Carriers have implemented network locks on mobile phones that they provide for a long time, and they show no sign of stopping this practice.
For most people, it’s not a huge deal, but there are lots of us who like to switch between carriers and get the best phone plans possible.
If you’re on Verizon and have a phone with a carrier lock, keep reading. We’ll walk you through what you need to know in order to unlock Verizon iPhone, and all the important details to keep in mind.
Part 1. Before Unlocking a Verizon iPhone – You Should Never Miss!
Now, we can move onto preparing you to unlock Verizon iPhone. There is an important thing you must do before getting on with the rest of the process.
1.1 Check with the New Carrier for iPhone Compatibility
To briefly touch on a carrier concept, there are two types of technology that carriers use for their network’s infrastructure. CDMA and GSM are the two types.
Verizon falls into the group of CDMA carriers whereas other carriers like AT&T is a GSM carrier. In some cases, a device that was originally on a CDMA network may not be compatible with a GSM network even after unlocking.
Modern devices typically don’t have this roadblock. Nonetheless, it’s worth checking if the carrier you plan on switching to will support your device after your Verizon iPhone unlock.
1.2 Available Carriers for iPhone Models
Here are the options for you to check if your specific iPhone model supports the carrier you plan to move to.
To save you some trouble, here’s a quick breakdown of the iPhone models for you:
- iPhone 12/11/Pro/Max, iPhone XS/Max: Compatible with Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
- iPhone XR: Compatible with Verizon (only LTE, not 3G), Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
- iPhone X: Compatible with Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile (except one LTE band).
- iPhone 8/8 Plus: Compatible with Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile (except one LTE band).
- iPhone 7/7 Plus: Compatible with Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile (except two LTE bands).
For most people, there will be absolutely no issues with moving to a new carrier.
In just a couple of situations, such as if the appropriate band isn’t available, your decision may be limited. But this is very rare.
The above we listed are just the top 4 carriers in the US, if you want to switch your Verizon iPhone to a different network or different country, just confirm with the carrier.
The next stage of the Verizon unlock iPhone process is to choose your preferred method. We’ve got 2 that you can choose from.
Part 2. How to Unlock Verizon iPhone Free (up to 7 Days)
2.1 Verizon Unlock Policy
What requirements are there for unlocking an iPhone from Verizon? This differs for each person depending on the type of plan you’re paying for.
- Postpay iPhone. iPhone is locked for the first 60 days of ownership. Once the 60 days are over, the unlock is automatically processed.
- Prepaid iPhone. Just like Postpay iPhones, Prepaid iPhones are locked for the initial 60 days. After this time is up, the lock is removed.
- Deployed Military Personnel. Regardless of how long you have had the iPhone, Verizon will remove the carrier lock for you. This includes within the initial 60 days of ownership.
Although we don’t feel as though this is the best solution, you can send an unlock request to Verizon’s customer service team.
The reason we prefer other solutions is that this can take up to 7 days to be processed, and sometimes even longer.
Some carriers go a step further and add an expensive unlock fee. Even so, follow these steps.
2.2 Steps to Unlock Verizon iPhone 13/12/11/X/8/
Step 1 – Call the Verizon support team on *611 and say the words “Carrier Unlock” after your problem is requested.
Step 2 – After you are connected to a support representative, explain that you want to unlock your iPhone from the Verizon network.
Step 3 – Provide the information that the representative requests. This will include details such as your email address, the iPhone model, and the device’s IMEI number.
Step 4 – Once they have begun processing your request, it will take up to 7 working days before you are emailed that the unlock was successful.
After the week is up and you’ve got the confirmation, you can replace the SIM card with that from another carrier.
Part 3. Unlock Verizon iPhone Before 60 Days (within 24 hrs)
Moving on to our preferred solution, you can use a carrier unlocking service.
Here’s what it can do for you:
- Unlock your Verizon iPhone before 60 days
- Unlock your Verizon iPhone that is not paid off
- Permanently unlocks iPhones from Verizon
- Supports any iPhone model (including the most recent iPhone 12 models)
- Unlocking your iPhone with a service will not void your warranty
- If the unlock is unsuccessful then you will receive your payment back
- Easy unlock process, users just have to provide the device’s IMEI number (no software installation needed)
- Fast unlocking process in less than 24 hours
3.1 DirectUnlocks Verizon iPhone Unlock
There is a selection of unlocking services but our favorite is DirectUnlocks.
It is the best service available to users. If you want to take this route, simply follow the short step-by-step below.
How to Unlock Verizon iPhone 13/12/11/X/8/7/6
Step 1 – Go to DirectUnlocks Verizon iPhone Unlock page.
Step 2 – Enter your iPhone’s IMEI number which you can find by calling *#06#.
Step 3 – Verify all of your order details and submit.
After you’re done with this, within the next 24 hours you’ll have an unlocked iPhone like this:
Then you’ll be free to go to the network that you want.
3.2 UnlockBoot Verizon iPhone Unlock
Except DirectUnlocks, we also tested UnlockBoot Verizon iPhone unlock, it can also unlock a Verizon iPhone within 24 hours.
Differing from Directunlocks, the price of UnlockBoot is fixed while the price of DirectUnlocks varies according to the model of your iPhone.
So, just choose the cheaper one. And here is how you can use this Verizon iPhone unlock service:
How to Unlock Verizon iPhone 13/12/11/X/8/7/
Step 1 – Visit UnlockBoot Verizon iPhone Unlock page.
Step 2 – Enter your IMEI number and click on “Unlock Now”
Step 3 – Proceed to checkout and then wait until they get your Verizon iPhone unlocked.
That’s it!
Part 4. FAQs About Verizon iPhone Unlock
There are often individuals who don’t have a complete understanding of what carrier locks do, so here are some FAQs to improve your own understanding.
4.1 Why is my Verizon iPhone locked?
Verizon locks your newly purchased iPhone to work exclusively on their network in a purpose of preventing theft and other fraudulent activities.
And they have separate iPhone unlocking policies for postpay, prepaid iPhones, as well as deployed military person.
4.2 Can you unlock a Verizon iPhone? How do I get it unlocked?
Yes, you can unlock it by contacting Verizon support within 7 business days. It’s free but you must make sure that you’re the original owner of this iPhone and can offer the Verizon account associated with it.
If you’re not eligible to unlcok via Verizon support, then a Verizon iPhone unlocking service will help you unlock it within 24 hours.
4.3 Can you unlock a Verizon phone before 60 days?
Unless your iPhone is in Deployed Military Personnel plan, you can’t unlock it before 60 days by contacting Verizon support.
Luckily, an unlocking service can help you without the time limits.
4.4 Why should I unlock my Verizon iPhone?
The most common question we receive is “why should I go through the hassle of unlocking my iPhone?”, and there are 4 key reasons for doing so:
- You’ll be able to connect your iPhone to any carrier
- You can choose any phone plan you like, not just from a single carrier
- You can make changes to your iPhone that a carrier lock usually prohibits
- You can sell old iPhones for more money if they are unlocked
These should be reason enough to go ahead and unlock Verizon iPhone.
4.5 Are Verizon iPhones unlocked?
No. The Verizon iPhone comes with a carrier lock, you’ll have to use for a period of time (60 days) before it’s being automatically unlocked.
4.6 How do I know if my Verizon iPhone is unlocked?
Another question we get is how people can check if their iPhone is actually locked.
After all, you don’t want to go through the trouble of Verizon iPhone unlock only to discover it was already unlocked in the first place.
The process is really simple. Just take out your Verizon SIM card, insert a SIM card from a different carrier (e.g. Sprint or T-Mobile), and check if it works. If you’re able to send texts and make phone calls, the phone is already unlocked.
Except that, you can also check if iPhone is locked without SIM card by using a reliable iPhone IMEI Carrier Checker. You will also know the Blacklist status of your iPhone after checking, this is very important because a Blacklisted iPhone is very difficult to unlock.
4.7 How to unlock a blacklist Verizon iPhone?
As mentioned before, it’s not easy to unlock a blacklisted iPhone.
You need to contact the owner who blacklisted this iPhone first to remove it from the blacklist. Then using one of the above methods to unlock it.
4.8 If i pay off my Verizon phone is it unlocked?
No! Differing from other carriers, Verizon won’t unlock your phone even if it’s paid off. But it will be automatically unlocked after 60 days.
You May Like: How to Unlock a Verizon Phone to Use on Another Network?
Conclusion
That wraps up our guide on how you can unlock Verizon iPhone. Now you should have all of your questions answered and have a better idea of what steps you should take if you intend on unlocking your iPhone from the carrier.
You can use the methods above to unlock any iPhone from virtually any network, not just Verizon.
More so, DirectUnlocks and UnlockBoot are capable of unlocking any iPhone from Verizon too, so be sure to check them out for the quickest and best results!
Thank you so much Darren! Your guide is easy to follow and has helped me unlock my phone successfully.