Unlocking my phone from New Zealand

[samcoleman2001]

Im trying to unlock my phone but its prooving dificult, I put £15 credit on the phone as adviced in the phone unlocking guide but the money got used on data roaming which i had no idea was on. I just want to unlock the phone and use it here. Help?

[Glory1]

Hi @samcoleman2001

The only thing I can suggest is you ensure data roaming is now off, top up a further £15 and follow the procedure laid out in the Guide to Unlocking.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[Cleoriff]

@samcoleman2001

The guide to unlocking is here UNLOCK

However, you should have unlocked the phone before you left the UK...(it needs to be registered on the O2 network to complete the unlock process)

If it's an iPhone it will be unlocked remotely by Apple servers, though as far as I am aware it still needs to be on the O2 network to do this.

You could give customer services a call but I think they will say the same https://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

[MI5]

I think the unlock process will work for you in NZ but you will have to topup again as mentioned.
You might also want to try using live chat to see if they can help you

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:
I think the unlock process will work for you in NZ but you will have to topup again as mentioned.
You might also want to try using live chat to see if they can help you

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Not being dim here @MI5 just asking why you think it will work on this occasion?

As I understood it, any phone needs to be on the O2 network so the IMEI could be recognised when attempting an unlock. As the OP is in NZ they wont be on O2....

Our advice is ALWAYS to unlock before you travel. Is this somehow different as it's an iPhone?

Genuine question...You know I love to learn....

[MI5]

My logic is that as long as the phone is recognised by o2 they can release the unlock code to the customer.
This is then used to unlock the relevant part of the phone software, so it’s the phone that controls the lock status, not the network.
Apple, as you say, is done on their own activation servers, so should also work anywhere.

[Cleoriff]

@MI5 

In that case I shall be watching this thread very carefully, interested to see if @samcoleman2001 does indeed manage to unlock. It will also be dependent on whether 'O2 recognises the phone'?

If the OP manges to unlock , then you will need to add a section on 'unlocking whilst abroad' to your Unlock guide... #justsaying

[MI5]

Ha ha, yes of course

[Cleoriff]

Tick tock then....:smileyhappy:

[jonsie]

Unlocking overseas is impossible unless the phone has been used on the O2 network recently. If in the last couple of months unlocking should be ok. If it's never been registered on the network directly then O2 cannot unlock it.