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Everything You Need to Know About Unlocked iPhones

By Sam Costello Sam Costello Writer Ithaca College Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 29, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

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Expand Jump to a Section What Is an Unlocked iPhone Advantages of an Unlocked Phone Where to Buy an Unlocked iPhone Can I Unlock My iPhone? Step-by-Step: Check If Your iPhone Is Unlocked Does It Include a SIM Card? Can It Be Used With Any Company? Can I Use It With More Than One Carrier? Do I Need an Unlocked Phone With Dual SIM? Are Unlocked Phones Also Jailbroken For many years, all iPhones were sold with a software SIM lock that tied the phone to the phone company that you bought it from. Not anymore. These days, you can buy an unlocked iPhone that you can use with whatever phone company you prefer. You can now buy an unlocked iPhone because customers now pay full price for their phones, rather than getting discounts from phone companies in exchange for multi-year contracts. An unlocked iPhone is more flexible, but it's not right for everyone. Here are the answers to the most common questions about unlocked iPhones.

What Is an Unlocked iPhone

An unlocked iPhone is a phone that isn't tied to any one phone company. This means that you can use it on any compatible cellphone network as long as you have a service plan with that phone company. It also means that you're not tied to a multi-year contract with the phone company and that you're free to switch to another company whenever you want. The one important thing to be aware of is how you bought the phone. If you bought the phone in monthly installments from your phone company, you won't be able to switch to a new company until you've paid all of the monthly installments.

What Is the Advantage to Having an Unlocked Phone

The biggest advantage of having an unlocked iPhone is flexibility. As mentioned in the last section, you can switch an unlocked iPhone to another phone company whenever there are better rates or promotions. Unlocked phones are also useful when traveling overseas since you can get a short-term phone plan from a local phone company instead of using your primary phone company's (potentially expensive) international plans.

Where Do I Buy an Unlocked iPhone

The simplest way to buy an unlocked iPhone is to buy directly from Apple. In addition to selling new iPhones tied to specific phone companies, Apple also sells phones that are unlocked by default. Apple used to charge extra for unlocked phones, but now they're the same price as any other phone. While phone companies may sell unlocked phones, be careful not to buy an unlocked phone on a monthly installment plan. If you do that, you'll be stuck with that phone company until you've paid off the phone and won't have the freedom that an unlocked phone normally brings. If you prefer to buy an iPhone in installments, check out Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program instead. All phones sold through that program are unlocked and you can switch phone companies even if you haven't paid them off.

Can I Unlock My Existing iPhone

Yes. It's possible to unlock most iPhones, even if they were not unlocked when you bought them originally. Assuming you're not under contract with a phone company, and that you've paid off all installments on your phone, you should be eligible to unlock. Your phone company can perform the unlocking for you. To learn all about this process, here's how to unlock the iPhone on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.

How to Check If Your iPhone Is Unlocked

There are a number of ways to check if your iPhone is unlocked, such as websites (these often feel a little shady, so we usually recommend against them) or putting a SIM card from another phone company in your iPhone and seeing if you can make a call. Maybe the easiest way, though, is to follow these steps: Tap Settings. Tap General. Tap About. Find the Carrier Lock section. If it reads No SIM restrictions, then your iPhone is unlocked.

Does the Unlocked iPhone Include a SIM Card

No. If you buy an unlocked iPhone directly from Apple, it does not include a SIM card. But that's OK. When you sign up for service with a phone company, you'll get a SIM card from that company.

Can an Unlocked iPhone Be Used With Any Phone Company

Yes. All modern iPhones can work with any major cell phone companies, including the major U.S. carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. This is because they support both GSM phone networks (used by AT&T and T-Mobile) and CDMA (used by Sprint and Verizon). When you switch from one phone company to another, you may need to get a new SIM card for the new company, but otherwise, your phone will be the same.

Can I Use an Unlocked iPhone With More Than One Carrier at the Same Time

Yes. To do this, you need to have active service and an active SIM card from the two phone companies. Then, when you want to switch the company (and phone number assigned to the phone) that you use, just swap the SIM cards in the phone. Some recent iPhone models actually support the use of two SIM cards at the same time. One of these SIMs is physical, the other virtual.

With the Dual SIM on the iPhone XS XR 11 12 Do I Need an Unlocked Phone

Good question! The iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, as well as the iPhone 11 and 12, support the use of two SIM cards in one phone at the same time. The first SIM is a physical card, while the second is a software-based eSIM. Because there are two SIMs, you don't necessarily need an unlocked phone. You could have the primary SIM tied to a specific phone company and use the second only for short-term situations like overseas travel. On the other hand, you may prefer to keep both SIMs unlocked for maximum flexibility. It really depends on how you want to use your phone. Some people prefer unlocked phones on principle. For others, the flexibility of the dual SIM configuration may be enough.

Are Unlocked Phones Also Jailbroken

No. While jailbreaking and unlocking are often discussed in the same breath, they're not the same thing. The unlocked iPhones sold by Apple are not jailbroken. So, while unlocked iPhones let you use whatever phone company you choose, you're still required to use the App Store and other official Apple systems for software. To learn more about jailbreaking and what it offers, check out the definition of jailbreaking on the iPhone. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire What to Consider Before You Buy an Unlocked Smartphone How to Unlock a Phone From Any Carrier How to Check if an iPhone Is Unlocked How to Switch Phone Carriers Everything You Need to Know About iPhone SIM Cards How to Fix It When Mobile Data Is Not Working 8 Solutions for When Your iPhone Says No SIM How to Change Your Phone Number on Android What You Need to Know About the True Cost of an iPhone The 7 Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans of 2022 What Is An Unlocked Phone? All About the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program What Phone Company Is Best for the iPhone? What Does It Cost to Switch Your iPhone to Verizon? Using Your Smartphone When Traveling to Another Country Do Unlimited Data Plans Include iPhone Personal Hotspot? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies