How to unlock a carrier-locked phone — by carrier, with the official rules
A locked phone is not broken and it is not a scam: Apple holds an activation policy for the IMEI that names the carrier the device may run on, and that policy has to be changed before another SIM will work. These guides explain, for each carrier, what the message on screen means, what the operator’s own policy says, how to get the unlock for free if you qualify — and what to do when you do not.
Start here
- Find out what you are dealing with. A “SIM Not Supported” message with a working SIM means the phone is carrier-locked. Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock confirms it, or a $0.03 IMEI check confirms it without the handset.
- Check whether the free route is open. Every carrier publishes eligibility rules, and every guide here links the official page. If you are the account holder and the device is paid off, the unlock is free — take it.
- Only then look at the paid route. A phone that is financed, second-hand, reported or attached to an account you cannot access will never be released by the carrier. That is the only situation where paying makes sense.
Guides by carrier
Xfinity MobileXfinity Mobile iPhone showing "SIM Not Supported"? Confirm the carrier lock by IMEI, check Xfinity's official…AT&TAT&T iPhone locked or showing "SIM Not Supported"? Check the IMEI, read AT&T's official unlock requirements…T-Mobile / MetroT-Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile iPhone locked? Check the IMEI, read T-Mobile's official unlock requirements, and see…VerizonVerizon iPhone still locked after 60 days? Read Verizon's official device unlocking policy, the January 2026…CricketCricket iPhone locked to AT&T's network? Read Cricket's official unlock requirements, check the IMEI, and see the…Spectrum MobileSpectrum Mobile iPhone locked? Read Spectrum's official unlock requirements, check the IMEI and eligibility, and…Canada (Rogers / Bell / Telus)Canadian iPhones must be unlocked free of charge under the CRTC Wireless Code. Here is how to request it from…UK (EE / O2 / Vodafone / Three)UK carriers must unlock phones free of charge. How to request an EE, O2, Vodafone or Three iPhone unlock, what the…Samsung unlock codesOrdered a Samsung NCK or MCK unlock code and it did not work? The seven things that actually go wrong — wrong…iPhone SIM errorsiPhone says "SIM Not Supported", "Invalid SIM" or "This SIM is not supported by your carrier"? Here is what each… Why the free route fails
Almost every “I cannot unlock my phone” case is one of five situations, and only the last two need money:
- The device is still financed. An active device payment plan makes the IMEI ineligible, and no escalation changes that.
- The account was closed with a balance. The carrier keeps the device locked and the record follows the IMEI, not the SIM.
- You are not the account holder. Buying a phone second-hand does not transfer the right to request an unlock.
- The IMEI is reported lost or stolen. No unlock restores service — a blacklist check tells you this for a few cents before you spend anything.
- You are the account holder, the device is paid off, and the carrier still says no. That is the case the paid tiers exist for: the policy is released from the supply side instead of the retail side.
What does not work, in any country
- “Free unlock code” sites. iPhones have no unlock code. Anything asking you to dial a sequence or install a profile is useless at best.
- R-SIM / gevey interposers. They spoof the SIM identity; the next iOS update breaks them and eSIM stays blocked.
- Jailbreak “unlock” tools. They cannot change an activation policy.
- Restoring the phone. A restore re-reads the same policy from Apple.
Before you pay anyone
Three cheap checks answer almost every “can this be unlocked” question: the lock state, the carrier that owns the IMEI, and whether the device is reported. Together they cost about ten cents.
Frequently asked questions
Is a locked phone broken?
No. The phone works; Apple's activation service has a policy attached to the IMEI that names the carrier it may activate on. The unlock changes that policy.
Why does the message say "SIM Not Supported" instead of "locked"?
Because iOS reports the carrier's rejection, not its own diagnosis. The same lock produces "SIM Not Supported", "Invalid SIM" or a carrier-lock line in Settings depending on the iOS version and the carrier.
Can I unlock a phone I bought second-hand?
Not through the carrier: the free request is limited to the account holder. The IMEI can still be released, which is what the carrier guides on this page cover.
Will an unlock be lost on the next iOS update?
No. Server-side unlocks live against the IMEI at Apple and are re-applied at every activation. R-SIMs, profiles and "unlock apps" are lost on update — that is the difference.
How do I know which carrier the phone is locked to?
Run a carrier check by IMEI. The seller's word is the least reliable source: a "T-Mobile" phone is often locked to Metro, and an "AT&T" phone to Cricket.
Last checked 2026-10-28.
