Hey everyone! I'm in a really frustrating situation with my new iPhone 17 Pro that I bought completely unlocked from Walmart. The moment I turned it on, it activated with a temporary AT&T line, which I've since canceled. Now, my phone is stuck under the "US Reseller Flex Policy," and I can't get it unlocked because neither Apple nor AT&T can help me out. Apple says only the carrier can unlock it, while AT&T insists my IMEI isn't in their system. I've tried restoring the phone and waited over 48 hours, but it's still locked. Has anyone else been through this? Any advice?
5 Answers
Take the phone back to Walmart! Since you don’t know what carrier it activated with originally, it's best to address this with them. This issue doesn’t seem to fall solely on Apple or AT&T since you bought through a retailer.
This definitely sounds like a Walmart issue. You might want to reach out to their customer service for assistance as well. They should be able to help you sort this out!
I can confirm that Apple doesn’t have access to the IMEI system—the carriers handle that. It’s odd that your phone activated with AT&T when you bought it outright. It might be worth checking if they have a way for you to purchase without any carrier link next time.
I’d recommend returning the phone to Walmart and ordering an unlocked version directly from Apple. It seems like a hassle, but that’s probably the most straightforward solution since you pay in full anyway.
For fully unlocked phones, always try to buy directly from Apple. Retailers like Walmart or Best Buy generally sell carrier-specific versions. If you got an AT&T version, that's likely the issue here.
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