What happens if you buy a locked iPhone?

If it's carrier locked, then you are going to have to go through the carrier that sold the phone. They are the only ones that are going to be able to unlock it by sending it a signal allowing it to be unlocked. You may be able to call Apple and see if they can lookup what carrier it came through.
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What do I do if I buy a locked iPhone?

You can get past the passcode by putting into recovery mode and restoring the phone with iTunes. If it is activation locked, there is no way to bypass that. If you find that it is activation locked, turn it over to the police and give them all the information you have on who you bought it from. It's most likely stolen.
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Is it safe to buy locked iPhone?

Is it Safe to Buy an iPhone That's iCloud Locked? No. You'll need the owner to unlock it before you're able to use it. When shopping for used iPhones online, it's best to skip ones that are locked devices.
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What happens if you buy a carrier locked iPhone?

When you buy a new iPhone, if you don't pay the entire price up front, it'll be "locked" to your carrier. This means that, until you pay it off, your phone can only connect to that carrier's network and no others.
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Can I sell a blacklisted iPhone?

Once your phone is no longer on the blacklist, you can either continue to use it or sell it. If you bought a phone from someone who stopped paying their installments, you might have to consider other options to unblock the phone.
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Should You Buy iCloud Locked iPhones? 2019



Do you have to unlock an iPhone before you sell it?

You'll also want to unlock your iPhone before selling it. A locked phone can only work on a certain carrier's network, and buyers may want to use your device with a different service. Verizon customers generally don't have to worry about unlocking because all of the carrier's 4G devices come unlocked out of the box.
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Why would someone buy a locked iPhone?

If your iPhone is currently locked to a network, it is legal to sell it even if you still owe money on the phone contract. Most networks do not want the phone back if you can't pay your bill or decide to sell it. They simply want the money you owe them.
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How much does it cost to unlock iPhones?

These third-party companies usually charge approximately $30 to unlock an iPhone. That might fluctuate a little bit, but expect to pay somewhere right around there. If they're asking for much more than that, shop around and see if you can find someone cheaper.
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Can someone unlock my stolen iPhone?

Normally, someone cannot unlock your iPhone without a passcode. However, they can factory reset your iPhone and unlock it using the above method or some iPhone unlocking tools. If you turned on Find my iPhone earlier, the Activation Lock can protect your iPhone furtherly.
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Can I buy a locked iPhone and unlock it?

Only your carrier can unlock your iPhone. Contact your carrier and request an unlock. Your account might need to meet requirements for unlocking. After you submit the request, it might take a few days to complete.
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Can a stolen iPhone be reset?

If your iPhone has been stolen, the first thing you need to do is reset it. Doing so will erase all the data on the device and the person with access to your phone will have nothing to see on your device. You can use the iCloud's web-based app to access your iPhone remotely and then wipe it off.
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How do I activate a stolen iPhone?

Mark a device as lost
  1. Tap Devices at the bottom of the screen, then tap the name of the lost device.
  2. Under Mark As Lost, tap Activate.
  3. Follow the onscreen instructions, keeping the following in mind: ...
  4. Tap Activate (for an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, AirPods, or iPhone Leather Wallet) or Lock (for a Mac).
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Can I unlock a phone myself?

The simplest way to unlock your device is to ring your provider and ask for a Network Unlock Code (NUC). Most will provide you with one and some even do it for free once your contract is up. Once you're provided with the code you should be able to enter it into your phone to remove the lock.
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Does Jailbreaking an iPhone unlock the carrier?

Answer to “Does Jailbreaking Unlock iPhone Passcode or Carrier” The answer is NO. You cannot jailbreak the iCloud lock or carrier lock because jailbreak ONLY removes all software that restricts or limits access to your device, it cannot break through both locks.
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How long does it take for an iPhone to be unlocked?

In conclusion, it should take normally 3-5 working days should everything go smoothly. It can take up to a maximum of 15 working days but this is on a very rare occasion.
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Why would someone buy a locked phone?

The biggest reason to buy carrier-locked is that you likely won't need to pay for it all at once. As an added incentive, once you buy a carrier phone, you now have an easy way to get support and service for that device.
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Can an activation locked iPhone be unlocked?

Get the Original Owner to Unlock Your iPhone. One of the easiest ways to unlock an iCloud locked iPhone is to get the original owner to unlock the phone for you. Since the original owner will likely have their iCloud password with them, they will be able to enter the password on the iPhone and get it unlocked.
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Should I remove SIM card before selling iPhone?

To be extra safe, it's a good idea to remove your SIM card, which may contain your phone number, security information and billing info.
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Can you sell locked phones?

Good luck getting assistance from Apple or your Android manufacturer, in most cases those phones are now permanently locked even though you are the rightful owner. Even though we cannot get you back into your phone, you can sell your locked phone to us.
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Is it worth unlocking my phone?

What's the benefit of having an unlocked phone? The biggest benefit of having an unlocked phone is that if you want to switch wireless operators, you can easily do that. All you have to do is pop in a new SIM and sign up for service. There's no need to buy a new phone.
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What happens if I buy a phone that's not paid off?

If you don't pay your phone off and you fail to make payments, your phone will likely be blacklisted and the buyer will not be able to use it. That could present a host of complications and even spell legal trouble. Some stores specialize in buying locked, blacklisted and financed phones.
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Can a carrier refuse to unlock a phone?

Can my mobile service provider refuse to unlock my phone because I owe them money or am currently under contract? Yes. Providers do not have to unlock devices for existing or former customers that are not in good standing.
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Is it illegal to unlock phones?

Starting today, the U.S. Copyright Office and Library of Congress are no longer allowing phone unlocking as an exemption under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can read the full docket here but, in short, it is illegal to unlock a phone from a carrier unless you have that carrier's permission to do so.
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What do thieves do with stolen iPhones?

That's where the stolen iPhones go. Thieves who realize that they can't use the stolen iPhone will break the device into several parts and sell them to shady repair shops or stores for money. These types of stores need several parts of the iPhone, like the screen to fix someone else broken iPhone at a cheap rate.
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Can I use an iPhone I found?

Can I Use a Lost iPhone I Found? YES. You can unlock it if you found a lost iPhone. The thing that put you in trouble is the iPhone's screen passcode as these days iPhone users set a screen passcode to protect the data stored in their device.
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