How do we remove our current phone numbers from our old iPhones?

Fixed the issue by doing:

1. Switched off Face Time (Setting -> FaceTime-> FaceTime OFF)
2. Switched off iMessage(Setting -> Messages->iMessage OFF)
3. Switched on iMessage (The phone started “Verifying”the incorrect phone number, failed and set it to the correct ported number (seeSettings -> Messages -> Receive At -> Phone).
4. At this point the “My Number” (Settings ->Phone -> My Number) had also updated.
5. Switched on Face(Same “Verifying” as with iMessage, but tooktwo attempts).
6. Power Cycled the ‘phone and re-synced to updateiTunes (Summary “Phone Number” field).

Hope this helps!

Taken from Change "My Number" iPhone 4S

Make sure that you follow the procedures in this support document to prepare the phone for sale or giving away. This also ensures this removes the device from the worry of Activation Lock. What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

as someone who just bought a used phone from a friend - Please do contact the provider and follow all the steps for unlocking until you see the Congratulations! your phone is unlocked message on Itunes . You'll save yourself and your buyer a lot of trouble and time. If you sell it to a buyer without the original SIM card they may not be able to unlock it btw thank goodness i didn't pitch it when i got the new one!!

My friend went to AT&T and asked to have the phone wiped clean and unlocked after her husband passed so she thought it was.

I tried to have T-Mobile set it up ( I needed an iPhone SIM) and they told me unfortunately it was not unlocked.

AT&T said the only way to unlock is on line with the IMEI number - no problem but she didn't have the phone any more - lots of back and forth, directions for me that didn't exactly work easily, lots of visits to this site.

I have everything working except Mine now says Unknown Number now that I have the T-Mobile SIM card installed. still working on that.

dirtybirds808 wrote:

Problem is that I'm not trying to change the number. I am trying to erase the numbers off the phone completely. If I sell both phones, I wouldn't want our numbers visible on the phone.

Did you remove the SIM?

pwrobi wrote:

I think the numbers will disapear once it is truly unlocked - I don't have a trace of the old number on this one. can't get mine to show but hey!

The Verizon iPhone 5 is unlocked out of the box.

That may be true, but I was told by Apple you either buy them outright - meaning full price - and they are unlocked - or you buy them with a carrier under a plan - in which case they can only be unlocked if they are out of contract and due for upgrade/paid off.

the one I purchased was well out of contract and they unlocked it with no problem when the owner followed the procedures. they also said you can contact your carrier with the IMEI number and they can tell immediately if it has been unlocked.

pwrobi wrote:

That may be true, but I was told by Apple you either buy them outright - meaning full price - and they are unlocked - or you buy them with a carrier under a plan - in which case they can only be unlocked if they are out of contract and due for upgrade/paid off.

the one I purchased was well out of contract and they unlocked it with no problem when the owner followed the procedures. they also said you can contact your carrier with the IMEI number and they can tell immediately if it has been unlocked.

Your information is incomplete. Verizon is required, due to an agreement they made with the FCC when acquiring additional spectrum, to sell their 4G phones unlocked. All Verizon 4G iPhones are unlocked out of the box.

However, this is not terribly relevant to the original question. The phone should not need to be unlocked to be wiped back to factory state.

Go to Settings > Phone > My Number and edit it there

I think the numbers will disapear once it is truly unlocked - I don't have a trace of the old number on this one. can't get mine to show but hey!

Touche` item one and two