The cellular industry in the US made a radical shift in 2014 when the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act became law. Among other things, this consumer-friendly piece of legislation required carriers to unlock all eligible devices upon consumer request. Want to find out if your iPhone is unlocked? And how to unlock it if it is? Read on for the information on unlocking your iPhone on Verizon’s network in 2020.
Is my iPhone locked to my wireless carrier?
If you purchased a new iPhone in the past few years from Verizon, then we have some good news for you — your device is not locked to your carrier. Starting with the iPhone 5, Apple began shipping their phones with a universal GSM/CDMA/LTE cellular radio that supports all the US and most international carriers. At the same time, Verizon began shipping all their 4G phones in an unlocked state. To switch from Verizon to another provider, you just need to swap out the SIM cards and restart your phone for those changes to take effect. If you have an older Verizon iPhone or purchased your iPhone from another carrier, your device may be locked to your carrier, and you will need to contact them to unlock your phone.
If you are not sure, you can check if your phone is unlocked by contacting your carrier directly or by using a third-party service.
Read: How to check if your iPhone is Unlocked or Not
How do I Unlock Verizon iPhone?
The unlocking process varies from carrier to carrier and often requires you to meet some minimal eligibility criteria, such as having all your financial commitments for the phone and your service paid in full. The unlocking policies also are different for postpaid customers with a monthly bill and prepaid customers who pay as they go. One the thing to keep in mind — you will want to unlock your phone while your account is active as carriers are hesitant to unlock a phone for someone who does not have service with them. Below you will find links to each carrier’s unlocking policy and some general guidelines on unlocking your iPhone if it is locked.
Do I Need to Unlock Verizon iPhone?
Since the iPhone 5, Verizon iPhones have been sold unlocked, allowing you to move them to another carrier with no intervention. Older iPhones may be locked and may require you to contact Verizon if you want to use them on another carrier. Unlocking the phone is painless, just call Customer Service (800-711-8300) and ask for a SIM unlock. Verizon’s unlocking policy details are available here.
If you learn that you’re not eligible for an official carrier unlock or your iPhone is locked with another carrier not mentioned above, then you can opt for an IMEI unlock. It works just like the official carrier unlock, which means it’s permanent, works with all models and OS versions, persists even after a restore, and doesn’t require you a jailbreak or any other hacks.
There are a lot of IMEI unlock providers, but it’s best to go with trusted providers like Express Unlocks, as there are a lot of scammers out there. The price to unlock iPhone varies based on your carrier. They support all iPhone models such as iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.
Have you unlocked iPhone on your carrier? Or did your phone come unlocked? Please share your experiences in the comments.
Learn more about how to unlock iPhone on other carriers by following the appropriate link below:
Last updated: January 30, 2020
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