Are you stuck with a carrier lock or a disabled and locked iPhone 5? Or worse: both? Well, if yes, I can assume the situation can be pretty tense but there’s nothing to worry about. I am a tech geek and love to explore and experiment with different unlocking methods and tricks. This guide comprises methods that can help you solve the carrier lock issue and disabled iPhone issue even if you are a non-tech person and have trouble following the steps.
How to unlock iPhone 5 if I want to switch to a new carrier?
Your iPhone 5 carrier is locked or SIM is not available. Are you facing the same issue and don’t know what it is? It means that you are unable to use your carrier with any other sim or network besides your original carrier. Carrier locks are usually taken as a precaution to prevent users from operating their iPhones outside the country.
This is not a big deal and can happen if you bought your iPhone 5 on an installment plan from a carrier and payments are still pending.
How to check if your iPhone is locked by a carrier?
Using settings
- Go to the settings of your iPhone 5
- Locate mobile data and then mobile data options
- If a mobile data network is visible, it is unlocked otherwise it is carrier-locked.
Using SIM card
- Call someone from your current carrier to see if it connects.
- Now change your SIM to another carrier.
- Make a call again to see if it works. If yes, it is not locked.
Contacting the carrier
You can contact your carrier to check the status of your carrier or you can also request a carrier unlock to see how things proceed.
2 Most Reliable Methods to unlock iPhone carrier (Suitable for All iPhone Models)
Unlocking your iPhone carrier seems to be illegal as there is a huge hype over the internet about this issue but let me tell you that there is no such issue if you have made all the payments. Follow the methods below to unlock your iPhone 5 carrier now.
Method 1: Contact your Carrier
This method will only work if you have paid upfront for your iPhone 5 or are done with installment plans. If you haven’t then the best thing to do is unlock it via method 2
AT&T
- Go to AT&T's unlocking portal website
- Enter your IMEI number.
- Follow the prompt on the screen.
T-Mobile
- Sign in to your T-Mobile account from a web browser only.
- Click account and select the linked line of service.
- Check the status of your device.
Sprint
- Call Sprint service
- Give your IMEI to the representative
- Wait for your device to unlock.
Verizon
If you have purchased your iPhone 5 from an authentic source then it will automatically unlock after 60 days.
Method 2: Unlock iPhone Carrier with SIM Unlock Chip
Have you seen the golden tiny patches on the SIM? Yes, they are called Microcontrollers that are installed to control the cellular network between the phone and sim. The purpose of the SIM unlocking chip is to interfere between these signals of SIM and mobile so you can make it work with another iPhone carrier too.
These SIM unlocking chips can easily be found over the internet and are not very expensive ranging from 20 dollars to 30 dollars per piece.
Steps
- Buy a SIM unlocking chip according to your iPhone 5.
- Place your sim properly with the sim unlock chip.
- Insert the sim tray in the iPhone with the sim unlock chip.
- Choose 'edit ICCID' and enter the correct code
- Restart your iPhone and follow the prompt.
How to Check If My iPhone 5 is Unlocked?
After requesting a carrier unlock, you might be wondering how to check if it is unlocked or not. Well, in this case, just insert a new SIM card from different carriers to see if you have a cellular network.
If you have a SIM card from another carrier, follow these steps:
- Remove your SIM card.
- Insert the new SIM card. Your device will activate.
If you don't have another SIM card then follow this:
- Back up your iPhone.
- Now, erase your iPhone.
- Restore your iPhone from the backup.
How to unlock iPhone 5 if I forgot the passcode?
Carrier locks are easy to handle but what about forgetting iPhone passcodes that got your iPhone 5 disabled for attempting too many wrong guesses at your passcode. This can be a serious issue as iPhone takes the security of their users’ data very seriously. Follow one of the methods below to get out of this situation.
Method 1 Forgot iPhone 5 Passcode? Unlock it via Mobitrix LockAway without iTunes - The Fastest Way
Mobitrix LockAway is one of the simplest and fastest unlocking tools developed to help iOS users with their disabled or locked iPhones. The tool can remove your iPhone passcode in just 20 minutes so you can access it in no time. The R&D team of Mobitrix LockAway with its 10+ years of experience in iOS cracking did a great job to protect your data privacy and security. Mobitrix LockAway is designed for everyone so if you do not have a technical background, you can still operate this tool.
In what situations, Mobitrix LockAway can help you?
- If you forgot your screen passcode.
- If you entered too many incorrect passcodes and your iPhone is now disabled.
- If you got a second-hand iPhone
- If your Face or Touch ID isn’t working properly
- If your iPhone screen is cracked
If you're tired of reading text guide, you can check the following video guide.
Steps
- Download Download and Install Mobitrix LockAway
- Click “Unlock Screen Passcode” in the main menu
- Click "Start" to remove iPhone Passcode. And then Keyfile will be detected automatically
- Download and extract Keyfile Package
- Click “Start to Extract” after Keyfile has been downloaded successfully.
- When the extraction is complete, please click "Start Unlock"
- Unlock is complete.
Mobitrix LockAway - Click “Unlock Screen Passcode”
Mobitrix LockAway - Click "Start" to remove iPhone passcode.
Unlock screen passcode download and verify keyfile
Unlock screen passcode firmware has been downloaded
Unlock screen passcode extraction complete
Unlock-screen-passcode-remove-screen-lock
Unlock screen passcode unlock is complete
Why Do I Recommend Mobitrix LockAway?
- You can get rid of iTunes as it is not required
- The user-friendly interface is a plus point for people that come with a non-technical background.
- It can unlock your iPhone with a 99% success rate.
- It fully supports iPhone 5s to iPhone 15 and iOS 17 and earlier versions.
- The fast processing of Mobitrix LockAway only takes 20 minutes to unlock your iPhone.
- You will never have to worry about your data leakage with the 100% privacy protection of Mobitrix LockAway.
Former Apple Technican
Method 2 Unlock Your Disabled iPhone 5 via Find My
Find My was to locate any stolen or lost iPhones. But the app can be used for many other factors too such as the “Erase it with ease” feature. This feature can help you delete all the data on your iPhone including the passcode so you can set it up as a new device.
Requirements
- Find my must be enabled on your iPhone 5 before you get locked out.
- You must be signed in to your iCloud account.
- A stable Wi-Fi or cellular network is a must also.
- You must remember your Apple ID and password.
Steps
- Launch iCloud.com on a web or phone browser
- Sign in with your Apple ID and password
- Choose “Find iPhone” and sign in again with your Apple ID and password.
- Go to the "All Devices" list and choose your iPhone 5
- Click “Erase iPhone” and then confirm again on the next prompt.
- You will receive a verification code on your trusted device. Enter it to proceed next.
- Enter your phone number and click next then done.
- Your iPhone 5 will automatically restart when the procedure is completed.
- Sign in with your Apple ID on the prompt “iPhone locked to owner” and then set a new passcode.
Click Find iPhone
Click all device and choose your device
Click erase iphone
Click erase
If you keep a backup or have made one recently then you can restore it from iTunes or iCloud on the “Apps and Data” prompt.
Method 3 Bypass Your iPhone 5 Passcode via iTunes
In 2001, Apple introduced a media playing and management app known as iTunes. The app was upgraded in 2011 as a new feature was added. The new feature could back up and sync data across multiple devices for iOS users. iTunes also comes with the Restore option that helps you in getting access to your iPhone back if you forgot your iPhone passcode.
The function of Restore: It resets your iPhone by deleting all the settings and data on it to fix the issue. You can restore your data while setting up your iPhone if you keep a backup.
Here is the step-by-step iTunes unlocking process:
Preparations
- A PC or Mac
- On a PC: Windows 8 or later, and the latest version of iTunes must be installed.
- On a Mac:
- macOS Catalina or newer, open a Finder window.
- macOS Mojave or older, install and launch the latest version of iTunes.
- A compatible USB cable
Steps
- If you have connected your iPhone 5 to a computer then disconnect it.
- Press and hold the top button of your iPhone 5 until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider and wait for it to turn off completely.
- Press the Home button while connecting your iPhone 5 to the computer.
- Don't leave the button till you see the recovery mode screen on your iPhone 5.
- Launch the iTunes app. Choose “Restore” from the prompt "There is a problem with the iPhone “iPhone” that requires it to be updated or restored"
- You will see "Are you sure you want to restore the iPhone to its factory settings? Confirm your action by clicking the "Restore and Update" option.
- Agree on the "iPhone software update" prompt. Downloading and restoring your iPhone 5 procedure will begin.
- Select the “Restore” option on the prompt to "iTunes will erase and restore your iPhone to iOS 15.4.1 and verify the restore with Apple" after the download is finished.
- "Extracting software…" specifies iOS 15.4.1 iTunes is looking to restore the software on your iPhone.
- You can see the progress with a white Apple logo and a bar on your iPhone screen.
- Your iPhone will automatically restart when the restoration process is completed.
- Reset your iPhone now and set a new passcode that you will not forget.
The iphone that requires it to be updated or restored
All of your media and other data will be erased
FAQs
My iPhone is unlocked, but it’s blacklisted. What does that mean, and how do I fix it?
I want to buy a phone on Facebook Marketplace; how can I be sure it’s unlocked?
Can I use a third-party site to unlock my device?
If your iPhone 5 is blacklisted, it means that it is reported stolen by the original owner. This can happen if you didn’t originally buy from an authentic source. There isn’t much you can do in this situation but you can contact the person or the carrier you bought the iPhone from and see if there’s a solution.
You can check the IMEI number of the iPhone you want to buy on the carrier’s website and see if it is available for activation. Or the best thing to do is meet with the buyer at the carrier store so it can be safe as well as you can know if it’s locked.
The best thing to do is to contact your carrier to unlock your iPhone since third-party unlocking sites and tools aren’t very safe and effective to go for. Make sure of all the terms and conditions beforehand, if you decide to use a third-party unlocking tool.
Whether it’s a carrier lock or a disabled iPhone 5, nothing can get out of your hand now as you have learned and understand different methods to overcome these issues. Usually, unlocking tools aren’t good enough but I was shocked to see how well Mobitrix LockAway performed. I even tested out the tool multiple times with multiple iPhone models. If you still haven’t downloaded Mobitrix LockAway, you will be at a big loss.
