How to Unlock a Carrier-Locked Phone

Is your mobile service provider restricting you from using a SIM card from a different company? If that's the case, your device is carrier-locked. Prior to changing your SIM card, you must unlock your phone. Below are the details you should be aware of regarding a carrier-locked phone.

What Does a Carrier-Locked Phone Mean?

In this particular situation, unlocking your phone does not refer to entering a PIN to remove your lock screen. It also does not pertain to unlocking your phone's bootloader, which is a step taken when rooting your device or installing a custom ROM.

To put it simply, a carrier-locked phone can only connect to one specific carrier's network. If you purchased your phone directly from a carrier store, it is highly likely that it is locked to that particular carrier.

However, if you obtained your phone from a retailer like Amazon or Best Buy, where it was listed as an unlocked version, you can use it with any supported network. There are no artificial restrictions or locks imposed by a carrier.

To determine whether you can switch your SIM card, here is how you can check if your phone is carrier-locked:

1. Carriers in the US are obligated to offer the option of unlocking your device for free. You can review the device unlock policies on the official websites of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

2. Generally, you will need to provide the following information before you can proceed with a request to unlock your device:

How to Unlock a Carrier-Locked Phone 

 Carriers in the United States are obligated to offer you the choice to unlock your device without any charges. The official websites of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon provide the device unlock policies that you can review.

Before proceeding with a request to unlock your device, you will generally need to provide the following information:

1. Your name (and, if you are contacting your carrier, your phone or account number).
2. The IMEI number of your device, which can usually be found in the Settings app of your phone. You can learn how to find the IMEI number of any phone.
3. Any telephone account management password that you have set up.
4. Your phone must not have been lost, stolen, blocked, or involved in any fraudulent activities.
5. Any documents that verify an overseas assignment, whether it is military or corporate-related.

Unlocking your phone has been legal in the US since 2014. However, laws vary by country, so confirm the legality where you live. 

1. If your phone satisfies the required criteria and you have all the necessary information, here is how you can unlock your device:

    AT&T: You have the option to request an unlock directly through AT&T's official website.
    T-Mobile: Instructions for unlocking your device can be found on T-Mobile's website. If these instructions do not work or if your phone model is not listed, you will need to visit T-Mobile's contact page for further assistance.
    Verizon: Verizon automatically removes the lock 60 days after activation. If you are a deployed member of the military, you can request the lock to be removed even during the 60-day period by reaching out to Verizon support.

If unlocking your device through your carrier is not possible, you may want to explore using third-party unlock codes.
Whether you're speaking to your carrier directly or using a third-party approach, know that unlocking your smartphone can take a while. 

Consider Buying an Unlocked Phone Next Time 

1. Your carrier may not offer unlocked phones for sale, but you can easily purchase one online or at major retail stores. While they may appear more expensive upfront, this is due to the fact that you are seeing the full cost of the phone rather than spreading it out over monthly payments as carriers typically do. Sometimes carriers provide attractive discounts, but they ultimately profit from selling you expensive service plans.

By opting for unlocked phones, you can often save more money than you spend by switching to a more affordable MVNO. If you prefer a monthly payment plan, there are alternative financing options available for unlocked phones that eliminate the need for unlocking your device later on. There are numerous advantages to choosing an unlocked phone.

Regardless of how you acquire it, once your phone is unlocked, you have the freedom to use it as you wish. An added benefit of network unlocking your smartphone is that it cannot be re-locked to a different network. You can utilize any compatible SIM card, and as long as you have an account and credit with that network, you can make calls, send texts, and access the internet.