How to Unlock iPhone 11: Fast, Safe and Permanently

Looking for a permanent and sure-shot way to unlock iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro the easy way? Here’s a complete guide on how you can get the latest Apple iPhone unlocked for unrestricted usage across all network carriers.

Every year as September arrives, the tech world and Apple fans all over the world rejoice for the release of the latest iteration of the iPhone. September of 2019 was no different, as Apple unveiled a new generation of its iconic mobile devices, bringing tons of hardware and software improvements, along with camera upgrades like never before. Now that buyers can get their hands on the latest iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro everywhere, the business of mobile phone unlocking within the Apple community is being stirred up once again.

Just as the Apple iPhone has always been offered, you can grab the gadget directly from the Apple Store or online in a factory unlocked state. A factory unlocked iPhone 11 comes with the ability to operate with any SIM card from anywhere in the world, regardless of where you purchased the device from. However, buying a factory unlocked iPhone 11 would most likely be the most expensive option for you to choose from.

Why Should I Unlock iPhone 11 Right Now?

If you have been a regular iPhone user for years, chances are that you’ve probably purchased your old iPhone from your network carrier on a contract. Whether you decided to buy your new iPhone 11 on a contract for the per-month payments or on a discount from the network carrier, you’ll soon realize that being stuck in a dead-end relationship with just one network carrier is not the way to go. Since you will stay locked down to a single network operator even after the contract expires, choosing to unlock iPhone 11 is a desirable choice, and here are all the benefits it brings:

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Cheaper usage plans and deals on other carriers:

You may have chosen a particular network operator to reap the benefits it offers when purchasing the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. However, you will soon realize that although you may have saved a decent amount on getting into a contract for the device, you will end up paying for more than what the iPhone is worth in the long run.

All thanks to the growing competition among the network carriers, you can always find a tariff plan that saves you hundreds of dollars each year and offers more value than the carrier you’re tied up to. Once you get the iPhone 11 unlocked, you can make the most out of the rewarding pricing plans that other network operators have in store for you.

Unlocking international usage:

Whether your line of work dictates that you travel out of the country of your residence quite often, or planning a long trip abroad soon, you’re going to need to stay connected. Albeit the network carrier that you have a contract with most likely offers international roaming services, but these can be fairly expensive and too restrictive at times when it comes to data usage.

Getting yourself a local SIM card of the region, you’re traveling to, is the smart thing to do, but you can only start using one if your iPhone 11 is cellular unlocked. Not only will this allow you to drive your communication costs significantly down, but also help you stay connected with your loved ones back home with no compromises whatsoever.

Unlocked iPhones sell for more:

Compared to most of the Android smartphones out there that depreciate in value significantly over time, iPhones surprisingly fetch a fair price even if they are a couple of years old. But if you had to get yourself a used iPhone 11, would you prefer to get one that is capable of operating on any SIM card, or one that is locked down to a single regional network carrier?

Even if you’re planning to use your iPhone 11 for years to come and are completely satisfied with the network carrier you purchased it from, think about the resale value. A small expense that can possibly increase the resale value of your iPhone 11 by hundreds of dollars is worth the investment in any case.

Using dual-SIM network adapters:

Despite the fact that dual-SIM mobile phones have been around for more than a decade, Apple was reclusive when it came to adopting this technology. Although the company finally gave in to the demand and now offers dual-SIM card support on iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro as well, the feature is exclusive to devices that are sold in China and Hong Kong.

However, there are plenty of third-party adapters out there that allow you to operate two SIM cards on your iPhone at once. If the idea of carrying around two different phones seems unbearable to you, you can simply plug both the SIM cards into your iPhone, but before you can start doing so, you will need to get the iPhone 11 unlocked.  

How to Unlock iPhone 11

Since the restriction of having an iPhone that is locked down to just one carrier is a problem that users have been facing since the early days of the device, the discussion around unlocking it certainly isn’t a new one either. Back in the old days when network unlocking was not such a difficult feat, iPhone users had the ability to unlock the network carrier restrictions by jailbreaking their devices.

However, the ability to unlock iPhone using Cydia and other jailbreaking tools has not been viable since the iPhone 4. There have other, more hardware intensive methods discovered by tech geeks all over the world that may allow you to unlock iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, but the risk involved and low success rate should be enough to compel you to steer clear.

Before you put your head down and lose all hope in humanity, we’re here to tell you that there’s still a way out of the tyranny of your network operator. You can have your iPhone 11 officially unlocked from the network carrier itself (as long as you meet their long list of requirements), or even take up a premium third-party unlocking service that gets the job done, no questions asked.

Method 1: Official carrier unlock

No matter how oppressive telecom companies may be, they cannot dictate the terms of what you can and cannot do with your mobile phone, especially when you’ve paid in full for it. Thanks to the federal consumer protection laws that are in place all across the world, network carriers are directed to allow unlocking on mobile phones sold under the contract upon request from the customers.

Based on the network operator and the terms and conditions they have put down in the contract agreement, you are required to keep the mobile phone locked down to its network for a fixed period of time. The time period may extend from around 6 months to 1 year, after which you are allowed to send over an unlocking request to the carrier.

The unlocking service provided by the telecom companies is usually free of charge when you purchase the device under a prepaid contract. However, if you are subscribed to a pay-as-you-go package and are paying off the iPhone 11 in installments, you will be requested to clear all outstanding payments that are due, before you can proceed with the unlocking request. Either way, you cannot proceed with the unlocking procedure officially before a specific time period has been completed.

Pros:

• The network carriers usually provide you the SIM unlock code at no extra cost.
• The official unlocks code from the network operator is guaranteed to work every time.

Cons:

• It is mandatory for you to wait for a period that sometimes lasts up to one year if you wish to have your device unlocked, even if you have no outstanding payments.
• Fetching the unlock code from the network carrier after submitting a request could take weeks at a stretch, depending on the carrier and the region.
• The process of SIM unlocking becomes longer and more tedious if your phone was reported lost or stolen in the past.
• The telecom company has complete control over the unlocking process, and may simply not qualify your device for unlocking when you apply.

Method 2: Third-party unlocking service providers

While the ability to contact the telecom company and fetching the SIM unlock code may be a possibility for some, for most of us, the process is just too long and gruesome. Additionally, if you aren’t the first-hand owner of the device, you don’t have access to the unlocking service offered by the network carrier since the phone wasn’t purchased under your name.

Under such circumstances, the only ray of hope is the presence of premium services that can help you unlock the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro in no time. The hassle-free process of submitting the required information and low-cost services have helped SIM unlock service providers soar in popularity all across the world.

Pros:

• You can request a SIM unlock code regardless of when you purchased your device, as long as it is a verified purchase.
• Most of the reputable SIM unlock services in the market deliver a genuine unlock code with a 95% and higher success rate.
• Based on the service provider you choose, you should be able to select your iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro model and its specific network operator from a long list of others.
• Within 24 to 48 hours of submitting a request for unlocking, you can expect a working code delivered to your registered email address.

Cons:

• Cheaper and less reliable SIM unlocking services have been known to send out fake unlocking codes. This can become a problem since some network operators restrict the ability to try out unlocking codes only 3 times.

Best Third-Party Services to Unlock iPhone 11

On the quest to find the ultimate unlock service provider online, we stumbled upon dozens of names. While the quality of service and the pricing plan for all of these SIM unlock services varied, the one common factor was that they all guaranteed to unlock the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. To test this out, we created a judgment scale to see which service provider was truly the best of them all.

Choosing the Test Devices

It certainly wasn’t easy getting our hands on every model of the iPhone released this year, especially under different network carriers. However, we were able to gather almost a dozen test subjects for the experiment to find out which of the top rates SIM unlock service providers are the most reliable and effective.

• 1 x iPhone 11 locked to AT&T USA
• 1 x iPhone 11 locked to Sprint USA
• 2 x iPhone 11 locked to Vodafone UK
• 1 x iPhone 11 Pro locked to O2 UK
• 1 x iPhone 11 Pro locked to T-Mobile USA
• 2 x iPhone 11 Pro Max locked to AT&T USA
• 1 x iPhone 11 Pro locked to EE UK
• 2 x iPhone 11 Pro Max locked to Rogers Canada

The reason we went through the trouble of fetching all of these devices that are tied down to the different network carriers is so that the test results are universally accurate.

Time Period of Testing

The typical experience of having your iPhone 11 unlocked with a third-party service depends on a number of varying factors. For starters, you might be able to get to the unlocking process right away if you’re using a mainstream network operator, or there might be some delay in processing your request if your iPhone comes with a carrier that is uncommon.

Additionally, you might end up with some back and forth with the customer support before you decide to part with your hard-earned money and choose to go for a specific service provider. Considering all of these elements in mind, we were able to get most of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max devices unlocked and ready for use. The time duration it took us to get all of the devices ready for use vary from as less as 24 hours, up to 72 hours, depending on the device and the network carrier.

Judgment Criteria

You don’t want to be running around trying to find the best unlocking service out there for your iPhone 11, and we want the same. To make the test for the best service as conclusive as possible, we’ve tested each of the SIM unlock services based on the following judgment criteria:

Device support – The first and foremost factor to consider is whether the service even supports unlocking the iPhone 11 and its variants in the first place. You don’t want to make the payment and wait in hopes to get a working unlock code, just to find out that the service does not support the iPhone 11 and the network carrier it is locked to.

Complete range of services – The entire point behind getting your iPhone unlocked in the first place is to unleash the capability of the device to work with any carrier all across the world. If you end up getting your device locked instantly, but are still restricted to a specific region or only a handful of network carriers, then it isn’t really freedom after all.

Price factor – While the process of unlocking your iPhone and the cost associated with it isn’t a recurring one, you still need to consider the price tag it comes with. Since you’ve already spent hundreds of dollars on the device itself, we’ve kept a close watch to ensure that you aren’t spending a dime more than what’s required.

Customer service quality – While ideally, you’d want to barely have to get in touch with the customer service representatives, but in case you do have to, you want the ones who put you first every time. Whether it is the response time on the queries, the support offered once the payment is made, or the after-sales response, we have taken all of it into account.

Accepted payment methods – Despite the rapid growth of online businesses and service providers, you’ll often end up with a payment gateway that makes you scratch your head. We’ve made sure to include only the SIM unlocking service providers on the list that support all major credit cards and debit cards, with simple and direct payment channels in place.

Speed of service – Slow and steady may win the race, but when it comes to the ideal SIM unlocking service provider, we have picked only the ones that are fast and consistent. Only the ones that offer a high success rate in record time delivery of the unlock code have been added to the final list.

Best Service Providers to Unlock iPhone 11

After days spent finding the best SIM unlock service providers out there, a lengthy back and forth with the shortlisted names, and days of testing on almost a dozen devices, here’s a list of the best ones it has all boiled down to:

1. DoctorUnlock – Preferred choice for iPhone 11 owners in the USA and the UK

The reason we’ve got our hearts stuck on DoctorUnlock in the competition to be the best service provider for unlocking iPhone 11 can’t be put simply in a single statement. With thousands of 5-star feedback ratings from users and years of experience in the IMEI unlocking business, DoctorUnlock stands tall, shadowing all the contenders for the top spot. Whether it was the unmatched success rate that we enjoyed with the devices tested or the prompt support we received, it was an ideal experience from a customer’s standpoint.

Pros:

• In comparison to all of the other service providers we put to test in this experiment, DoctorUnlock was the only one to come back with a 100% success rate.
• When reaching out to the customer support team, we were never left waiting without a response. In fact, the average response time for every message sent out was 45 minutes to 2 hours, which is impressive by any measures.
• On average, the service provider was around 10% – 20% cheaper in comparison to the other top names in the market. This gives DoctorUnlock a leading-edge since it is backed up with a straightforward refund policy as well.

Cons:

• Although it is difficult to pinpoint any major flaw in the way this service provider operates, if we had to find one, the lack of choice when it comes to new network carriers in the USA and the UK was one downside.

2. DirectUnlocks – Best for users outside of North America and the UK

We may have chosen a winner, but the fight for the top spot wasn’t easy, and neither was the choice that we had to make. DirectUnlocks matched its competitor in every way and met the standards of quality, but where it could not live up was the 100% success rate that the latter offered in our conducting experiment. Putting customers first and being backed by a bunch of raving reviews from satisfied customers leads us to believe that the unlocking service is revered by its clients all over.

Pros:

• The instructions were easy to understand, and with a minimal amount of time consumed, the activation code was delivered within 48 hours.
• The customer support was responsive, helped out with the process every step along the way, and continued to do so during the post-payment process.
• The pricing was fair and on par with the competition, and for each of the failed transactions, refunds by DirectUnlocks were made promptly.

Cons:

• Despite a decent overall service and affordable pricing structure, the success rate was 3 out of 3 devices (75%), which may not be the worst, but certainly isn’t the best either.

3. Keys2iPhone – The one to avoid

While we had to scrutinize both DoctorUnlock and DirectUnlocks to decide which one would rise to the top, this wasn’t the case when it came to Keys2iPhone. Right from the first look at the official website of this SIM unlocking service that is dedicated to the Apple iPhone, it seemed like we were back in the early 2000s with the dated and frankly, unpleasant user interface. Despite not judging the book by its cover, the service was a disappointment too, and on several fronts.

Pros:

• The rate for unlocking was fair in comparison to the others out there, with a mediocre success rate of 50% on average.

Cons:

• Having only half the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max unlocked was definitely a bummer, which was exacerbated by other negative factors.
• The average time taken by the service provider to unlock one device was 5 days, which supersedes the competitors by more than double.
• An extra payment was asked for after making the initial payment for unlocking, which seemed nothing short of financial exploitation at a point.
• The customer support was subpar and seemed to go cold once the payment was successfully made. There was little to no after-sales support offered, and we had to ask for the unlock code on multiple instances.

Step-by-Step Unlocking Process

Step 1 – Start off by checking out either of the two SIM activation service providers that we have tested out for you and mentioned above.

Step 2 – Write down the IMEI number of your iPhone 11 which will be used by the service provider for the unlocking process.

• Head to the Phone app on the iPhone and type in *#06#*
• This should bring up the IMEI Number of your iPhone.
• You can also find the IMEI number by navigating to the Settings – General – About menu and scroll down to view the IMEI Number.

On a locked iPhone 11 – From the Phone Activation screen, press the little “i” icon, which will bring up the IMEI Number of the iPhone 11.

Step 3 – Enter the IMEI number into the SIM unlock service provider’s website and proceed with the payment after confirming your device and the network service provider.

Step 4 – Depending on the device and network carrier, the iPhone 11 will be unlocked and you can proceed further to use any SIM card with it.

Final Words

You’ve got your brand-new iPhone 11 all to yourself for now and with the honeymoon period going strong, the need to unlock it may not be immediate. However, once the effect wears off, you are going to miss the freedom that comes with having a device capable of working with any and all network carriers across the world. At that time, feel free to turn to this extended and comprehensive guide on why you need to unlock iPhone 11 in the first place, and the best service providers to do so.

Spending days sieving through the vast spans of the World Wide Web looking for the best of the best in the world of SIM unlocking service, we reached the promised land. Almost a dozen iPhone 11 and its variants tied to different cellular carriers have led us to believe that when it comes to unlocking iPhones in general, DoctorUnlock is second to none. If it weren’t for the 100% success rate that it offers, the closest competitor DirectUnlocks would be tied neck to neck with it.

Which of the unlocking services are you going to side with to get the latest and greatest from Apple unlocked and unleashed? Would you rather swim against the currents and take your chances with a cheaper SIM unlock service provider and see how it all goes down? Be sure to share what you think in the comments right down below, cause we’re waiting to hear what you’ve got to say.