UnlockIt - The APN Changer for iPhone

[Owen Priestley]

Since the iPhone was first released, there has been a constant struggle between Apple and its end users with regards to which carriers and tariffs are compatible with the iPhone. Software unlocks such as ultrasn0w have ensured that iPhone owners are free to choose which carrier they would like to use but once the phone accepts the sim card - that isn’t necessarily the end of the battle.

Many carriers have data plans which differ from one another, and some are less compatible with the iPhone than others. Unless users are on an “iPhone Data Plan” it is generally hard to reason with their carrier. The settings which carriers send to iPhones are usually specific to the iPhone plans and as such are non-compatible with other plans.

For example, I have a Blackberry and an iPhone - I don’t want to have to take out two different contracts for my two separate handsets, nor do I wish to call up my carrier and wait 24hrs whilst they change the data plan each time I want to change phones. So what can I do? This is where UnlockIt - APN Changer comes into play.

UnlockIt is an online service which doesn't require the device to be jailbroken or unlocked. Simply navigate to the site and input the details you wish to use on your phone and APN Changer does the rest. What you are given is a signed profile which your phone automatically installs. It is the equivalent of sending yourself carrier settings which you have customised.



When I was searching for ways to use my Blackberry sim in my iPhone I was told by countless people that it would either simply not work, or I would run ridiculously high charges for data because the iPhone wouldn’t be using the Blackberry/RIM APN to send/receive data packets.

A quick check of my carriers smallprint informed me that they use three different APNs on their Blackberry data plan, two of which had unlimited usage included. One of these two was the Blackberry APN, the other was simply Mobile Web/Wap. It was then a case of simply using APN Changer to set the APN to the latter, and I haven’t been charged since.

In theory, APN Changer can be used to grant much more freedom to iPhone users, particularly when combined with an unlock such as ultrasn0w. Some carriers for example are stopping Unlimited Data plans for the iPhone, however other plans still get the Unlimited Data. Using APN Changer users may switch between phones and data plans easily.

So although the battle continues between Apple and their end users, APN Changer helps to make life easier for people being pinned down by their carriers and forced into an iPhone contract. APN Changer is currently compatible with all iPhones and has recently been updated to support iOS4.

With built in settings for most carriers, a custom APN Changer and the ability to set a blank APN which effectively disables data use - UnlockIt APN Changer certainly helps to set free thousands of users who have issues with their carriers.

[tkirk10]

Thank you!

[staterunner180]

So how exactly does this work? I couldn't quite get it from the post...

[Cowboy]

Very nice now I can switch between my bb my iPhone and my new aria

[klouud]

But you have to have a plan in place already yes? So if I use my Sony "piece of crap flip phone 3G" and get unlimited SMS/MMS and data then this app allows me to use that same plan on my iPhone? Or do I create a completely new plan from scratch?

I am an AT&T customer

[ipod touch u]

Thanks, this is really helpful.

[btowne]

safari "cannot open page"

hmmmm...?

[ian_frs]

hmm... I wonder if it's down right now I can't pull it up on my phone.

[x2thaz64]

Would u be able to work around tethering with this like other custom profiles have in the past?

[carlwithaK]

I've actually been using this and always wondered why no one talked about it. I use the fake apn so that I can use my iPhone pretty much just like an iPod Touch except with a camera and phone. It disables data so that ATT can't charge me for using data while not on a data plan.

[vinaygoel2000]

So can I use my old 3G as a 2nd line without Data? I currently have iPhone 4 on one line and Razr (with no text, no data) on the 2nd line.

[kaderr]

i cant open safari plz help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vegassteven]

So I Have a locked and unjailbroken 3GS (new bootrom so can't jb and unlock)

Does this mean I can go to Philippines with the wife and take my AT&T sim out and us a philippino sim?

[LGgeek]

times out trying to get to site
or
Error establishing a database connection

[kaderr]

cant open the safari anyone can help plz???thanks

[CaptainChaos]

Thanks for the write up

[gafu]

Welcome Owen.......you just opened up a can of worms!

[spideyrules]

Thanks for the great article and welcome Owen!

Unfortunately, the link appears to currently be down (both from phone and laptop)

[kmmxracer]

Thanks for the bad link buddy.

Edit: Im the idiot here, it is not his fault, Im sure its the server.

[romeoz]

Fail. :-).