If you purchased a phone from eBay or a similar distributor, there’s a decent chance that your phone is already carrier unlocked.
Verizon - Verizon doesn’t lock most modern phones. If your phone is locked for some reason, you can call Verizon customer support to have them unlock your phone for you. [1] X Research source Sprint - Your phone must be active for at least 50 days, and you must own the phone (e. g. , it has to be paid in full). The phone also must not be reported as lost, stolen, blocked, or involved in illegal activity. [2] X Research source AT&T - Your phone must not be reported to AT&T as lost, stolen, blocked, or involved in illegal activity. Your phone also must have been completely paid off, and it must have been on the AT&T network for a minimum of 60 days (prepaid phones have to be active for at least 6 months instead). [3] X Research source T-Mobile - Your phone must not be reported to T-Mobile as lost, stolen, or blocked, your account must be up-to-date with payments, and you must not have requested more than two unlock codes from T-Mobile in the last 12 months. If your phone is pre-paid, you must have had the phone active for a year, while phones on payment plans must have been on the plan for at least 40 days. If you’re in the military and you need to unlock your phone due to deployment overseas, you can provide any carrier with your paperwork and ask them to unlock your phone on the spot—most carriers have a military policy, and in some places they’re legally obligated to unlock your phone anyway.
iPhone - Open Settings, scroll down and tap General, tap About, and find the “IMEI”, “MEID”, or “ESN” number. Android - Open Settings, scroll down and tap About phone, tap Status, and find the “IMEI”, “MEID”, or “ESN” phone.
For some carriers, you can visit the carrier website, sign in, and enter your phone’s information to retrieve the unlock code. You may need to pay a fee to unlock your phone.
If the phone was manufactured as an unlocked phone, you’ll need to figure out which type of phone it is before proceeding.
The best place to buy a SIM card is from that carrier’s store, since they can help set you up with the correct SIM card for your phone.
Some phones will require you to unlock the screen by entering your passcode before you can unlock the phone itself. If your unlock code doesn’t work, contact your carrier.
iPhone - Open Settings, scroll down and tap General, tap About, and find the “IMEI”, “MEID”, or “ESN” number. Android - Open Settings, scroll down and tap About phone, tap Status, and find the “IMEI”, “MEID”, or “ESN” phone.
Avoid any site that will claim to unlock your phone for completing surveys or offers. These are often scams designed to gather as much personal information about you as possible. Never use an unlock service whose address doesn’t have https:// before the “www. " part of the address.
Many web browsers, such as Google Chrome and Safari, will alert you if a website is profoundly unsafe.
Some services require you to create an account with them before you can retrieve an unlock code.
Be sure to select all of the correct information about your phone so that you get a code that works. If possible, use a service like PayPal or Venmo to pay for the unlock code.
If the phone was manufactured as an unlocked phone, you’ll need to figure out which type of phone it is before proceeding.
The best place to buy a SIM card is from that carrier’s store, since they can help set you up with the correct SIM card for your phone.
Some phones will require you to unlock the screen by entering your passcode before you can unlock the phone itself. If your unlock code doesn’t work, contact your carrier.
