T Mobile Phone
Unlocking iPhones tied to T-Mobile can be easy but lengthy due to processes. Pictured: A T-Mobile connected iPhone 5 is shown on display after John Legere, CEO and President of T-Mobile USA made an announcement during an event about new contract pricing on March 26, 2013 in New York City. Legere confirmed that T-Mobile will start carrying the iPhone 5 starting April 12, under it's new no-contract plan called The Simple Choice, with the customers paying $99 down, then $20 a month for 24 months, on top of the monthly service plan. Getty Images/John Moore

Similar to other carriers, T-Mobile’s iPhone units cannot be simply replaced with a new SIM card and work right away. Users would have to unlock it through a process. But no worries, here are some tips to help you unlock a T-Mobile-locked iPhone.

Unlocking a T-Mobile-locked iPhone is a simple yet lengthy process where users could get lost on what to do next. Before you can approach your nearest T-Mobile store, you’ll have to make sure that your device is eligible for the unlocking feature. The eligibility criteria is as follows:

  • The device is a registered T-Mobile device.
  • The device is not stolen, blocked or reported as lost to T-Mobile.
  • No more than two unlock requests per line of service in a span of 12 months.
  • The account linked to the device is in good standing and not deactivated
  • The device must have cleared all of its Postpaid or Prepaid unlocking terms. The terms are unique depending of the Postpaid or Prepaid plan and available on the official T-Mobile site.
  • Proof of purchase or additional information will also be asked by T-Mobile if needed.

Once all of these are cleared, you can refer to T-Mobile Device Unlock app or contacting the customer service hotline (1-877-746-0909) for the unlocking. When the carrier sends you their approval, follow the instructions they give you and you’ll be done with unlocking your smartphone.

Lastly, you can place any SIM card you want in your newly unlocked phone. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, here’s how to do it:

  • Power off the iPhone
  • Remove the existing SIM card from your phone. May involve opening up your device and putting it together to do this.
  • Replace the old one with a new SIM card, preferably from a different provider, in the SIM card slot.
  • Restart the device
  • Once it boots up, just follow the instructions that the phone asks of you and you’re done.

If you’ve completely done all of this, you can bring your phone overseas and switch to the local SIM cards available there. However, this is only possible depending on how binding the new provider would be for your phone.

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