How to unlock a phone: How to unlock your phone for use with another carrier

How to unlock a phone: Learn how to check if your phone is unlocked and, if it isn’t, how you go about making an unlock request with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. If you are not Happy with your current network? Thanks to the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, it’s perfectly legal to unlock your phone and switch to a new carrier. How to unlock a phone?

How to unlock a phone: How to unlock your phone for use with another carrier? If your iPhone, Android or other Phone is Locked to a Sim carrier, then you have every right to unlock your Phone. Unlocking a Phone is not illegal and can be done whenever you like. All US Big Sim Carriers allow their customers to unlock their Phones, so, if you want to Unlock your Phone if it is locked, you can do it, by following the instructions given by the network. How to unlock a phone: How to unlock your phone for use with another carrier

HOW TO UNLOCK A PHONE

How to unlock a phone: How to unlock your phone for use with another carrier? Unlock Verizon phone, Sprint Unlock, AT&T and other major networks does impose some restrictions on Unlocking of your phone, but it is legal. Some of the Your phone needs to be fully paid for, whether you have a completed installment plan or come to the end of a two-year contract. If you have a prepaid phone, carriers can’t lock you in for more than 12 months.

Take a look at the requirements listed for all requests and for specific customers.

• iPhone must be locked to AT&T, Verizon phone, T-Mobile, or Sprint Unlock .
• Your iPhone or any other device must not be reported as lost or stolen .
• It can’t be associated with fraudulent or illegal activity .
• All of your iPhone’s service commitments and installment plans are completed, and all early termination fees are paid in full.
• The phone is only active on your customer’s account.
• If you just upgraded your iPhone, you must wait the 14-day “buyer’s remorse” period before you can request to unlock your previous device.

How to unlock a phone: Below are the steps and instructions you should follow to know  how the big Network carriers in the U.S. — AT&T, Verizon phone, T-Mobile, or Sprint Unlock handle Locked Phone unlock requests. Before we get to the carriers, however, you should check to see if your phone is locked.

Check whether your phone is unlocked

How to unlock a phone: You may not need to request your carrier to unlock your phone. Verizon, for example, largely sells unlocked phones.

If you have the phone on your person – whether it’s an iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry or something else – then the easiest thing to do to check whether your phone is unlocked is by trying different SIM cards in it. Either borrow one from a friend or family member but it’s pretty easy to get a free one. If the alternative SIM card(s) work in your phone then it’s unlocked.

You might not have the phone, so it’s best to ask the seller – whether they are on eBay, a high street shop or a network – whether the device will come unlocked.

UNLOCK VERIZON PHONE

How to unlock a phone Verizon states on its Device Unlocking Policy page, “We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier. We do not lock our 3G devices, other than our non-iPhone 3G World Devices.”

• We do not lock our 3G devices, other than our 3G Phone-in-the-Box Prepaid phones, and the simple code to program such 3G Prepaid devices for use with another carrier is either “000000” or “123456.” If the user guide for your device does not provide instructions to access the programming menu, you can contact us at *611 from your Verizon Wireless phone, or (888) 294-6804, for assistance.

• We do not lock most phones or tablets that are activated with our postpay service, either during or after the term of your service contract or Edge installment sales agreement.
• We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.
• We do not lock our 3G devices, other than our non-iPhone 3G World Devices. The simple code to program such 3G devices for use with another carrier is either “000000” or “123456.” If the user guide for your device does not provide instructions to access the programming menu, you can contact us at *611 from your Verizon Wireless phone, or (800)922-0204, for assistance.
• The SIM cards used in our non-iPhone 3G World Devices are locked. We willl unlock those SIM cards at your request.

UNLOCK AT&T PHONE (IPHONE, ANDROID)

How to unlock a phone With AT&T, you can avoid calling customer service and use its Device Unlock Portal to unlock your phone.

• How to unlock AT&T iPhone 6, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 or 7 Plus
• AT&T iPhone unlock
• Got New iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Unlock iPhone 7 AT&T

If you just bought an iPhone from AT&T network on contract, it will be “locked” to AT&T’s network. That means that you will not be able to use any other networks sim card in your iPhone, and if you try to put in a T-Mobile SIM or Verizon Sim card, it won’t work. Same with an international SIM if you’re traveling. But there’s a way to  unlock  your iPhone of any version by following some procedure and fulfilling some AT&T requirements. AT&T has a process in place for you to request a code to do just that.

UNLOCK T-MOBILE PHONE

How to unlock a phone: The device must be a T-Mobile device. Device must not be reported to T-Mobile as lost, stolen, or blocked.  T-Mobile Customer account Should be in good standing. T-Mobile will unlock your phone but restricts you to two unlock codes per line of service per 12 months. Customer should have proof of purchase or additional information to fasten the process.

SIM unlock phone: 

1. Determine if devices are eligible to be unlocked: Unlock your mobile wireless device.
2. Ensure you received a Mobile Device Unlock email and followed the instructions.
3. If you have a non-T-Mobile SIM card:
   1. Insert the SIM into the iPhone.
   2. Complete the setup process.
4. If you don’t have another SIM card you can use:
   1. Backup your iPhone using iTunes.
   2. When you have a backup, erase all content and settings on your iPhone.
   3. When you see the Welcome screen, connect your device to iTunes.
      If successfully unlocked, the message Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked will display.
   4. Use iTunes to restore your iPhone from the backup you just made.

If you have an Android phone, you can use T-Mobile’s Device Unlock app to request T-Mobile unlock your phone. Others will need to contact customer support at 877-746-0909. You can read the details of T-Mobile’s policy here.

SPRINT UNLOCK

How to unlock a phone: For domestic SIM unlockable (“DSU”) devices launched after February 2015, Sprint will automatically unlock the device when it becomes eligible. Please note that a domestic SIM unlock will also enable your device to be used internationally using a foreign carrier’s SIM card.

Sprint will unlock a device from Sprint’s network under the following circumstances:

• The device is Domestic SIM Unlock capable
• The device must be or have been active on the Sprint network for a minimum of 50 days
• Any associated Service Agreement, Installment Billing Agreement, or Lease Agreement has been fulfilled including payment in full of any applicable early termination fees or end-of-lease purchase options.
• The associated account is in good standing
• The device has not been reported as lost or stolen, associated with fraudulent activity.

For inactive devices, customers must contact Sprint Customer Care to request that their DSU-capable device be unlocked and may have to take steps to perform an over-the-air update to ensure the unlock programming has been relayed to the device. Additional validation may be required to ensure eligibility.

For older phones, Sprint will send you an unlock code when you have paid in full for your phone. It will notify you when you are eligible for the unlock code. You will need to contact Sprint customer service at 888-226-7212 to get the unlock code.

You can read the fine print for Sprint’s unlocking policy here.

Conclusion

How to unlock a phone: You must take in account that Sprint and Verizon are on the CDMA network, and AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM. These two 3G networks are not compatible with one another. Generally speaking, however, swapping a SIM card from one unlocked GSM 3G phone to another will be met with success (AT&T to T-Mobile or vice versa).