In this article, we considered how to unlock iPhone 6 legally to use your local SIM card and access network provider in your region. This approach will follow the legal approach to unlock iPhone 6, iPhone 5, and iPhone 6s and you will be able to gain total control over your iPhone.
If your iPhone is locked to a particular network carrier and region you will not be able to use it in another region. You will need to first unlock it to use it.
This is particularly about older iPhones such as iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6s. If you are lucky enough that your iPhone 6 is unlocked you will be able to use another network provider on it, else, you have to look for a legal way to unlock it.
This is achievable if you know what to do legally so that you can use another SIM card on your phone. In some cases, your network provider could be of help to unlock your iPhone 6 or other older iPhones.
However, if you find yourself in this mess of iPhone 6 lock, you can unlock it for free and legally. Therefore, in this guide, we’ll put you through how to unlock iPhone 6 to access other network providers.
Is it Legal to Unlock iPhone?
You can unlock iPhone legally and you cannot. You can if you have paid for your iPhone completely and you are the full owner. But, if it’s installment payment, it may be illegal to unlock the device.
However, if you are still paying for the iPhone, you may need to contact your network carrier to negotiate the contract with them. You need a go-ahead from them since you have not fully paid for it.
However, you don’t just need to jump to a conclusion that your iPhone 6 is locked and that you need to unlock it. If you are gifted you need to make sure that the device is locked for real before you proceed to unlock it.
However, it is very important to know the state of your iPhone 6 whether it’s locked or it has been unlocked before you were gifted.
How to tell if your iPhone 6 is locked
Because you got a new iPhone 6 or iPhone 5 or you were gifted, don’t just conclude that your iPhone is locked. You need to check whether your iPhone is truly locked.
There are two ways to know whether an iPhone is locked or unlocked. You can check via the iPhone settings and you can also check whether your iPhone 6 SIM is locked or unlocked.
Here is a step by step procedures to check if your iPhone is locked or you need to unlock it.
How to Check iPhone 6 Lock or Unlock via Settings
The quick and easy access to check your iPhone lock status is via the device settings. If you have got one, follow this to the root of your phone lock status.
- Go to your iPhone settings
- Tap on Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options
- Network available
When you click on mobile data options or cellular option you will see the network SIM you have in your iPhone.
Before you can confirm this that your iPhone 6 is fully unlocked try to change the SIM on it and repeat the same process to check iPhone lock and unlock status above.
If it brings out network and it’s stable, then, it’s possible that your iPhone has been unlocked.
How to Check iPhone 6 Unlock Status using SIM
This is the best and recommended approach to ascertain 100% that your iPhone 6 is unlocked.
- Dial a number on your phone and make a call.
- Switch off your iPhone 6 by pressing on the power button for some seconds and slide to power-off
- Remove the current SIM card using SIM removal PIN
- Remove the current SIM and replace it with another network provider
- Power on your iPhone
- Make a call with the new SIM card and see if it connects
Now, if the SIM connects and the call went through then your iPhone is unlocked, else, it’s still locked.
There are other approaches to find out whether your iPhone 6 is locked or unlock but it could be time-consuming. However, with the above approach, you will be able to check whether your iPhone 6 is locked or unlocked.
How to Unlock iPhone 6
If the above approaches to check whether your iPhone is locked or unlocked confirmed that your iPhone 6 is unlocked, here is how to unlock it.
- Find a means to contact your provider and ask them to unlock your iPhone 6 using the information below.
- If your SIM card is not the expected original SIM card, proceed to reset your iPhone to be able to unlock it.
- Remove the current SIM card and replace it with a SIM card from another network provider or carrier.
- Now, make a phone call and make sure the phone call is successful to save yourself a benefit of doubts.
If the above steps are complicated and you could hardly understand it, here is the breakdown of how to go about.
How to Unlock iPhone 6 on Different Carrier
Let’s take a look at the breakdown of how to request iPhone 6 unlock from network providers like Vodafone, EE, O2, and Three.
How to Unlock iPhone on O2
If O2 is your network carrier you can request unlock using O2 app or via this link. For more information on how to request iPhone unlock on O2 follow what is explained here.
Once your phone is successfully unlocked O2 will send a text to your phone number about the latest update. However, to confirm the unlock, once you received an update that your iPhone 6 is unlocked, you will need to connect your iPhone 6 to iTunes with another network carrier SIM different from O2 for iTunes to confirm the unlocking.
How to Unlock iPhone on Vodafone
If Vodafone is your network carrier you can request for your iPhone unlock. However, Vodafone requires users information to unlock it or someone that has it.
To start with, you need to fill Vodafone online unlocking form. It may take up to 48 hours to get feedback from the company. After the feedback, it may take up to an additional 10 days to unlock your iPhone and it’s totally free.
How to Unlock iPhone on Three
If you purchase your iPhone from it will only take you a few minutes to unlock your iPhone. The Three carrier stated it on their website that any iPhone bought after January 1st, 2014 will be unlocked automatically as soon as the phone is connected to a WiFi or iTunes.
For users that got their iPhone 6 before that stipulated date, just connect your iPhone to your iTunes account and restore your device to unlock it using iTunes.
This provides a means to unlock iPhone 6 using iTunes for free. However, before you go ahead with this iTunes approach, make sure you back up your device before restoring it via iTunes to avoid loss of data.
Alternatively, you can do this online by filling out the Three carriers iPhone unlock online form.
How to Unlock iPhone 6 on EE Carrier
This is not free though. It’ll cost you a whopping $11.43 or £8.99 to unlock your iPhone. If you’d paid all your bills on EE and have had your EE account up to 6 months, EE will help you to unlock your iPhone.
If you are one of Pay as you Go customers on EE and you have a minimum of £8.99 in your account, EE admin can help you with unlocking your iPhone.
Despite the fact that you paid handsomely for this service, it will take EE up to 7 days to unlock it.
The demerit of unlocking iPhone 6 on EE is that you have to be a customer, however, if the device is gotten from EE and you do not have a customer account, it could require more task.
If you get the iPhone 6 or the iPhone from eBay and locked on EE career, you will need to find the buyer on eBay, get the necessary information including EE phone number, etc before you proceed to EE customer account.
How to Unlock iPhone on Virgin Mobile
If your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 plus or iPhone 5 or an older version is locked on virgin mobile because you purchase it from the company your iPhone shouldn’t be locked.
However, if your iPhone is of age, it might be locked but the new iPhone purchased on Virgin mobile are already unlocked.
The virgin mobile company provides the easiest way to unlock iPhone 6 and other older iPhone versions. All you need to do to unlock your iPhone is to upgrade your iPhone to the latest iOS 8 or iOS 9, iOS iOS 10, iOS 11, and iOS 12.
It worth to note that if your iOS is far below the recent update, updating your iOS to unlock your iPhone will upgrade the latest iOS on your phone rather than your desired iOS version.
However, if your iPhone is older like iPhone 4 or iPhone 3 you’d be able to unlock your iTune restoring your iTunes. Please, always backup your iPhone before you restore it on iTunes.
How to Unlock an iPhone on Tesco Mobile
If you are not having a pending contract with Tesco Mobile you will get the unlock code from calling 345 301 4455 and select the unlock your mobile option.
However, if you are still having a contract with Tesco Mobile you may not be able to unlock your iPhone. Alternatively, you have to wait for 12 months for your iPhone to be unlocked on Tesco Mobile.
How to Unlock iPhone on Giffgaff
To unlock your Apple phone on Giffgaff is very easy. You don’t have much to do. All you need to do to unlock your Apple phone on Gaffgiff is simply to select your phone from the list, select your network to unlock your Apple device and that is all.
This approach is rather not free. it has different approaches and the price varies from one to another. The ill-luck in using the Gaffgiff is that it takes a minimum of 24 hours and can last for 7 days depending on your unlock option.
How to Unlock iPhone 6 using a 3rd Party
You can also use a 3rd party service to unlock your Apple phone. This may not be free though. But it worth taking if you can’t want for your network provider or carrier to unlock your iPhone for you.
There are small retailers out there that will unlock your iPhone for just $30 or thereabout. We don’t trust this though but it worth trying if your network carrier is not responding to your request in time.
However, do not use a 3rd party service to unlock your Apple phone if the service didn’t offer a money-back guarantee if your phone is not unlocked successfully or not unlock on all network providers.
You can try Doctor SIM as the service offers a money back if your Apple phone is not unlocked successfully.
For the UK or US network carrier, you can try Express Unlock service to unlock your iPhone. They also offer a trusted service to unlock iPhone and refund client money if dreams are not achieved.
Should I Pay to Unlock my iPhone
Under a normal circumstance, you are not supported to pay a dime to unlock your Apple phone whether old or new. It is the work of your network carrier to unlock your Apple phone once you bought it for free.
However, some network carrier charges an additional fee of £20 from buyers to help unlock their phone. And as for using a 3rd party service, you can be charged between £10 and £25 to unlock your iPhone.
However, this price is not fixed. You can take a tour around your neighborhood and ask about the cost of unlocking Apple phone, the price may be different slightly.
Update your iPhone after Unlock without SIM
This is what you should do next after you have requested for your phone to be unlocked by your network carrier or provider and you are yet to get the original SIM.
So, to fully unlock your Apple phone without the network carrier original SIM you need to reset your phone. Always back up your phone before you proceed to reset it.
1. Back up your iPhone to iTunes or other iCloud services
2. Go to Settings
3. Tap on General
4. Tap on Reset
5. Select Erase All Content and Settings
6. Complete your iPhone setup assistance
7. Restore your backup to your phone
Now, your iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5, iPhone 4, and others will be unlocked successfully.