How to unlock iPhone 5s?

[HandyMac]

I got an iPhone 5s in 2017 to use with a Verizon-based MVNO. It is identified as iPhone 5s (CDMA/Verizon/A1533), ME341LL/A, iPhone6,1, EMC 2642. Purchased new via eBay; sale page said it was "Lock Status: Network Locked".

I'd like to get it unlocked. I gather that's usually done by contacting the carrier it's locked to, but it's not currently connected with any carrier. (It shows the Verizon network at the top of the screen, as the Verizon SIM is still in it, but I don't have an account with them, so it can't be used.) I tried calling Verizon, got a robot that told me it wasn't connected there, and hung up. I tried calling their local store, had the same experience.

I guess it was actually locked to Verizon by Apple, when it was manufactured.

Can anybody tell me how I can get this iPhone 5s unlocked?

Oh, and can it be used for anything useful? I had to replace it with a 6s as iPhone 5s is not compatible with VoLTE, which Verizon (and most every other service I gather) now requires.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Take the sim card out of it and use it as an iPod.. wifi should work too..

 

[MBAir2010]

Someone gave me their iPhone 5G se for extra yard work i performed, no simm card and all data erased.
i use that as an iPod, camera, remote, email checker, safari and map while about and in the house.
that was the most useful reward for weed and dead plant pulling in my life!

 

[tcphoto1]

Go to a Verizon Store and ask them to unlock it. If it has a clean IMEI they will do so immediately.

 

[HandyMac]

Thanks for your responses. Yes, I've been using it as a clock in the bedroom, and a meditation timer. Also for experimenting to learn about jailbreaking, as I don't want to chance damaging the iPhone and iPad I use daily. It's not much good as an iPod, since it has only 16GB storage. But I heard about a free, minimal phone service I'd like to check out for a backup, so trying to see if this iPhone 5s will work with it.

Go to a Verizon Store and ask them to unlock it. If it has a clean IMEI they will do so immediately.

Yeah, I thought of that. There is a Verizon store in my town, with a local number; I tried calling it, but was sent to the same bot as the national number, which I couldn't get past because I don't have an account with Verizon. I just did another search, found a local 3rd party Verizon retailer, called them, got a human, who switched me to a Verizon human, who told me the phone isn't really "locked", that they only "unlock" phones for international travelers, and so long as I want to use it domestically, I can just try a SIM from another carrier, and it may work. When I find the time.