Help and FAQ's

Official IMEI based permanent full sim iphone unlock service for all iPhone models, all basebands and iOS firmware
Official Apple Unlocking using iTunes - your warranty remains valid
Permanent unlock - you can always upgrade to the latest version of iOS without losing your unlock
Simple Unlock - once you've made your purchase and recieved your confirmation of unlock completed email, you simply connect your iPhone to iTunes to complete the unlock

We provide an Official Permanent Apple iPhone unlock service that will remove any network restrictions your iPhone may have by marking your handset as unlocked in Apple's IMEI database. It allows you to use your handset on all network worldwide. We provide this unlock for all iPhone models running all iOS firmware versions, and there is no need to jailbreak your handset with our genuine method.

Our unlocking service is supported by our aftersales support from our store, The Phone Tree, in Royal Leamington Spa, Contact Us.

Why do they lock iPhones?

The main reason most network providers SIM lock their iPhones and any other handset for that matter is that they normally offer these phones at a special discounted rate to customers in exchange for a contract to pay for the use of the network for a specified time period, usually 2 years. Pay As You Go handsets are also subsidised with the alternative unlocked, SIM Free handset costing a lot more than a locked one.

This business model is common industry practice and allows the networks to recover the cost of the handset over the life of the contract. These discounts are worth up to several hundred pounds. As an example O2 give you an iPhone 5S free of charge if you sign up to a 2 year contract at a certain price point! If the phones were not locked when you purchased them, users might sign a contract with O2, receive the discounted handset, then stop paying the monthly bill and use the phone on another network or even sell the phone for a profit. SIM locking makes it more difficult to do this and is in the interest of the network unfortunately.

What iPhones can you unlock?

We can factory unlock any iPhone;

    iPhone 3G
    iPhone 3GS
    iPhone 4
    iPhone 4S
    iPhone 5
    iPhone 5C
    iPhone 5S
    iPhone 6
    iPhone 6 Plus

Our official iPhone unlock service supports ALL bootloaders, basebands, and iOS firmwares as we do not unlock using fake software solutions, we factory unlock using Apple's IMEI database the proper way.

Do I need a sim card from the network my iPhone is locked to?

ANY sim card will unlock your iPhone once your unlock is processed.

Do I need to be located in the country my iPhone is locked to in order to unlock the device?

Again no, once we have emailed you, you can unlock your handset in ANY country, regardless of where it was purchased, just by connecting it to iTunes as long as you have an active internet connection.

Do I need to send the iPhone to you for unlocking?

NO you do it all from where ever you are, the whole process is remote, once your IMEI is marked as unlocked by ourselves you simply connect your iPhone to iTunes to finish off the unlocking process.

Be careful of scam websites

Many iPhone unlocking sites out there are scam websites - anyone selling you software to unlock an iPhone is at best selling you a jailbreak which will not sim unlock your handset, and at worst selling you a virus. We sell official factory unlocks which are sanctioned by the carrier and performed by Apple, hence there is a timeframe which needs to be adhered to.

Software cannot sim unlock iPhones! Our unlocks are official ones done through iTunes, this is the ONLY way to sim unlock an iPhone. Please don't be caught out, if someone is willing to lie to you to get your money, they are not going to refund you either (despite claims of money back guarantees etc).

Does the iPhone need to be activated in any way?

Our unlock works in any situation - with an iPhone straight out the box (never activated), one already activated using iTunes or iCloud, or one which has been freshly restored.

What is a jailbreak?

Jailbreaking is where you run some software on your PC or Mac with your iPhone connected, in order to gain access to the operating system, allowing users to download additional applications, extensions, and themes that are unavailable through the official Apple App Store. It is NOT a sim unlock.

Jailbreaks are free - do not pay for them. Any site selling software to unlock your iPhone is actually just selling a jailbreak.

What about unlocking with a Gevey Sim?

A gevey sim is a hardware 'hack' which tricks the iPhone into making a call via a different route. You will never be able to update your handset if you use a Gevey Sim. Because they sit 'behind' your own sim, they are also prone to getting stuck into the iPhone forcing a trip to an Apple Store to take the phone apart and get it removed, which they now refuse to do and claim they void the warranty. It's totally unsupported by Apple. Our method turns your iPhone into a factory unlocked unit, meaning you can always update to the latest version of iOS. Your iPhone is an expensive device, and you want to keep up with iOS updates as Apple brings out new features etc.

Can you unlock iPhones which have been barred (lost and stolen)?

We can not unlock handsets that have been reported as lost or stolen otherwise known as barred handsets. These handsets are generally restricted from making calls in the country of origin of the handset. If you submit a barred IMEI we will not unlock the handset and administration charges maybe applied so please make sure all handsets are not blacklisted before proceeding with an unlock.

How does the unlock work?

You tell us your IMEI, what network your iPhone is locked to, and what model iPhone you have on this page. Having made payment, we then mark your IMEI as unlocked within Apple's IMEI database - once this is done we send you an email confirming this. You then simply connect your iPhone to iTunes in order to complete the unlock. No stress, no hassle, no drama. Your unlock is guaranteed and is also permanent, meaning you can safely update your handset and sync with iTunes without ever worrying about it re-locking.

Is unlocking my handset legal?

In the United Kingdom, mobile phone network providers are not obligated to provide unlocking, even after the end of the contract. Ofcom, UK's telecom regulator, allowed 3 UK to sell a mobile phone with the SIM card permanently superglued to the phone!

In terms of legality of our service, the full Oftel 2002 SIM-lock position paper specifies that there is no SIM locking law in the UK; the regulator wants only "consumer awareness" - which means it is totally legal to unlock your iPhone.

I've tried to unlock my iPhone using a competitor's software it hasn't worked. Can your team help me?

Yes of course. There are a lot of sites out there selling software that doesn't actually do anything other than get your iPhone into a restore loop, or merely jailbreak it whilst claiming to sim unlock it. Just call our support team and we can talk you through getting your handset back to factory condition so that we can unlock it properly.

We aren't the cheapest, we know that, that's because:

our unlocks are official - all done through iTunes
we actually deliver an unlock - guaranteed
we aren't just a kid in his bedroom who is selling free software - software jailbreaks do not unlock an iPhone.
our support staff are based in the UK, you can call us on the number on the website
Anyone who is advertising software to unlock your iPhone is a scammer. You will get nothing but grief and will certainly never get an unlock or your money back.

Can your service really unlock any iPhone?

The buy now page will tell you if we can unlock your handset based on the information you provide.

Certain network and iPhone combinations cannot be unlocked, we will tell you this before purchase. The device, iOS firmware version or modem firmware version isn't important.

I don't know what network my handset is locked to, what do I do?

No problem. Simply purchase a Network Check

How long does it take after purchase to get my unlock?

Depends on your network - it varies between a few hours (for AT&T, Australian networks), and a number of days. As the unlocks are official carrier unlocks, sometimes there are small delays. Unlocks are processed during normal working hours (Monday to Friday).

How does the unlock procedure work?

Once you receive your email to confirm that your handset is unlocked, for the iPhone simply connect it to iTunes which will complete the unlock.

When can I get it?

Right Now - simply click here to start the unlock procedure!

How much is it?

It depends on the network and your handset model! We are competitive and we will provide you with an excellent service, even after your handset is unlocked. Got a question unrelated to unlocking? Just call us or use our Live Chat and ask! We're happy to help.