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Other ATT unlock
- Thread starter bruinsrme
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AZhappyjack
Suspended
If you asking if you can transfer that 'unlock' status to another device, the answer is now. iPhones are locked or unlocked based on the IMEI code assigned to an individual device and are not transferable.
Thanks for the reply.
ATT provides two methods to complete the unlock:
1. Put a sim from another carrier into the phone.
2. Keep the current att sim in, back up in iTunes and do a restore.
Option 1 is an option.
Option 2 not interested in
Just wondering if a new att sim would achieve the same as option 1
raqball
macrumors 68020
Thank you
So if I pop in a Verizon sim then wait say 30 minutes then put in my att sim back in it will be “unlocked”
raqball
macrumors 68020
It *should* unlock almost instantly.. If I remember correctly I had to enter a code into the dialer. The last time I did an AT&T unlock was over a year ago and that's exactly what I did with a Verizon SIM card.
raqball
macrumors 68020
Yeah the restore method is goofy but if you make a backup 1st then restore after the unlock it's painless for the most part.
noobinator
macrumors 604
Don't all those methods just confirm it's unlocked? It's my understanding that a switch is just flipped on the backend to make it unlocked. I don't think you have to do anything once Att/Apple say it's unlocked.
raqball
macrumors 68020
I don't think so and the reason I am saying that is the last time I did it I waited like a month before trying the process. When I eventually got around to doing it, it failed. I contacted AT&T and was told the unlock had expired and I needed to request another. When I got that one I did the process right away and it worked..
Givmeabrek
macrumors 68040
Exactly right. The above are just confirmations. The unlock is immediate and permanent. No need to do anything at all.
raqball
macrumors 68020
Not even close to being right.. Sorry but if the OP follows that advice he is going to be stuck submitting another request. AT&T unlocks have to be completed within a certain time. frame I believe. At least that's what happened to me a while back.
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AZhappyjack
Suspended
Not true. @Givmeabrek is correct.
You go to the ATT website to request the unlock. They email you with a confirmation email. You must confirm the request by clicking a link in that email WITHIN 24 HOURS... but once the unlock is approved, it is, as @Givmeabrek said, is immediate and permanent. The process of inserting a SIM from another provider or doing a restore is simply to confirm to you that the unlock is done.
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raqball
macrumors 68020
If you say so... As previously stated I had this exact same issue a year ago. My unlock did not work because I did not complete the process within the time frame. I had to request another unlock from AT&T...
My suggestion is the OP follow the process as detailed by AT&T and not someone on the Internet. I didn't follow their process and had to request another unlock, which turned into a minor mess and several calls to get it sorted as AT&T said a request had already been done and approved. They eventually got it sorted but it was not easily done on round 2.
noobinator
macrumors 604
I think ATT can't unlock iPhones. They just contact Apple and Apple does the unlock and permanently unlocks it. So I don't see it "expiring" because Apple did their thing already.
AZhappyjack
Suspended
I have unlocked every phone that I've ever purchased for myself and my family through/for ATT - over 20 phones ... I don't do the restore immediately, but later when I use SIM from another provider or if I have to restore a phone for whatever reason later, they always are unlocked.
raqball
macrumors 68020
Okie dokie... I didn't follow their process fast enough and the unlock did not work. I suppose the OP can do as he chooses but I'd suggest he follows AT&T instructions.
Edit to add: Come to think of it, my last unlock, where it expired, was an Android where I had to enter a code so maybe iPhones are different?
Edit to add: Come to think of it, my last unlock, where it expired, was an Android where I had to enter a code so maybe iPhones are different?
Freakonomics101
macrumors 68030
Correct. I've never done a restore after an unlock has been approved. It is just unlocked and you're good to go. No restore required.
noobinator
macrumors 604
Correct. iPhones can only be unlocked by Apple. Androids are often unlocked using a code of some sort provided by the carrier.
raqball
macrumors 68020
I looked through my email and found the previous unlock request(s) and it was for a Galaxy S7 and not an iPhone. Cool beans that iPhones unlock differently as getting my 2nd code from AT&T was quite the pain in the rear...
noobinator
macrumors 604
Yeah Apple likes to control everything so they can only do the unlock on their side. They just advise the carrier when it's done, who then advised you to do that whole process, which is just to make sure it's unlocked.
Time, the phone is set up exactly how I want it, I don’t want to have to mess with the sync of my 4 watches, affect any home automation and jeopardize the corporate vpn/email and profiles.
Freakonomics101
macrumors 68030
I have to agree. You have to pair everything up again, sign into all email accounts and reconnect all the Wi-Fi networks up. It adds up and takes time. And I've done all that a lot since I once thought doing a restore after every software update made a difference when it really didn't. My phone works just as well without doing so.