iPhone: About unlocking

Follow the instructions in this article to unlock your iPhone for use with different carriers.

Follow these instructions to initiate the unlocking process for your iPhone:

1. Check if your carrier offers unlocking. Only your carrier can unlock your iPhone.
2. Contact your carrier and request an unlock.
   • You may need to meet certain requirements to qualify for unlocking. After your carrier submits the unlocking request, it may take up to seven days.
3. Once you receive confirmation from your carrier that your iPhone unlock has been processed, proceed to the next section.

If you have a SIM card from a carrier that is different from your current carrier, and you've received confirmation from your current carrier that your iPhone is unlocked, follow these steps:

1. Eject your SIM card and insert the new SIM card.
2. Complete the setup process.

If you do not currently have another SIM card you can use, follow these steps to complete the process:

1. Back up your iPhone.
2. Erase your iPhone.
3. Complete the setup assistant and restore your backup.

Additional Information

If you experience issues or receive the following error message displayed in iTunes or on your device, follow the steps below:

"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."

1. Restore your iPhone.
2. Contact your carrier to verify that the unlock was applied in your carrier's system.