Unlock iPhone 4S Without Using Hardware / Software or Jailbreak [How-to Guide]

If you are one of the folks that rushed out to buy Apple's latest smartphone offering, the iPhone 4S, then chances are you will be locked on to the carrier of your choice with a contract. Sure you can buy a factory-unlocked, contract free iPhone 4S if you are in the U.S. but you need to pay premium. Unlocking older iPhone models means using a program such as Ultrasn0w or use a special Gevey SIM interposer. But with the iPhone 4S, those methods are not yet applicable as far as we know. But as it turns out, there is a way to unlock the iPhone 4S to run on T-Mobile that has been circulating in the net now.


User Michael Capozzi has discovered a way to unlock the iPhone 4S without the use of any software or hardware and it doesn't even require a jailbreak. Yes, you heard it right. And being nice folks that we are, we are of course going to provide the steps on how to do it. As of this writing, there have been folks that confirmed that this unlocking method works.

Things to Keep in Mind:

• Apparently, this method can unlock not only with the iPhone 4S but also the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.
• Works on AT&T only.
• This method requires you to cut a SIM card so be sure that you have one prepared.
• We haven't had the chance to test this method yet, so proceed at your own risk.

Steps on How to Unlock the iPhone 4S to Run on T-Mobile:

1. Insert original AT&T SIM on your iPhone 4S.
2. Call the number 611 (AT&T Customer Service Hotline) and promptly drop the call.
3. Enable Airplane Mode.
4. Remove the AT&T SIM and replace it with a T-Mobile SIM card.
5. Make sure your WiFi is disabled. Also ensure that you tap "Forget this Network" so it would prevent the device from connecting to it later.
6. Disable Airplane Mode and the iPhone 4S will then search for an available network. This will be followed by the appearance of Apple's splash screen and then "Activation Required" will appear on screen.
7. EDGE Network will be automatically enabled. You should see an "E" located at the top left corner of the screen.
8. Wait for 20-30 seconds and switch OFF your phone. Turn it ON back again and you should see the "Activation Required" screen again.
9. Once you see the one signal bar, tap "Use Cellular Connection."
10. Eject the SIM card and you should see the "Activation Required" screen for the last time.
11. Re-insert the SIM card and voila! Your iPhone 4S should now be unlocked.

NOTE: In the event that you reset your iPhone, just repeat the whole process from step 1.

With this method, you can now use your iPhone 4S not only on T-Mobile's network but on other countries' network as well.