How to unlock your iPhone: An easy guide

In case you are looking to unlock your iPhone, there are two things you might want to do. First, either your iPhone is locked to a specific mobile operator or carrier. The second option is that you have entered the wrong password or PIN-code too many times and your iPhone has been disabled.

We’ll go through both options in this guide and get you back to using your iPhone just like before.

Option 1: How to unlock an iPhone to be used with a different carrier

If your iPhone is locked to a specific carrier or mobile operator, you’ll need to contact your operator to unlock the phone. After doing this, it might take some days until the phone is again unlocked for use.

Once the carrier has unlocked your iPhone, there are two options for what to do next. This depends on whether or not you have a SIM card. In case you have a SIM card at your disposal, simply enter the new SIM card into your iPhone to unlock your phone. The second option demands a bit more work.

How to unlock iPhone without a SIM card 

If you do not have the appropriate SIM card, you’ll have to backup and reset your phone. Here’s how to do that.

1. Start by backing up your iPhone. You can read our other blog post to learn how to do this.
2. After you have backed up your phone and made sure that everything is secured, proceed to reset your iPhone. To do this, go to your phone’s Settings, then select “General” and “Reset”. To finalise the reset, choose “Erase All Content And Settings”
3. Once you have finished resetting your iPhone, power it back on again and restore your backup that you made in step 1.
4. Insert a new SIM card to start using your iPhone.
5. Done!

Here at Swappie, all of our phones are unlocked. This means that you can start using your new phone right out of the box! Our refurbished iPhones also work internationally and with local service providers.

Option 2: How to unlock a disabled iPhone

You might run into a situation where your iPhone is disabled because you have entered an incorrect password or PIN code too many times. Luckily there is something you can do to fix this. 

However, to unlock a disabled iPhone, you need to reset your phone back to its factory settings. This means that you’ll lose everything on your phone if you haven’t made a backup. This is why backing up your iPhone regularly is so important. Read our other blog post to learn how to back up your iPhone. 

Here’s what you need to do in order to reset your iPhone.

1. Shut off your iPhone.
2. This step depends on the model of your iPhone. 
   • With iPhone X and newer models, connect your iPhone to a computer while holding down the side button.
   • With iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, connect your iPhone to a computer while holding down the volume down button.
   • With iPhone SE, iPhone 6s and older models, connect your iPhone to a computer while holding down the home button.
3. Continue holding the button until the recovery screen appears.
4. If you have created a backup of your iPhone, you are ready to restore your backup.
5. Done!