Unlock approved 5 days ago, but device won't unlock

HI @chosenlegacy 

Did you double check your IMEI to ensure that its the proper one that was in the unlock request? If that is the case and it is failing to unlock, I would suggest reaching out to Apple, as they control the unlock status though iTunes.

Hope this helps!

Yes, I've even copy pasted my IMEI directly from the iPhone to plug into the device unlock status check website on my device just to make sure. I recently talked to Apple support telling me to talk to AT&T again about the issue because their servers say that the device is still locked. I checked back on the device status check website again after this, and the status is still approved. 

I have just tried a recovery mode restore and it still doesn't work. 

Evidently, AT&T hasn't sent the unlock approval to Apple yet, Contact AT&T and advise them that Apple hasn't received the unlock approval.

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@chosenlegacy wrote:

I have just tried a recovery mode restore and it still doesn't work. 

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I would suggest that you contact the AT&T Customer Care team (see the link in my signature).  Occassionally, the process for sending unlock requests to Apple from AT&T hangs, and needs someone to "push it through".

Since you are attempting this process across a US Holiday weekend, you have really only had 2-3 days since the approval to July 3rd, so is it possible that it is just hung due to the holidays, but it wouldn't hurt to contact the customer care team anyway.

What should be the maximum time for this process to complete? I waited the allotted 24 hours as stated in the approval e-mail. I completed a fresh restore without any luck so I talked to customer support. The rep that talked to me said it should work and that it can take a few hours after the given timeframe. After days, I tried filling out a new request to see if it could push it through but I received the message stated in the original post. 

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@chosenlegacy wrote:

What should be the maximum time for this process to complete? I waited the allotted 24 hours as stated in the approval e-mail. I completed a fresh restore without and luck so I talked to customer support. The rep that talked to me said it should work and that it can take a few hours after the given timeframe. After days, I tried filling out a new request to see if it could push it through but I received the message stated in the original post. 

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In most cases the most that it takes, where there is no hang-up due to Apple changing something, it completes in 3-5 business days.  I ahve seen it complete in less than 24 hours, and I have seen a few cases where it took 3 days (plus a weekend in the middle).

In your case, I would still suggest you contact the Customer Care team.  The second unlock request for teh same device should not have used one of your unlock requests you get each year (I think you are limited to 3 or 5 per year), so you probably want them to correct that as well.  Apple has been known to change the interface that the carriers must use to submit unlock requests, and those changes sometimes cause requests to "hang".  It is possible that your request just needs a helpfule nudge from someone at AT&T to get it through the system.

Well let's also make sure there's nothing wrong with the restore process.

The iphone you're trying to restore must have a sim card inside, (it doesnt matter if it's active)

Additionall, the computer must have an activation internet connection.

Attempts to jailbreak the phone may have caused damage and prevent you from being able to unlock the phone also..

Finally, you want to restore the phone as a new device, ie wipe the phone, instead of from any backup.

Hopefully some of these might resolve your issue, without having to call anyone

-Alex

I've tried all of the methods you've listed and all of the ones that I could think of but nothing seems to be working, so I'm assuming something is wrong with the system or some communication between ATT and Apple. Thank you though, I appreciate all the help I'm receiving here.