Unlock iPhone T Mobile

[eyoungren]

Okay so I activated my Facebook account after being away for several months and went to the T-MOBILE link provided in the posts above and shared my experience with a representative there.

After I explained the situation and gave them proof of purchase and IMEI number they said it will be unlocked by Thursday.

I am a little skeptical that it will be that easy but if it unlocks by Thursday I will be very happy. Now I know what to do if I need customer service with T mobile. I am still rather upset with them in general by my experience and I shouldn't have to go to social media to get a resolution. I understand that my voice has a little more power if they know potentially a lot of other people might know my bad experience but they should treat their customers better no matter how a customer reaches them.

Thank you so much to those that shared the Facebook link. It seems to have made a huge difference. We will see what happens in a few days and I will update to let everyone know.

The thing about T-Force, as I mentioned above, is that they have a little more authority. They are on social media because…T-Mobile. So they figure if their young, hipster customers are there why not make it easy?

No idea what I will do next time I may need them. I deleted my one and only Twitter account when Musk took over. That one was used solely to contact T-Force.

Unfortunately, direct numbers to T-Force aren't published.

Hopefully, they are able to get this done for you by tomorrow.

 

[Technerd108]

$25 a month is a great deal. Please let me know how you like it. I’m on T-Mobile post paid for $50 a month for years now. There are occasions where I lose data connection here and there, or gets really slow even when my usage was just 2gb. No way over 50gb. But for the most part it’s pretty fast. I watched a YouTuber saying prepaid had faster 5g than postpaid so I’ll try it out just to see the differences.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. It really helps. Finger crossed for Thursday!

The $25 a month is unlimited plan from Boost Mobile.

On the T Mobile plans the speed and coverage seems to me to be identical.

I highly doubt that prepaid would be faster than post paid.

If you have a high data plan for $50 with post paid I would be tempted to keep it. Pre paid customer service is not the same. You are treated much better on post paid and you get perks like being able to upgrade your phone plus streaming services.

If I were you I wouldn’t cancel my post paid account because once you do you will have to start over and pay current prices which are much higher if you ever want to switch back.

I would in your shoes if you really wanted to try it but a sim with a new number and keep your old account for one month. Test the prepaid and see if the $15 a month savings is worth it. If it is then switch and no problem but if you don’t like it then you can just get rid of the new sim cancel the service and go back to your old sim.

I mean if the service is pretty much identical? The only factor is if more data or $15 a month is worth more to you?

 

[Technerd108]

The thing about T-Force, as I mentioned above, is that they have a little more authority. They are on social media because…T-Mobile. So they figure if their young, hipster customers are there why not make it easy?

No idea what I will do next time I may need them. I deleted my one and only Twitter account when Musk took over. That one was used solely to contact T-Force.

Unfortunately, direct numbers to T-Force aren't published.

Hopefully, they are able to get this done for you by tomorrow.

Thank you again for the resource.

We shall see what happens.

I bought a Pixel 7 Pro on sale and will trade in my locked iPhone if I can’t get a resolution. Otherwise I will keep my iPhone.

 

[Corgirat]

The $25 a month is unlimited plan from Boost Mobile.

On the T Mobile plans the speed and coverage seems to me to be identical.

I highly doubt that prepaid would be faster than post paid.

If you have a high data plan for $50 with post paid I would be tempted to keep it. Pre paid customer service is not the same. You are treated much better on post paid and you get perks like being able to upgrade your phone plus streaming services.

If I were you I wouldn’t cancel my post paid account because once you do you will have to start over and pay current prices which are much higher if you ever want to switch back.

I would in your shoes if you really wanted to try it but a sim with a new number and keep your old account for one month. Test the prepaid and see if the $15 a month savings is worth it. If it is then switch and no problem but if you don’t like it then you can just get rid of the new sim cancel the service and go back to your old sim.

I mean if the service is pretty much identical? The only factor is if more data or $15 a month is worth more to you?

Oh I didn’t know that prepaid customers aren’t treated as nice as postpaid. I’ll have to do more research before switching back and forth!

 

[Technerd108]

Oh I didn’t know that prepaid customers aren’t treated as nice as postpaid. I’ll have to do more research before switching back and forth!

That has been my experience at least. Pretty much night and day difference.

But my experience since I made the switch was pretty bad. Of course I never needed the customer service when on Post Paid but the few times I did it seemed pretty good while prepaid was a complete disaster.

 

[Technerd108]

Well this unending saga is still unending it seems.

So according to T-Mobile force or Facebook customer service they asked for proof of purchase and IMEI. After that they simply said the phone will be unlocked by Thursday.

So it is Thursday afternoon where I live and the phone is still locked. I contacted them again and no response yet other than an agent will be with me.

I honestly don't think they are ever going to unlock the phone which is really upsetting. I don't know what else to do.

I have my Pixel 7 Pro and am waiting for the trade in kit. If I can't get a resolution in a few days I am going to just trade it in. Learn from this experience and never buy a locked phone again or not one that isn't completely free. Even then you still pay for it in service costs.

If T-Mobile does the impossible I will update this thread or update when I send in my iphone.

 

[Azathoth123]

I always buy ’SIM free’ from Apple. Do so if you can, it saves a world of hurt based on the number of similar threads.

 

[Technerd108]

Well it is official. T-Mobile will not unlock my phone. Just officially denied through the T-Force customer service.

“Hey Robert. So sorry for the delay! I am not showing our engineers are able to unlock this on our end. ^JoslynLajoie”

“From what they are stating, they are showing it purchased via T-Mobile, and it would have to follow our normal process of unlocking, which it doesn't. The only thing I can do is resend up again, to see if they can reconsider. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but they would be the only ones able to unlock this. ^JoslynLajoie”

So after numerous attempts and days and hours over the course of a month T mobile won’t unlock my phone even though they can’t even give me a good read why not.

Just a warning to anyone who buys a carrier locked phone you may never get it unlocked even if you follow all their rules and pay off the device.

 

[Azathoth123]

Thank you for the update. I think this is a warning for those that buy carrier-locked phones through a third party like Best Buy, etc, where the phone locks to the first SIM. Sounds like Best Buy can’t unlock it and T-Mobile either won’t or can’t. I know everyone is wanting sweet carrier/BB deals, but nothing is free, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Verizon seems to be the best if you buy through a carrier, or was a few years ago. I got tired of trying to figure out ‘who’s on first’ and just sucked it up and bought SIM free from Apple. Never a problem or worry, just use whatever service that you want at any time. Yes, you don’t get the deals, but you don’t get locked in neverland phones either.

Can you trade it in to Apple? Just curious, because Apple apparently can unlock iPhones, but probably cannot unlock an individual’s phone unless given permission by the carrier. I suspect that this is a contractual arrangement, and a reasonable one. I would also suspect, but do not know, that Apple can unlock a phone that belongs to them. Maybe a knowledgeable person like @eyoungren can weigh in?

The way phones are locked and unlocked should not be so opaque to the buyer - this needs to be very clear at the point of purchase, what the restrictions are, when the restrictions expire, and how the purchaser can request a removal of restrictions. This needs to be clearly stated in non-legalese in the contract/terms of service.

 

[eyoungren]

Thank you for the update. I think this is a warning for those that buy carrier-locked phones through a third party like Best Buy, etc, where the phone locks to the first SIM. Sounds like Best Buy can’t unlock it and T-Mobile either won’t or can’t. I know everyone is wanting sweet carrier/BB deals, but nothing is free, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Verizon seems to be the best if you buy through a carrier, or was a few years ago. I got tired of trying to figure out ‘who’s on first’ and just sucked it up and bought SIM free from Apple. Never a problem or worry, just use whatever service that you want at any time. Yes, you don’t get the deals, but you don’t get locked in neverland phones either.

Can you trade it in to Apple? Just curious, because Apple apparently can unlock iPhones, but probably cannot unlock an individual’s phone unless given permission by the carrier. I suspect that this is a contractual arrangement, and a reasonable one. I would also suspect, but do not know, that Apple can unlock a phone that belongs to them. Maybe a knowledgeable person like @eyoungren can weigh in?

The way phones are locked and unlocked should not be so opaque to the buyer - this needs to be very clear at the point of purchase, what the restrictions are, when the restrictions expire, and how the purchaser can request a removal of restrictions. This needs to be clearly stated in non-legalese in the contract/terms of service.

So, concerning your first para, that would be the Apple Retail Flex Policy. My understanding is that a year or more ago it was being phased out. In regards to OP's case I believe one of the problems was switching from postpaid to prepaid before the phone was unlocked.

Verizon used to be the go to. That's because, as late as 2017, in order to use a particular frequency for wireless, the FCC required them to unlock all LTE devices from the get-go. After about mid-2017, 2018 though, Verizon was allowed to lock for 30 days. I understand that this is still the policy, but I could be wrong.

OP can trade his phone in to whomever will accept it. It's paid off I believe. Apple and vendors who resell used phones have the equipment to reprogram certain things (such as IMEI). Additionally, as an Apple product, Apple can do as they wish when a customer is buying directly from them. This is why they can provide unlocked phones in their upgrade program. The carriers don't care because they are not the ones financing the phones - Apple is. And Apple can reach out and shut you off if you don't pay.

Part of the original deal for AT&T to exclusively sell the iPhone back in 2007 was that the carrier did not brand the phone. Apple wanted the phones to come unlocked, but at the time the subsidized model of two year locked in contracts was king. But AT&T did not want to lose exclusivity. So, the deal was struck. The carrier determines if a device is unlock eligible and if so, the carrier submits the unlock and Apple puts the IMEI in the unlock database. Apple could not (can not) do that unless a carrier submits a request first. This is still the way it works.

Now, in the last couple of years both Sprint and T-Mobile have slowly been unlocking devices automatically (by automatically submitting an unlock request to Apple) when they have been paid off. But if you have an older device this isn't necessarily going to just happen for you. AT&T, an old hand at this by now, has an actual portal where you can just submit your IMEI and if the device is eligible the unlock request is submitted. You don't have to talk to anyone. Verizon, unlocks after 30 days. For smaller carriers there is a hodgepodge of requirements. Last I heard, Boost requires you to have a minimum of a year with them before they will submit an unlock request.

But in most cases, the carriers big or small, cover their bases by posting their unlock requirements online. You want the carriers to be clear before purchase…well legally, they are. It's right there in black and white and any customer can go to the website before purchase and read it - clearly. They don't have to make you sign anything, they don't have to put it in the contract or ToS. It's online by itself and reading it is your (meaning everyone's) responsibility.

You or I may agree or disagree with that. But, that is beside the point. Legally the carriers have met the requirement simply by posting the unlock policy online. It is what it is.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

The issue with phones purchased from Best Buy and other resellers*, is that they have a carrier profile of “Reseller” something-or-other, which then gets locked to the first carrier you activate (T-Mo, AT&T, Verizon, etc). Best Buy does NOT sell an “Unlocked” phone, like Apple does - all of their phones use this “Reseller” profile and are subject to being locked. And ONLY the carrier can remove the lock - Apple cannot and will not help, Best Buy cannot and will not help. I’ve heard absolute horror stories - carriers saying they can’t find the phone in their system, carriers referring customers to Apple or Best Buy, carriers stating that they’ve unlocked it but it remains locked.

Moral of the story: Don’t buy iPhone from a reseller. Buy it from Apple, or from the carrier directly.

* Wal-Mart, Target, Sam’s Club, Nebraska Furniture Mart, etc.

 

[eyoungren]

The issue with phones purchased from Best Buy and other resellers*, is that they have a carrier profile of “Reseller” something-or-other, which then gets locked to the first carrier you activate (T-Mo, AT&T, Verizon, etc). Best Buy does NOT sell an “Unlocked” phone, like Apple does - all of their phones use this “Reseller” profile and are subject to being locked. And ONLY the carrier can remove the lock - Apple cannot and will not help, Best Buy cannot and will not help. I’ve heard absolute horror stories - carriers saying they can’t find the phone in their system, carriers referring customers to Apple or Best Buy, carriers stating that they’ve unlocked it but it remains locked.

Moral of the story: Don’t buy iPhone from a reseller. Buy it from Apple, or from the carrier directly.

* Wal-Mart, Target, Sam’s Club, Nebraska Furniture Mart, etc.

Apple Retail Flex Policy.

I've heard rumors it's being phased out. But whether it is or not I believe OPs biggest issue lies in switching from postpaid to prepaid. That tends to scramble things in the carrier backend systems (that are further exacerbated by the policy). The best outcome would have been to get it unlocked before switching.

 

[spotalertzero]

Well it is official. T-Mobile will not unlock my phone. Just officially denied through the T-Force customer service.

“Hey Robert. So sorry for the delay! I am not showing our engineers are able to unlock this on our end. ^JoslynLajoie”

“From what they are stating, they are showing it purchased via T-Mobile, and it would have to follow our normal process of unlocking, which it doesn't. The only thing I can do is resend up again, to see if they can reconsider. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but they would be the only ones able to unlock this. ^JoslynLajoie”

So after numerous attempts and days and hours over the course of a month T mobile won’t unlock my phone even though they can’t even give me a good read why not.

Just a warning to anyone who buys a carrier locked phone you may never get it unlocked even if you follow all their rules and pay off the device.

Just my last suggestions try the unlock service from ebay, simply search unlock service tmobile make sure they support your model, first start the conversation with seller and share your IMEI number they will confirm it is eligible for unlock or not. If they agree pay and wait for their response.

IPHONE FACTORY UNLOCK SERVICE T-mobile USA All iphone models (Special service ) | eBay

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Best of luck

 

[Technerd108]

I agree that it's important for carriers to be more transparent about their unlock requirements and for buyers to educate themselves before making a purchase.

There wasn't any way I could educate myself when BestBuy and T mobile don't tell you in any way that if you buy a phone from BestBuy rather than T mobile you won't be able to unlock the phone.

If that was written as a disclaimer then I never would have bought the phone. But thanks.