlock in their system.
- Restore your iPhone from a backup.