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Other ATT unlock

bruinsrme

bruinsrme

macrumors 604
Original poster
Oct 26, 2008
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quick question.
I have an iPhone X that ATT issued an unlock for.
I don’t particularly care to restore the phone. Is it possible to simply get a new ATT sim or pop in someone else’s sim from another carrier to activate the unlock?

TIA
 
bruinsrme said:
quick question.
I have an iPhone X that ATT issued an unlock for.
I don’t particularly care to restore the phone. Is it possible to simply get a new ATT sim or pop in someone else’s sim from another carrier to activate the unlock?

TIA
Click to expand...

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.
 
dwfaust said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
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bruinsrme said:
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
Click to expand...

No... It has to be a SIM from a different carrier..
 
bruinsrme said:
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”
Click to expand...

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.
 
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raqball said:
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.
Click to expand...

I just do not want to go through the restore process
 
noobinator said:
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.
Click to expand...

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..
 
noobinator said:
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.
Click to expand...

Exactly right. The above are just confirmations. The unlock is immediate and permanent. No need to do anything at all.
 
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Givmeabrek said:
Exactly right. The above are just confirmations. The unlock is immediate and permanent. No need to do anything at all.
Click to expand...
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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raqball said:
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 24 hours I believe..
Click to expand...

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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dwfaust said:
Not true. 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 @givemeabrek said, is immediate and permanent. The process of inserting a SIM from another provider or doing a restore are simply to confirm to you that the unlock is done.
Click to expand...

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.
 
raqball said:
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...
Click to expand...

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.
 
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?
 
noobinator said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
raqball said:
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?
Click to expand...

Correct. iPhones can only be unlocked by Apple. Androids are often unlocked using a code of some sort provided by the carrier.
 
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noobinator said:
Correct. iPhones can only be unlocked by Apple. Androids are often unlocked using a code of some sort provided by the carrier.
Click to expand...

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...
 
raqball said:
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...
Click to expand...

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.
 
once I confirm the unlock I do not have to do anything from that point on?
 
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.
 
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bruinsrme said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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