Purchasing an iPhone from a carrier is convenient, but it has its drawbacks. With the exception of Verizon which does not lock their 4G phones, most carriers, including Sprint, lock the phone to their network, forcing you to use your iPhone only on their network. If you want to switch, you have to meet certain minimum requirements and jump through hoops to get the carrier to unlock the phone. Though not as easy as Verizon, Sprint is fairly flexible when it comes to unlocking your iPhone. Read on to find out how to unlock your iPhone if it is currently tied to Sprint in 2020.

Do I Need to Unlock my Sprint iPhone?

Unlike Verizon, which has the most simple unlock policy (all phones are sold unlocked), Sprint has a confusing policy with different rules based on when you purchased your phone. If you purchased a new iPhone after February 2015, Sprint automatically unlocks your iPhone for domestic (within the US) use when it becomes eligible. You don’t have to contact customer service or make an unlock request; the unlock will be applied automatically. If you purchased your phone before February 2015, Sprint won’t unlock your phone automatically. Instead, the carrier will notify you when your phone is eligible to be unlocked, and you must initiate an unlock request.

Domestic and international unlocks are handled separately, so you need to make sure you complete both requests. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a phone that can be used internationally on any carrier but is still locked in the US.

How do I unlock my iPhone on Sprint?

Before Sprint will unlock your phone for domestic use, you have to meet several minimum criteria including:

• The device is Domestic SIM Unlock capable.
• The device must be or have been active on the Sprint network for a minimum of 50 days.
• Any associated Service Agreement, Installment Billing Agreement, or Lease Agreement has been fulfilled including payment in full of any applicable early termination fees or end-of-lease purchase options.
• The associated account is in good standing.
• The device has not been reported as lost or stolen, associated with fraudulent activity, or otherwise flagged as ineligible to be unlocked.

International unlocking requests have a similar see of rules which include the following terms:

• The device is capable of international SIM unlock.
• The person requesting the international SIM unlock is a current Sprint customer that can authenticate as the Account Holder or an Authorized Contact.
• The applicable device is currently active on a Sprint account and the applicable account has been active for at least 90 days.
• The account is in good standing.
• Each phone number on the account is allowed up to two unlocked devices within a 12 month period.
• The device has not been reported as lost or stolen, associated with fraudulent activity, or otherwise flagged as ineligible to be unlocked.

If you meet the criteria above, you can contact the Sprint Customer Care (1-888-211-4727) to request for the Domestic SIM Unlock and Sprint Worldwide Care (888-226-7212) for international unlocking. Sprint’s unlocking policy details are available here if you need additional information.

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.

My iPhone is unlocked now what?

Most carriers will walk you through the process of unlocking your phone, so no need to worry about those details. Once it is unlocked, you can use your iPhone on another carrier by following the instructions below:

1. Power off your iPhone.
2. Remove the existing SIM card from your phone.
3. Insert the new SIM card (from the different carrier) in the SIM card slot.
4. Restart the iPhone.
5. After the iPhone restarts, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.

Learn more about how to unlock iPhone on other carriers by following the appropriate link below:

• Unlock Verizon iPhone
• Unlock AT&T iPhone
• Unlock T-Mobile iPhone

Last updated: January 30, 2020

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