Will the Apple Store unlock my iPhone so that I may take it to another carrier?

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AnnDoug1950 Author

Level 1

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Will the Apple Store unlock my iPhone so that I may take it to another carrier?

I lost my iPhone 5s just months after I got it, however, I have an almost brand new iiPhone 5s from another carrier that I would like to use on my cell service. I took it to the carrier and they put a new SIM card in and said it was not compatible. The man at the store then said I could have it unlocked at the Apple store. The Apple Store is an hour away from me and I don't want to go all the way there if they don't provide that type of service.

iPhone 5s

Posted on Aug 31, 2015 9:07 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Allan Eckert

Level 9

79,512 points

Aug 31, 2015 9:10 PM in response to AnnDoug1950

No. Only the carrier holding the lock can unlock it. Talk to the carrier.

The man you spoke to at the store does not know what he is talking about. Go back and speak with someone else this time.

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Answer 2

Aug 31, 2015 9:08 PM in response to AnnDoug1950

Only the carrier that the device is locked to can unlock it. Apple cannot help you with this.

Best of luck,

GB

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Answer 3

UGADog

Level 4

1,971 points

Aug 31, 2015 9:17 PM in response to AnnDoug1950

No, the Apple Store cannot unlock it. It has to be unlocked by the cellular carrier it was made for . Ask whoever you got the phone from to have it unlocked. Only they can request this. Also, make sure the phone is not tied to their Apple ID. You cannot use the phone if they did not prepare it properly as described here. If they won't / can't unlock the cellular or untie it from the former owner's Apple ID, demand your money back if you paid for it as it will just be a paperweight without the Apple ID issue addressed and not be a phone without the cellular carrier issue addressed.

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Answer 4

AnnDoug1950 Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 31, 2015 9:23 PM in response to UGADog

No, there is no former owner, I am the original owner. I did not get the phone from someone else. I bought a 5S from T-Mobile a few months ago but it turns out I live in an area where they have no network coverage. So I had to go to another carrier, Verizon. And of course I had to buy a new phone from Verizon, as the T-Mobile iPhone was not compatible on their network. So I have an almost new iPhone 5S that I can't use as a replacement for the one that I lost. The guy at the Verizon store who told me to go to the Apple Store also said that T-Mobile would take several weeks to unlock it and that I should go to the Apple Store. Obviously this was all wrong information !

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Answer 5

Aug 31, 2015 9:26 PM in response to AnnDoug1950

Yeah, your best bet is to contact T-Mobile. Since he was wrong about Apple being able to unlock it, maybe he was wrong about it taking several weeks (one can only hope 🙂).

Cheers,

GB

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Answer 6

AnnDoug1950 Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 31, 2015 9:50 PM in response to AnnDoug1950

I didn't think the Apple Store could do anything either, but this kid at Verizon seemed pretty confident in his answer. I should've known.

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