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AT&T iPhones 6s Paid In Full Come Unlocked

penajmz

penajmz

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 11, 2008
3,797
4,029
New York City
I just restored my 6s Plus and got the unlocked message. Thought we would need to wait at least 30 days for them to unlock them but they're already unlocked.

In case anybody had that question. :)
 
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I restored from backup but didn't notice the message. Did you have to go through the AT&T Device Unlock portal or do anything else, or did you just restore the phone?
 
penajmz said:
I just restored my 6s Plus and got the unlocked message. Thought we would need to wait at least 30 days for them to unlock them but they're already unlocked.

In case anybody had that question. :)
Click to expand...
Yes got same message too (Congratulation your phone is Unlock ).
Too bad they still won't unlock my 6plus
 
I bought in full from apple online (att). I restored from an iTunes backup successfully but do not recall seeing the unlocked message. Is it possible that I didn't notice? Excuse my ignorance, but is this message required to finalize the 'unlocking process' or something? Unfortunately I don't have a way to insert a different sim to check until I go overseas, which by then it might be too late... Is there another method to check if the phone is in fact unlocked?
 
tecnho said:
I bought in full from apple online (att). I restored from an iTunes backup successfully but do not recall seeing the unlocked message. Is it possible that I didn't notice? Excuse my ignorance, but is this message required to finalize the 'unlocking process' or something? Unfortunately I don't have a way to insert a different sim to check until I go overseas, which by then it might be too late... Is there another method to check if the phone is in fact unlocked?
Click to expand...
you need to (Restore iPhone...) Not (Restore Backup )
 
CVUSA said:
you need to (Restore iPhone...) Not (Restore Backup )
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Back to factory settings. So lastly, is this a required step? I mean, is it currently locked to att even though I paid in full?
 
I can assure you that if your iPhone was bought outright from Apple, it is unlocked. I purchased mine at full price for apple.com, just did the restore iPhone and got the message, " Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked." It is that simple, hit the restore tab that is right next to the update tab.
 

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Oh, I forgot to mention that you have to leave the SIM card in that came with the iPhone and follow the onscreen activation process.
 
From Best Buy, AT&T full-price phones are not unlocked. Had to make the request from AT&T and got approved within 60 seconds online. I'm sure, because it gave me a message about an unsupported SIM when I tried a UK SIM card. After the unlock, I was able to restore and get the unlocked message in iTunes. Restoring before the unlock had no such message.
 
finetings said:
I can assure you that if your iPhone was bought outright from Apple, it is unlocked. I purchased mine at full price for apple.com, just did the restore iPhone and got the message, " Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked." It is that simple, hit the restore tab that is right next to the update tab.
Click to expand...

Thanks. This is what I am trying to clear up- everyone keeps remarking about this "congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked" message, and my question is: do you need to see that message (is it a required step in unlocking) or is it already unlocked and people are just using that message as verification?
 
tecnho said:
Thanks. This is what I am trying to clear up- everyone keeps remarking about this "congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked" message, and my question is: do you need to see that message (is it a required step in unlocking) or is it already unlocked and people are just using that message as verification?
Click to expand...

It comes unlocked but that extra step of restoring the iPhone completes the process. Why the extra step I have no idea, but glad we could be of some help to you. Redmond pie has a walkthrough: http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-un...verizon-model-if-paid-in-full-at-apple-store/
 
I can remember when I used a 3rd party to unlock my 5s, I was instructed to restore the iPhone to complete the process and BAM, it was permanently unlocked.
 
finetings said:
I can assure you that if your iPhone was bought outright from Apple, it is unlocked. I purchased mine at full price for apple.com, just did the restore iPhone and got the message, " Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked." It is that simple, hit the restore tab that is right next to the update tab.
Click to expand...

Maybe someone can help me with my situation. I'm under a 2 year contract for an iPhone 6plus from 9-16-2014. I bought an ATT iPhone 6splus from Apple. I tried the unlock process on ATT website and got a response back in 60 seconds saying I can't unlock the phone until 9-16-2016 because I haven't fulfilled my contract? This seems silly to me as the old phone I could understand can't be unlocked till then, but a new one bought full price? Any help is appreciated!

I didn't do as others had suggested on here. Didn't see it until now. I switched sim cards when I got the new S model and restored from iCloud without any problems, but I would still like to get this phone unlocked.
 
armandxp said:
Maybe someone can help me with my situation. I'm under a 2 year contract for an iPhone 6plus from 9-16-2014. I bought an ATT iPhone 6splus from Apple. I tried the unlock process on ATT website and got a response back in 60 seconds saying I can't unlock the phone until 9-16-2016 because I haven't fulfilled my contract? This seems silly to me as the old phone I could understand can't be unlocked till then, but a new one bought full price? Any help is appreciated!

I didn't do as others had suggested on here. Didn't see it until now. I switched sim cards when I got the new S model and restored from iCloud without any problems, but I would still like to get this phone unlocked.
Click to expand...
I am same here got 6Plus AT&T from Apple on 9/27/14 still under Two -year commitment . But when AT&T 6sPlus came from Apple I didn't switched the sim card instead activated with the new sim card that came with 6sPlus then Restore the Phone.
 
tecnho said:
Thanks. This is what I am trying to clear up- everyone keeps remarking about this "congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked" message, and my question is: do you need to see that message (is it a required step in unlocking) or is it already unlocked and people are just using that message as verification?
Click to expand...
It comes up if you restore from iTunes but is not necessary if you buy a full priced phone from Apple (which includes the new upgrade program). Those phones are unlocked from the start.
 
KPOM said:
It comes up if you restore from iTunes but is not necessary if you buy a full priced phone from Apple (which includes the new upgrade program). Those phones are unlocked from the start.
Click to expand...

Perfect. This is what I was looking for. I have already set up the phone and restoring now would require a lengthy process of setting everything back up, however I would have definitely done it if necessary to assure it is unlocked. I bought the phone full price from Apple (ATT) and am looking to use it abroad. Considering I have a specific model (A1633 I presume), are there any specific networks that my unlocked phone will not be compatible with?
 
finetings said:
Oh, I forgot to mention that you have to leave the SIM card in that came with the iPhone and follow the onscreen activation process.
Click to expand...

I decided to not burn the new SIM and just move the old one from the 6+ to the 6s. I can use the SIM with I resell later.
 
tecnho said:
Thanks. This is what I am trying to clear up- everyone keeps remarking about this "congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked" message, and my question is: do you need to see that message (is it a required step in unlocking) or is it already unlocked and people are just using that message as verification?
Click to expand...

If you know for sure its carrier unlocked (by default for through a request), I dont see the need to do the restore. I am not wasting my time with that just to see the message
 
Good to know it's unlocked but does it work with CDMA? A quick way to check is if it reports the MEID in Settings - General - About. Also, if you put in the MEID in Verizon's BYOD page, is it recognized as a compatible device?
 
tecnho said:
Perfect. This is what I was looking for. I have already set up the phone and restoring now would require a lengthy process of setting everything back up, however I would have definitely done it if necessary to assure it is unlocked. I bought the phone full price from Apple (ATT) and am looking to use it abroad. Considering I have a specific model (A1633 I presume), are there any specific networks that my unlocked phone will not be compatible with?
Click to expand...

None that I am aware of. The AT&T model supports all the bands that the international models do, plus Band 30.
 
rui no onna said:
Good to know it's unlocked but does it work with CDMA? A quick way to check is if it reports the MEID in Settings - General - About. Also, if you put in the MEID in Verizon's BYOD page, is it recognized as a compatible device?
Click to expand...
It isn't recognized as a compatible device if you run Verizon's check, but if you already have an active Verizon SIM it will work in the AT&T iPhone 6S. I have tried it myself. Both the LTE and CDMA radios work.
 
armandxp said:
Maybe someone can help me with my situation. I'm under a 2 year contract for an iPhone 6plus from 9-16-2014. I bought an ATT iPhone 6splus from Apple. I tried the unlock process on ATT website and got a response back in 60 seconds saying I can't unlock the phone until 9-16-2016 because I haven't fulfilled my contract? This seems silly to me as the old phone I could understand can't be unlocked till then, but a new one bought full price? Any help is appreciated!

I didn't do as others had suggested on here. Didn't see it until now. I switched sim cards when I got the new S model and restored from iCloud without any problems, but I would still like to get this phone unlocked.
Click to expand...

If you paid full price from Apple then you don't need to request an unlock from AT&T. It's already unlocked. Doing a restore in iTunes is not required. People do the restore just to see the message for confirmation.
 
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