iPhone Unlocking Made Easy
How to unlock any iPhone, including older iPhones like the iPhone 7 or 8, or newer phones like the iPhone 11 or the brand new iPhone 15.
Our free guide on how to unlock iPhone, from any network, permanently. No need to jailbreak your iPhone or any other hack — just an easy, permanent way to unlock your iPhone from the comfort of your own home in Kent.
Why unlock iPhone?
There are a lot of reasons to unlock an iPhone. Maybe a friend or family member has upgraded to a new iPhone 12 and passed you their old iPhone. Maybe you have bought one second-hand or maybe you just want to change phone networks. It is possible to switch to a cheaper SIM-only tariff, which can save you a lot of money (around £200 per year) compared to a standard iPhone contract, but to get the most benefit you will have to have an unlocked iPhone.
In this article, we outline how to unlock iPhones from the UK’s major networks, and an alternative official method of unlocking iPhones if that isn’t an option or if your iPhone is from a non-UK network.
When you first get your iPhone.
When you first get your iPhone it will typically be "locked" to a mobile network, such as Vodafone or O2. This means it will only work with SIM cards from that network (e.g. an iPhone locked to O2 will only accept SIM cards from O2. It will not work with SIM cards from Vodafone).
Typically, when you want to unlock any other type of phone, you take it to a local phone shop and they unlock it for you. But unlocking an iPhone is different. The status of the lock is stored on Apple’s computers, so even if you pay a shop to unlock an iPhone, it’s only ever a temporary solution. At some stage, normally when a new iOS software update is released, Apple will lock the iPhone again to the network that it was originally on.
Stop Press:
It has now become even more pain-free to unlock iPhone because MobileUnlocks allows you to bypass the phone network and get your iPhone unlocked within 24–48 hours. It’s now even cheaper than before, too. This is great news if you are on EE, T-Mobile or even Vodafone. We have had feedback from customers saying that sometimes dealing directly with those networks can be "awful", with iPhone unlocks sometimes taking more than 30 days to happen if you go directly to the network. With MobileUnlocks you can permanently unlock iPhones from these networks quickly. They can also unlock newer iPhones before any of the networks offer the same service.
Most iPhones are locked to a phone network.
Most iPhones are sold locked to a phone network, so you’ll need to unlock them first before uyu can switch to a different network. In this free guide, we’ll discuss the iPhone unlocking procedures for all the UK’s major networks. You’ll need to follow them before you can swap to a SIM-only tariff or use a cheaper local SIM card when abroad.
Links to Unlocking iPhone Pages.
You should really read all this information, but I know some of you just want the juicy bits, so here are the links.
- MobileUnlocks — unlock any iPhone.
- Unlock iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max.
- Unlock iPhone 14 or 14 Pro.
- Unlock iPhone 13 or 13 Pro.
- Unlock iPhone 12 or 12 Pro.
- Unlock iPhone 11.
- Unlock iPhone XS / XS Max.
- Unlock iPhone X.
- Unlock iPhone 8 / 8 Plus.
- Unlock iPhone 7 / 7 Plus.
- Unlock iPhone 6s / 6s Plus.
- Unlock O2 iPhone.
- Unlock Vodafone UK iPhone.
- Unlock EE iPhone (Orange or T-Mobile).
- Unlock 3 Mobile iPhone.
- Remove iCloud Activation Lock.
Is it legal to unlock your iPhone?
Unlocking your iPhone in the UK is completely legal. While SIM lock laws vary among European countries, EU law was used to challenge a Belgian law that hindered phone unlocking. This means that you have the legal right to unlock your iPhone without any trouble.
Why are iPhones locked to specific networks?
Mobile phone companies lock iPhones to their network because they spread the cost of the phone over the contract period. Although they claim to subsidise the price of the iPhone, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have the right to use your iPhone on a different network once you’ve paid for it. However, some providers may charge an unlocking fee, which is a way to recoup the cost of the subsidy.
If you’ve owned your iPhone for a certain period (often as little as 30 days), you can request that your network unlock it. Most UK mobile networks will unlock it, but there are other options available if you prefer not to deal directly with your provider. For example, you can visit Mobile Unlocks, who offer iPhone unlocking services for any network.
What are the official methods to unlock an iPhone?
In this guide, we will only discuss the official and permanent ways to unlock an iPhone. Although you may find other unofficial methods of unlocking your iPhone on the internet, such as "jail-breaking", "Gevey Sims", "RSIM", "SAM", and "Ultrasn0w", we strongly advise against them. These methods might offer to unlock your iPhone by providing a code to type in or software to be installed onto your iPhone. However, there’s no guarantee that these methods work, and many of them are scams designed to take your money without unlocking your phone. Some methods may even render your phone unusable or temporarily unlock your iPhone through "jail-breaking", which is quickly fixed by Apple with software updates.
It’s important to note that unlocking your iPhone in an unauthorised way can void your warranty, so it’s essential to do thorough research before attempting to unlock your phone through any other method than the official ones.
Our guide will only provide you with reliable and official methods to unlock your iPhone, ensuring the safety and longevity of your device.
Which iPhones can I unlock?
The techniques for unlocking your iPhone mentioned on this page should work with any iPhone bought in the UK, including the iPhone 12, 13 or iPhone 14 range. These are official unlocking methods that will function regardless of your device model or current iOS version.
Do unlocked iPhones cost less?
Once your contract has ended, unlocking your iPhone and switching to a SIM-only contract can typically save you around £300 per year. However, it’s important to ensure that the SIM-only contract includes a data allowance, which is the amount of time you can spend online using your iPhone.
Know your IMEI.
Before you start the iPhone unlocking process, you will need the IMEI number of your iPhone. This is like a unique serial number for every mobile phone in the world.
Three ways to get your iPhone’s IMEI number:
- Go to your iPhone number dialling keypad and type *#06# (star-hash-zero-six-hash). The IMEI number will appear on your screen.
- In the iPhone menu, go to Settings >General >About. The IMEI number should be listed on the screen.
- Connect your iPhone to iTunes on a computer. On the information page, click on the phone number. This tells you several pieces of information about the iPhone, one of which is the IMEI number.
It’s probably best to write your IMEI number down, (it should be 15 digits long) and make sure you provide the correct IMEI number when unlocking your handset.
I’ve unlocked my iPhone. What’s next?
Once you’ve told your mobile network that you want to unlock your iPhone and made the necessary payments, they need 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 don’t need to do anything else. You can check if your iPhone has been unlocked just by putting a SIM card in from another network. If it has been unlocked you will get a signal from the new SIM.
How can I check if 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 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 message that says, "Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked", in iTunes. This happens as soon as your unlocking request has been processed.
More about Kent
Kent is a county in the South East England region, the closest county to continental Europe. It borders Essex across the entire estuary of the River Thames to the north; the French department of Pas-de-Calais across the Strait of Dover to the south-east; East Sussex to the south-west; Surrey to the west and Greater London to the north-west. The county town is Maidstone.
It is the fifth most populous county in England, the most populous non-metropolitan county and the most populous of the Home Counties, an area influenced by the capital such as commutes and transport connections to the capital. Twenty-eight per cent of the county forms part of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the North Downs and The High Weald.
Kent was one of the first British territories to be settled by Germanic tribes, most notably the Jutes, following the withdrawal of the Romans. Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, the oldest cathedral in England, has been the seat of the Archbishops of Canterbury since the conversion of England to Christianity that began in the 6th century with Saint Augustine. Rochester Cathedral in Medway is England's second-oldest cathedral. Located between London and the Strait of Dover, which separates England from mainland Europe, Kent has been the setting for both conflict and diplomacy, including the Battle of Britain in World War II and the Leeds Castle peace talks of 1978 and 2004.
England relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of its history; the Cinque Ports in the 10th–14th centuries and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance. France can be seen clearly in fine weather from Folkestone and the White Cliffs of Dover. Hills in the form of the North Downs and the Greensand Ridge span the length of the county and in the Vale of Holmesdale in between and to the south are most of the county's 26 castles.
The county has agriculture, haulage, logistics and tourism industries. As the land between the capital and the wider continent, it is a high-income county. Agriculture of the county is a notable sector: "The Garden of England" is a nickname for the county, which has multiple orchards and allotments. In north-west Kent, industries include aggregate building material extraction, printing and scientific research. Coal mining has also played its part in the county's industrial heritage.
What about shops in Kent that claim to unlock iPhones?
Some newsagents and phone shops in Kent may offer to unlock iPhones. The truth is that they just use a 3rd party to do it. No local shop in Kent can unlock an iPhone directly, because they would need a relationship with the mobile network and Apple to carry out the unlock. What they do is act as a middle-man. The best way to unlock an iPhone in Kent is to get your mobile network to do it, or if they won’t unlock the iPhone for some reason, then MobileUnlocks are the best option.
How to unlock iPhone for free?
Some mobile phone networks are offering to unlock an iPhone for free. Each will have their own terms & conditions; for example some will only unlock the iPhone for free if it is the original owner who is applying. You should contact your network provider for more information.