For many people, owning a Verizon iPhone means owning a top-of-the-line smartphone that uses a top-rated coverage network. With Verizon, you can be sure you’ll have access to 4G LTE and 5G networks at all times. This means you can make calls, send texts, and surf the web to your heart’s content. But these perks come at a price, which may make you reconsider your carrier options.
Once you unlock your Verizon iPhone, you can use it with other carriers. This article will outline the requirements you need to meet to unlock your Verizon iPhone, as well as the steps you need to take.
General Requirements to Unlock A Verizon iPhone
Unlocking a Verizon iPhone requires you to meet several requirements.
First, your device must be legitimate. This means that it should not have been reported as lost or stolen. In addition, it should not be associated with any illegal activity. Verizon does not unlock devices that have been stolen or used to conduct fraudulent activities.
Second, your account must be free of any financial obligations. If you have any outstanding payments, you must clear them before your iPhone can be unlocked. If you accepted a contract in exchange for a subsidized up-front cost, you will need to wait until your contract expires. This typically takes 24 months. Alternatively, if you purchased your phone on a payment plan, you will need to pay off the balance before your iPhone can be unlocked.
Finally, you may need to factory reset your phone before a new network can be recognized. If you do this, be sure to back up all of your iPhone’s content so that you do not lose any important data.
How I Request My iPhone To Be Unlocked From Verizon?
If you have recently acquired a Verizon iPhone and wish to unlock it, you are not required to wait an excessive amount of time to switch carriers. You may simply contact customer care to have it unlocked for you. To do this, you must dial *611, which will connect you with Verizon customer support.
Once you reach a customer service representative, you will be asked to provide various pieces of information, such as your login credentials and your iPhone’s IMEI number. This information is used to verify that you are the legitimate owner of the device.
This information must be verified before your iPhone can be unlocked. If everything checks out, you will receive a confirmation email or text within seven business days. After that, you will be able to use SIM cards from other carriers on your device.
Verizon iPhone Unlocking Policies
As you plan to unlock your Verizon iPhone, it is imperative that you are aware of the applicable unlocking policies. These include:
- Devices purchased directly from Verizon are typically locked for 60 days after purchase.
- Devices purchased from Verizon’s retail partners are typically locked for 60 days after activation. However, after the 60-day period has elapsed, Verizon typically removes the lock.
- Once the 60-day lock period has elapsed, Verizon does not lock its phones at any time thereafter.
The above policies generally apply to postpaid phones. However, if you have a prepaid phone, the following policies apply:
- Devices purchased directly from Verizon are typically locked for 60 days after activation. The same is true for devices purchased from Verizon’s retail partners. However, after the 60-day period has elapsed, the lock is automatically removed.
- Once the 60-day lock period has elapsed, the carrier does not lock its devices at any time thereafter.
- If you purchased a 4G Phone-in-a-Box from Verizon’s retail partners, you must check the back of the box to determine the applicable lock policy.
Steps for Unlock a Verizon iPhone
If you wanna unlock your Verizon iPhone, there are a few steps you need to take. Once you’ve completed this process, you’ll be free to use a different carrier’s services as long as they have a SIM card that’s compatible with your iPhone’s hardware. Here are the steps you need to follow to get started:
1. Check and see if your iPhone is already unlocked
It may come as a surprise to some, but Verizon does not carrier-lock all of their iPhones. Therefore, it is first advisable to check to see if your device is locked or unlocked. If you paid for your device in full at the point of purchase, it should not be locked. The same applies if your iPhone is on a payment plan that you have already fulfilled.
2. Ensure that your account does not have arrears
However, if the phone is locked, it can still be unlocked for you so that you are free to utilize the services of any other carrier you please. If the device is locked, you can have it unlocked by ensuring that there are no overdue payments or flags on your account. If you already have such issues, you should resolve them before unlocking your iPhone.
In addition to this, you should ensure that you are the legitimate owner of the handset. This is because Verizon rarely unlocks devices that have been stolen or used for fraudulent activities. Only the real account owners can authorize the process of unlocking a locked Verizon phone. The real owner must therefore be found so that the device can be unlocked successfully.
3. Ensure that you have the right details regarding the phone
As we have mentioned above, it is imperative that you have access to the following information:
- Verizon login details where you will need to know your email address or phone number, PIN and so on.
- The iPhone model
- The iPhone IMEI number.
4. Contact the customer support team
Once you have this information readily available, you may contact Verizon’s customer care team. You can be confident that you will be assigned a representative who will be able to assist you in unlocking your iPhone. To do this, open the phone app on your iPhone and dial *611.
Dialing *611 will connect you to Verizon’s customer support team. Once you are connected, you will be asked a series of questions about your device, including your Verizon login credentials, iPhone model, and IMEI number. As mentioned above, you should have this information readily available. You may even write it down so that you can easily reference it when prompted by the customer support representative.
It is important to ensure that your iPhone has sufficient battery life to last for several minutes on the call. You may be placed on hold for several minutes to several hours, depending on when you place the call.
5. Wait for the unlock confirmation
Once you have provided the appropriate details to Verizon’s customer support representative, you will need to wait for the unlock confirmation. In most cases, it takes a maximum of seven business days to receive this information. You can expect to receive an email or a text message with the confirmation.
6. Insert another carrier’s card
Once your iPhone has been unlocked, you are free to use the services of other carriers. It entirely depends on your preference. You should be rational when selecting the carrier services to use.
You can insert a SIM card from the carrier of your choice into your iPhone and start using its services. However, you should ensure that the SIM card is compatible with your iPhone’s hardware. This is because some carriers do not support carrier-specific models of other carriers’ phones.
Final Recap
By unlocking your phone, you can be assured of having a great deal of freedom with respect to carrier services. It also helps you to enjoy the freedom of mobility. In fact, you are likely to save more money and enjoy a wider network coverage, especially if you are fond of traveling from time to time. The steps mentioned above will help you to unlock your Verizon iPhone successfully. Consider these steps today, and you will be able to do more with your iPhone.
