When you buy an iPhone, it’ll typically be locked to a mobile network. This means it’ll only work with SIM cards from that network (for example an iPhone locked to O2 will only accept O2 SIM cards).
As most iPhones are sold locked, you’ll need to unlock it first before using it on a different network. In this article, we discuss the iPhone unlocking procedures for all of the UK’s major networks. You’ll need to follow them before you can switch to a SIM-only tariff or using a different SIM card when abroad. You are only exempt from these procedures if you purchased your iPhone directly without an airtime contract. In this case, your handset would have been described as “SIM Free” when you purchased it.
Why would I want to unlock my iPhone?
Unlocking your iPhone gives several benefits:
- You can save about £250/year by switching to a SIM-only contract. You can often cut your mobile bill hugely by unlocking your handset and switching to a SIM-only deal. For example, switch to Three’s £12.90/month SIM Only deal which comes with 600 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB internet. Assuming that you’re currently paying around £35/month on your standard iPhone tariff, Three’s dealwould
save you a massive £265 per year. The 1GB inclusive download allowance
is also twice as much as offered on most standard iPhone tariffs
(500MB). Remember to pick the right version of the tariff:
- iPhone 3G S: SIM Card version
- iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S: Micro-SIM version
- You can use a local SIM card when travelling abroad. When using your UK SIM card internationally (roaming), you could sometimes be paying up to £1.50/minute for phone calls, 50p per text message and £6/MB for internet for using your iPhone abroad. Costs tend to be lower within the EU but data usage still tends to be very expensive. There are several ways to cut your roaming bill but the cheapest option is to buy a SIM card locally in your country of travel. This will allow you to use the full feature set of your iPhone, including internet access, e-mail and instant messaging without having to worry about your roaming bill. You’ll need to unlock your iPhone first to use a different SIM card when abroad.
- You can pass on your old iPhone to a family member, friend or colleague. If you’re upgrading to a newer smartphone (the iPhone 5 for example), you should unlock your old iPhone first before passing it on to friends or family members. This will allow them to use it on the network of their choice and they’ll also benefit from the wide variety of low-cost SIM only deals that are available.
Yes, it is perfectly legal to unlock a phone.
Unlocking your iPhone can open up a world of cheaper tariffs at home and abroad.
Mobile networks will often “lock” your mobile phone
because they subsidise them. Because the iPhone is offered on at a
reduced price on a contract (it is subsidised by the network), they
don’t want you to take their subsidised phone and to use it immediately
on a different network.Once you’ve owned your iPhone for a certain amount of time (usually 30 days or 3 months), you can ask your network to unlock your it so that it can be used on other networks. Although your network is under no obligation to unlock your iPhone, all UK mobile networks will happily unlock it providing you pay an small unlocking fee (usually no more than £20).
In this guide, I only discuss the official methods of unlocking your iPhone. You may find other unofficial methods of unlocking an iPhone on the internet. These methods might offer to unlock your iPhone by offering you a code or software. There is no guarantee that these methods will work: some of them are scams that take your money and fail to unlock your phone whereas others could render your phone unusable. Some methods will successfully unlock your phone by “jailbreaking” but the unlock is only temporary – Apple regularly update the software on the iPhone and fix these loopholes that allow it to be jailbroken. Updating the software on your phone will return it to the locked state. At the very least, your warranty would be invalidated by unlocking your iPhone in an unauthorised manner. Please do your research very carefully and make sure you understand what you’re doing if you choose to unlock your phone another way.
Which handsets can I unlock using the methods described on this page?
The methods of unlocking your iPhone that are described on this page should work with any iPhone device purchased in the UK. This includes the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4, iPhone 3G S, iPhone 3G and original iPhone. It should also work for unlocking the iPhone 5 (or new iPhone) once released. As these are officially sanctioned unlocking methods, they will work regardless of your model and your current version of iOS.
How much money could I save with an unlocked iPhone?
Providing you’re no longer locked into the minimum term of a contract, you can usually save around £240/year by unlocking your iPhone and switching to a SIM-only contract. The iPhone can be used on any SIM-only tariff with an inclusive data allowance.
The best deals are generally found on Three:
- £12.90/month for 600 minutes, 5000 texts, 1GB internet
Available for iPhone 3G S and iPhone 4/iPhone 4S (12 month contract) - £6.90/month for 200 minutes, 5000 texts, 500MB internet
Available for either iPhone 3G S or iPhone 4/iPhone 4S (12 month contract) - £25/month for 2000 minutes, 5000 Three-to-Three minutes, 5000 texts, all-you-can-eat data and free tethering
Free mobile broadband service included when you use the iPhone’s tethering functionality (requires iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 with iOS 4.3 or later).
Available for either iPhone 3G S or iPhone 4/iPhone 4S (1 month rolling contract)
You can unlock savings of around £180/year by switching to a SIM-only tariff.
When selecting a SIM-only tariff, make sure you choose a tariff with an inclusive data allowance. iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S users will also need to make sure they receive a micro-SIM card rather than a standard sized SIM card.
If you’re changing network, you can keep your existing phone number by requesting a PAC Code. Switching network is easy and transferring your number takes no more than 24 hours.
How do I find the IMEI number on my iPhone?
During the unlocking process, your mobile operator will ask for the IMEI number of your iPhone. The IMEI is a serial number which is unique to every mobile device. You’ll need to provide the IMEI so that your mobile operator can unlock the correct device.
There are three ways of finding the IMEI number of your iPhone:
- Go to your iPhone dialler keypad and enter *#06# (star hash zero six hash). Your iPhone’s IMEI number should appear on the screen.
- In the iPhone menu, go to Settings > General > About. The IMEI number should be listed on the screen.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes. On the iPhone information page, click on your phone number. This will cycle through several pieces of information about your iPhone of which the IMEI number is one.
How do I unlock an iPhone from O2?
Pay
Monthly: Your iPhone can be unlocked free of charge at any time but
you’ll still have to honour the minimum term of your contract (you
aren’t able to cancel your contract early).Pay As You Go: It costs £15 to unlock your iPhone. This comes from your Pay As You Go balance so you should top-up by £15 or more prior to requesting an unlock. If you unlock your iPhone within the first 12 months of ownership, you’ll lose the free Web & Wifi bolt-on that O2 gives you.
It takes up to 14 days to unlock an iPhone from O2. For more details and to begin the unlock process, see the O2 website.
How do I unlock an iPhone from Orange?
Orange
will unlock your iPhone for a fee of £20 providing you’ve had it for at
least 3 months. The unlocking process takes between 7-10 days to
complete. According to Orange:Many readers have experienced difficulties in unlocking an iPhone from Orange (see comments below) although there are some success stories too. Please do share your experiences in the comments below too!If it’s a pay monthly phone you’ll need to call 150 free from your handset, or 07973 100 150 from a landline (call charges may vary).If it’s a pay as you go phone you’ll need to call 450 from your handset, or 07973 100 450 from a landline (call charges may vary).
How do I unlock an iPhone from Three?
It is possible to unlock your iPhone from Three once you’ve had it
for a month and you’ve paid your first bill. It costs £15.32 to unlock
your iPhone if you do it within the first 12 months of your contract.
You can contact Three customer services on 333 from your handset (or
0843 373 3333 from a landline) to request the unlocking of your iPhone.If you’ve had any experiences unlocking an iPhone from Three (successful or not!), please drop us a comment below and share your experiences!
How do I unlock an iPhone from T-Mobile?
According to the T-Mobile forum moderator, T-Mobile charge £15.32
to unlock your iPhone. You must have held your iPhone for at least 30
days on Pay Monthly or 90 days on Pay As You Go. You should contact
T-Mobile customer services by dialling 150 from your T-Mobile phone.If you’ve managed to unlock an iPhone from T-Mobile, please drop us a comment below and share your experiences!
How do I unlock an iPhone from Vodafone?
Vodafone
will unlock your iPhone for a fee of £15.32 on Pay Monthly or £19.99 on
Pay As You Go. For Pay As You Go customers, the £19.99 charge is taken
from your Pay As You Go credit so you should top up by at least £20
prior to unlocking your iPhone. It should take no more than 72 hours to
unlock your iPhone. Requests should be made through Vodafone’s online form.I’ve made a request to unlock my iPhone. What’s next?
Once you’ve informed your mobile network that you want to unlock your iPhone and you’ve made the necessary payments, your mobile network needs to inform Apple. Apple maintains a central list of unlocked iPhone devices and it can take up to 14 days for your iPhone to be added to this list. Once your device is on the list, you’ll need to connect it to iTunes to complete the unlocking process. A message should pop-up in iTunes to let you know that your device has been unlocked.
How can I check to see whether my iPhone has been unlocked?
The easiest way to test whether your iPhone has been successfully unlocked is to insert a SIM card from a different network. All of the UK’s major mobile networks offer free Pay As You Go SIM cards.
If you’ve unlocked your iPhone through the methods discussed on this page, you will see a “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked.” message in iTunes once your unlocking request has been processed.
What about stores which offer to unlock your iPhone?
Some newsagents and shops may offer to unlock your iPhone. They will usually do this by “jailbreaking” your device. This is not the recommended method of unlocking as it isn’t a permanent unlock: you’ll need to jailbreak the phone each time that Apple releases a new software update. It will also invalidate your warranty.
The only official way to unlock your iPhone is through your mobile network operator and the methods listed on this page. We strongly recommend paying the small fee to unlock your iPhone officially and legitimately.
Where can I get the new iPhone 5?If you’re looking to upgrade to the new iPhone 5, check out our iPhone 5 price comparison page for a full list of iPhone 5 tariffs and for a calculator to find the cheapest tariff for you.
We typically recommend Three’s The One Plan as the best value deal for the iPhone 5. It costs £36/month plus £79 upfront for a brand new iPhone 5 with 2000 minutes, 5000 Three-to-Three minutes, 5000 texts, all-you-can-eat internet and free tethering. The inclusion of tethering allows you to get your other devices online free of charge including an iPad, a tablet or a laptop. See our full review of The One Plan or find out more on Three’s website.
For a cheaper deal, Ultimate Internet 500 is also available with 500 minutes, 5000 texts and all-you-can-eat data for £34/month plus £79 upfront.
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