In order to Unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max, it is necessary to know what kind of a lock it has and what methods are available for successful unlocking it.
The good news is that it is possible to unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max via the following two methods:
- Through the lock carrier (Free for everyone)
- Through IMEI Unlock method (Paid service)
If you already know which carrier is locking your iPhone 12 Pro max, then you can send an unlock request to the lock carrier without paying anything.
If you do not know which carrier is locking your iPhone 12 Pro Max OR the unlock request to the carrier was rejected, you should go for an iPhone IMEI Unlock check service. It will analyze the lock status of your iPhone within a few seconds and suggest you the best possible and available IMEI service to permanently unlock your iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Why Unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max?
Before actually starting the process for unlocking your iPhone 12 Pro Max, it is important to understand why you need to unlock your iPhone and what are the benefits of an unlocked iPhone.
Benefits of an unlocked iPhone 12 Pro Max
In short, an unlocked iPhone 12 Pro Max will allow you to use ANY mobile network you want worldwide without having any limitations. You will be free to do whatever you want with it.
The longer version of the benefits of an unlocked iPhone 12 Pro Max is:
- Use any SIM-Card you want worldwide (compatible networks only)
- Avoid getting charged with expensive roaming fees while traveling abroad
- Pick the network that best meets your needs (stronger signal, cheaper charges, better coverage, etc…)
- Increase your iPhone’s reselling value (unlocked iPhones cost more than locked ones)
- After unlocking your iPhone it is still covered by its warranty
- The unlock is permanent (even after updating or restoring its iOS)
Limitations of a Locked iPhone 12 Pro Max
There is confusion about the term “locked iPhone”, so it is important to understand what a lock is and what kind of different locks exist.
With the term “locked iPhone” we are trying to state that a feature or an action of an iPhone is disallowed. This can be from using a particular SIM-Card to not being able to access its Home screen.
Below you can read more about the different lock types an iPhone can have:
- SIM Lock
When an iPhone can operate with only one carrier - Blacklist
When an iPhone cannot operate with all the carriers inside a specific country (might have issues with other neighboring countries as well) - iCloud Lock
When an iPhone is “linked” with an iCloud account and cannot be used unless it gets removed (unbound) from that iCloud account - Financial Lock
When an iPhone has outstanding financial balances with a carrier. It will not work with other carriers and might have working issues operating as well with its lock carrier - Replaced IMEI/Serial
When a non official repair store changes the original IMEI/Serial numbers of an iPhone. Those iPhones will be reported as Lost/Stolen or Fraud by Apple (They might get locked with a Chimaera policy)
As you can see, there are many iPhone locks out there. The one that is not that painful, is the SIM-Lock.
- For Blacklisted iPhones you should get an iPhone IMEI Unblacklist Eligibility check
- For iCloud Locked iPhones you should get an iCloud IMEI Unlock Check
How to Unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max for free
All Mobile Networks MUST have an easy-to-follow process for their customers to request a SIM Unlock from them.
Let me repeat this (because all iPhone-related websites out there, do not promote this!).
You can send an Unlock Request to your iPhone’s Lock carrier and remove its SIM-Lock for FREE!
Each carrier has its own method. Most of them will unlock your iPhone 12 Pro Max by calling them or visiting a physical store and others with a simple online unlock request form.
You can check our latest post which includes detailed guides of how to unlock your iPhone for free through their lock carrier.
What should do if you cannot unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max through its carrier
If your Unlock request gets rejected, then there are two options available for you:
- Wait until your iPhone is eligible for an unlock (wait until it meets the unlock policies of the lock carrier)
- Unlock your iPhone 12 Pro Max via an IMEI Unlock service
Unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max by waiting to get eligible for an unlock
We will not cover all possible cases, since there are hundreds of mobile networks out there and their unlocking policies are not the same.
However, they have a few policies in common:
- If the rejection reason is “Due to active contract”, you can wait for the contract to end
- If the rejection reason is “Lost/Stolen/Fraud”, you should try to unblacklist it (via a service or through its previous owner)
- If the rejection reason is “Activation period is still too low”, you should stay under contract for that period, and then request for an unlock (some networks require you to stay for 24 months before requesting an unlock)
- If the rejection reason is “Outstanding financial balances”, then you should fully pay them and request for an unlock
Those are the most common policies from all mobile networks worldwide. If you do not want to “wait” more to unlock your iPhone 12 Pro Max, then you should try and find an IMEI Unlock service.
Unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max with an IMEI Unlock service
The IMEI Unlock service can change the SIM-Lock status of an iPhone from Locked to Unlocked. It should be only used when the free unlock request option is not available for your iPhone.
It will “bypass” the unlock request to the carrier and go straight to GSX databases (Apple’s databases). There, it is able to change the SIM-Lock status permanently and fully unlock an iPhone.
Benefits of IMEI Unlock services
Since it will fully unlock your iPhone, the benefits are those of an unlocked iPhone.
In addition, the IMEI Unlock services support iPhones that were unsuccessful to get unlocked with an unlock request to the carrier.
This means that the IMEI Unlock services support:
- Under Contract iPhones (Active on another account)
- iPhones with Unpaid Bills (Outstanding financial balances, not paid off)
- iPhones that are reported Lost, Stolen, or Fraud
This is the greatest benefit of IMEI Unlock services since it will save you if you ended up (scammed) with an iPhone that cannot get unlocked through its carrier.
Steps before unlocking an iPhone 12 Pro max
To be able to fully unlock your iPhone 12 Pro Max with an IMEI service, you need to find a service that specializes in the exact status of your iPhone.
For instance, an AT&T locked iPhone that is still under contract is not supported by an IMEI service that can unlock an AT&T locked iPhone that has Unpaid Bills or is Blacklisted.
So, the first thing you should do BEFORE searching for an IMEI Unlock service is to identify exactly the status of your iPhone.
This can easily be done within a few seconds with an iPhone IMEI Unlock Check service.
With an iPhone IMEI Unlock check service, you will receive a full IMEI report of your iPhone within a few seconds, and also you will be suggested with the best available IMEI Unlock service, based on your iPhone’s status!
How to Unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max with IMEI Unlock service
If you already have a full IMEI report or you know exactly which IMEI Unlock service your iPhone needs, you should start searching for iPhone unlocking companies that offer it.
A few tips for picking the right iPhone Unlocking company:
- Have PayPal as a payment method
- Have quick support (try their contact us page)
- Have positive reviews online (research them)
We suggest iPhoneUnlock.Zone since many of our users were able to unlock their iPhone 12 Pro Max through them, but we definitely suggest doing very good research first!
FAQ about unlocking an iPhone 12 Pro Max
We have gathered all the questions related to iPhone 12 Pro Max unlocking, covering a few topics we haven’t included until now.
What carriers are supported for unlocking an iPhone 12 Pro Max?
The IMEI Unlocking services can cover a very large number of carriers worldwide. Many new IMEI unlock services get online or offline within 24 hours, so it is not possible to create a list with all the supported carriers. However, the best way to find out if the carrier that is locking your iPhone 12 Pro Max can get unlocked is with an iPhone IMEI Unlock Check service. It will perform a real-time scan and find all available & online IMEI Unlock services for your iPhone.
How long does it take to unlock my iPhone 12 Pro Max?
It depends on your iPhone’s Lock carrier. An average time is around 4-5 business days, but some carriers can get unlocked within a few minutes. In some rare cases, the whole IMEI unlocking process can take up to 15 business days.
Do I need to send my iPhone 12 Pro Max to the unlocking company to get it unlocked?
No, that’s the beauty of the IMEI Network Unlock services. The whole process takes place “over the air”. Once the status of your iPhone 12 Pro Max changes from locked to unlocked, you can start using it without any restrictions.
Why choose to unlock my iPhone 12 Pro Max with IMEI over different methods?
Apart from the free unlock request you can do through your iPhone’s lock carrier, there are no other methods to unlock an iPhone 12 Pro Max. With the IMEI method, your iPhone 12 Pro Max will get permanently unlocked. Also, it supports the iPhones that could not get unlocked with an unlock request to their lock carrier.
What information do I need to send to an unlocking company in order to get my iPhone 12 Pro Max unlocked?
First of all, you need to make sure that your iPhone 12 Pro Max is not iCloud locked, because it requires a different service (iCloud Activation Lock removal services).
Then, there are a few things you need to provide:
- iPhone’s IMEI number (Dial *#06#) – Find out all methods to locate your IMEI number
- Your iPhone model (iPhone 12 Pro Max)
- The carrier that is locking your iPhone (If you don’t know it, you will have to get an iPhone IMEI Unlock check service – This service will provide you all the necessary info you need to order the best unlocking service)
- The iPhone’s Blacklist, Financial, & Contract status
How to find out what network/carrier is locking my iPhone 12 Pro Max?
There are 7 methods to find out if your iPhone is locked/unlocked and which network is locking it. The quickest way is through a paid iPhone IMEI Unlock check service. But, you can check our “3 (+4) methods on How to Check if iPhone is Unlocked” post for more methods.
My iPhone 12 Pro Max is still under contract, can you unlock it?
If your iPhone is still under contract then you will not be able to unlock it through its lock carrier, you will have to use an IMEI Unlock service.
It is not possible to know if your iPhone can get unlocked without knowing with which network it is still under contract (and locked to). There are many semi-premium IMEI Unlock services that support under contract and with unpaid bills locked iPhones.
Is it possible to unlock an iPhone 12 Pro Max that has dual SIM Cards?
Yes, it is possible. Only the first IMEI number should get unlocked (It is listed as IMEI or IMEI1) and then the iPhone 12 Pro Max will be fully unlocked and you will be able to use any SIM-Card you want (to both SIM-Trays).
My iPhone’s 12 Pro Max carrier is not listed. Is there an Alternative?
The unlocking companies should keep their IMEI Network Unlock services list updated and accurate. This means that if your iPhone’s network is not there, it will not be possible to get it unlocked. You can either wait for a new IMEI Unlock service to get online or return the iPhone to its seller and get a refund.
How much does it cost to Unlock an iPhone 12 Pro Max?
Again, it depends on the carrier that is locking your iPhone 12 Pro Max and its blacklist/financial/contract status. The price ranges from $20 to $200.
How will I receive my Unlock Code for my iPhone 12 Pro Max and how long will it take?
iPhones cannot get unlocked with “Unlock Codes”. Those codes are being used by Android and other non-iOS devices. So, if someone offers Unlock Codes for iPhones, he is a scammer!
Will the IMEI Network Unlock service unlock my iPhone 12 Pro Max for sure?
Yes, IMEI Unlocking services have permanent results and their success rate is over 95%. Also, reputable unlocking companies will refund your payment in case of an unlock failure.
Can I still use my iPhone 12 Pro Max while it is being unlocked?
Absolutely yes. You will be able to make phone calls with its current lock network and you will be able to use without any issues its apps.
Will my iPhone 12 Pro Max be permanently unlocked?
Yes. The unlock is permanent. You will be able to upgrade your iPhone to ANY future iOS version without getting it relocked.
Is there any jailbreaking involved in the unlocking iPhone 12 Pro Max process?
No. Jailbreaking and IMEI Unlock methods are two completely different things. An iPhone 12 Pro Max cannot get unlocked with the Jailbreak method (or software method).
Can I update my iPhone’s 12 Pro Max iOS after unlocking it?
Of course! The unlocked status of your iPhone’s 12 Pro Max will not get affected by updating its iOS version.
Will my iPhone’s 12 Pro Max data get erased after unlocking it?
In rare cases, a full iOS restore should be made in order to finalize the IMEI unlock. However, all unlocking companies suggest performing a full backup before proceeding with the completion of the unlock.
In 90% of all cases, you just have to slide a new SIM-Card to your iPhone’s SIM-Tray in order to get it fully unlocked.
Will I need the original SIM card of my iPhone 12 Pro Max to unlock it?
No, you just need a new SIM-Card to activate it and complete the unlocking process.
Can I unlock iPhone 12 Pro Max if it is blacklisted?
Blacklisted iPhones require a Premium IMEI Network Unlock service. Those services support a limited number of carriers, have a limited lifespan and capacity.
This means that it is possible to unlock them, but you need to get alerted when such a service gets online. With an iPhone IMEI Unblacklist eligibility check, you will receive a full report focusing on the blacklist status of your iPhone and a list of all possible and available IMEI Unlocking/Unblacklisting methods that are currently online.