iPhone Unlock
Unlocking US MVNO and Latin American Carrier iPhones
Cricket, Xfinity Mobile, TracFone, Spectrum, Dish/Boost and Claro devices follow stricter policies than the big three — longer active periods, minimum top-ups and no remote release while financed. This guide maps each sub-carrier to the right service.
Last reviewed 2026-10-26
MVNO and regional carrier devices are the hardest to unlock through official channels: Cricket and TracFone typically demand six months of paid service, Xfinity Mobile requires the device to be paid off and active, and Claro devices across Latin America are tied to a financed plan.
That does not make them un-unlockable. It does mean the unlock path is different per sub-carrier, and picking the wrong one is the main reason orders fail.
Policy cheat sheet
- Cricket: six months of paid service on the line before the device is released; financed devices need the balance cleared first.
- Xfinity Mobile: device must be paid off and the line active; unlocks are processed in batches by Comcast.
- TracFone / Straight Talk / Net10: longer minimum-service requirement, and unlock codes depend on the original network (AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon-backed SIM).
- Spectrum Mobile: 60-day active policy, similar to the Comcast pattern.
- Claro and other LatAm carriers: financed plans are the norm, so most devices need a premium-tier unlock service.
What to send and what to expect
- 1Verify the carrier and the lock with an Apple SIM lock check.
- 2Choose the sub-carrier specific service — they are grouped per carrier in the catalog, not lumped into a single “US unlock” product.
- 3Submit the IMEI. Turnaround for these carriers is typically 1–3 business days because the requests are processed by the carrier’s own back office.
- 4If a service is marked “inactive” or the order fails, do not resubmit blindly — check the result code first; it usually names the carrier reason (financed, blacklist, wrong network).
Note
For devices that will not be released officially at any price, a network-level unbar / IMEI restore service may restore the line — it is a different product from a carrier unlock and does not change the SIM policy.Services used in this guide
These are the exact catalogue entries this guide refers to. Prices and turnaround are live.
Open the catalogueFrequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Is a Cricket unlock permanent?
A carrier unlock performed through the activation-policy path is permanent for that IMEI and survives resets and updates. An “unbar” service is not an unlock — it only affects the blacklist database.
Why is my TracFone unlock more expensive?
TracFone-family devices have the longest service requirements and the lowest carrier approval rate, so the products carry more risk and are priced accordingly.
Can Claro devices be unlocked without the original owner?
In most cases yes — IMEI-based services do not require account access. Financed devices with an active open contract are the main exception.
Related guides
US AT&T
AT&T iPhone Carrier Unlock by IMEI
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Canada / Mexico carriers
Canada & Mexico Carrier iPhone Unlock
Canadian and Mexican carriers sit outside the US unlock channels, with their own activation policies. This guide covers Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido, Koodo, Telcel, AT&T Mexico and Claro devices.
SIM lock status
Check iPhone SIM Lock Status by IMEI
A five-minute procedure to find out which carrier an iPhone is locked to, before you buy an unlock service — or before you buy the phone at all.