Sprint Automatic Domestic SIM Unlock WIKI

[eyoungren]

I am creating this new thread to continue to provide information regarding Sprint's unlock policy for the iPhone.

Previously, info located here described the situation as it was relevant from September 2013 to February 2015. The information in post #1 of that thread is still relevant (down to the marker line) but due to forum changes that post is no longer editable.

So this thread shall serve as the thread for current info and questions.

8-26-2017: It has come to my attention today that Sprint is no longer allowing international unlocks for devices still under contract (lease or otherwise). It is an internal policy change not yet reflected in the unlock policy.

The reasoning behind this seems to be that Sprint offers international options on your plan that preclude having to unlock your device.

Seems to me, to be a step back to Sprint's former draconian unlock procedures.

3-8-2017: It is possible to get a Sprint iPhone 5 unlocked. I have done it. One of the side effects I believe though is that the Sprint carrier bundle is hosed. That may be because I have an old SIM card meant to be paired with my Sprint device so not certain on that.

2-3-2016: Please note that Sprint's Unlock Policy has been updated today to add the following requirement: • The device must be or have been active on the Sprint network for a minimum of 50 days

So, this means that for those of you who pay full price for a Sprint device are screwed if you are trying to leave or flip the device.

Yay Sprint! One year in and you're locking 'em down again. Nice!

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Sprint/comments/4419o4/update_domestic_sim_unlock_dsu_policy/

12-17-2015: There is a new report that full unlocks for the iPhone 5 obtained via an international only unlock are reverting back to international only. If you fully unlocked your iPhone 5 by asking for an international unlock be aware that your iPhone 5 may be relocked back to Sprint.

6-12-2015: It has come to my attention that in order to receive a DSU on a Sprint iPhone that has never been activated it is first necessary to activate that phone on Sprint before a DSU can be applied.

 

[nicholasss]

Right on man.

 

[eyoungren]

Holy CRAP!!!!

My iPhone 6+ is UNLOCKED!



What to do now…I'm in a lease with Sprint!

 

[nicholasss]

Yes, that's how it works! Yay!! Awesome!

 

[Iphone6+]

Can someone help me activate my iphone 6+? I called Sprint, and was told to open a 2-year plan in order to activate the phone. Prepaid plan do not support iphone 6+!

 

[eyoungren]

No one can help you get the phone activated. Only Sprint can activate. Prepaid does not work with postpaid devices or BYOD.

You shouldn't have to enter into a contract or a lease or EasyPay however. Just pick an eligible (non prepaid) plan and have them activate the plan on it.

Alternatively, you could try Ting. Ting uses Sprint's network.

 

[msp3]

If anyone's wondering, you can now ask for the domestic unlock over chat. Phone support gives you a rep that still think "international unlock" is the best they can do and pushes a useless MSL on you half the time.

 

[capathy21]

Holy CRAP!!!!

My iPhone 6+ is UNLOCKED!

View attachment 561102 View attachment 561103

What to do now…I'm in a lease with Sprint!

How did you get them to unlock it while you are still on a lease? I would love to do this as I am also on a lease.

 

[eyoungren]

How did you get them to unlock it while you are still on a lease? I would love to do this as I am also on a lease.

I didn't. It came unlocked. Sprint didn't have what I wanted the day I came in so they ordered it.

My only guess is that Sprint had to order it direct from Apple and I got the SIM free model.

 

[capathy21]

I didn't. It came unlocked. Sprint didn't have what I wanted the day I came in so they ordered it.

My only guess is that Sprint had to order it direct from Apple and I got the SIM free model.

Ahh, so you got quite lucky lol. How did you discover it was already unlocked? Just stuck a T-Mobile sim in it and it worked?

 

[eyoungren]

Ahh, so you got quite lucky lol. How did you discover it was already unlocked? Just stuck a T-Mobile sim in it and it worked?

Yes. I was trying to get my iPhone 5 unlocked earlier this year, but did not have a SIM. I applied for the international unlock and restored (losing my jailbreak).

A very kind user here sent me a T-Mobile SIM and a couple of Straight talk SIMs. When I put the T-Mobile SIM in my iPhone 6+ it worked.

So, I'm guessing I have the SIM free model somehow.

 

[capathy21]

Yes. I was trying to get my iPhone 5 unlocked earlier this year, but did not have a SIM. I applied for the international unlock and restored (losing my jailbreak).

A very kind user here sent me a T-Mobile SIM and a couple of Straight talk SIMs. When I put the T-Mobile SIM in my iPhone 6+ it worked.

So, I'm guessing I have the SIM free model somehow.

That's awesome. Did the tmobile or strait talk SIM cards have to be active with a plan, or did it still show service just for having them? My curiosity is killing me. If I can go buy a strait talk SIM card for a few bucks just to test mine out I will. I just don't want to have to activate it just to see if mine is unlocked.

 

[eyoungren]

Well…I only tested the T-Mobile SIM. The user sent them to me some time in February. At the time I was told that the line that SIM was using was due to close and that there was little time/data left on it. So, it was mainly to test it out.

When I put it in though, my phone number changed and it said T-Mobile in the status bar. No issues. See post #3 above!

I guess the big tipoff to me should have been when I first got the phone. In Settings, it had the Carrier option. You don't get that option unless the phone is unlocked.

As far as your situation, take your phone to one of the carriers. It doesn't matter if you plan to go with them or not, but ask to borrow an active SIM to see if your phone is unlocked or not.

I know a user here did that with T-Mobile. Rep let him use a SIM just to test. If it's unlocked for one of the major carriers, it's unlocked for all. Whether your phone can handle the bands (LTE) Straight Talk uses is a different matter.

 

[smeg36]

So is there no way I could get a Sprint iPhone 6 unlocked if I'm not a Sprint customer? I'm wanting to buy the refurb model from Walmart http://www.walmart.com/ip/Apple-iPhone-6-16GB-Refurbished-Sprint-Locked/42104295, then get it unlocked to work on T-Mobile. It's $125 cheaper than getting the Verizon model would be, but I can't find a definite answer if I can get it unlocked or not.

 

[eyoungren]

As long as there is no financial committment that is owed or due you can call Sprint and ask for a DSU. You don't have to be a customer. Just as long as the phone is paid off.

But if you owe Walmart any money for the phone or you are in a contract or Sprint is owed money on the phone then it will not be unlocked.

Again, free and clear, no money owed on the phone to anyone and Sprint will unlock the phone.

 

[smeg36]

As long as there is no financial committment that is owed or due you can call Sprint and ask for a DSU. You don't have to be a customer. Just as long as the phone is paid off.

But if you owe Walmart any money for the phone or you are in a contract or Sprint is owed money on the phone then it will not be unlocked.

Again, free and clear, no money owed on the phone to anyone and Sprint will unlock the phone.

I'm not sure if these were ever activated on Sprint. It seems like if they were refurbs they should've been. The wiki says the phone has to have been activated on Sprint first at some point. I guess it couldn't hurt to try with Walmart's return policy.

 

[eyoungren]

Yeah, it does state that. I guess I was just assuming that you'd get it activated under Walmart first as a condition to the purchase (I don't know how Walmart works).

You can try calling Sprint, but yes, according to that in Post #1, it needs to have been activated first.

 

[bmwfreak]

Sprint 4s is now unlocked and working on Cricket (ATT) sim!

Thanks to the instructions on macrumors, I was able to request an International sim unlock on my GF's inactive Sprint iPhone 4s which resulted in domestic sim unlock. The request was made through International chat. They respond by stating it could take up to 10 days and you should receive an email once the unlock request is sent to Apple. Well, the first chat request went unanswered and we never received an email. Made the request a second time and BINGO! Received the email and restored the iphone from backup as instructed on apple's support page. Very happy to have a domestic unlocked Sprint 4s working on Cricket.

 

[eyoungren]

Sprint 4s is now unlocked and working on Cricket (ATT) sim!

Thanks to the instructions on macrumors, I was able to request an International sim unlock on my GF's inactive Sprint iPhone 4s which resulted in domestic sim unlock. The request was made through International chat. They respond by stating it could take up to 10 days and you should receive an email once the unlock request is sent to Apple. Well, the first chat request went unanswered and we never received an email. Made the request a second time and BINGO! Received the email and restored the iphone from backup as instructed on apple's support page. Very happy to have a domestic unlocked Sprint 4s working on Cricket.

Congratulations! Glad to see it worked for you.

Do keep in mind however, that should you ever want to return to Sprint your GF's 4s is now locked out. Not that it matters right now, but just something to keep in mind.

 

[msp3]

I have some updates, having had a 4s, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus in the past few months. So far, been able to get a DSU for all of them (when iPhone is inactive on account):

On the 4s, an "international unlock" turns into the 2303 - Multi-Mode Unlock, and on the 5c through 6 Plus asking for an unlock anywhere except the international department gets you the same result.

If the iPhone is not financially eligible (i.e. iPhone is currently on your account, Sprint is owed money, etc), the international department will still grant 2175 - US Sprint/MVNO CSIM US Blocked Policy for the 5c, 5s, 6, or 6 Plus which is an unlock for anywhere except the US. The international department refused to grant 2008 - US Sprint Multi-Mode, UMTS Unlocked Except US SIM (4s version of the international unlock) for an inactive 4s when not financially eligible, probably because 2303 - Multi-Mode Unlock is what is actually applied.

Additional data point: Requesting a DSU kicked the 4s, 5c, 5s off the Sprint whitelist, and required a clickIT ticket to be added back to the database (which also works for bringing your own iPhone to Sprint). The 6 and 6 Plus stayed in the Sprint database after the DSU, and could be activated without a clickIT ticket.

 

[bmwfreak]

Additional data point: Requesting a DSU kicked the 4s, 5c, 5s off the Sprint whitelist, and required a clickIT ticket to be added back to the database (which also works for bringing your own iPhone to Sprint). The 6 and 6 Plus stayed in the Sprint database after the DSU, and could be activated without a clickIT ticket.

Great info here. thanks.

If a clickIT ticket adds the 4s back to the database, will the 4s then work on Sprint and domestic GSM by inserting either the Sprint sim or GSM sim? Can the phone be active on Sprint but also be used on GSM by swapping sims? There was a sprint sim in the 4s, but not sure why.

 

[msp3]

Great info here. thanks.

If a clickIT ticket adds the 4s back to the database, will the 4s then work on Sprint and domestic GSM by inserting either the Sprint sim or GSM sim? Can the phone be active on Sprint but also be used on GSM by swapping sims? There was a sprint sim in the 4s, but not sure why.

Not sure about the 4s in particular, but that's the behavior of all of them 5c and up. The 4s doesn't have LTE, so that SIM card actually does nothing. The 4s will activate without a SIM inside.

 

[nicholasss]

Congratulations! Glad to see it worked for you.

Do keep in mind however, that should you ever want to return to Sprint your GF's 4s is now locked out. Not that it matters right now, but just something to keep in mind.

So is this the case for all Sprint iPhones if they get unlocked? They are locked out of Sprint? Thanks

 

[eyoungren]

So is this the case for all Sprint iPhones if they get unlocked? They are locked out of Sprint? Thanks

No. It's just the 4s. And that's because it's an international unlock that through some process gets turned into a full unlock.

 

[spiff101]

Trying to get my secondhand 4s unlocked - the reps are all insisting on the previous owner's account number and PIN. It probably hasn't been used on Sprint for 2 years. Who would give out this information when selling their phone? Ridiculous. Sprint seems to be avoiding their obligations under the new agreement with this kind of behaviour.