Why unlocking phones

Offset the cost by combining your purchase with the latest deal from your mobile carrier — the good news is that you can shop around with no strings. Retailers such as Amazon and Walmart also sell unlocked phones, but often with high upfront costs.

When all is said and done, the best option for most people is usually purchasing an unlocked phone rather than figuring out how to unlock one. First of all, it saves you the hassle of getting it unlocked. Galaxy Buds 2. If not, pay off your plan early and wait 48 hours before making a request.

It must not have been reported lost or stolen or involved in fraud. Unlocking a T-Mobile phone T-Mobile may well be the Un-carrier, but it has some very similar criteria for unlocking to other carriers.

It must not have been reported lost, stolen, or blocked via IMEI. If the device is on a service contract, at least 18 consecutive monthly payments must have been made. On Demand, all payments must be made and the device must be fully paid for.

T-Mobile may request to see proof of purchase. Unlocking a Sprint phone Note: Sprint has recently merged with T-Mobile and will operate under that brand. It must not have been reported lost, stolen or blocked, or associated with other fraudulent activity. There must be no outstanding or pending payments or fees. While it bears the T-Mobile branding, the requirements to unlock your phone do vary slightly: It must be from Metro. It must have had active service for a minimum of consecutive days about six months.

If you have a warranty exchanged handset, then the days is based on the activation date of the original phone. It must not be reported lost, stolen, or flagged as unlockable. The device has been active for at least 12 months on the account. The device in question must not have been lost, stolen, or obtained fraudulently.

The device in question must have been fully paid for. Third-party services Third-party unlocking services, by and large, differ only in name. Should you buy a security camera on Black Friday ? Should you buy a Sonos speaker on Black Friday ?

Should you buy a Fitbit on Black Friday ? You may also need to get your handset unlocked if you want to use a local SIM card in your handset when travelling abroad to avoid roaming charges. Handset locking policies can differ from provider to provider or can depend on the type of device and package being sold to you. Tesco Mobile also locks most of its pay-as-you-go handsets and some of its pay monthly handsets.

You can find out whether your handset is locked by asking your mobile phone provider, or by trying a different network SIM card in it. If you get a message that indicates there is a problem and you cannot make calls, it's possible that your phone may be locked.

If your handset is locked you can ask your provider to unlock it for you. Phones reported as lost or stolen will not be unlocked. Mobile providers have different policies and processes for unlocking phones. For example, some will only unlock your mobile phone after a certain period of time has passed and will charge a fee, while some will unlock your phone at any time for free.

If you are on a pay monthly contract and are outside your minimum contract period, most providers will unlock your phone for free. Click the link in the email within 24 hours to confirm the unlock request. If you wait too long, the request will be canceled. T-Mobile: This carrier restricts how many devices you can unlock in a month period, which can create problems for those on a family plan. If you ask to have more than two T-Mobile phones unlocked in a given year, the company will deny your request.

If 40 days have passed since you bought your phone through the carrier and your postpaid account is in good standing, T-Mobile will unlock your phone.

Verizon: This carrier automatically locks any phone bought through Verizon for 60 days. After that day period, your phone is unlocked—with no extra steps needed. Sign In. Become a Member. Remember Me. Forgot username or password? Not a member? Need further assistance? Please call Member Services at