I am going to tell you the best way to unlock iPhone 6. When unlocked you can then use any SIM, or use any cell network, anywhere in the world, without restriction.
Getting your iPhone 6 unlocked is good idea because you can:
- Swap to a cheaper supplier with lower call rates or more generous data plans
- Pick a service provider that offers the best cell coverage for you
- Select a supplier that offers the best overseas roaming
- Sell your iPhone6 or 6S as ‘unlocked’ allowing you to get the best price
- Select a network operator with the best customer support possible
Table of Contents
Lets start with the best way to unlock your iPhone 6
Network unlocking is the best method because:
- It actually works
- It is reliable
- You don’t have to open the device and fiddle around inside
- It doesn’t void your Apple warranty
- It doesn’t cost that much to do with prices starting at $30 USD (£25 GBP)
- You do it once and your phone is unlocked forever
Unlocking instructions
- Ask your carrier if you can unlock your device. If so, ask them to do it. If not, ask a reputable unlocker to do it
- Wait for it to be processed by your carrier or unlocker
- Once notified, finalise the unlock on your device making sure you follow the instructions you are given
- Test it to make sure it worked
You will find more details on these steps below.
1: Ask if you can unlock your iPhone
Contact your carrier and ask them if you could have your iPhone 6 unlocked.
The original contract for most suppliers was normally 24-36 months.
The iPhone 6 has been out since September 2014. So it is likely that you will be able to unlock your iPhone without a hitch as it will be out of contract.
Even though your iPhone is out of contract, unfortunately, there will still be a fee for the unlock service.
Tip: Your own carrier may not be the cheapest or fastest unlock option. Shop around.
I reviewed a huge number of tools, software, and websites to find the best options so feel free to use one of my recommendations with confidence.
All of them do an iPhone SIM unlock service that is quick and efficient – regardless of what your carrier you currently use.
2: Wait for the unlocker to process it
The codes used for unlocking your handset are actually stored on Apple’s servers.
When you ask to be unlocked your chosen supplier need to talk to Apple to get it done. The time this takes varies from country to country but you should get an estimate when you place your order.
Unfortunately, you can’t go directly to Apple yourself, you have to go through your carrier or an approved agent (such as the ones I recommended in step 1).
You need to wait until your agent tells you that Apple has unlocked your iPhone.
3. Finalise the unlock on your iPhone 6
In some cases, you will get some instructions to explain what you need to do to finalise the process.
This can be a simple as rebooting your device, or sometimes it can be slightly more complex.
Depending on your location it can be more complex and require things such as a factory reset, and a restore from backup.
4. Check the device was unlocked properly
Once you have followed the instructions supplied to finalise the unlocking of your handset you should try a SIM card from another network carrier to see if it works.
The SIM card should work if it has been done properly.
The best third party websites for iPhone 6 unlocking
Since networking unlocking is the best option and there are loads of suppliers I decided to try as many out as possible to see who was best.
There are many scammers out there and I wanted to make sure that I was providing good advice.
In a hurry:
If you don’t have time to read the detailed review below the best unlocker was DoctorUnlock
They unlocked all the devices in 2 days.
Their prices start at just £25 ($30) which is good value for this service – although depending on your location and carrier prices can be higher.
Read more why I thought they were best of the bunch here.
Unlocking company reviews
Initially, I needed to find who to use.
I did a quick Google search to find as many companies that offered a factory / SIM /network / IMEI unlocking service as possible.
I looked at each of their websites and reviewed them carefully. I also dropped them an email to check that there was someone in charge.
This reduced my list drastically to 12 prospects.
I then decided to find out what customers thought of them by reviewing feedback left on TrustPilot, RipooffReport, and TrustmarkReviews. This reduced my list down to 4 finalists who I wanted to test thoroughly.
I decided to enlist the help of my vibrant community here at Case Services. I asked for readers that wanted to unlock their iPhone to get in touch. I tried to select people located all around the world. I believed this reflected my readers and also thoroughly tested the quality of the IMEI unlock service provided.
I ended up with 16 volunteers with the following models:
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
Each individual emailed me their IMEI code so I could place orders with each of the top 4 suppliers.
The judging criteria
Each supplier was judged based on 4 things:
- Did it work?
- Was it a reasonable price?
- How long did it take?
- Were they responsive to customer queries?
Did it work?
Did they actually manage to get the iPhone network unlocked. Obviously, if they didn’t they were no good.
Was it a reasonable price?
The price depended on country and phone network – even for the same model of iPhone. Prices typically ranged between $20 to $40 USD (£12 -£30).
How long did it take?
I didn’t want it to take too long. Waiting 21 days for the work to be finished wasn’t good enough.
Were they responsive to customer queries?
Once I had paid my fee I wanted to ensure I was comfortable with what was happening. I wanted to be updated regularly on the status of the process.
I also wanted a responsive customer services team so I could get answers to my question quickly.
Results
Based on my in-depth research I am happy to recommend the following iPhone 6 unlock service.
1st place: DoctorUnlock
DoctorUnlock are brilliant having network unlocked every smartphone.
They are competitively priced with prices going from approx $30 USD (£25) up to approx $130 USD (£105). The exact price depends on where you are based and which network provider you are using. This is all made very clear on their website.
They were very efficient and managed to perform unlocks quicker than anyone else. On average it took a couple of days, which is very quick.
It was slower for some territories but this is clearer highlighted on the website when you buy so you are aware of this before you make your purchase.
Customer support was very responsive with most replies coming back within an hour.
All their prices are listed in GBP (£’s) as DoctorUnlock is a UK based business. However, they have no problem unlocking devices from anywhere in the world so if you are not in the UK this is not a problem.
I felt very comfortable spending money with them.
If you want to unlock your iPhone 6, I suggest you go with DoctorUnlock. They are a great supplier that have earned their top spot in my review.
How to request an unlock from DoctorUnlock
Some visitors to this page said they were a bit confused about how to order an unlock so I have written this step-by-step tutorial to make it easy.
1. When you place your order you will be asked for your phones IMEI code. There are 4 ways of getting this code:
- If you haven’t yet activated and setup your device you will see a little “i” button on the screen. Click it and it will display the IMEI code
- On your iPhones keypad dial *#06#
- Look at the back of your device and you should see your IMEI printed in really small text
- Click Settings > General > About on your phone then scroll down and you will see the IMEI listed
7. Your iPhone 6 will be unlocked in 1-3 working days.
2nd place: Direct unlocks
Direct unlocks are the new boys on the block but they have already built a great reputation for a quick and reliable unlock service. They managed to unlock all of the iPhones and iPads without a hitch.
They are a truly international organisation and have US, and UK based sites with pricing given in the appropriate currency used – USD or GBP.
All of my devices were unlocked in a couple of days so it was a speedy unlock service.
Customer services were good, although not as warm and friendly as our winners (above).
Pricing is competitive although not quite as good as DoctorUnlock. With Direct unlocks you pay a non-refundable pre-order fee The rest of the fee is due before they finish doing the unlocking. This gives the impression that their prices are lower than they really are when you take into account the second payment.
Direct unlocks with it’s American and British based websites are rather good and almost got my top spot. They failed to make it due to their lack of track record but they are one to watch.
3rd place: Official iPhone Unlock
Official iPhoneUnlock was pretty good as they unlocked every device. However, like Direct unlocks (above) their payment structure is a little odd – but more on that later.
They were efficient as well – with unlocks taking around 2-3 days, which is pretty impressive.
Their customer support was fairly good, but not up to the standard of DoctorUnlock. Sometimes I’d have to wait a day to get a reply to a query.
Their pricing was very similar to DoctorUnlock – with unlocks priced between £25 (approx $30 USD) and £105 (approx $130 USD) depending on country, model, and network. However, the payments are structured differently making them appear ‘cheaper’ than they really are.
It isn’t very clear on the website but you pay a £19.99 pre-order fee (approx $16). The remainder of the fee is paid to release the unlock code to you. Therefore, you don’t get to see the total price you pay for the unlock when you place your order. You are only shown the initial deposit figure.
The pre-order payment is deducted from the total cost so you are not ripped off but it isn’t very transparent. Some buyers claim the feel ‘blackmailed’ into paying more which isn’t the best customer experience.
This could be resolved easily by showing the total price during the order process. This is the main reason Official iPhoneUnlock has been pushed into 3rd place.
They do accept a wider range of payment methods than DoctorUnlock, but no more than Direct Unlocks. Like iPhone IMEI prices are in GBP (£) but they can unlock iPhone 6’s from anywhere in the world.
They are kept in the top 3 by virtue of being able to do the unlocks successfully and for a reasonable fee. But because they have a dubious pricing methodology and their support isn’t quite as fast as it could be they find themselves in 3rd spot for unlocking.
Customer feedback
How to use Official iPhoneUnlock
I had some of the members of my Case Services community contact me to say they were a bit confused about what to do when unlocking their device so I put together a quick tutorial with step by step instructions to make it super-easy to do using Official iPhoneUnlock.
1. Firstly you need to find out the IMEI code for your iPhone 6. The IMEI is a unique id for your Apple device. You need to give them the code so they unlock the correct iPhone.
- Option 1: If your iPhone is not activated, there will be a little “i” button on the screen, tap it and you’ll see the IMEI
- Option 2: Dial *#06#
- Option 3: Your IMEI is printed on the back of the device
- Option 4: On your iPhone click Settings > General > About and scroll down and you should see the IMEI listed
2. Go to Official iPhone Unlock and click ‘BUY NOW’ from the menu on the left.
3. Pick your iPhone model at the top (iPhone 6/6+ or 6S/6S+). Underneath a box appears. Type in the IMEI number and select the carrier or network that it is locked to from the drop-down (see the red arrows pointing where you need to fill in the details in the image below).
4. The price should ‘pop up’ underneath together with a trust score and some reviews. Click the ‘Buy Now’ button.
5. You will go to the cart page. Please make sure you put in your correct email address so that you can be kept up-to-date with the process. If you get it wrong they won’t be able to tell you the job has been finished. You can also add details of more devices if you have more than 1 to unlock.
6. Click the large blue ‘Continue’ button once you have added all of the details for the phones you want to unlock.
7. You will be sent to the payment page where you provide your payment details and you’re done!
8.You should have an unlocked iPhone 6 in 2-5 working days.
Other iPhone 6 unlocking methods
There are 3 other unlocking methods for the iPhone 6 phone:
Of these, some work, some are very dangerous and are likely to damage your device, and others are scams.
I will detail the problems with three of these methods, before explaining which one is best and how to unlock your phone with this method.
Software unlocking
The issue with software unlocking is that in short – it no longer works.
Yes, you will probably find quite a number of websites writing about iPhone software unlocks.
But these do not work on the iPhone 6.
Do not pay for any software unlock of any type for your iPhone as it is a scam.
Software unlocks stopped working with the iPhone 4. They won’t work on newer iPhones.
Hardware unlocking
Hardware unlocking was the first type of unlocking that didn’t rely on hacking the SIM card. I definitely don’t recommend going down this route.
Technically speaking, the process involves opening up your smartphone and doing a testpoint on the A17 gate. This type of hack is a variation of the Fakeblank exploit.
To be blunt, the process is the type of hack you find performed in small corner shops in dodgy areas of town.
The hacker needs to open up your device and install a piece of hardware that runs a special computer code. The code will prevent the iPhone being locked to a single network.
The downside is your device is opened and altered by an unauthorised dealer which voids your warranty. So if you have a future issue with your iPhone, such as a broken screen, Apple is likely to refuse to fix it.
It is also a risky procedure with a high failure rate.
It can destroy your iPhone.
It is often quite expensive too – with fees of £100-£200 ($150-$300 USD) charged with no guarantee it will work.
This is more expensive than network unlocking and far riskier.
Gevey SIM unlock
What is Gevey SIM Unlock?
The Gevey SIM unlock requires you to buy a small computer chip that sits between the SIM tray and the SIM card on your iPhone 6. This chip is called an interposer.
The interposer needs to be installed and kept in situ all the time to make sure your device remains unlocked.
How does Gevey SIM interposer work?
This is where it gets a little technical.
You SIM card has a unique IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) number that matches your account with your carrier and your handset. When you turn your iPhone it does an iMEI check with the carrier to see if the handset is network unlocked.
If fitted with an interposer, when you switch your iPhone on the Gevey interposer toggles your phone into flight mode preventing a connection to the phone network. It is forced to use the emergency 112 number to connect.
While establishing a connection the Gevey interposer cycles through IMSI codes to find a suitable combination.
Next, the flight mode is switched off and the fake ‘unlocked’ IMSI code is used instead of the real one.
Problems with Gevey SIM unlock
- It voids your Apple warranty.
- It only works if your iPhone handles 112 calls properly from your location.
- If your phone validates the IMSI code on all incoming calls it doesn’t work.
- This hack only works on some cell phone networks. For example, T-Mobile does not have 3G service using the Gevey hack.
- Due to network issues, some features won’t work properly such as Facetime & iMessenger.
- Your mobile cell phone will have a poorer signal causing call dropouts.
- Your phone is likely to get too hot and suffer from a reduction in battery life.
- If your iPhone loses power or reception you have to perform the whole process again.
People Also Ask
What is a network lock?
Put simply, a network lock is a built-in restriction in your iPhone that forces you to only be able to use a SIM from one carrier.
This is normally the carrier you bought your iPhone from ie Sprint, EE, Vodaphone or whoever.
And you can’t change it.
This type of lock is sometimes called a SIM lock, carrier lock, or (master) subsidy lock.
So if you get a SIM from another carrier and put it into your iPhone it won’t work.
Instead, you will receive a message which says ‘SIM Not Valid’ explaining the issue with a very unhelpful ‘Try Again’ button.
The only time your iPhone won’t have a SIM lock is if it was bought from a seller that offers ‘unlocked’ iPhones – such as the Apple store.
Buying an iPhone at full price would have been no guarantee that it was SIM free. It would have to be specified as an unlocked device.
The only unlocking option that doesn’t void your Apple warranty is a network unlock.
It is also the most reliable and once completed it lasts for the lifetime of your phone.
It is also very simple to do – just follow the instructions below.
How do carriers stop you using another SIM?
Your SIM has a unique IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) code which ties your phone account and handset together.
If you put a different SIM in your phone it checks with your carrier if the IMSI matches the one in its database.
If it doesn’t you get a ‘SIM not valid’ message on your iPhone screen and you won’t be able to use it to make calls.
How does network unlocking work?
When you request to have your iPhone unlocked it is no longer listed in the database as having to use a SIM card with a specific IMSI. Instead, you can use any SIM with any IMSI.
This means you are free to decide which network you want to use.
Is it possible to unlock an iPhone 6 iCloud?
Yes you can unlock iCloud on the iPhone 6. There are some free options and a couple of paid options you can try including a recommended unlock service.
Can you unlock iPhone 6 with iTunes?
You can unlock the passcode of an iPhone 6 using iTunes. You can’t SIM unlock iPhone 6 so you can use any SIM card using iTunes.
What should I do if I can’t unlock my iPhone 6 screen?
If you can’t unlock the iPhone 6 screen it means your device is passcode locked. You need to do a reset and restore so you can remove the passcode from the phone.
Can a stolen iPhone 6 be unlocked?
Being able to unlock a stolen iPhone 6 depends on a number of factors such as knowing the Apple ID of the original owner and if you want to keep the data. If you want to keep the data you must have access to a backup so it can be restored. But before you can restore the data you need to remove the iCloud lock.
Can I unlock my iPhone 6 when the screen is not working?
You can unlock the screen using the Voice Over App which can be activated using Siri. Simply hold down the Home button to activate Siri and say “Turn on VoiceOver”. You can also attach an external keyboard to the iPhone 6 and enter the passcode that way.
How do you unlock iPhone 6 when the home button is broken?
To unlock your iPhone 6 with a broken home button firstly plug your device into a computer with iTunes installed on it. On the devices summary page click ‘configure accessibility’ and select ‘VoiceOver’ to enable it. On your iPhone 6 you will be able to double tap the “press home to open” text using your touchscreen to unlock it.
Can you unlock iPhone 6 that is in lost mode?
You can unlock iPhone 6 in lost mode by entering the passcode on the screen or by cancelling lost mode via iCloud.com.
How can you unlock the iPhone 6 for free?
You can unlock the passcode for free at home using iTunes. You can also iPhone unlock iCloud for free by resetting the password or getting the original owner to do it for you. You may also be able to factory unlock an out of contract iPhone 6 by contacting your carrier and asking them to unlock it.
Can you unlock your iPhone 6 without passcode or fingerprint?
If your iPhone 6 is locked and you don’t have the passcode and the fingerprint scanner doesn’t work you need to do a reset and restore so you can remove the passcode from the phone.
Is it possible to SIM unlock any iPhone 6 that’s not paid off?
Yes you can SIM unlock iPhone 6 that hasn’t been paid off using an third-party factory unlocker.
Factory unlocking an iPhone 6 is not quick, it normally takes 7-28 days depending on your carrier. You can SIM unlock your iPhone 6 faster by using a third-party company such as Direct Unlocks to do it.