Traveling abroad: Is unlocking my phone via 3rd party my only option?

[iMore Question]

I am in a tight situation and need some advice!

I am currently traveling abroad for the next 5 weeks in Europe. I bought a new phone from Virgin Mobile (USA) a few months ago and, due to an error on my part, had been under the impression it was unlocked. I am now in Europe with my iPhone 6s and cannot use the international SIM card I had originally bought for this trip. Virgin Mobile, of course, will not unlock my phone anyway because I have not had it active under this plan for at least a year yet.

I am contemplating paying to have it unlocked by a third party but am still somewhat unfamiliar with what is reputable and what is not. I am also very nervous about the risk of damaging my phone for obvious reasons as well as being in a foreign country and not knowing how I can explore my options regarding buying a new phone if absolutely necessary.

Should I unlock my phone myself? If so, what are some more trusted ways to go about doing this?

As a young woman traveling by herself for the first time any assistance right now is very, very appreciated. Thank you!

 

[nikkimd11]

I am no expert and probably don't have the answers you are looking for because I am not familiar with unlocking my phone other than directly through my carrier. My advice would be to see if you can get by with using wifi calling which worked great for a friend of mine who travelled abroad recently. And for texting you could use WhatsApp. This option of course would only work if you are in an area where wifi is constantly available. It's an option which wouldn't cost you anything. I would take caution with having a third party try to unlock the phone. Maybe someone else can speak on a positive personal experience of having a third party unlock their phone abroad. Hope you get the help you are looking for.

 

[eyecrispy]

I've had third parties unlock before but it has been a few years. They have worked fine for me. Why won't your carrier unlock it for you? Did they tell you?

 

[anon(9733642)]

I am in a tight situation and need some advice!

I am currently traveling abroad for the next 5 weeks in Europe. I bought a new phone from Virgin Mobile (USA) a few months ago and, due to an error on my part, had been under the impression it was unlocked. I am now in Europe with my iPhone 6s and cannot use the international SIM card I had originally bought for this trip. Virgin Mobile, of course, will not unlock my phone anyway because I have not had it active under this plan for at least a year yet.

I am contemplating paying to have it unlocked by a third party but am still somewhat unfamiliar with what is reputable and what is not. I am also very nervous about the risk of damaging my phone for obvious reasons as well as being in a foreign country and not knowing how I can explore my options regarding buying a new phone if absolutely necessary.

Should I unlock my phone myself? If so, what are some more trusted ways to go about doing this?

As a young woman traveling by herself for the first time any assistance right now is very, very appreciated. Thank you!

So you're best bet for safety is just buy a pre-paid cheap overseas device. Next, make audio calls using FaceTime Audio when connected to Wifi with your current device