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What is Overclocking And When is it Bad?

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What is overclocking? Can it damage my components? Do I need to pay anything extra for it? All good questions that are commonly asked by those who are new to overclocking. Let’s find the answers, shall we? 

What is Overclocking? 

The cores of your processor and graphics card work in frequencies that we measure in Hz. 1GHz means that your CPU can make a billion calculations per second, 2GHz means that it can do two, you get the point. 

So, the higher the frequency that your CPU or GPU offers, the more performance that you’ll get out of them. However, do keep in mind that this only applies when we’re talking about the same models. 

You can’t compare two different CPUs and judge how fast they are solely by their frequency because they are built differently. Core VS Core, a Pentium 4 CPU at 3.5GHz will always be several times slower than a Core i5 at the same frequency or even at a much lower one. 

But, if you get two identical i5 processors with one of them offering a higher clock/frequency, then that one is definitely going to be faster than its sibling which offers a lower frequency. Easy enough to understand, right? 

What is overclocking

That being said, processors ship with a specific range of core speeds that they can achieve out of the box without you touching anything. Some of them can be modified to reach higher speeds – and that’s when overclocking comes in. 

Overclocking is when the user raises the CPU or GPU core frequencies in order to gain higher levels of performance. But, how can you do that? When? And is it safe? 

Can I Overclock? How?

What is overclocking

When it comes to processors, Intel and AMD are the only ones who can create them for traditional desktops or laptops. And when it comes to overclocking, the situation is a bit different for each team. 

Those of you who own an AMD Ryzen processor can all overclock your processor – no strings attached. Intel users, however, need to own a K series processor and a Z motherboard. If you don’t, your CPU’s core clock will be locked and there’s nothing that you can do about it. 

As for how to overclock your CPU, in most cases, you need to reboot into your BIOS settings, start raising the CPU frequency and/or voltage little by little, reboot, stress test, and stop when you see that the PC is crashing. NEVER raise the frequency by more than 50 or 100Hz at once and never raise the voltage abruptly. More on that later. 

Now, for graphics cards, almost all GPUs can be overclocked by using something like MSI Afterburner. Thankfully, you don’t need to keep on rebooting for this one to work. 

All you have to do is launch the app, start raising the core frequency little by little, benchmark, and keep on going with this process until your games/benchmarks start crashing. A GPU crash can differ from model to model. Some of them just throw you out of the game while others completely crash the whole system. 

Can Overclocking Harm My Computer? 

Every time that I’m asked, “What is overclocking?”, the next question that almost always comes after is if this is dangerous. The answer? Kinda. Mostly if you don’t know what you’re doing. 

When it comes to overclocking, there are primarily three things that can kill your CPU, GPU, or even motherboard: 

  1. Heat
  2. Voltage
  3. Bad motherboard VRM

Heat

First of all, let’s start with heat. Making your components work faster, regardless of if you’re pushing more voltage into them or not, will make them heat up more than before. 

So, while overclocking, always start with frequency only and move with small steps every single time to while monitoring temperatures to ensure that you’re fine. Most chips can go up to 95C before shutting down. But, the cooler that you can go, the better. I personally prefer staying under 70C at all time. Though technically speaking, anything up to 80-83C is generally considered “perfectly safe”. 

Voltage and VRMs

After that comes voltage. And voltage can definitely shorten the lifespan of your components – depending on how much you’re pushing into them. 

This is a highly controversial topic. But, most people agree that:

  1. 1.3V core voltage is the safe level for 24/7 operation
  2. 1.4V up to 1.45V is still relatively safe but may slightly degrade the lifespan of the CPU
  3. And anything above that is getting dangerous and will definitely have an impact on the lifespan of the processor

Note: Do keep in mind that the safe levels differ from CPU to CPU. 

Then you also have VRMs (Voltage Regulator Modules). Those are the tiny things that you see around the CPU on your motherboard and they are responsible for providing stable voltage to the processor. If those are crappy, then they may not be able to handle overclocking which can lead to crashes, slowdowns, or even motherboard/CPU failures. 

That being said, AMD users may be the only ones who have to worry about it since their chips are overlocked regardless of which motherboard you use. While Intel, on the other hand, only allows you to overclock on specific motherboards that meet the requirements for overclocking. 

Summary: If you know what you’re doing, then overclocking is relatively safe. But, it still poses a few dangers. While we’re on this subject, let us not forget to mention that overclocking is NOT recommended for professionals. You don’t want your PC crashing while you’re working on something and losing all progress. 

Does Overclocking Cost Me Anything? 

Technically speaking, overclocking is free performance. Practically speaking, it costs you so much that you may as well spend that money on a better CPU in the first place. 

See, as mentioned above, one of the things that can damage your components while overclocking is heat. And in order to keep everything cool, you need to spend money on cooling solutions like: 

  1. A 3rd party CPU cooler
  2. Good case fans
  3. Maybe even a new case that’s focused on cooling 

Not to mention that overclocking is a time-consuming process and you know what they say: “Time is money”. For all the time and money that you spend on overclocking, you may as well save your money, spend your time working, and get a Ryzen 7 instead of a Ryzen 5 which will deliver much better performance without you having to worry about damaging the chip. 

So, if things are like that, then why is it that so many people love overclocking? Well, first of all, it’s situational. Maybe you already have your CPU for a few years now and you’re trying to squeeze every bit of performance out of it without buying a new chip or something. 

Other than that, it’s also a hobby. Some people just love doing this stuff not so much for the performance that they are getting, but because it’s fun. 

Questions that were answered today: 

  1. What is overclocking? 
  2. Is it harmful? 
  3. Does it cost me anything? 

If you’ve got any more questions, then let us and everyone else know about them in the comments section down below! The WTLS team will try to get back to you as soon as possible along with the rest of our community. 

Choosing the Best VPN Router – Buying Guide

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Choosing the Best VPN Router – Buying Guide

Out in the market for the best VPN router that money can buy, but can’t seem to decide on one? Here’s our guide explaining what a VPN router really is, why you would need it, and a selection of hand-picked VPN routers for you to choose from.

In this modern age of computers, mobile phones, and smart devices that span across homes, online security is in focus. The need for setting up a virtual private network (VPN) has steadily increased over the years in personal and business setting as well, and plenty of services have sprung up to offer the best of it. Whether you’ve chosen to employee a VPN service to mask your online activity from the prying eyes of your ISP, or need one to keep the data that is going through your local network under the wraps, you are going to need a dependable VPN service to get the job done.

Traditionally, you would need to install the VPN service as an app on your computer or mobile device to allow filtering of the incoming and outgoing connection. While this is doable for domestic use around the house and even up to an extent for a small-scale business, how do you make sure that the internet connection on an enterprise level is being put through the protected servers of a VPN service provider? This is where the need for the best VPN router comes in handy, giving you a way to secure the internet connection right at the source, so you don’t need to manually set it up on devices one by one.

What is a VPN Router?

The wireless internet router that you choose to set up for your home or your business is the entry point for any incoming or outgoing online traffic. Generally speaking, we tend to focus on aspects such as bandwidth support and the extent of network connectivity when choosing a wireless router, but seldom do we consider whether it comes with VPN support. Regardless of what your thoughts are on the current state of federal-level web monitoring, it is essential for most workspaces to establish a VPN connection, especially if the business depends on the internet for remote connectivity and work done online.

This is where the need for the best VPN router comes into play, allowing you to bottleneck the incoming and outgoing network traffic. All of the internet traffic is filtered directly through the remote servers of the VPN, thus ensuring that each and every megabyte of data that is sent in and out of the wireless connection is concealed by the VPN service provider that you choose to set up the internet router with.

Why Choose ExpressVPN for your VPN Router?

While there are dozens of VPNs out there, ExpressVPN has managed to make a name for itself not just a preferred service provider, but one that works seamlessly with VPN routers. To sum up all of the advantages that ExpressVPN offers specifically for VPN routers, here’s everything that you need to know:

All-in-one Protection – Rather than grabbing every piece of tech that you have in your work space and home and installing the VPN service app on it, a wireless router with the ability to set up the ExpressVPN service on it directly, helps you streamline the process and save you the trouble of doing the installation process on a bunch of separate devices.

Tightened Security – There’s no point in bolstering the online security on the office computers, if you’re going to end up with employees using their mobile devices to connect to the internet in an unsecured way. An ExpressVPN-powered router makes sure that every bit of data that goes in and out is protected by the highest standards of internet security protocols that ExpressVPN has to offer.

Simplified Interface – While most VPN services do offer a well-designed app for users to download, set up, and start using, ExpressVPN makes it even simpler. Apart from a clean user interface that easily allows you to activate the VPN service and choose your preferred server locations, a feature called “Split Tunneling” allows you to add and remove devices that are included under the protection of ExpressVPN.

What’s the Best VPN Router? – Buying Guide

The dire need of control over the internet freedom and to secure the network connection for businesses and enterprises, VPN routers have become commonly available. We’ve sorted through the sea of options that are available in the market today and shortlisted the best ones, based on the area of service they are required for.

Best VPN Router for Home – Linksys WRT AC3200

The WRT series of wireless routers from Linksys have been a household name in the market for decades now, and the latest Linksys WRT AC3200 retains all of the qualities that users like about the brand. The open-source software design of this home router comes with the ability to flash the DD-WRT firmware for VPN compatibility. Packed with features such as Tri-Stream 160 technology along with ample of connectivity through 4x Gigabit ports, there’s plenty of firepower tucked away in the modest casing of the Linksys WRT AC3200.

Specs:

  • 11ac: 3x 867 Mbps
  • 11n: 600 Mbps
  • 4x Gigabit Ethernet
  • 1x USB 3.0
  • 1 x ESATA/USB 2.0
  • 8GHz dual core CPU

Get the Linksys WRT AC3200

Best VPN Router for Office – Cisco Systems Gigabit Dual WAN VPN Router

This router from Cisco Systems cuts out the fancy additions and adding some core features that corporate offices and enterprises need to fulfil their connectivity requirements. The Dual Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports that have been added to the wireless router by more than a dozen, allow you to hook up multiple devices and smoothly manage the network traffic. VPN capabilities have been advertised fairly on the Cisco Systems Gigabit Dual WAN VPN Router, with a simplified user interface, backed by SSL and IP security right out of the box.

Specs:

  • Dual-Band 802.11a/b/g/n
  • 14x Ethernet
  • 1 x ESATA/USB 2.0
  • Integrated VPN support

Get the Cisco Systems Gigabit Dual WAN VPN Router

Best VPN Router for Gaming – NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S AC2600

For those who don’t want to settle for anything less than the best for their gaming experience, while ensuring complete anonymity online, the NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S AC2600 is the beast to choose. Offering rapid-fire wireless speeds, support for Multi-User MIMO, and Dynamic QoS that prioritizes bandwidth for latency-sensitive services such as video streaming and gaming, you even get the smart integration of Amazon Alexa to control your home network using voice commands.

Specs:

  • AC2600 Wi-Fi – 800+1733 Mbps speeds
  • 2x USB 3.0 and eSATA
  • 4x High-gain external antennas
  • MU-MIMO and Quad Stream technology

Get the NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S AC2600

Best VPN Router for Portability – GL.iNet GL-AR750 Travel AC Router

Allowing you to set up your very own VPN service with the pre-installed WRT/LEDE firmware, GL.iNet GL-AR750 adds an element of portability to high-speed secure internet usage. Powered up by a simple USB connection right from your computer, this travel router comes with plenty of connectivity options not just through the Ethernet ports, but by the support of MicroSD card slot as well. Offering dual-bandwidth support, paired with a high-range antenna allows you to have a full-fledged internet experience no matter where you are.

Specs:

  • Dual-band 300MB/s(2.4 GHz)+433MB/s(5 GHz)
  • Qualcomm QCA9531 SoC,650MHz CPU
  • 10/100 Ethernet port x 3
  • Supports MicroSD storage up to 128GB
  • 80 – 100 meters Wi-Fi Range

Get the GL.iNet GL-AR750 Travel AC Router

Final Words

There is no denying the fact that the internet needs policing, especially due to the growing rate of cybercrime and other malicious online activities. But it doesn’t seem fair that the end-user pays for the sins of a few and being stripped of their internet freedom. The very reason behind the boost in the popularity of VPN services is to help unsuspecting users stay guarded against online threats, while enjoying anonymous access into the World Wide Web.

Integrating the VPN service right into the source of the internet makes your browsing experience more secure, while saving you the trouble of manually enabling and disabling the service each and every time. We’ve chosen to stick with ExpressVPN, since it offers a ability to set up a VPN router not just manually, but directly through the ExpressVPN app as well. Our collection of the best VPN router offerings out there has been curated to help you make the selection easily.

Are you also going to join ExpressVPN and pair it with a VPN-compatible router on the crusade for online freedom? If you do need any assistance in choosing a VPN router, or want to know more about it, just ask for help in the comments section and we’ll surely get back to you.

How to Access iCloud Photo Library – Guide to Manage iCloud Photos

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How to Access iCloud Photo Library – Guide to Manage iCloud Photos

Looking for a method on how to access iCloud Photo Library to view all of your backup up photos and videos? Here’s a complete guide on how you can get hold of all the media saved to your Apple iCloud account in more ways than one.

When the very first iPhone was released back in the year 2007, the smartphone came with 4GB storage space on the base version. For a phone that had just a 2MP camera on the rear and couldn’t even record videos natively, 4 gigabytes of storage space were ample enough. Generation after generation, the iPhone has evolved, bringing more storage space onboard, charging users a premium for the iDevices for the 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants. However, Apple soon realized that users need a cloud storage solution that helps them add virtual space to their iPhones and iPad, and used it as an opportunity for monetization.

Thus, with the release of iPhone 4S, Apple rolled out the iCloud online cloud storage service for Mac and iOS devices in the year 2011. Offering 5GB of online data storage for free to all users, Apple charges a subscription fee to users who can then choose to upgrade the available online storage to 50GB, 200GB, and even a whopping 1TB. With over 800 million users, there are plenty of users who might find the need to learn how to access iCloud Photo Library on their Windows, Mac, and iOS devices. Although being rebranded as “iCloud Photos” after the release of iOS 12, the features of the cloud storage service from Apple have remained the same.

How to Enable iCloud Sync

Before you can have all of your photos and videos synced to the iCloud Photo Library, you need to make sure that the feature is enabled in the first place. Once you have the iCloud backup enabled, the media on your iDevices will begin to sync, and you can then go ahead and learn how to access iCloud Photo Library from multiple platforms.

Enable iCloud Photo Library on iOS

  1. On your iPhone or iPad home screen, head over to the Settings
  2. Scroll down to find the Photos & Camera tab and tap on it.
  3. Press the toggle switch you see next to the option iCloud Photo Library to enable it.
  4. You can enable to options My Photo Stream to automatically upload photos and videos to your iCloud account.
  5. Additionally, the iCloud Photo Sharing option, once enabled, will allow you to share your albums with other users.

Enable iCloud Photo Library on Mac

  1. From the main screen of your Mac OS X computer, open the System Preferences menu and head over to the iCloud
  2. You will be asked to sign in you using your Apple ID and password.
  3. Using the pop-up window, select the iCloud Drive and Photos using the checkbox right next to the two options.
  4. Press the Options button on the Photos tab and make sure that all three of the checkboxes are enabled (iCloud Photo Sharing, My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Sharing) before you press Done to confirm.

How to Access iCloud Photo Library

You may not be a big fan of the closed environment that Apple has created amongst the iOS and Mac OS X devices, but it surely is efficient. By bridging the gap between the storage spaces of your Apple devices using iCloud, you can ensure that every single image and video that you’ve ever shot or has been shared with you, is safe in the cloud.

Even if you don’t own a suite of Apple devices to seamlessly share media content amongst each other, the ability to have all of your cherished moments safe and sound is reassuring to say the least. Whether you end up losing your iPhone or iPad or breaking it beyond repair, you can always rely on iCloud Photo Library to safeguard the media automatically.

How to Access iCloud Photo Library on Windows

For those who tend to use iTunes to manage the content on their iPhone and iPad with a Windows PC, chances are that you have iCloud installed already. However, if you did not choose to install iCloud along with the iTunes bundle, you can start off by doing so now.

  1. Download and install the iCloud app for Windows using the link given here – Download iCloud for Windows.
  2. Once you open the iCloud app on your Windows computer, you will be asked to sign in using your Apple ID and password.
  3. Next to the Photos icon, press the Options button and select iCloud Photo Library from the list of options.
  4. You can then choose to the Download, Upload, and iCloud Photo Sharing folders on your Windows computer accordingly.
  5. Using the File Explorer on your Windows PC, you will be able to access the iCloud Photos folder under the Favorites
  6. Once synced, you will be able to see the photos and videos in your iCloud account through the three folders – Downloads, Uploads, and Shared

How to Access iCloud Photo Library using Web Browser

Apple has designed iCloud to be the true web-based data storage platform, which is why is available as a web-based service as well. Using a supported desktop browser such as Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or any other, you can sign into your iCloud account online and gain access to the entire Photos Library on the go.

  1. Open a new browser tab and head over to the iCloud website using the following link – www.icloud.com.
  2. You will then be asked to enter your Apple ID and password to access your iCloud Photos and other data through the web client.
  3. The interface of iCloud is quite similar to that of iPhone or iPad, with app-shaped icons for you to open and view the contents.
  4. Apart from the media in the Photos and iCloud Drive app, you will also be able to access the Mail, Contacts, Notes, Reminders, and a lot more through the web version of iCloud.
  5. Finally, you can open the Photos app icon and understand how to access the iCloud Photo Library online from anywhere, at any time.

Final Words

Once you have enabled iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS X devices, you will be able to view, manage, and easily delete your images and videos from a centralized platform. Based on the storage plan that you have selected, you will be able to upload, download, and share media files directly through the iCloud app for Windows, or simply by using the web-based platform.

Were you able to figure out how to access iCloud Photo Library using a Windows computer or by just going online over to www.icloud.com to access all of your iPhone and iPad data remotely? Be sure to ask away any questions that you may have in the comments section listed down below, and we’ll get back to you at the earliest.

How Much Does it Cost To Build A Gaming PC?

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We’ve all heard the argument: “Why buy a gaming PC when you can get a console without spending nearly as much?”. And the truth is that building a gaming PC is expensive. Or is it? The price will greatly vary depending on what you’re aiming for. So, how much does it cost to build a gaming PC really? Well, let’s find out!

How Much Does it Cost To Build A Gaming PC? Entry Level

My choice of specs: 

  1. Motherboard: GIGABYTE B450 AORUS M= $74
  2. Case: Thermaltake V200= $70
  3. CPU: Ryzen 3 2200G= $87
  4. GPU: Integrated
  5. RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 2666MHz (X2)= $58
  6. Storage: Kingston 120GB A400 (SSD) and WD Blue 1TB= $64
  7. PSU: Corsair CX 650= $70
  8. Total: $423

This setup should deliver at least 30FPS in 1080P low/medium settings for pretty much all games that are out there right now. If it can play something like AC Origins, then it can definitely handle everything else. And it goes without saying that it can handle esports titles like CS: GO easily while delivering more than 100FPS (depending on settings and resolution).

More or less a console-like experience for a console-like price. For the money, this is an extremely good setup which gives you a lot of upgradability options. In fact, simply putting a good GPU in there could turn this into an awesome mid-range build. And if you’re up to the task, upgrading the CPU and RAM later will basically give you a high-end PC without having to buy everything again from scratch. 

Now, you could probably save a hundred bucks or more by skimping a bit on the PSU, motherboard, case, or storage. However, I’d advise against it.

You see, if there is one thing that you don’t want to cheap out, then that’s the PSU – maybe also the case. A crappy PSU can destroy your whole computer and a cheap case leaves you with bad airflow and limited choices for upgradeability. So, yeah. And don’t get me started on faulty motherboards. They can be a pain in the butt.

Speaking about power supplies, this is definitely overkill for this build. But, it gives you more room for upgrading without having to get a new one.

How Much Does it Cost To Build A Gaming PC? Mid-Range Build

My choice of specs: 

  1. Motherboard: MSI X470 Gaming Plus= $137
  2. Case: NZXT H500i= $90
  3. CPU: Ryzen 5 2600= $145
  4. GPU: GTX 1660 Ti= $280
  5. RAM: HyperX Predator 8×2= $124
  6. Storage: Kingston 120GB A400 (SSD) and WD Blue 1TB= $64
  7. PSU: Corsair RM560x= $90
  8. Total: $930

For a little bit less than a thousand dollars, this mid to high-end build allows you to run almost everything out there at 1080P, ultra, 60FPS. If you’re willing to drop down the settings you can move on to 1440P as well. You can even go up to 4K. But, you’ll have to accept lower framerates for that. 

Compared to our cheaper build, we’ve now ditched the APU setup and we got ourselves a more powerful processor along with a dedicated graphics card. Since this setup uses more power, produces more heat, and gives the option of using much more powerful parts along with overclocking, we decided to go with a more reliable PSU. Hence the RM650x. 

The case also gives you lots of cooling, room for drives, extra fans, and upgradeability options. RGB is included in numerous parts as well – if you’re into this sort of thing. 

Last but not least, we also added more and faster RAM as AMD CPUs greatly benefit from this sort of thing. Overall, this is a very powerful build which will leave little to be desired. 

How Much Does it Cost To Build A Gaming PC? High-End/Very Powerful Build

My choice of specs: 

  1. Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 Aorus= $230
  2. Case: Corsair Crystal 570X= $160
  3. CPU: Core i7-9700K= $400
  4. GPU: RTX 2080Ti= $1,280
  5. RAM: Ballistix Sport 16×2= $200
  6. Storage: Samsung 970 Pro 1TB + WD Black 4TB= $497
  7. PSU: Corsair RM 750i= $120
  8. Total: $2,887

Flirting with a $3k price tag, this setup is the ultimate gaming machine. It can easily deliver 60FPS on 4K and well over 100FPS at 1080P max settings. 

This time I decided to move over to Intel since it delivers better performance on the high-end spectrum. And though the 3rd generation of Ryzen 7 is right around the corner, we still haven’t seen any real-life usage from it (At the time of writing this article). A Core i9 is completely overkill for gaming so let’s leave that out of the way. 

Apart from that, memory, storage, and the GPU are several steps ahead from our last build. In fact, only the GPU costs more than our mid-range build. 

You can cut more than 400 bucks by taking it easy on the RAM and storage. But, if you’re going to make a high-end 4K build, you may as well go all out. At least that’s what I thought while making this setup. 

The PSU and case aren’t a huge upgrade in any way. The only difference is that this power supply delivers 100 more watts and also offers power monitoring with software. Also fan control, if memory serves right. The case is just a bit fancier, but, other than that, more or less the same thing functionality wise. 

Overall, this is one of the most powerful gaming computers that you can get – if not the most powerful. If you’re into enthusiast stuff, you can go even higher with a threadripper and dual or even quad GPU setups and a monster power supply. But, again, that’s more about having a hobby and bragging rather than owning a functional gaming machine. 

Wrapping Up

How much does it cost to build a gaming pc

So, how much does a gaming PC cost? As I showcased in great detail, the price can greatly vary depending on what you want and how much you’re willing to sacrifice for each build. 

You can start from as low as 300-400 bucks (or lower if you’re looking into the used market) and go well over the $3K mark. It’s all about how much you are willing to spend and what you need. 

For example, if you’ve got a 1080P/60Hz monitor sitting around your house, then getting a high-end build for it is silly. Chances are that you won’t notice the difference in performance between the two since you don’t get to see the extra FPS and you won’t be able to go into higher resolutions either. You get my point. 

F.A.Q

  • Why is it that most of the builds are based on AMD and Nvidia? Are you a fanboy? – No. It’s just that AMD offers a better value on the CPU market and Nvidia dominates the mid to high-end GPU market. There’s no room for debate over that. 
  • That case/motherboard is bad. Why not get X choice instead? – Nobody stops you from choosing something else. That’s the magic of PC building. If you don’t like a motherboard or case for any reason, you can go with another one. In most cases, no pun intended, cases and motherboards aren’t just “better” compared to each other. Just different. 
  • Why not just go with the cheapest case? Doesn’t make a difference. – Airflow and room for upgradeability is a big deal. Both can royally screw you over down the line. 
  • I’ve got a cheap PSU and it’s been working well for years. Why go with a premium choice? – Cheap power supplies have a much higher chance of ruining one of your components or even blowing up and destroying your whole build. Maybe the odds are 1 in a 100, 1,000, more, are you still gonna take the risk? You’re risking hundreds of dollars just to save 50 bucks or so.
  • Both Intel and the RTX 2080Ti are bad value. Why recommend them? – Because they offer the best performance that you can get right now. If you want the most powerful PC that you can build out of the enthusiast range, you don’t have any other options. 
  • A 1TB SSD AND a 4TB HDD? Why? – Look at the previous answer. Same thing. Do you want the “almost reasonable” best? That’s probably it.

If you’ve noticed any mistakes, and I’m almost certain that there will be a couple, let me know about them. Reasonable recommendations are welcome as well. 

Other interesting articles

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Best Headphones for Gaming in 2019

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How to buy Used iPhone 8: The Safe Method

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Buying used electronics can be a risky business. You often don’t have any warranty and you don’t even know if you’ll get something that’s working or that’s in good condition in the first place. So, how do you buy a used iPhone 8 while avoiding such things? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out today!

Why Go For A Used iPhone 8? 

used iphone 8

So, first things first, why go for a used iPhone 8? After all, as mentioned above, there are quite a few risks when buying a used device. Is there something that justifies those risks? Actually, there is!

Used phones are obviously much cheaper and you often get the option of choosing an unlocked model. So, not only you can get your phone for a lower price but you also get to use your phone with every carrier you want. Unlocking services usually cost money. So, this basically gives you two things for the price of one!

Speaking of carriers, a used phone means that you’re not tied to any contracts! This is useful if you don’t like the pricing options or the services of the specific carrier that you have chosen as you’ll be able to move away from them anytime you want. 

Last, but not least, the used market is full of choices that are not officially available in stores. For example, finding a brand new iPhone is not just expensive, but also tough because availability is going down the drain every time that a new model comes out.

Also, let us not forget to mention that some sellers will include refurbished phones that are brand new. If you’re not familiar with it, refurbishing is a process of restoring a used product to a brand-new like state. So, you basically get a used phone that can’t be distinguished from a new one while paying only for a fraction of the full price. 

Still interested in getting a used device? Let’s move on with the guide then!

Things To Look Out For When Searching For A Used iPhone 8

Again, buying used products can be a bit risky. Especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. And that’s especially true for electronics; be it a used iPhone 8 or whatever it is that may be looking for. 

There are a few things to look out for and if you follow them you’re almost certain to get a good buy. 

1: Only Shop From Reputable Re-sellers

buy used or refurbished iphone 8

When buying a brand new product, pretty much any retailer will get the job done. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with used phones as well. 

See, there are numerous ways for the seller to screw you over. He may sell you something defective and claim that you broke it! He may lie about the device being unlocked while it’s actually locked, and more!

This is why you should only buy from sellers who are known to do their job well. Swappa and Amazon are two of the most popular choices when it comes to used electronics. 

Swappa, in particular, is more or less entirely focused on selling used stuff. So, by taking both its popularity and standing into account, we’d say that it’s a very solid choice for buying a used iPhone 8 or any phone that’s available there, really.

Then there’s also Amazon and everyone knows who they are so you can’t go wrong with them, right? Well, not exactly. Amazon still relies a lot on 3rd party sellers and there have been numerous times where their products weren’t as described. 

Don’t get me wrong. Amazon is still a much better choice than any unknown, random seller. But, websites that are specialized on selling used stuff like Swappa are often a more reliable choice for this sort of thing.

Get A Used or Refurbished Phone From Swappa

 

2: Condition

A common rookie mistake from beginners is that they focus so much on pricing that they forget about the condition of the device. Good or refurbished often means that the phone is close to brand-new in terms of quality. 

Mint and below may mean that the device has visible marks of use but is still fully operatable. Things like marks, scratches, and stuff like that. Be especially wary of screen marks as that can actually affect your experience and can even make it easier for the display to break under a small fall or something. 

Only for repairs means that the phone isn’t working normally and is only to be used for parts. For example, it may be that the device doesn’t boot but it still has a working screen. So, if you are looking for a new display to replace your broken one, then that’s what these phones are used for. 

If possible, try to look for photos of evidence as well. Especially on websites like eBay that are almost fully based on how good their 3rd party sellers are. 

3: Carrier Restrictions

Verizon

This is another common trap that beginners fall into. You get your used iPhone 8, or whatever your choice is. But, to your shock, you get no signal. Only then do you realize that the phone was actually carrier locked and now you have to either return it or pay extra money for an unlocking service. 

Websites like Swappa always mention the carrier of each device. So, do make sure to pay attention to it. If you already have a preference and feel alright with being bound to a single carrier, sure, nothing wrong with choosing a locked device. 

However, if you don’t know which carrier to go with then a locked device is a big no. After all, once you get a locked device, there’s no going back. Unless, of course, you’re willing to pay that extra money for unlocking. 

For this reason, you can consider getting an unlocked device. In theory, unlocked devices should work with every carrier out there. But, in reality, some of them may prevent you from getting access to their services simply because you own a device that is not theirs. So, do keep that in mind!

4. Import Fees And Taxes

This is something that applies to online shopping in general – not just used phones. See, when you get something that’s considered slightly expensive from outside of your country, you’re often required to pay extra import fees and taxes. So, do look out for that. 

The price that you are going to pay and the price that is required to get into this process differs from country to country. So, you better make your own research on this one. 

Europe generally asks for an order of at least 22 euros before you have to start paying fees. But, again, make your own research. 

 

 

Is Kodi Illegal to Use? Here’s What You Need to Know

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Are you among those who wonders that is Kodi illegal to use and want to find out more about it? Here’s a complete breakdown of everything you need to know about the open-source media streaming platform and the complexity around its legal status.

In the past decade, there has been a tectonic shift in the way users across the world enjoy entertaining content. The growth of infrastructure across developed nations, and the advent of wireless high-speed internet connectivity has paved way for online streaming entertainment. In a world of premium subscription services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and many others, Kodi media player has risen in popularity. Although Kodi is entirely different from the pay-to-view subscription entertainment services, the ability to stream content online is what has put so much focus on this open-source media streaming platform lately.

As the popularity of Kodi media player has risen, several Kodi media boxes for home entertainment have become readily available in the market. There are certain aspects of this platform that have come under scrutiny over the years, especially the ability of Kodi that allows you to install “Add-ons”. Some of the popular Kodi add-ons have been identified to distribute pirated content, which has led to serious crackdown from federal authorities. However, Kodi media player continues to hold it legal status, so here’s what you need to know about the media platform, is Kodi illegal to use with your devices, and everything in between.

To learn how to install Kodi on your devices, read some of our key guides:

How to install Kodi on Amazon Firetv and Firestick

How to install Kodi on iPhone

How to install Kodi on Ruku

The Backstory of Kodi

When the original Microsoft Xbox came out back in the year 2001, it came with a host of multimedia streaming features. However, Microsoft did not design the original Xbox for this purpose and kept these elements of the system on a lockdown. The Xbox user community, however, wanted more from the gaming console, which is why the concept of the XBMC (Xbox Media Center) was brought to life. As the community for an all-in-one media streaming platform has grown, Kodi has become increasingly popular, but attracted both, raving positive feedback, along with negative attention as well, raising the question that is Kodi illegal to use in the first place.

The strong demand for an open-source media player such as Kodi has attracted plenty of attention worldwide, which is why you can install the platform on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and even low-powered micro-computer devices like the Raspberry Pi. The software is now more than a decade old, but the millions-strong community behind it ensures that the service stays up to date at each and every step. More than just a streaming platform, Kodi comes with multi-format support, allowing you to connect all of your smart devices to a singular hub over the web.

Kodi is 100% Legal

Before you proceed any further to understand the clouded opinions around the legality of Kodi, we’re here to confirm that the Kodi media player is legal. The standalone open-source software, separated from its questionable and third-party add-ons, remains safe and legal to use. If Kodi media player in general was questionable in any way, you would not be able to find versions of the Kodi media player app on the official Windows Store, Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and other mainstream app marketplaces.

The question that is Kodi illegal comes into place due to the recent wave of bans on Kodi streaming devices. Popular online e-commerce websites such as Amazon have recently taken a stance against the streaming devices being sold on its website, which comes with Kodi pre-installed and ready for use. However, these Kodi media streaming boxes also come with a bunch of third-party Kodi add-ons installed right out of the box. Most of these add-ons are not endorsed by Kodi is any way, due to the fact that they allow users to access copyright content.

The open-source nature of Kodi allows developers to create and deploy their very own Kodi add-ons, which brings the ability to watch movies, live TV and more. Kodi media player may aid in the distribution of such content, but the XMBC Foundation behind it, neither endorses, nor advocates for the use of Kodi in such manner. Regardless of whether you find the ability to watch movies and TV shows freely using Kodi objectionable or not, the media streaming platform is absolutely legal to use.

How to use Kodi Legally

For those who want to take official route and want to use Kodi the way it is actually intended to be used, there are plenty of great things you can do. Rather than focusing on the shady add-ons that are available by the dozens, here’s how you can make the most out of the media player without having to wonder that is Kodi illegal to use freely:

Watching Local Content

While the tens of thousands of Kodi add-ons have bundled together an ocean of possibilities for the user, the core aspect of Kodi continues to be the same. The media streaming platform was, and still is intended to be a way for you to access, manage, and view content that you already have available.  Read our guide that cover the best Kodi Addons. 

Kodi media player gives you the ability to connect directly to services such as DirectTV NOW, Netflix, and many others, allowing you to legally stream content on Kodi using your premium subscription account. Additionally, if you own the original boxset to a movie or a TV show, you can watch it online using Kodi without any concerns.

Official Kodi Add-ons

The world of Kodi add-ons may have been taken over by a wave of unauthorized repositories, but XBMC Foundation continues to keep the dream of genuine and 100% legal Kodi add-ons alive. The official repository for add-ons by Kodi hosts thousands of plugins that can be installed directly from the Kodi media player itself and updated automatically.

You can find a wide range of entertainment Kodi add-ons for YouTube, music streaming through SoundCloud, enjoy open-source emulators for retro gaming, get direct access to the news through official broadcast add-ons as well. The add-ons included in the official Kodi repository are vetted by the developers, so you can rest assured knowing that they are official made available and legal to use at all times.

ExpressVPN for Kodi is Essential

So you’ve decided to try out the numerous add-ons available for Kodi media player, even if some of them may lie is the gray area. We’re not here to judge, but before you go ahead and start using some of the popular unofficial Kodi add-ons that are available, you need to be prepared for it. For most of the Kodi add-ons that offer premium entertainment content for free, you should have your guard up and employee a VPN service. By keeping your viewing experience anonymous at all times using a VPN, you can keep your online activity hidden from your ISP and prevent being flagged.

We recommend using ExpressVPN for Kodi due to the range of features that are tailored for you to have a satisfying viewing experience. Several Kodi add-ons are region-restricted to the United States, so enjoying them may not be a possible for users residing in other countries. ExpressVPN offers remote servers in more than a dozen countries across the globe, so you can set up a virtual location and browse anonymously from anywhere at any time. With military-grade encryption that has been put in place by ExpressVPN, you don’t have to worry about your browsing activities being flagged by your ISP or the federal authorities.

Since ExpressVPN is also available as a cross-platform service just like Kodi, you can install it on your Windows PC, Max OS X, Android, iOS, and even streaming devices such as Amazon Fire TV and Android TV devices. Because you’re going to use Kodi for media streaming, you need a VPN service that does not hinder the data transfer speeds. Compared to most VPN services out there, ExpressVPN has been tested to have little to no effect on the upload and download speeds across the different servers, making it the right choice for streaming entertaining content.

Final Words

From being just a method to use the original Xbox as a media player, to becoming a global sensation in online media management – Kodi sure has come a long way. Out of all the open-source entertainment platforms out there, Kodi has been the one that has steadily grown with each passing year. The recent crackdown on the long list of Kodi streaming boxes has certainly put a dent in the reputation that Kodi media player has built. If the recent headlines have started to make you wonder that is Kodi illegal to use, then you don’t need to worry one bit, since Kodi media player is completely legal.

Do you use Kodi media player within its legal limitations with only the official Kodi add-ons, or have you decided to dive into the sea of unofficial Kodi add-ons that bring services such as live TV, movies, and TV shows for free? If you have any questions regarding Kodi or any of its related features, just ask away in the comments section down below, and we’ll get back to you right away.

Phone Charging Slow Lately? Here’s How to Fix It

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Is your phone charging slow and there doesn’t seem to be anything that can help you get it up to speed? Here’s our complete guide on what you need to do to get your phone all charged up faster and understand the reason behind the extended charging time.

Back in the day when mobile devices were used for nothing more than phone calls and the most basic texting, battery capacity was not a concern. Early-age mobile phones such as the Nokia 3310 were legendary for the screen-on time that they offered, allowing users to go days on a single charge. There was nothing revolutionary about the quality of the battery that was offered in the older mobile phones, but rather the limitations that these devices posed when compared to the modern smartphone. Comparing the mobile phones from the 90s to the modern iPhone and Android phones, the two are incomparable.

The latest and great smartphones are capable of handling communication through video calling, stream high-quality content through Wi-Fi, play hours of music, and do so much more with thousands of apps that are out there. But all of this firepower comes at the cost of screen-on time, where even the meatiest smartphones such as the Galaxy S10 offer nothing more than one day of screen-on time. While the technology behind batteries has somewhat remained the same, the one area where mobile phones in general have evolved is the charging time required to juice up. From taking overnight to charge all the way up to 100%, to requiring just a few hours, fast charging has been a game changer.

Phone Charging Slow Lately? Here’s How to Fix It

Qualcomm has developed fast charging technology such as Quick Charge and brands such as OnePlus offering Warp Charge that goes from 0 to 50 in less than 30 minutes. These high-speed charging standards may cause you to expect nothing less than a couple of hours of charging time. However, there are aspects that can slow down the charging speed of your mobile phone, which sometimes may be obviously noticeable, and other times, it may not seem too obvious. There can be multiple factors behind the reason why the phone charging slow problem, and here’s how you can resolve each of them:

Issue #1 – Damaged Charging Cable

If you’ve had your mobile phone for a couple of years now, chances are that you’ve been using it with the same USB cable that came in the box. While most cables these days are built with good quality materials, thousands of cycles of plugging in and out can cause wear and tear over time. Even when the charging cable may seem fully-functional from the outside, broken pins at the either ends of the cable can affect the flow of charge from the adapter to the device.

The very first course of action should be replacing the USB cable with a newer, preferably the one that supports high-speed charging. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to choose a USB cable that comes with a braided or thickened inner and outer layer, which will prevent the integrity of the charging cable to be hindered even after years of use. You can also test the charging cable with another device to confirm whether the issue lies with the USB cable or not.

Issue #2 – Inefficient Power Source

Apart from the USB cable that brings the power supply to your phone, it is equally important to consider if enough juice is being supplied to your phone in the first place. You can expect optimal charging speeds with the charging adapter that is included with the device. For instance, if you choose to charge your OnePlus device with another charging adapter, the Warp Charge technology will not work, thus causing the phone charging slow down significantly.

Using the USB port on your computer is not the most efficient way of charging your device either, since it offers less than 1A of energy output. You can try replacing the power adapter with a newer one, especially with a Qualcomm Quick Charge adapter (if your phone supports the fast charging standard). You can then expect to reduce the time that is required by your smartphone to charge all the way up to 100%.

Issue #3 – Battery Problems

Several users across the board have reported that the phone charging time seems to increase as the device gets older. Although this specific issue should not occur on newer mobile devices, but it wouldn’t be unheard of, if your new phone also begins to experience battery problems. While new phones can be serviced (for free in most cases), older devices will either need a battery replacement to fix the problem for good.  

For those who still seem to own mobile devices that come with a rear panel that can simply be popped out (like the Galaxy S5, LG G5, and others), replacing the battery is fairly simple. However, for the newer generation of mobile phones can come with batteries coffined inside a glass or metal back panel, visiting a professional to have the battery replaced with a new one is the only way out of the slow charging issue.  Or you can replace your battery yourself.  For iPhone battery replacement or Samsung Battery replacement, read these articles.

Issue #4 – Usage Pattern

Although this should be a no-brainer, but the amount of time to keep that phone turned on significantly affects the time period required to charge the phone. The biggest power-hungry element of your smartphone is the screen, and with the latest crop offering Full-HD and Quad-HD displays, you can expect the juice to drain out significantly faster when you keep using the phone while its charging.

The processing power, combined with the display and even the speakers, can all come together to cause your phone charging slow down. In addition, if you have a weak power source or a damaged power cable that is feeding a reduced power supply to your device, you might even end up losing a couple of percent of battery charge even while it is continuously being charged.

Issue #5 – Background Processes

While everything on the surface may seem fine, there could be a collection of apps and services that may be wreaking havoc on the battery life of your phone in the background. If you have a high-graphic game running in the background, it can take up enough processing power to slow down the charging speed of your mobile phone, even when the screen is turned off and you’ve exited the app. To get a better understanding of what’s eating away at the battery life, you can check it out in the Settings app here:

  1. From the home screen of your mobile phone, head over to the Settings
  2. Through the Settings menu, scroll down to find the Battery tab and open it.
  3. In the Battery menu, you will be able to see a list of apps, along with a percentage right next to them, which will highlight the amount of power it has consumed.

The list of apps can help you find the hidden culprit behind the battery draining and phone charging slow issue that the phone is experiencing. You can also ensure that all of the background apps and services have been closed while you leave the phone to charge.

Issue #6 – Faulty Charging Port

This may seem like a far-fetched possibility, but you’d be surprised how often the charging port of mobile phones can get damaged. The probability of you ending up with a wonky USB port increases significantly if your smartphone has a MicroUSB slot for charging. While the reversible USB Type-C makes the likelihood of USB port damage significantly less, there can still be issues regarding obstruction by debris and corrosion.

Carrying around the phone in your pocket can cause all sorts of dirt and grit to get lodged into the tiny USB port, which can, in some cases, affect the charging speed. Be it from the humid climate or moisture that may have made its way into the USB port, there’s always a chance of corrosion as well, which can also cause severe issues. Either way, we recommend that rather than taking up the job of fixing the problem yourself, you have the phone serviced by a professional.

Issue #7 – Software Problem

The way the mobile manufacturer designs the system software also generally affects the battery life of the smartphone. Although you usually expect a software update to improve the performance of your device, the manufacturer can “pull an oopsie” and roll out a software update that breaks more things than it fixes. There have been numerous where Apple and Android OEMs have released software updates that have caused charging issues with the devices.

If you recently updated your smartphone and have started to experience the phone charging slow lately, then the two could be connected. You can reach out to the software support team and expect the issue to be fixed by an upcoming update, or take matters in your own hand and perform a factory reset. Wiping clean the mobile phone would most likely do away with the broken elements of the system update that is messing with your phone’s charging capacity, so it’s a good idea to use the action as a last resort.

Final Words

Maybe the advent of fast charging technology has spoilt us a little, but not having your phone all juiced up within a few hours can be infuriating. As you can see from the list of possibilities above, the reason behind your phone charging slow is not tied down to a single factor. However, we’ve gathered the intel from users and community forums all over the internet to see what seemed to affect their phone’s charging time, and how they were able to fix it.

Are you among those who have been experiencing slow charging issues on their mobile phones lately? Have you uncovered a specific reason behind the problem that we might’ve overlooked? Be sure to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section right down below.

 

How To Easily Unlock iCloud-Locked iPhone Account?

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Easy Ways To Unlock iCloud Account on iPhone

 (WE HAVE NEW  TESTING RESULTS FOR 2019 – UPDATED) 

SUMMARY:  

Is it possible to unlock iCloud?

Did you recently purchase a used iPhone and realized that the phone is locked to the previous iCloud account? If your iPhone has an iCloud lock on it, it means that regardless of how much you paid for your second-hand phone, the previous owner can still block you from using it. They can do this by keeping the device locked to their iCloud account and not allowing you to log into the phone.There are two ways to get an iCloud unlocked by having the previous owner unlock it or by using a service that specializes in unlocking iCloud locks.  The service frees your phone from the previous owner’s account and allows you to setup your own unlocked iCloud account on that phone, meaning you can start making calls, sending messages, and using apps.

Of the 9 iCloud activation unlock services we found and 2 we tested, the fastest, cheapest, and best supported provider is AppleiPhoneUnlock. They unlocked all 12 accounts we sent them, for the least money, and did it in the fastest time.

Recommended Unlocking Service
AppleiPhoneUnlock is quick, convenient, cheap and safe. It doesn’t get any better than that right? Unlock iCloud account with AppleiPhoneUnlock.

 

At the start of 2014, Apple added a quirk to iOS7 that changed the way that iPhone accounts were made available. It was a little thing called iCloud  Bypass Activation Lock. The change made to iOS 7 (and carried through to iOS10, iOS11 and iOS 12) is that your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch is now locked to your personal iCloud account.

This means when you restart your Apple device you have to enter your iCloud username and password to access the features, functions, and files.

It’s not a big problem when you’re just using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, but when you buy a second-hand device from StarGazer77 on eBay, and he doesn’t either remove his iCloud details or give you his access details, the phone is useless. Literally, useless.

It doesn’t matter if you reset it, jailbreak it, allow the battery to run completely flat, or pay someone to hack into it, you couldn’t use the phone. That means your $400 is down the drain, and you’re left with most expensive paperweight you’ve ever purchased.

In response to the massive demand that suddenly sprung up from disgruntled consumers who’d legitimately bought an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and couldn’t use it, clever providers started investigating ways to bypass this barrier.

There were a lot of false starts and loopholes closed by Apple, but eventually, a fool-proof loophole emerged. And now, you can get the iCloud activation lock removed and use the iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch you paid your hard earned money for.

 

Choosing the right iCloud Unlock Provider

With all the providers flooding the market, it became difficult to tell who could legitimately unlock your iCloud account and who was just a scam shopfront setup to rip you off.

After being scammed three times by ‘Official’ unlock solutions, I decided to test and review them to find out who was the most reliable.

Click here to skip testing methodology and go straight to the reviews

Why I’m qualified to tell you this

There are no degrees available in iCloud unlocking so there are no technical qualifications I could hold to make me more qualified than the next guy to tell you about iCloud unlock, but there is one thing that makes me more of an expert than anyone else: testing.

I’ve reviewed 9 providers and tested 3 providers on all active iPhone models. And the simple fact that I’ve actually tested these providers with all models makes me the expert in the space.

There are other reviews available but most of them have never reviewed even one carrier, let alone reviewed all nine. That’s why I’m qualified to tell you this.

It’s easy.  The steps to unlock with a service.

Step 1 – Visit the one of the recommended services we review found below in this article

Step 2 – Enter your IMEI or Serial Number of your phone or device

  • If your iPhone is active: Dial *#06# to get your IMEI or go to Settings -> General -> About -> then Scroll down to find the IMEI number
  • If your device is not active: Located on the activation screen, there will be a little “i” icon on the screen. Tap to that button and you will get your IMEI number

Step 3 – Wait for confirmation that your iCloud Lock has been unlocked!

Step 4 – Now create a new account and start using your device

This service works on all iPhone 7, 7 plus, 6, 6 plus, 5S, 5C, 5, 4S, 4 and iPad 4, 3, 2 Air 2.

Test Methodology For Having iCloud Locked

what to do when you have your icloud lockedThe way I conducted these tests was simple. First of all, I Googled iCloud unlock providers and drew up a list of everyone I could find. After removing services that didn’t look like they were still active, I was left with nine services.

The next step in the process was to cull that list down from nine operators to my top three. I wanted my test of each operator to be comprehensive and complete and it wasn’t possible to rigorously test all 9 operators. To do this, I jumped onto review websites such as TrustPilot and  RipoffReport to weed out any obviously dodgy operators.

I read the reviews and tallied up the average score of each service provider giving me an average score for each. I cut the lowest scoring six services and was left with three to test.

To make sure I had enough devices to thoroughly test each provider, I put the call out to all my readers to get iPhones that need unlocking. I wanted to get people in a variety of countries and using a variety of models.

Of the 73 who responded, I chose 12 to test (12 for each provider):

  • 1 x iPhone X
  • 1 x  iPhone XS
  • 1 x iPhone XS Max
  • 1 x iPhone 8
  • 1 x iPhone 7
  • 1 x iPhone 7 Plus
  • 1 x iPhone 6
  • 1 x iPhone 6 Plus
  • 1 x iPhone 6s
  • 1 x iPhone 6s Plus
  • 1 x iPad Pro 2018
  • 1 x iPad Air

The chosen applicants then sent me their IMEI codes and I placed the orders.

Testing Criteria

The iCloud providers were judged based on 4 criteria:

Criteria 1: Price

Price range varied greatly between providers. Some were as little as $15 whilst others were as much as $149. There are very few people on this earth who can purchase services without being price conscious so this is where we started our assessment.

Criteria 2: Customer service

Locked out of iCloud accountHanding over your device details and a chunk of cash to an unknown website to perform a service you know very little about can be a little nerve-wracking, but having a supportive and understanding person on the other end of the customer support line can help calm those nerves.

We tested each service provider three times during the course of the unlocking process:

  • Before the purchase
  • After the purchase but before the unlock was complete
  • After the unlock was complete

This was to get a comprehensive understanding of who was really there to help and who was there just to take your money.

Criteria 3: Success

What the point in great prices and caring customer support if they can deliver on what they promised? Because of this, the third criteria is: success. It’s a simple pass/fail criteria. If the iCloud account was unlocked, it was a success. If not, then no.

Criteria 4: Speed

Getting your iCloud account unlocked is great, but waiting can be frustrating. To compare apples to apples, we didn’t assess the sites on how long they said it would take to free the iCloud account, just how long it actually took to unlock them.

After processing all of this data, we can confidently say that the following two providers are the best.

 

The Top 2 iCloud Unlock Providers

As with anything in life, not all iCloud activation unlock providers are the same. Some have low prices but no customer support. Some will answer your email within five minutes, but take four weeks to unlock your iPhone.

After assessing 9 providers and testing them, these are the top two providers:

1. AppleiPhoneUnlock – 9.5/10 (Best iCloud Unlock Provider)

AppleiPhoneUnlock.uk  is my number 1 choice for iCloud unlocks. We’ve tested them based on the above four criteria and they came out  top in all four.

PROs: 

First of all, they unlocked every device we sent them. They were assigned versions of iPads and  iPhone models from 6 to XS to unlock and completed every single one of them (the only one to do so). That’s always a good place to start.

Secondly, they unlocked them all quickly. The total time for completing all twelve iPhones was only a TOTAL of 24 days. This is the breakdown:

  • 1 x iPhone X – 2 days
  • 1 x  iPhone XS – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone XS Max – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone 8 – 3 days
  • 1 x iPhone 7 – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone 7 Plus – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone 6 – 1 day
  • 1 x iPhone 6 Plus – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone 6s – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone 6s Plus – 1 day
  • 1 x iPad Pro 2018 – 3 days
  • 1 x iPad Air – 2 days

When you consider that most iCloud unlock providers take at least a week, this is stellar.

unlocked phone message in iTunesThirdly, their customer support rocks. I contacted them before, during, and after the service was completed and the most I ever had to wait to hear back was forty-five minutes.And even better than that, when I did contact them, they were polite, helpful, and answered my questions completely.

And finally, they’re the cheapest of the bunch. They might only be $1 cheaper than our #2 recommendation, but we live in a world where every dollar counts and it’s better to have it in your pocket than someone else’s!

CONs: 

Unfortunately, there’s nothing really to write here. I try to make my reviews as unbiased and even-handed as possible and I don’t have anything to add right now. Could their customer support have responded in less than 45 minutes? Sure, they could have, but it wouldn’t have made that much difference. Could they have unlocked all the iCloud accounts in less time? Possibly, but it wouldn’t have made that much difference.

Without nit-picking for the sake of it, there’s nothing to really add here.

OVERALL:

AppleiPhoneUnlock was the only provider to unlock all 6 accounts and because of that, they’re my #1 choice. And if that wasn’t enough, they have great customer service, the cheapest prices (even if it’s only by $1), and they’re the fastest of the group.

If your iPhone is locked to an iCloud account and you need to get it unlocked, you need to use AppleiPhoneUnlock.

 

2. DoctorUnlock – 7.5/10 

DoctorUnlock  is my second choice. Not because they’re a terrible provider, but simply because they’re not as good as AppleiPhoneUnlock..

PROs: 

DoctorUnlock mostly do what they say they’re going to do. I purchased 12 iCloud unlocks and they managed to unlock 11 of them. 11 out of 12 isn’t bad when you consider that most providers have less than a 50% success rate, but it’s still not 8 out of 8.

The total time it took to unlock the iCloud accounts was longer than advertised (30 days total), but they still delivered. Here’s a breakdown of how long it took to unlock each iCloud account.

  • 1 x iPhone X – 3 days
  • 1 x  iPhone XS – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone XS Max – 3 days
  • 1 x iPhone 8 – 3 days
  • 1 x iPhone 7 – 4 days
  • 1 x iPhone 7 Plus – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone 6 – 2 day
  • 1 x iPhone 6 Plus – 2 days
  • 1 x iPhone 6s – 3 days
  • 1 x iPhone 6s Plus – 1 day
  • 1 x iPad Pro 2018 – 3 days
  • 1 x iPad Air – N/A

Their customer support is efficient and will answer your questions, but it might take a few days. And as I said above, they’re only $1 more expensive than AppleiPhoneUnlock. 

CONs: 

Firstly, they failed to unlock 1 iCloud account. Yes, they gave us a refund straight away, but they still failed to deliver.

Secondly, their unlock times are a slower as well. DoctorUnlock was unlocking iCloud accounts in 1-2 days, these guys are more like 3-4 days. It’s not a HUGE issue, but it’s still twice as long to wait without a phone you’ve already paid for.

And finally, whilst their customer support responded in a few days, their responses were always curt and specific. There was nothing in the email other than the only information they needed to answer the question. Whilst they technically did their job, it was very cold and clinical.

OVERALL:

DoctorUnlock  are a solid provider and there’s a better-than-average chance your iCloud account will be unlocked, but why take the risk when AppleiPhoneUnlock are more reliable and cheaper?

You can check out their website here: DoctorUnlock

In Conclusion

iCloud lock removal servicesHaving an iPhone locked to someone else’s iCloud account sucks. They can effectively hold you ransom and make you pay whatever they wanted to get access to the phone you’ve already paid for. And nobody wants that. If you have your icloud locked, there are many available services and you can beat their scams without having to pay them a cent.

Of the 9 iCloud unlock providers we found and the 3 we tested, the winner was clear: AppleiPhoneUnlock.

They’re the fastest, cheapest, have the more responsive customer support, and were the only provider who successfully completed all 6 iCloud unlocks we sent them.

If you need an iCloud Unlock for your iPhone, visit AppleiPhoneUnlock today.

Other similar unlock guides you may be interested in:

How to unlock iPhone 6

How to unlock iPhone 7

How to unlock iPhone 8

How to unlock iPhone X

How to unlock ATT iPhone 

How to unlock iPad

How to unlock Samsung S7

How to unlock Samsung S10

Samsung S8 

How to unlock iCloud

How to iCloud Bypass 

How to unlock Samsung Reactivation or Bypass Lock 

 

How To Unlock iPhone 7 & 7 Plus?

Last updated on

Get your phone unlocked to take great photos.

 (Updated Testing Results for 2019) 

Want to know how to unlock iPhone 7?

Summary:

Owning the brand new iPhone 7 or 7 plus is exciting. Being locked to a carrier who charges through the roof and gives you substandard customer service is not…

If you want to switch to a carrier that actually provides value for money, or even just want to be able to use a local carrier while overseas, you need an IMEI unlock.

An IMEI unlock safely and permanently frees your iPhone 7 from your carrier meaning you’re able to use your device with whichever provider you want.

The cheapest and most reliable iPhone 7 IMEI provider to use depends on your location.

If you’re locked to a carrier inside the US, use DoctorUnlock.net. They have the best prices, best support, and are the most reliable provider we tested, but have a limited range of unlocks outside North America and the UK.
If you’re locked to a carrier outside the US, use DirectUnlocks. They can untether your iPhone from almost every service provider in the world, have great prices, solid support (including phone support) and are very reliable, but are slightly more expensive than iPhoneIMEI.

Unlocking Guide – How To Unlock Your iPhone 7/Plus & 7s/Plus?

The latest and greatest iPhone has landed on our shores, and with it comes the same old problems. Phone service providers are still charging ridiculous fees, providing poor network availability and customer service, and charging crazy international roaming fees to anyone who heads overseas.

Woman holding iPhoneThese high rates and substandard service wouldn’t be acceptable in any other industry, but companies like AT&T, Sprint, O2, and Vodafone can get away with it because of device locking.

Phone locking is where your mobile device is tied to a particular carrier and you’re not able to use it with any other carrier. This means they can charge what they want and provide as little as they want and they know you’re not going to leave them.

That is, of course, unless you unlock your iPhone 7 or 7 plus.

Phone unlocking is where you remove the restrictions that prevent you from using your device with another carrier and get the freedom to escape all the problems they’re creating.

There are three methods for unlocking available on the market. But, only one that works…

Method #1: Software Method

(Hasn’t worked since the iPhone 3G)

The first iPhone unlocking method to appear on the market was the software unlock. It first became available when the iPhone 3G first hit the market and exploited a hardware loophole on the device to allow some users to move their device to any carrier they wanted.

Unfortunately, this method was identified by Apple and the loophole was closed with the release of the iPhone 4 meaning that it’s not effective on the iPhone 7.

Method #2: Hardware Method

(Dangerous, unreliable, and will void your warranty)

You can also get your iPhone 7 unlocked by the hardware method. This method identified once the software unlocking loophole was closed was hardware process. Hardware unlocking is where you pay a suspicious looking guy in a suspicious looking back alley to physically open up your device and play with its internal hardware.

It’s dangerous, dirty, only has a 30% effectiveness rate, and will completely void your warranty in the off-chance it does work. Does that sound like something you want to do to your brand new iPhone 7 / 7 Plus? No, I didn’t think so.

Method #3: IMEI Unlocking

(Only safe and effective method for iPhone 7 / 7 Plus)

Woman on her iphoneThe final, and only effective method for unlocking a mobile device is the IMEI or factory unlock. An IMEI is the unique identifying code used to identify your phone.

Each device has a different IMEI and it’s stored on the Apple database along with other identifying features, including model number, colour, storage size, year of production, and most importantly, whether it’s locked to a particular network.

An IMEI solution is where the status of your iPhone is changed from being locked to a particular network to being unlocked on the Apple database.

This is safe, effective, permanent, and most importantly, does not void your warranty. Because of this, an IMEI unlock is the only iPhone 7 or 7 Plus method I recommend.

 IMEI Unlock Provider Testing Process

Hand holding iphone with the picture of kidThe explosion of iPhone sales over the last 8 years has been followed by an explosion of IMEI unlock providers. And as with any industry, the quality, level of service, and reliability of those providers varies greatly.

To make sure you only end use an IMEI  provider who’s going to deliver, I’ve gone through and reviewed and tested the major players in the industry.

Even though I’ve already done this with both iPhone 5/S/C/ and iPhone 6/6 Plus/6s/6s Plus, it was important to make sure that these service providers could deliver with the newest Apple 7. Here’s how I conducted that test.

Finding Test Subjects

Probably the hardest part of this test was finding enough people with an  7 or 7 Plus who wanted them freed up! It’s a new phone and most people haven’t had enough time to become dissatisfied with the level of service provided just yet. But, I didn’t manage to find 8 Apple 7 phone owners and 4 iPhone 7 Plus owners through my network of friends and website readers to test these IMEI  providers with.

These iPhone 7’s were locked to the following networks:

  • 3 x locked to AT&T USA
  • 2 x locked to Sprint USA
  • 1 x locked to Vodafone UK
  • 1 x locked to O2 UK
  • 1 x locked to T-Mobile USA

These iPhone 7’s Plus were locked to the following networks:

  • 1 x locked to AT&T USA
  • 1 x locked to EE UK
  • 1 x locked to KDDI Japan
  • 1 x locked to Rogers Canada

 Culling Down Factory Unlock Providers

The first step in testing these factory providers was to reduce the 29 providers down to a number I could test. I only had 12 phones to play with and I wanted to test each provider with multiple phones so I had to reduce the number down to three.

To do this, I created a list of unlock providers and then set about reading through various online review websites like TrustPilot and  Ripoff Report to find who was legitimate provider and who was simply running a scam.

It was easy to weed out the obvious scams and keep reducing the list until I had what looked like the top three iPhone 7 IMEI providers.

Testing Methodology

The test itself was simple. I purchased 4 iPhone 7 IMEI unlocks from each of three providers I’d identified as being legitimate.

Connecting phone with computerI then allowed the process to run it’s course whilst contacting their customer support along the way, so I could discover who was value for money and who was a ripoff.

Judging Criteria

There are 6 criteria I used to judge the performance of these providers:

Criteria 1: Success of unlock

This has to be #1 here: did they or did they not deliver on their promise to free the phone they were paid to unlock? If they did, hooray! If they didn’t, boo!

Success / failure is critical because THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE PAID TO DO.

Criteria 2: Range of services available

There’s no point in recommending an IMEI  provider if they can only unlock iPhone 7’s locked to some obscure carrier in a small eastern-European country that no-one’s ever heard of.

The recommended  provider needs to have solutions for a wide range of carriers from a wide range of countries, otherwise, there would be no point in recommending them.

Criteria 3: Cost

It’s great for these providers to have a wide range and actually deliver on their promises, but if each methods costs more than the phone they’re unlocking, what’s the point?

Because of this, the third criteria used to judge the quality of the providers was cost, with preference given to the cheapest provider who could deliver a quality product.

Criteria 4: Payment Methods

Can free up my iPhone 7? Great. Have a big range of unlocks? Awesome. Have decent prices? Excellent. Only accept payments with seashells sent via registered post to the Solomon Islands? Bad. Obviously, this isn’t a real scenario, but there are some IMEI  providers who only accept Western Union money transfer, which is a pain in the arse, whereas other accept PayPal and all major credit cards. It’s pretty easy to guess who I’m going to recommend.

Criteria 5: Customer Service

Paying someone you’ve never met before to perform a process you’re not familiar with can be a nerve-wracking experience. The only thing that can calm these nerves is solid customer service.

Because of this, each provider will be tested three times through the services’ process for their contact types, politeness, responsiveness, and helpfulness

Criteria 6: Speed

While you want your mobile device unlocked, you don’t want to have to wait any longer than necessary to change networks. Because of this, each provider will be judged on how long it takes them to complete the unlock.

What to expect when using DoctorUnlock or another recommended option DirectUnlocks?

iPhone 7 mockups1. IMEI Code

First you will need to figure out your devices’s  IMEI code. This is the unique number for your iPhone 7 that the provider needs to identify and unlock your device.  There are three methods:

  • Method 1: Dial *#06# and it will send back the IMEI code.
  • Method 2: For iPhone 5 or newer, the IMEI number is located on the rear of the device.
  • Method 3: All non-activated phones, find the little “i” button on the activation screen, click it and you’ll see the IMEI on the following screen.

2. Model of your device

You will also need to know the model of your device such as the iPhone 4, 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 plus, 7, 7 plus, iPad 2 etc.

3. Fill out the requested details

Click the following link to DoctorUnlock  or DirectUnlocks and fill out the details they request (IMEI and Phone Model)

4. Click the Unlock now! button

5. Pay the service fee using your credit card

6. Supply your email address to get updates on the unlock status

7. Enjoy your phone!

Celebrate your newly freed mobile phone within a few days.

Top 3 IMEI Unlock Providers for iPhone 7/7 Plus

The tests have been completed and the results are in. If you need your iphone 7 unlocked, these are the three best IMEI  providers on the market, in order of preference.

#1. DoctorUnlock (9.5/10 – Use inside the USA, UK or Canada)

best unlock serviceThe #1 IMEI provider I found for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus was DoctorUnlock. They’re fast, reliable, reasonably priced, have great customer support, and most importantly, unlocked all 4 iPhones we paid them for.

Their range is limited outside of the USA, Canada, and the UK, but as those countries make up about 80% of unlocks, they get my vote as #1.

PROs: The biggest pro of DoctorUnlock  is that of the three unlock providers we tested, they were the only unlock provider that unlocked all 4 mobile devices we paid them for. That’s the biggest pro because it means you’re going to get what you paid them for. Simple as that.

But, that’s not the only place where they stood out. On average, they were 17% cheaper than the other unlock providers. Prices varied between phone service providers and countries, but when we averaged out the costs differences, it came to 17%.

The other area that really separated them from the crowd was their customer support. I contacted them three times — once before purchasing the unlock, once during the  process, and once after the unlock was complete — and they responded quickly, with the information I requested, and in a polite and helpful manner.

Their service delivery times were the same as our #2 recommendation (an average of 48 hours), which is excellent, but not a point of difference.

CONs: The only real con for DoctorUnlock.net is their limited range of unlocks. They can free your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus from just about every phone service provider inside the US, Canada, and the UK, but you might not find the provider you want if you’re outside those areas.

OVERALL: With great prices, helpful and polite customer support, and a 100% success rate on all 4 unlocks, DoctorUnlock  is my #1 recommendation if you’re inside the US, UK, or Canada.

If your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus is locked to a carrier inside the US, go to DoctorUnlock now.

 

#2 DirectUnlocks (9/10 – Use outside the USA, UK, or Canada)

browsing through the phoneDirectUnlocks is the #2 provider on the list. On customer service, speed, and price, they matched DoctorUnlock, and on range of unlocks, they have even more than Keys2iPhone, but there was one problem.They were only able to unlock 3 of the 4 iPhone 7’s we paid for…

Pros

  • DirectUnlocks  do a lot of things well. Their prices, customer support, and unlock speed were all the same as DoctorUnlock..
  • They averaged 2 days for each of the unlocks they completed.
  • They responded politely to our customer support enquiries.
  • They were 16% cheaper than the average.
  • The one really big pro that separates them from the rest of the providers is that they have the biggest range of unlocks available anywhere on the market. And not just by 10% or 15%; the difference is huge. I couldn’t tell you exactly how many phone service providers are on their list, but I’d guess they have just about every provider in every country in the world.

Cons

  • There’s only one con here, but it’s a big one. Of the 4 iPhone 7 unlocks we purchased, they only unlocked 3 of them. They were successful with the AT&T USA, Rogers Canada, and EE UK, but couldn’t get KDDI Japan to work. To be fair, they warned that they were having trouble getting KDDI unlocked when we placed our order, but it was still a failure.

Overall

DirectUnlocks are a solid provider. They’re reasonably priced, quick, have great customer service, and the biggest range of unlocks available on the market. Whilst they only managed to unlock 3 of the 4 unlocks we purchased, they did warn us that they weren’t having success with that particular phone service provider.

If you’re locked to a carrier outside the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada, head to DirectUnlocks now.

 

 #3 Keys2iPhone (5/10 – Don’t use them)

SIM cardsKeysiPhone are the final provider on my list, and they’re here for a reason. Sure, they managed to complete 2 of the 4 unlocks we paid for, but that was only after asking us for an additional payment that was as much as we originally paid! And if that wasn’t enough…

Pros

  • The only real pro is that they completed 2 unlocks. There’s really not much else to say here.

Cons

  • They only completed 50% of the unlocks we purchased.
  • It took an average of 5 days to complete those unlocks.
  • They only completed them after requiring additional payments of what we originally paid for the unlocks! Apparently, they had to use premium services to unlock those two phones.
  • Their customer service is terrible. They only responded to our pre-sales emails and completely ignored our support emails.
  • We had to file chargebacks to get refunds for two unlocks they couldn’t complete.

Overall

They completed two of the four unlocks we paid for and everything else went poorly. Their support, trying to get refunds, their unlock time, everything was poor. Plenty of cons. Not the kind of company I would trust with my money or iPhone.

 In Conclusion

picture of steel lockThere are three methods available if you need to get your iphone 7 unlocked: software unlocking, hardware unlocking and IMEI or factory unlocking.

Software unlocking hasn’t worked since the iPhone 3G, hardware unlocking is dangerous and will void your warranty, meaning that IMEI unlocking is the only safe way to unlock your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus.

I evaluated 29 providers and tested 3 and the IMEI unlock provider you should use depends on your location.

If you’re locked to a carrier inside the USA, UK or Canada use DoctorUnlock.  They specialise in unlocks inside the US, UK, and Canada and have the cheapest prices, fastest unlocks and polite and responsive customer support. They were the only provider to complete all 4 unlocks we purchased. They have a limited range outside the US, UK, and Canada, but if you’re inside those regions, you’ll get a great deal.
If you’re locked to a carrier outside the US, UK and Canada, use DirectUnlocks. They match iPhoneIMEI  on price, speed, and customer support and have a huge range of unlocks available from almost every unlock provider around the world. Yes, they failed to unlock our iPhone 7 Plus locked to KDDI Japan, but they warned us about that when we placed our order.

Related articles on Why The Lucky Stiff:

How to Unlock your AT&T iPhone safely

Last updated on

Secrets to Unlock iPhone AT&T Safely

Can I Unlock my AT&T iPhone?

unlock iPhone from attWhen you want to know how to unlock AT&T iPhone handsets, it pays to do a little bit of reading.  There are three primary ways to unlock your AT&T iPhone.  The first is to contact the original owner to unlock.  The second is to contact AT&T if you are the original owner and the phone is paid.  The third is to use a service that specializes in iPhone unlocking.  

To make things easier for you we’ve compiled everything you’ll ever need to know in a single comprehensive guide. That way you’ll be able to choose from a range of different network providers so that you get the best deal for you. Ideal for having the choice your hard work deserves.

Recommended Unlocking Service - North America and UK
If you’re in North America or the UK,then I suggest unlocking with DoctorUnlock. Their excellent service, fast turnaround, and comprehensive range of networks makethem the only choice in these regions.

Recommended Unlocking Service- Rest of the World
If however, you’re outside these regions then I would suggest using DirectUnlocks. These guys know what they’re doing when it comes to the rest of the world, andtheir range of network options simply can’t be beaten.

Let’s unlock AT&T iPhone handsets!

The issue with network providers locking handsets to their networks has been a thorny one with users for some time. There are so many better options out there if you can find a way around this unjust restriction, so it’s understandable that you’re making the jump!

Follow every step of this guide, and you’ll be able to break the chain and see what else is out there on the market. Perfect for ensuring that you have the freedom to choose the right deal for you. Before you get started you should round off Step 1 by making sure you can tick off all of the following:

  1. Have you paid any outstanding amount owed to AT&T for the use of their network? If not then they won’t allow you to unlock AT&T iPhone handsets. Make sure the balance is cleared, and you’ll be able to work your way through the rest of this guide!
  2. If you’ve bought your handset from a friend or online seller, you need to make sure that it hasn’t been reportedas stolen or been linked with any illegal activity. If it has, then it will blocked, and you won’t be able to use it no matter what you do!
  3. If you have recently upgraded your handset and now want AT&T unlockiPhone codes, you’ll need to wait for 14-days before going ahead. It’ll be worth the wait!
  4. Check the AT&T terms and conditions if you have any issues during the unlocking process. They are helpful and should be able to answer any network-specific queries or problems you encounter.

There are 3-keyways to get the job done. You can ask AT&T for help (more on that in a minute) but if you want to be fast, then take a look at these more advanced options:

  1. The Software Method– A loophole that closed years ago
  2. The Hardware Method– High-risk,low reward option that kills iPhones
  3. Advanced IMEI Unlock Options– #1 option for everyiPhone user

Introducing the IMEI Number – You’ll need it for my #1 method!

The next step is to obtain your IMEI number. If you’re not familiar with this term, then it is super important that you understand it before you proceed.

An IMEI is a unique identifier that tells Apple and the network which specific handset you have in your hand. It contains far more information than merely the make or model of your iPhone; it’s effectively your iPhone’s fingerprint.

Finding the IMEI Number – Make sure you find it!

Fortunately, obtaining the IMEI is the easy bit. All you have to do is follow the simple steps below, and you’ll have it in seconds:

  1. Turn on your iPhone
  2. Go to Settings > General > About
  3. Note down your IMEI number in a safe place

Now that you have your phone’s unique identifier, your next step is to contact AT&T. Read on and see how to unlock AT&T iPhone handsets whose contracts have recently expired.

 

Contacting AT&T – this may take a while.

used iPhone
how to unlock your iPhone from att

Sure you don’t want to skip to the IMEI unlocking section below?

Knowing how to unlock AT&T iPhone handsets is all about knowing the right person to talk to. The problem you often find is that you’ll be pushed around from call center to call center and never get to speak to the same person twice. Follow these simple tips, and you’ll be able to accelerate the whole unlocking process in no time at all:

  1. Always ask for the name of the person you’re speaking to.
  2. Make notes and save themto the Cloud for ease of access.
  3. Always ask for a time frame in which you can expect action or a callback.
  4. If you don’t hear back within the timeframe, don’t be afraid to chase them up.

The Unlocking Process: When Your Contract Has Expired

Now that you know how to deal with AT&T when you contact them, you’re ready for the specific steps you need to follow. Don’t worry if you have issues or AT&T decline to help you with the following steps, we’ll cover plenty more options later on that should unlock your handset.

  1. The first thing to do is open your browser of choice. You can do this from your iPhone itself or on a secondary device. Often it’s easy to do it on your laptop as you may have to reset your iPhone during the process.
  2. Next, you will need to sign into your AT&T account by visiting: com/deviceunlock
  3. Take enough time to read through all of the eligibility documentation. It can be a lengthy process, and you may think that it’s designed to be confusing but stick with it and it will be worth it. If in doubt refer to the simplified eligibility requirements listed earlier on in this guide.
  4. Complete all of the details on the unlock request form before submitting. Just because you’re not sure whether or not a specific field applies to you, don’t leave it blank!

If you do that, then your application will most likely never be processed as they will assume you applied in error or they won’t know what to do. Always assume that AT&T will never do anything unless you give them exactly what they need. Remember that they don’t want to lose you as a customer, so it’s doubtful they will chase you up for missing information so that they can accelerate the processing of your request to be unlocked from their network.

You’ll have seen by now if you had the patience to deal with AT&T, that they are pretty hit or miss. If only there were a whole host of others ways you could free your phone from their limitedservice…

Here’s a quick rundown of the other methods that we’re going to cover:

  1. The Software Method
  2. The Hardware Method
  3. Advanced IMEI Unlock Options

 

The Software Method: A loophole that may already be closed to you

If you are lucky enough to own an iPhone X on AT&T, then this is an old-school option that’s still open to you. If however, your device is an iPhone 7 onwards then Apple has already shut this one nice and firmly.

What is it?

There was an unintentional loophole in the hardware of the iPhone 3G which enabled users to unlock it without having to consult Apple or their network provider. While it is a neat little trick, I’m going to gloss over it because it’s so unlikely that you’ll have an iPhone of that vintage which is still tied to an AT&T contract.

On to option 2: the hardware method.

 

The Hardware Method: A high-risk option that will invalidate your warranty

Thisis very much a brute force method to a thinking man’s problem. As you’ll have probably guessed the issue with taking this line of approach is that it can do plenty more harm than good. Precisely what you don’t want when all you’re trying to do is give yourself more choice when it comes to monthly contracts!

What is it?

The exact nature of the hardware method will vary depending on who is doing it for you; needless to say they won’t be particularly transparent or forthcoming with the details.

The main issue here is that the ‘expert’ you hire will be getting a lot of money upfront for little if no positive outcome. They won’t be a trained professional, and they certainly won’t have the skills, expertise and special tools that you need if you’re going to start fiddling around with the internals of something as complicated as an iPhone.

They’ll probably try and get their soldering iron or homemade programming modules on the case. That will cause all manner of havoc with such a carefully crafted piece of kit that it’s just not worth doing. Just remember; if it sounds too good to be true that someone can open your iPhone and unlock it for you, then it probably is.

To make sure you don’t fall foul of these misguided experts take a quick read of the risks to remind yourself of the dangers:

  1. The hardware approach involves working with a shady character who doesn’t know what they’re doing
  2. The fact that they don’t know what they’re doing will probably mean that they do more harm than good
  3. When someone does more damage than good in exchange for money, you always end up paying out even more money to put right what they’ve done
  4. Because they weren’t trained, qualified, or authorized to carry out the work on your iPhone, they will have invalidated your warranty
  5. When your warranty is invalidated Apple are under no obligation to help you out free of charge, and you cannot reasonably expect them to replace your now faulty handset
  6. All in all, you’d have saved more time, money, and effort, if you’d have just sat there on your restrictive monthly contract. At least you’d still have a working iPhone to text and call your friends with.

I think you’ve got the picture that the hardware method is never a sensible way to proceed by now. Let’s round this guide off by talking you through the final unlocking method.

 

IMEI Unlock Options DoctorUnlock.net or another famous users choice DirectUnlocks.com

Ok, so you’ve already obtained your IMEI, you’ve contacted AT&T and worked through all the steps above, but they were unwilling or unable to unlock your iPhone. It’s no consolation to you that the person the other end of the phone has tried their best because you’re still lockedto a network and a monthly contract that you don’t want to be paying for.

The software approach isn’t open to you because you’re not running with the vintage iPhone 3G, and you’re too sensible to try the hardware option. That leaves you with the IMEI unlock approach. Fortunately for you, this is the securest one of them all so you shouldn’t have any problems, provided you follow the hints and tipsthat are to come.

What is it?

Remember we said that your IMEI number is the unique identifier that allows you to tell your provider precisely which handset you’re using? Well, now you can use this precision to your advantage by having a specialist third party reallocate it. Confused? Read on.

 

The Factory Unlock

used samsung
woman unlocking her att iPhone

The IMEI unlock issuch an effectivemethod that it’s also referred to as the Factory Unlock in the trade. Thistells you that it has the power to get you onto any network you like, but how does it work?

When you hire a specialist third party company, they will be able to view Apple’s master database that stores the IMEI for every handset they have ever sold. It lists everything from your storage size and model to the color and whether it is locked or unlocked. By accessing this database, they’ll be able to reassign your handset from ‘locked’ to ‘unlocked.’

Why is it so successful?

Unlike asking permission of AT&T or trying to exploit hardware loopholes that had been closedyears ago, the IMEI unlock approach is a permanent and 100% safe solution. Here are the pros that you need to know about it before you decide to go ahead:

  1. It’s a reliable, safe, and legal approach that is used by millions of iPhone users every year
  2. Some trusted third-party experts will be able to carry it out for you
  3. You’ll be able to read testimonials on their websites from thousands of previous customers so that you know you’re dealing with an expert
  4. Because it doesn’t involve any hardware alterations, it won’t invalidate your warranty which means you will still get full support from Apple down the line
  5. You’re paying an expert to get the job done the right way which means that you’re paying for a permanent solution that won’t fall through

How to find a factory unlock expert?

To decide between DoctorUnlock vs. DirectUnlocks, I actually ran a battery of rigorous tests on a range of handsets locked to different networks. Take a look at my judging criteria below, and then I’ll tell you the results of my tests!

Are they substantially cheaper than the competition?

If so then the chances are you’re either dealing with an unreliable business who’ve had to cut their prices to try and get more business. Or possibly a startup business who may not be up to the job.

Do they give a timeframe for unlocking your iPhone?

Most reputable third-party contractors will unlock your iPhone within 5-days; the best will make great strides in 48-hours or less. If no timeframe is explicitly given, then make sure you ask the question before placing your order.

If you forget to do that, then you may find that you’re waiting for quite some time for what turns out to be quite an underwhelming result. There’s also the distinct possibility that you’ll be leftwith an iPhone you can’t do a whole lot with, in the meantime.

Do they have a list of regions and providers?

It’s important to know preciselywhat an unlocking contractor can offer. If they have a comprehensive list of the regions they serve and the networks they can get you on then, that’s a fantastic resource. Make sure you make proper use of that.

Some companies will offer lots of options if you live in North America or Europe, but a lot less if you live in other parts of the world. Make sure the company you go for has plenty of network options in your region, and that they have a track record of getting people reassigned to those networks.

Anything else to consider?

Any reputable third-party IMEI unlocking company will talk you through the process and should be able to free your iPhone from AT&T within five working days. To make things a little bit easier for yourself why not take a quick look at our final checklist so that you can sleep with the peace of mind that you have everything covered:

  1. Make sure you check which payment methodsthey accept. You want the security that they accept card payments or PayPal. If someone asks you for cash or a payment method you’re not familiar with, don’t be afraid to walk away. You’ll be glad you did once another company unlocks your handset!
  2. Always ask for turnaroundtimes and make sure you’ll have unrestricted use and access to your iPhone’s full suite of functionality in the meantime.
  3. Always steer clear of companies that ask you to send your iPhone to them, or ask for other log-in and financial details. There’s no need for them to have this information to get the factory unlock taken care of. 

The Verdicts – 3 Unlocking companies, only one winner

DoctorUnlock – Perfect for North America and the UK

The Pros

Of the three companies that I put to the challenge,they were the only ones who were able to unlock all 12 handsets. Thisis a feat in itself and one that certainly caught my attention. A 100% success rate isn’t something you can better, sothey have my vote in this respect.

The Cons

The only thing I would say that slightly counts against them is that if you live outside of the UK or North America,then you don’t get quite the same level of choice. That said, they market themselves as experts in these regions not worldwide.

 

DirectUnlocks.com  – The leaders when it comes to the rest of the world and a creditable second

unlock iPhone attThe Pros

These guys do so much right that they were only just edgedinto second place. Their unlock rate only dipped below perfection due to one tricky curveball I threw at them.

The Cons

They did struggle to unlock one of my handsets, andthere’s just no getting away from that, unfortunately. To be fair to them,they said this would likely be the case when I placed my order, butthey did have the option of canceling it. They struggled valiantly but to no avail. Credit where credit is due, their customer service was excellent throughout the whole process.

 

Key2iPhone

I don’t want you to think I recommend every IMEI unlocking service without much thought, so I also had a look at these guys. They’re known to be a bit hit or miss, sothey were a useful yardstick to measure the performance of the other two against.

Pros

They unlocked half the handsets…eventually…

Cons

The phones that were unlocked took twice as long as with the other two unlocking services. Plus their customer support was vague and noncommittal.

 

Conclusion

If you want to get AT&T to unlock your handset for you,then there’s every chance that you’ll be waiting forever and a day for it to happen. I strongly recommend the IMEI unlockroute as it’s the most universal and comprehensive way to free your iPhone from restrictive networks.

 

If you’re in North America, Canada or the UK, then use DoctorUnlock

If you’re anywhere in the rest of the world,then I strongly suggest using DirectUnlocks

 

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