Question :

I just got a new iPhone, and I want to give my old iPhone to my child, but I just found out it’s SIM-locked… is there any official way to get it SIM-unlocked ?

Answer :

Today, you can get your iPhone’s SIM-lock removed at nearly every ‘White Label’-telecom shop, but that will break your Apple-warranty.

But… Depending on your mobile telecom-provider and the country you live in, you can usually have your SIM-lock taken off your iPhone after 1 or 2 years of use. The official procedure is like this :

1- first, contact your mobile telecom-provider and have them send a SIM-unlock request to Apple ; Apple will then make a SIM-unlock available in iTunes personalized to your iTunes-account (usually within about 48 hours)

2- when you get confirmation that your SIM-unlock is ready in iTunes, do this :

— completely shut down your iPhone

— take out your old SIM-card, put the new one in (make sure the new one is from a different provider, else use a SIM-card from a different provider for the SIM-unlocking only), and switch your iPhone back on

— during startup, swipe the “Unlock” switch, and type the PIN that goes with the new/temporary SIM-card when asked

— make sure your Mac is connected to the internet, then startup iTunes and connect your iPhone to your Mac using the USB-cable

— if iTunes tries to sync or update your iPhone, cancel the sync and/or update

— only then, leave your iPhone connected to iTunes for at least 30 minutes

— then disconnect your iPhone, leave iTunes running, and reconnect your iPhone using the  USB-cable

— if you are asked to update your iPhone settings for your new mobile telecom-provider, click “yes” and wait for the update to finish

— then, wait for the “Congratulations, your iPhone is now SIM-lock free”-message (or something similar) to appear on your Mac

— if your iPhone asked for your PIN, type the one that goes with the new/temporary SIM-card

— on your iPhone, check if the new mobile telecom-provider’s name is now listed top-left on your iPhone’s screen ; if it does, you’ve unlocked your iPhone (if not, disconnect and reconnect your iPhone from your Mac and try again)

That’s it !

Enjoy !