How to Unlock a Phone on Every Carrier

Further reading

If your current phone contract is close to finishing and you’re thinking about an upgrade, or you want to stick with your current phone for a while longer, you should take a good look at what’s available from other carriers because you may find a much better deal on offer. Sadly, odds are that your phone is locked to your current carrier, which prevents you from jumping ship and using your phone on another network. Thankfully, legislation and the Federal Communications Commission have made the process of unlocking your phone easier than ever. More importantly, it superseded an earlier decision made by the Library of Congress that interpreted cell phone unlocking as a violation of copyright (a ruling that actually saw phone unlocking rise in popularity). Cell phone unlocking, in other words, is perfectly legal.

Unfortunately, just because unlocking your phone is legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to do. Let’s take a closer look at how to unlock a phone and break free of your ties to a carrier.

What you’ll need

While it should be relatively easy and quick to get your phone unlocked, that simply isn’t always the case. Unlocking your phone can turn out to be a laborious process that requires several phone calls and hours of work. However, it’s a good idea to unlock your phone before you leave your current carrier, because it will likely prove even tougher after you’ve gone.

With that in mind, there are a few nuggets of information you’ll need:

• The account holder’s name and account number.
• IMEI number of your device.
• Your phone number.
• The account holder’s Social Security number or password.
• A completed contract and/or device payment plan.
• Overseas deployment papers, if you are in the military and want to unlock your phone before your contract is up.

Now that you have that information, let’s see how each carrier handles unlocking your phone.

Unlocking a Verizon phone

Verizon has made some changes recently, and now locks its devices — but only for a short time. According to Verizon’s policy, newly purchased devices will be locked to Verizon’s networks for 60 days after purchase in order to mitigate theft and other fraudulent activity. This will apply to both postpaid and prepaid devices, and the lock will be automatically removed after the 60 days are up.

Deployed military users are exempt from this rule, and can request to be unlocked during this period by calling Verizon’s support line on 888-294-6804.

Even though SIM-equipped Verizon phones can be used on AT&T, T-Mobile, or other GSM carriers, the phone will need to have roaming GSM radios in order to make phone calls and send texts in the United States. While most recent Verizon handsets will work just fine on American GSM bands, your mileage will vary when it comes to LTE support.

Verizon’s new policies don’t mention postpaid or prepaid 3G devices, but it’s assumed they function under the same rules. Under the last procedure, such devices would require that you enter a code — either “000000” or “123456” — to enable third-party cellular compatibility. If your device appears to be locked, try that or call Verizon’s support line on 888-294-6804. World Devices are similarly not mentioned, and may still require the assistance of a store tech, which you can request by dialing the company’s support line at 800-922-0204.

Verizon’s off-the-shelf Phone-in-the-Box prepaid 4G handsets are locked to the network for the amount of time specified on the back of the box. You may also have to call Verizon support at 888-294-6804 in order to start the process.

Unlocking an AT&T phone

The process of unlocking a phone from AT&T is a bit more complicated than with Verizon. But while you’ll need to jump through a few more hoops, it’s still not a difficult process to complete.

Here’s the checklist of prerequisites you’ll need to meet in order to unlock your AT&T handset:

1. The device in question must work on AT&T’s networks.
2. If you’re a current customer, your current contract or installment plan must be fully paid off (including early termination fees). If not, pay off your plan early and wait 24 hours before making a request.
3. It must not have been reported lost or stolen, or involved in fraud.
4. It must be attached to an account with “good standing” — i.e., one not associated with fraudulent activity.
5. It must not be active on a different AT&T customer’s account.
6. It must have been active for at least 60 days, with “no past due or unpaid balance.”
7. If you’ve upgraded early, you must wait for the 14-day “buyer’s remorse” period (30 days for business customers) to pass before unlocking your old phone.
8. If it’s a business device, then you must have your company’s permission.

Unlike Verizon, AT&T offers an unlock request form you can fill out online. You can either enter your AT&T mobile number — or if you’ve already switched, the IMEI number from your AT&T device will also do. After submitting this form, you’ll have 24 hours to click the link within the confirmation email sent to you, then AT&T will send instructions for unlocking your device via email within two business days of the request being made. AT&T also no longer has a hard unlock limit per year, so unless you’re sending a hundred unlock requests a month you shouldn’t need to worry about being flagged as suspicious. You can check to see whether your request has been successful by checking AT&T’s unlock status page.

In the case of prepaid devices (anything on AT&T Prepaid/GoPhone), AT&T requires that they’ve been active for at least six months.

If you’re in the military, you can scratch off the third requirement on AT&T’s list — you won’t need to complete your contract or installment plans, so long as you’re able to email AT&T your TCS or PCS (Temporary/permanent change of station) documents.

Apple iPhones don’t need an unlock code. Instead, after receiving the email specifying that your unlock request was approved, remove your AT&T SIM card and insert the SIM for your new carrier to begin the setup process.

The network offers limited unlock support via its support line, 888-211-4727, but doesn’t officially unlock handsets over the phone.

Unlocking a T-Mobile phone

There are several things to keep in mind if you want to unlock your T-Mobile phone:

1. It must be a T-Mobile device.
2. It must not have been reported lost, stolen, or blocked.
3. It must be attached to an account that is in “good standing.”
4. On postpaid accounts, the device must have been active at least 40 days on the requesting line.
5. If the device is on a service contract, at least 18 consecutive monthly payments must have been made.
6. If using T-Mobile’s Equipment Installment Plan, or if your phone is leased through JUMP! On Demand, all payments must be made and the device must be fully paid for.
7. You’ve made fewer than two unlock requests, per line, in a single year.
8. T-Mobile may request to see proof of purchase.

If your handset is a prepaid model, it will need to have been active for at least one year, and the account associated with it must have had more than $100 in refills.

Some Android phones can use the T-Mobile Device Unlock app to complete the unlocking process. However, not all phones are compatible, so you can otherwise unlock your phone through a live chat with a T-Mobile customer representative, or by calling 611 from a T-Mobile device, or 877-746-0909 from any other phone.

Unlocking a Sprint phone

Sprint says that domestic SIM card-based devices launched after 2015 will automatically unlock when they become eligible, but there is a process to unlock if your device doesn’t qualify. Before unlocking your Sprint phone, you’ll need to ensure your device and account meet the requirements below.

1. It must be a device from Sprint.
2. It must be domestic SIM Unlock capable (if unlocking for the domestic United States).
3. It must not have been reported lost, stolen or blocked, or associated with other fraudulent activity.
4. It must be attached to an account in “good standing.”
5. It must have been active at least 50 days on the requesting line.
6. There must be no outstanding or pending payments or fees.

If you’re unlocking for international use, you must also ensure the device is capable of international SIM unlock.

Sprint Forward prepaid devices have some additional requirements:

1. The device must not have been reported as lost or stolen or otherwise flagged as ineligible to be unlocked.
2. The device has been active on the associated account for at least 12 months with the account active at that time.

Sprint Forward devices also need to be unlocked by a customer service representative — but don’t worry, you can contact Sprint Prepaid Customer Care by dialing 855-639-4644.

If your device is currently inactive, you’ll want to call Sprint’s Customer Service on 888-211-4727 to help get the device unlocked. Be prepared to potentially force an over-the-air update to get it unlocked, and you may have to submit to extra validation to ensure your device can be unlocked.

If you’re a member of the U.S. military deployed overseas and you want your Sprint phone unlocked, the aforementioned requirements still apply. In addition, you and any relatives on the same account must be active members of a branch of the United States military, and must have overseas deployment papers, if applicable. If you’re currently deployed overseas, you can unlock your phone by contacting Sprint Worldwide Care or by calling 888-226-7212.

There’s a massive caveat when it comes to Sprint’s unlocking capabilities, however. Because the carrier, like Verizon, relies on a relatively obscure networking technology (CDMA), Sprint-branded phones that have been manufactured with a SIM slot within the past few years can’t be unlocked to accept a different carrier’s SIM card.

Alternatively, you can request an unlock either through an online chat with a customer representative or by calling 888-211-4727 (*2 from a Sprint device).

Uniquely, Sprint offers short-term unlocking for international travel. Assuming you meet the above requirements, you can log into your online account and navigate to the relevant page. Simply click on the My Account tab, pick your phone from the resulting list, and select Unlock device to use int’l SIM from the Manage this device drop-down menu. If you’d rather have a Sprint rep walk you through the process, though, you can request an over-the-phone unlock at 888-226-7212.

Unlocking your prepaid or fully paid phone

There are, of course, folks who have prepaid and paid-in-full devices. Unlocking these is, for the most part, relatively straightforward. While there was already a generalized unlocking policy, the Cellular Telephone Industries Association (CITA) put forth a set of standardized unlocking policies for cell phones and tablets. The agreed-upon terms require carriers to unlock a phone paid in full, or a prepaid phone in service for a year, if a subscriber makes such a request. Cellular providers also have to alert subscribers when their handsets are eligible for an unlock. And finally, carriers must unlock phones for U.S. military personnel upon request.

Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon have all complied, and AT&T’s policies were already in line with the terms.

Third-party services

Third-party unlocking services, by and large, differ only in name. Here’s how most of them work: You make your way to a website, provide payment in exchange for an unlock code, and wait for the code to arrive via email. Prices vary depending on your device, but they typically range anywhere from a few dollars to around $50. Third-party services can be risky, though. Most of them require you to pay upfront, and there’s always the danger that the unsavory among them will simply take your money and never send you a code. It’s smart to research a service thoroughly before you fork over any amount of cash.

Reputable unlocking services also often have customer support lines in order to assist with code issues. They typically deliver codes quickly, too. If you notice users complaining about codes being delayed for days, weeks, or even months, it’s probably best to stay away from those services.

Here are some third-party resources:

Buying unlocked phones

Another option is to just buy phones that are already unlocked. Many phone makers sell unlocked phones on their websites, including Google, Apple, Sony, Huawei, OnePlus, and many others. Some of these companies also offer payment plans to ease the financial burden a bit. Retailers such as Amazon and Walmart also sell unlocked phones, but often with high upfront costs. However, you can often land yourself a bargain if you hunt for the best price, especially with Amazon’s Alexa Built-in unlocked phones.

The benefits of an unlocked phone more than make up for the added cost, however. You don’t have to jump through any hoops to unlock them, for one, and you have the option to pick any cell phone service you want, whether it’s prepaid, postpaid, or something in between. Sure, you’ll have to shell out a few hundred dollars at the time of purchase, but the freedom to switch between carriers could save you a bundle in monthly plan costs down the road.

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