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Unlocking iPhone from AT&T

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britneyfan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2010
443
0
Im going to be unlocking an out of contract iPhone to sell and I want to do it through the at&t store.

I heard that when it's unlocked you have to go to iTunes. If I do a complete erase all content from the phone, will the phone still be unlocked?

Thanks!
 
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0m3ga

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2012
491
0
britneyfan said:
Im going to be unlocking an out of contract iPhone to sell and I want to do it through the at&t store.

I heard that when it's unlocked you have to go to iTunes. If I do a complete erase all content from the phone, will the phone still be unlocked?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Why bother going to the store? You can get your phone unlocked via chat online via att website or by calling customer service.

You will have to wait between a few hours to a day before the request goes from att to Apple and your phone is processed through their system. You will then be able to plug into itunes and get the lovely "unlocked" notice. I did 2 of my 3 iPhones this way, no problem. And once it is factory unlocked, you can dump all your content and restore to stock. Plug in any sim card from any country and it will work. I tested this with sim cards I had from Spain (movistar) and the UK (O2) and worked like a champ.
 
jeremiah256

jeremiah256

macrumors 65816
Aug 2, 2008
1,444
1,169
Southern California
0m3ga said:
Why bother going to the store? You can get your phone unlocked via chat online via att website or by calling customer service.

You will have to wait between a few hours to a day before the request goes from att to Apple and your phone is processed through their system. You will then be able to plug into itunes and get the lovely "unlocked" notice. I did 2 of my 3 iPhones this way, no problem. And once it is factory unlocked, you can dump all your content and restore to stock. Plug in any sim card from any country and it will work. I tested this with sim cards I had from Spain (movistar) and the UK (O2) and worked like a champ.
Click to expand...

I'm going to try it again but last month I ran into a problem where the AT&T chat tech gave me a thumbs up to unlock my iPhone original and iPhone 3G phones but 10 days later I got an email that I'd been rejected. Now that my iPhone 4 is also out of contract I'm hoping that doesn't happen again but if it does, I'll also be visiting the nearest AT&T store.
 
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britneyfan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2010
443
0
The lady on customer service let me unlock an iPhone I got today from Apple.

I said I got it for a new line in 2010. I think she thought I used it before but it went through and now I'm trying to set it up.

Will it still work right even though it's a new iPhone, and not 2 years out?

Do you think I'll be able to sell it without any problems?
 
TSKY74

TSKY74

macrumors regular
Apr 14, 2012
120
0
I went through online chat on Monday and got an email within 15 minutes after ending chat. Checked the IMEI and it was unlocked. Today (finally was able to go get a sim), just popped in a prepaid tmobile sim and kaboom, unlocked.
 
0

0m3ga

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2012
491
0
britneyfan said:
The lady on customer service let me unlock an iPhone I got today from Apple.

I said I got it for a new line in 2010. I think she thought I used it before but it went through and now I'm trying to set it up.

Will it still work right even though it's a new iPhone, and not 2 years out?

Do you think I'll be able to sell it without any problems?
Click to expand...

It makes no difference when you bought your phone. If it is not on contract and you are in good standing with att, it can be unlocked.

Do not sell the phone though if it is not actually unlocked and you are advertising it as such. Most people bring a microsim from another company like Sprint to verify.
 
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britneyfan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2010
443
0
0m3ga said:
It makes no difference when you bought your phone. If it is not on contract and you are in good standing with att, it can be unlocked.

Do not sell the phone though if it is not actually unlocked and you are advertising it as such. Most people bring a microsim from another company like Sprint to verify.
Click to expand...

I'm on the phone with AT&T now trying to see if they can verify.

They said that it's pending.
 
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britneyfan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2010
443
0
I have huggeeee problems now. FMLFMLFMLFML. THIS PHONE IS BRAND NEW AND IDK IF I CAN SELL IT AS NEW BECAUSE I HAD TO GO INTO ITUNES TO UNLOCK IT AND IT'S NOT WORKING.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
britneyfan said:
I have huggeeee problems now. FMLFMLFMLFML. THIS PHONE IS BRAND NEW AND IDK IF I CAN SELL IT AS NEW BECAUSE I HAD TO GO INTO ITUNES TO UNLOCK IT AND IT'S NOT WORKING.
Click to expand...

1. Relax
2. It's not always instant. If you didn't get the "congratulations your phone is unlocked" message after restoring in iTunes and you are sure that they said it would be unlocked over the phone you likely just have to wait a while. When ATT first started unlocking people were reporting a week of waiting before the unlock went through.

EDIT: Stole this from another user....
attachment.php
 
B

britneyfan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2010
443
0
lordofthereef said:
1. Relax
2. It's not always instant. If you didn't get the "congratulations your phone is unlocked" message after restoring in iTunes and you are sure that they said it would be unlocked over the phone you likely just have to wait a while. When ATT first started unlocking people were reporting a week of waiting before the unlock went through.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much.

I just feel in over my head. All my stuff is in it. You know? It's just a mess. I'll get it figured out.
 
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britneyfan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2010
443
0
lordofthereef said:
All your stuff? Hope you didn't sell an organ to afford a phone that you are trying to flip. :p
Click to expand...

$150.

I mean, it's good. I'm going to try to get this restored and get that message. Then I can find a way to get it completely wiped. How would I go about that?

----------

I did it i did it i did it hooray
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
britneyfan said:
$150.

I mean, it's good. I'm going to try to get this restored and get that message. Then I can find a way to get it completely wiped. How would I go about that?
Click to expand...

If it's a new phone, you shouldn't have to wipe anything. But anyway, just plug it into your computer, load iTunes, and click "restore". iTunes will download the latest firmware if you haven't done that already. It's that easy. :)
 
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