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Will AT&T Re-Lock my iPhone 5?

jackwills

jackwills

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 13, 2012
219
9
New York, NY
While the news are going on recently saying that unlocking cell phones will be illegal in the US very soon, by the end of this week i guess?
I unlocked my iPhone 5 last month via eBay with Unlock_Fusion. I just checked their eBay site and seen all the att iPhone unlock services are gone... < http://www.ebay.com/sch/unlock_fusion/m.html > Or maybe because of they have their own website now.. < http://unlockfusion.com/ >
Now my concern is will or is it possible for AT&T to Re-Lock my iPhone? Will they Re-Lock all the unauthorized unlocked iPhones? After all this bs law passed...
Hope not!:eek:
 
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An iPhone that was unlocked, can be relocked to any carrier. All Apple has to do is remove that phone's ID from the unlocked database and the user will have to restore it in iTunes. However, Apple has never done this to date. But there have been a few accidental relocks done on AT&T iPhones when those iPhones were upgraded via iTunes.
 
Intell said:
An iPhone that was unlocked, can be relocked to any carrier. All Apple has to do is remove that phone's ID from the unlocked database and the user will have to restore it in iTunes. However, Apple has never done this to date. But there have been a few accidental relocks done on AT&T iPhones when those iPhones were upgraded via iTunes.
Click to expand...

Well, assuming this happens, then yes it is possible. But like Intell said, next to impossible (as nothing is impossible, just improbable).
 
I'm not so concerned about relocking as much as voiding AppleCare or AT&T blacklisting the phone--though I kinda doubt it and I've heard nothing of this happening.
 
The odds are really small that this will ever happen.
99.5% you will be unlocked for good.
Btw that website you mentioned is not unlock fusions. That's in imposter trying to use his good name.
Ask him youself on ebay. His site is called swift unlocks.
 
Applejuiced said:
The odds are really small that this will ever happen.
99.5% you will be unlocked for good.
Btw that website you mentioned is not unlock fusions. That's in imposter trying to use his good name.
Ask him youself on ebay. His site is called swift unlocks.
Click to expand...

I found a bunch of Swift Unlocks when I Google it lol
So Unlock_fusion really did stopped all their services on unlocking att iPhones though.. for some reasons..hope its not because of the law
 
Applejuiced said:
It should be the 1st one listed on top. The one that charges $1.99 per AT&T iphone unlock.
Yes, ebay put an end to it on all unlocking services sold on their site.
Click to expand...

Still seeing some unlocking service on eBay. So we won't be seeing any of them again on eBay after this law passed? But we can still purchase unlock service on their own websites?
 
I'm scared AT&T is going to come to my house and take my iPhone...

Hey, it COULD happen right???

Stop making baseless assumptions about what could happen. So far the ONLY "re-locks" have been accidental and 1000% non-punitive. They COULD have re-locked a ton of phones (and COULD do so in the future...).

You COULD also get hit by lightning. Better stay inside for a while...

:rolleyes:
 
Applejuiced said:
...
Click to expand...

I was looking through old forums and saw this quip from you. :D I'm sure someone has quoted you on this little gem about iPhone unlocking, but here it is:

Sounds like a bunch of bs to me.
There's a whole process that has to be done from the carrier submited to Apple for official unlock. Some random dude on eBay to provide something pike that don't make sense.
Click to expand...
 
ibleedgolden said:
I was looking through old forums and saw this quip from you. :D I'm sure someone has quoted you on this little gem about iPhone unlocking, but here it is:
Click to expand...

Yes from many years ago where back then unlocks like that wasn't around at all.
What's the point of bringing it up?
I was pooping in diapers many years ago, want to talk about that too?:D
 
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Applejuiced said:
Yes from many years ago where back then unlocks like that wasn't around at all.
What's the point of bringing it up?
I was pooping in diapers many years ago, want to talk about that too?:D
Click to expand...

I really didn't mean anything by it. I just found it quote-worthy. Sorry.
 
I just hope and really hope that they don't make jail breaking illegal too as they second step.
That will be the end of it I guess.
 
Intell said:
An iPhone that was unlocked, can be relocked to any carrier. All Apple has to do is remove that phone's ID from the unlocked database and the user will have to restore it in iTunes. However, Apple has never done this to date. But there have been a few accidental relocks done on AT&T iPhones when those iPhones were upgraded via iTunes.
Click to expand...

Is it Apple that maintains this list of unlocked IMEI's or AT&T? I know if you take your phone into Apple and ask them to check--they can see your iPhone is unlocked. However, one contacts AT&T to unlock your iPhone when the contract is up.
 
barkomatic said:
Is it Apple that maintains this list of unlocked IMEI's or AT&T? I know if you take your phone into Apple and ask them to check--they can see your iPhone is unlocked. However, one contacts AT&T to unlock your iPhone when the contract is up.
Click to expand...

And AT&T sends the request to Apple. Notice that the unlocking is done through ITunes, which is Apple.
 
saud0488 said:
And AT&T sends the request to Apple. Notice that the unlocking is done through ITunes, which is Apple.
Click to expand...

So, if one does it legitimately, AT&T records the unlock request on their end and passes it to Apple who facilitates the actual unlocking through iTunes.

So, the likelihood of whether an unlock is permanent might depend upon whether its an employee at AT&T who is facilitating this process or someone at Apple. If its the latter, and someone at Apple is only adding the IMEI to their list, then potentially this could be easily discovered at some point and the un-lock reversed. If its an AT&T employee facilitating the process, then both *sides* are complete and I would imagine it could be harder to uncover it. Considering the speed at which the unlocks occur, I'm guessing its an Apple employee doing this.

I'm speculating of course, but it would be interesting if someone involved in the process could explain how it works.
 
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