HT201328: How to unlock your iPhone for use with another carrier

Learn about How to unlock your iPhone for use with another carrier
egavish

Q: after unlocking usa/att iphone 3gs ,  how to use it abroad with a foreign company simcard and service?


has an old iphone 3gs that was not in usage for awhle.  I called ATT and had it unlocked officially. After resetting it here in USA  I gave it as a gift to someone to use abroad  with forign sim card and phone service. 

 

However, at the foreign company office they were told that USA iphones can not be used outside USA.

 

Is that true?

 

So How can they   use  it abroad?

iPhone 3GS, iOS 6.1.6, phone was not in use for awhile

Posted on Aug 5, 2014 6:36 PM

Close

Q: after unlocking usa/att iphone 3gs ,  how to use it abroad with a foreign company simcard and service?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Lyssa,

    Lyssa Lyssa Aug 5, 2014 7:07 PM in response to egavish
    Level 6 (17,893 points)
    Aug 5, 2014 7:07 PM in response to egavish

    I'm fairly certain you should be able to use it abroad if it was unlocked by AT&T.

     

    Did you restore it as a new phone and get a screen that said something similar to "Congratulations, your iPhone is unlocked"?

     

    If so, it should work on just about any GSM carrier, though the other person would want to make sure their carrier supports the iPhone. I was able to use my US iPhone 4 in London just fine.

     

    They may not have full functionality for data speeds outside the US, but that's the only issue I can think of. And I don't think that would affect the 3GS since it can't use anything faster than 3G anyway.

     

    ~Lyssa

  • by egavish,

    egavish egavish Aug 8, 2014 10:45 PM in response to Lyssa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2014 10:45 PM in response to Lyssa

    after getting the OK from my carrier. I totally reset the old 3gs iphone with a newer version of io6 6, while doing that I erased all my previous settings on the iphone by resetting it to factory.  I assume all is ok for a new foreign sim card after that? 

  • by stevejobsfan0123,

    stevejobsfan0123 stevejobsfan0123 Aug 8, 2014 10:46 PM in response to egavish
    Level 8 (43,827 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 8, 2014 10:46 PM in response to egavish

    Yes.

  • by egavish,

    egavish egavish Aug 8, 2014 11:13 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2014 11:13 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123

    when the phone was brought into the phone company abroad, they said that the iphone could not be used with any foreign sim card is there a  way to verify if the phone is unlocked  abroad?

  • by stevejobsfan0123,Solvedanswer

    stevejobsfan0123 stevejobsfan0123 Aug 8, 2014 11:33 PM in response to egavish
    Level 8 (43,827 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 8, 2014 11:33 PM in response to egavish

    You can call Apple and give them your phone's IMEI number (found in Settings > General > About), and they should be able to tell you. http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57