How to Take Your T-Mobile iPhone to Another Carrier When Switching

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Unlock your T-Mobile iPhone
Activate your T-Mobile iPhone unlock code
Checking your unlocked iPhone’s carrier
Selecting a carrier for your unlocked iPhone

If you have a T-Mobile iPhone and plan on switching to another carrier, the process is often fairly simple, thanks to cross-carrier compatibility becoming much more commonplace in recent years.

This article will walk you through all the steps you need to take in order to switch to a new carrier and keep your T-Mobile iPhone in the process. We'll start with unlocking your T-Mobile phone, followed by checking your unlock status and eligibility.

Unlocking Your T-Mobile iPhone

Arguably the most important step in bringing your T-Mobile iPhone to a new carrier is making sure that it’s unlocked. Unlocking your phone used to be a pain, but carriers—including T-Mobile—have made the unlocking process much easier to navigate. In order to unlock your T-Mobile iPhone, you’ll have to make sure you meet T-Mobile’s unlocking requirements, which we’ve outlined below.

Checking Your Unlock Status and Eligibility

The first thing you’re going to want to do is check both your phone’s unlock status and its eligibility. The easiest way to do this is by logging into your T-Mobile account and taking the following steps:

Select Account from the top left corner of your screen
Select the line that is currently using the phone you are looking to unlock
Tap Check device unlock status located under Device details
- If your status reads Device Unlocked, you’re already in the clear and should be able to use your iPhone with compatible SIM cards from other carriers. Check out our picks for the best phone plans to get started on your search.
- If your status reads Device Locked, you’ll need to go a step further and find out if your device is eligible to be unlocked.

Leaving T-Mobile? Get the same coverage for half the cost

Many people don't realize they can save on a phone and a phone plan and still get T-Mobile coverage with an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator). These carriers use the same towers but don't have to pay for the upkeep costs, thereby passing the savings on to you. Where most free phones from T-Mobile require a new line (or upgrade) on one of their priciest phone plans, an MVNO like Mint Mobile has plans starting as low as $15/month.

With Mint Mobile, you'll get the nation's best 5G (with up to 50GB of guaranteed high speeds), plus unlimited talk, text, and data for a third of the cost of a T-Mobile unlimited plan. And while it's rare to find a truly free phone deal from Mint, you can often find discounted phones or full-priced devices that come with a few months of free service, which save you money in the long run.

T-Mobile Device Eligibility Requirements

If your T-Mobile iPhone is still locked, you’ll want to check to see if it's eligible for unlocking. Here are the boxes you have to check to meet T-Mobile’s unlocking requirements:

The iPhone must have been originally purchased from T-Mobile.
The device must be paid in full.
The IMEI must be unblocked—meaning not reported lost/stolen, and not delinquent on installment/lease payments.
Your account balance must not be past due if using a postpaid account.
365 days must have passed since the phone’s initial activation if using a prepaid account.
No more than 2 device unlocks per line within a 12-month span (prepaid accounts only).

If your iPhone checks all the boxes in terms of eligibility requirements, you’ll need to contact T-Mobile support by phone, email, or text message and request an unlock code to be sent to your phone. Once received, there are still a few steps to completing the unlock process, depending on which unlock method is most convenient for you.

Activating Your T-Mobile iPhone Unlock Code

Once your unlock request has been approved, you should receive an email from T-Mobile with a brief message and your iPhone’s unlock code. You will need to take one of two steps in order to complete the unlock process:

Unlocking your device with a non-T-Mobile SIM
Unlocking via iTunes

Unlocking Your iPhone with a Non-T-Mobile SIM Card

If you already have your non-T-Mobile SIM card from your new carrier, the unlock process should be fairly simple:

Remove your current T-Mobile SIM card from your iPhone
Insert your new, non-T-Mobile SIM card into your iPhone
Continue with the set-up process for your device

If all goes well, your iPhone should be successfully unlocked and ready to use with your new carrier.

Unlocking Your iPhone using iTunes

If you don’t already have a non-T-Mobile SIM card on hand, the alternative way to unlock your iPhone is with iTunes. To unlock your iPhone with iTunes, you’ll want to take the following steps:

Make a backup of the iPhone using iTunes
After creating a back-up of your iPhone (be sure to double-check), perform a reset on your iPhone
After the “Welcome” screen appears, connect your phone to iTunes—you should see a message confirming that your iPhone has been unlocked

Checking Your Unlocked iPhone’s Carrier Compatibility

Once you’ve gone through the process of unlocking your T-Mobile iPhone, you’ll have quite a few carrier options at your disposal. So long as the SIM card from your new carrier is compatible with your version of iPhone, you should have no issues setting up your new service.

The best way to make sure your unlocked iPhone will work with your new carrier is by checking the carrier’s website and performing an “IMEI check”. This will let you know if your particular iPhone model is compatible with the network you are switching to, helping you avoid any headaches you might run into by starting service with an incompatible carrier/SIM card.

Selecting a Carrier for your Unlocked iPhone

Once you determine which carriers your unlocked iPhone is compatible with, you’ll want to make sure you select the right plan. If you were generally happy with your current T-Mobile coverage, but are looking to save some money, there are a number of Mobil Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that run on T-Mobile’s network and typically offer lower-cost plans—carriers like Mint Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile.

Mint Mobile: Cheap T-Mobile alternative

Mint Mobile is a Ryan Reynolds-owned small carrier that operates on the T-Mobile network. That means stellar T-Mobile 5G coverage without the high T-Mobile prices. One of the ways Mint is able to offer such cheap plans is by asking their customers to commit to 3 months at a time. Mint's Unlimited plan costs $30/month ($90 for 3 months) but check out their current deal: $15/month ($45 for 3 months) for their Unimited plan.

Carrier	Mint Mobile
Data	Unlimited Data
Type	No Contract
Current Deal	Get this plan for just $25/mo. when you switch to Mint Mobile using promo code 15OFF at checkout. Upfront payment required
Total Price	$25 per month $75.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $25.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
	View Details

17 Phones Available

Switching to Verizon's or AT&T's network

Alternatively, if you’re looking to branch out, you’ll have the choice of the other majors, AT&T and Verizon, as well as countless other MVNOs that use those carriers' networks. You'll first need to make sure your phone meets all network requirements.

To switch to Verizon (or a Verizon-backed MVNO) and bring your T-Mobile phone with you, you'll need to:

Check that your current phone number is eligible on Verizon's network.
Make sure your phone works with Verizon's network. (T-Mobile's network is GSM; Verizon's was previously CDMA, but now uses HD Voice LTE technology.)

Start the process to switch to Verizon here.

Make sure to look for Verizon deals before you switch—you can often save thousands if you trade in your T-Mobile phone when to bring it to Verizon's network, with bonus cash for being a new customer. You can enjoy Verizon's excellent coverage without paying their notoriously high prices by checking out a smaller carrier that uses the Verizon network, like Visible or US Mobile.

#1	XFINITY Mobile	XFINITY Mobile Mobile Select Plan Unlimited 4G LTE/5G data Available on 1 Major 5G Nationwide network in select areas with compatible devices Unlimited mobile hotspot data Deal: Get a FREE 1 year of Xfinity Mobile Select Plan with Xfinity Internet required $0.00/mo (for the first year of service) <br>Regular rate of $30/mo. thereafter View Plan	$0.00/mo (for the first year of service) <br>Regular rate of $30/mo. thereafter	View Plan
#2	Twigby Mobile	Twigby Mobile Unlimited Talk, Text and 2GB Data 2GB of 4G LTE/5G data Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices 2GB mobile hotspot data Deal: New Customers get 2GB of data for $5 a month for 3 months! $5.00/mo for the first 3 months then $15.00/month View Plan	$5.00/mo for the first 3 months then $15.00/month	View Plan
#3	Red Pocket	Red Pocket Essentials Monthly Plan (CDMA) 3GB of 4G LTE/5G data Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices No mobile hotspot data $10.00/mo View Plan	$10.00/mo	View Plan
#4	Spectrum Mobile	Spectrum Mobile By the Gig 1GB of 4G LTE/5G data Available on 1 Major 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices 1GB mobile hotspot data $20.00/mo + $20 Upfront View Plan	$20.00/mo + $20 Upfront	View Plan

To bring your T-Mobile iPhone to AT&T or one of its supported carriers, you'll similarly want to check its compatibility. Like T-Mobile, AT&T is a GSM network, so you should have little trouble using your iPhone with Big Blue. Then, if you're bringing your number, make sure it's available through AT&T.

Start the process to switch to AT&T here.

Like Verizon, AT&T often offers excellent phone deals to new customers as an incentive to switch. Many smaller MVNOs on AT&T's network offer excellent coverage and plenty of data at a much cheaper price. These include household names like Boost Mobile and Cricket Wireless. Check out some of the most popular AT&T-backed carrier plans.

Essentials Monthly Plan (GSMA)

3GB of 4G LTE/5G data
AT&T 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices
No mobile hotspot data

$10.00/mo

View Plan

$10.00/mo

View Plan

The easiest way to find the best plan for your unlocked iPhone is to use our coverage too, which lets you compare plans from over 40 different carriers. You can also keep tabs on the hottest cell phone plan deals currently being offered by checking out some of our deals pages, which are constantly being updated.

Switching Carriers with Your T-Mobile iPhone: FAQs

Can I use a T-mobile phone on Verizon?

You can use a T-Mobile phone on Verizon as long as it's unlocked and you've checked its compatibility with Verizon's network.

Can I transfer my T-Mobile phone to AT&T?

You can transfer your T-Mobile phone to AT&T as long as it's unlocked and you've checked its compatibility with AT&T's network.

Can I unlock my T-Mobile phone myself?

You cannot unlock your T-Mobile phone yourself, though you don't have to visit a T-Mobile store, either. You must first apply for an unlock code from T-Mobile, then you can complete the rest of the unlock yourself.

Can I keep my phone number when I switch?

In most cases, you can keep your phone number when you switch. Submit your phone number to the carrier you're interested in switching to so as to make sure it's available with that carrier.

Are T-Mobile phones GSM or CDMA?

T-Mobile phones are locked to T-Mobile's GSM network, though nearly all phones released in the last 5 years can work on both GSM and CDMA technology.

Chris Holmes

Staff Writer

Chris Holmes is a Contributing Writer for WhistleOut, where he covers the cell phone and internet industries. His work has been cited in publications like The Verge, The New York Times, and WIRED.

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