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User profile for user: Alfredo Jahn
Alfredo Jahn Author
User level: Level 3
913 points

Unlocking iPhone without erasing it

I was always under the impression that to unlock an AT&T iPhone you needed to request an unlock and then erase the phone. My son has an older iPhone 8 that was eligible for unlocking (paid off). He was planning a trip to Spain and requested an unlock from AT&T. He requested it online but the request failed. He then called customer service and they told him that they would send a notification once it was unlocked. He never got the notification and yesterday (the day he was flying to Spain) he called customer service they checked the account and told him the phone was unlocked. The weird thing is, he never erased the phone. We told the agent that and he told us that the phone showed as unlocked. We ran over to a T-Mobile store and they tried a T-Mobile SIM and it worked! It was unlocked! He arrived in Spain last night and got a SIM card at the Madrid airport and is using the phone.


So, my question is, how is that possible? Have things changed and now you can unlock without erasing the phone? My personal iPhone 12 mini is now eligible to be unlocked. I'm always paranoid about having to erase the phone as part of an unlock. I back up my phone to iCloud, so I can restore it, but I would really prefer not having to erase it to unlock it.


Thougts?

iPhone 12 mini

Posted on Jun 11, 2023 4:37 PM

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User profile for user: Mac Jim ID
Mac Jim ID
User level: Level 6
9,591 points

Posted on Jun 11, 2023 4:58 PM

That used to be the process for devices using iOS 13 or earlier, since then there is no need to restore to factory settings after the SIM is unlocked from the carrier if you already have the SIM card from the new carrier.

How to unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier - Apple Support

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User profile for user: Lawrence Finch
Lawrence Finch
User level: Level 10
203,212 points

Jun 11, 2023 5:52 PM in response to Alfredo Jahn

Because that is the only way to verify that it has been unlocked if you don’t have a SIM card to test with, to see if it is unlocked.


Or do you mean the section that says:


If your device is on iOS 13 or earlier, use these steps:

  1. Contact your carrier to confirm that they applied the unlock in their system.
  2. Restore your iPhone to factory settings.
  3. Restore your iPhone from a backup.



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User profile for user: Alfredo Jahn
Alfredo Jahn Author
User level: Level 3
913 points

Jun 11, 2023 7:23 PM in response to Mac Jim ID

I was able to request an unlock for my iPhone 12 mini. Went to the AT&T unlock web site and entered my info. Immediately got a text from AT&T with a "We approved your unlock request". I clicked on the provided link that I was told to go to to unlock the phone. I got an error message. I then went into settings (like previously suggested) and I see that the phone appears to be unlocked. I love the post iOS 13 way it works! Thanks to all for your helpl


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User profile for user: Alfredo Jahn
Alfredo Jahn Author
User level: Level 3
913 points

Jun 11, 2023 5:12 PM in response to Mac Jim ID

That used to be the process for devices using iOS 13 or earlier, since then there is no need to restore to factory settings after the SIM is unlocked from the carrier if you already have the SIM card from the new carrier.

Are you saying that if I request an unlock for my iPhone 12 mini I won't need to erase/restore my phone? If true, that is great news. My iPhone 12 mini has the AT&T SIM right now. I'm on iOS 16..5. Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

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User profile for user: Mac Jim ID
Mac Jim ID
User level: Level 6
9,591 points

Jun 11, 2023 5:57 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

After you have contacted your carrier to unlock your SIM, your can check the setting at Settings > About > Carrier Lock and it should say "No SIM Restrictions". If you do not see it right away, try rebooting your phone. After you see the "No SIM Restrictions", all you have to do is insert the new SIM card and you are done. With iOS 13 and earlier, you also had to Reset your phone to factory settings, but that is not needed anymore.

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User profile for user: Alfredo Jahn
Alfredo Jahn Author
User level: Level 3
913 points

Jun 11, 2023 6:24 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

It is one of the 3 options under "Contact your Carrier". But I also see that at the bottom. I want my phone unlocked so that someday I can use a different SIM if I travel internationally. I suppose I can purchase a pre-paid SIM online to test it out. The main thing is I DON'T want to erase my phone. So I suppose I will request the unlock from AT&T and wait for a confirmation. I could also do what my son did and call customer service and have them verify that the phone is unlocked. I wish there was a setting in Settings that you could go to that would show if the phone is unlocked or not. (oops, just saw Mac Jim ID's suggestion Settings > About > Carrier Lock).

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User profile for user: Mac Jim ID
Mac Jim ID
User level: Level 6
9,591 points

Jun 11, 2023 6:50 PM in response to Alfredo Jahn

If your phone is eligible to be unlocked, I would do that. You paid for the phone and it should be yours without any restrictions. There was never any problem with the unlock causing your phone to be wiped. It was when you changed carriers and inserted the new SIM card, but that no longer applies. Doing it now, it will eventually show that you have "No Sim Restrictions" in Settings. Even if it takes a couple of days to show up, you will be ready when you do switch carriers.

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Unlocking iPhone without erasing it

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