Unlock Your iPhone 4S Without Jailbreaking? [Video]

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Posted November 17, 2011 at 10:59pm by Shalom Levytam

A new unlock method has surfaced today which claims to work without the need of any software, hardware or jailbreak.

A bug in iOS 5 discovered by Michael Capozzi theoretically allows any iPhone 4S to be unlocked to any GSM carrier. However, Capozzi says he was only able to test with T-Mobile.

We are currently working towards independent confirmation of his method. It does require you to have an active T-Mobile SIM card (with data working). Remember it must be cut to micro-SIM size to fit the iPhone 4S.

The Steps:
● Insert original carrier AT&T SIM card
● Dial 611 for AT&T customer service hotline and drop the call
● Turn on Airplane Mode
● Take out AT&T SIM card
● Insert T-Mobile SIM card
● Make sure WiFi is off ( also tap on 'Forget this Network" to make sure it doesn't connect automatically later)
● Switch off Airplane Mode and iPhone will search for network. This is followed by the Apple splash screen appearing.
● Activation Required will be displayed on the screen
● EDGE network will activate automatically – notice the 'E' on the top left corner of the screen
● Wait for about 20-30 seconds and turn off the phone
● Turn on iPhone and the same Activation Required screen will be displayed
● When you see one signal bar, tap on Use Cellular Connection
● Eject SIM card
● Activation Required screen will be displayed the second time
● Insert SIM card
● Unlocked!

We are getting some confirmation reports. If you are able to test this, please let us know your results. Remember this method may unlock your device; however, it will not last through a reboot. So while not practical for day to day use. It may benefit those traveling abroad.

Update:
Gizmodo is claiming some confirmation as well.

Update x2:
MuscleNerd notes that while you might be able to successfully get network access, you will lose it once the network is refreshed which makes this procedure even less useful.

"If you are successful at temporarily gaining network access, you'll lose it as soon as TMSI is refreshed (happens often)"

"the TMSI refresh is a normal, regular action on the network (it's actually intended to protect you)"

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6italia0 - August 28, 2013 at 1:38pm

If you have an att iPhone just go on eBay, some sellers will unlock your imei for $2, I do a lot of mine that way

dssdude - December 3, 2011 at 9:26pm

Dont waste your time. It doesnt work.

Momin - November 21, 2011 at 6:32am

Does this work with the iPhone 4?

MuscleNerd - November 22, 2011 at 8:17pm

It doesn't work on any model - it was a hoax. The connection goes away after 5 seconds because that's how it was designed to work.

Adcpolo - November 19, 2011 at 10:38pm

I see full bars with drunk people!!

Juan Carlos - November 19, 2011 at 3:00am

Hi guys, I was able to test this on iPhone 3gs and iPhone 4 but running 5.0. and it works well. Was unlocked, turned phone off and on, still unlocked. changed sims a few times and worked well. However I tried to do with 3gs or i4 running 5.0.1 and does not work, so as stated, the bug is for ios5. I didn't get a change to keep the phones for too long so not sure if the phones will get locked after a certain amount of time..

Lm - November 18, 2011 at 10:06pm

How the hell did he come up whith that method? I don't think it was by accident putting and taking out sim cards while calling customer help line.

gustavio Leon - November 18, 2011 at 5:11pm

YESSSSSS IT WORKSSSS, Batman and Superman are next to me and they did it on their 4s and actually are calling to Santa Claus to explain the process and he will talk to the tooth fairy... C'mon guys.... be serious

roberto - November 18, 2011 at 6:22pm

hahahaha awesome :D

Ed Ducut - November 18, 2011 at 2:44pm

I hope they come up with the Sprint version.

MuscleNerd - November 18, 2011 at 8:40am

I'm disappointed iClarified didn't do any vetting of this story :(

DacksMac - November 18, 2011 at 1:19pm

That's because iClarified is just an Internet reposter. They don't investigate anything, they only hijack information from other sites.

Ryan Lian - November 18, 2011 at 7:58am

THIS DOES NOT WORK!!!! I TRIED IT ON A 4 AND 4S!!!!!! THE DEV TEAM IS TOO LAZY TO COME OUT WITH AN UNLOCK SO THEY'RE JUST FOOLING PEOPLE.

CheapRollmops - November 18, 2011 at 9:01am

Ok Ryan... so why don't you do it yourself?

seahawkgo - November 18, 2011 at 7:35am

I tried with iPhone4s 5.0.1 and it stucks at the last 2 steps which require activate again and again

Dave - November 18, 2011 at 7:24am

I am getting bored of Iphone Unlock stuff, i see no reason why no one can unlock these phone, while in Europe 9-% of carriers will unlock them, i switched to Samsung galaxy S2 and i am very happy, say goodbye to apple iPhone the Limited company they invent but would like to limit people with what they think its good.

Adcpolo - November 18, 2011 at 5:17pm

Or buy a factory unlock and stop complaining

James Martin - November 18, 2011 at 6:32am

Does this work on an iPhone 4??

Breix - November 18, 2011 at 6:18am

Mmmm.. I just have a 3gs iphone 32GB.. It was lock on ROGERS (Canadian Carrier) the only thing I did to unlock this phone is I insert a diffrent SIM then restore it to its factory setting them after that I activate it and then boom! Unlock just like that without using any jailbreak or software..

Sharpshooter - November 18, 2011 at 9:39am

Canadian iPhones are ALL factory unlocked due to some laws overthere. My cousin who lives in Vancouver send me an I4 for my birthday when I activated it said your iphone has been unlocked, so nothing extraordinary happened to you

Frank - November 18, 2011 at 6:35pm

That is not true. Canadian iPhones are definitely locked to your carrier. Only exception is if you pay full price from the Apple Store.

Curtix - November 19, 2011 at 4:07am

Nope. You are wrong. They are not. We have the option to buy them unlocked but if they are purchased from the carrier, they are locked just the same as in the US.

Chirag Gandhi - November 19, 2011 at 8:27pm

Do you think, it can work with iPhone 4s? Anyone tried to unlock iPhone 4s with this method?

xypher - November 18, 2011 at 4:07am

It showed tmobile but it restarts n black screen goes on again n it doesnt stay on main screen..man sooo close!!!

debunking - November 18, 2011 at 3:54am

Seriously? Come on folks... Desperation is not a valid excuse for being sheep - this is complete bunk.

joshWUa - November 18, 2011 at 2:32am

I see full bars but when I slide to unlock asking it to activate it, I can't get passed the message of inserting a supported sim card. I can't go to the home screen without seeing that message. Any ways to get around this?

Kash - November 18, 2011 at 3:51am

I see full bars only too... No t-mobile name, and stuck on un-supported sim screen. Help, someone.

Hemang - November 18, 2011 at 7:13am

Same problem some1 plese help !!

seahawkgo - November 18, 2011 at 7:40am

the same one sometimes on 5.0.1 (without call 611)

6italia0 - November 18, 2011 at 9:16am

you need to activate using cellular data from tmobile, apple will not let you activate over wifi. Watch this video, it should help you solve this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tATp_tbQ4k

joshwua - November 19, 2011 at 9:06am

I wasn't using wifi, when I activate it with cellular it takes me To that stupid unsupported page I keep repeating the process and nothing.

Joe - November 18, 2011 at 2:09am

Is this something you have to redo if you power cycle the phone?

Insomnia - November 18, 2011 at 4:38am

I hope not

Adcpolo - November 18, 2011 at 1:42am

I bought at&t 4s from apple before the official unlocked was released. Turned out it was unlocked. There was no AT&T mentioned on the receipt or box...ta da!!

TOTO - November 18, 2011 at 1:29am

Does it only work on T-mobile sim card? My foreign carrier SIM cannot connect to any EDGE network

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