How to Unlock a Phone for Free

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A simple and easy guide on unlocking your phone for free with the IMEI number

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Last Updated: September 3, 2024

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Domestic mobile service providers are required to unlock your phone free of charge as long as your account is in good standing and you’ve fulfilled all necessary contract obligations. Unlocking your phone requires you to contact your wireless service provider, which provides you with a unique code that unlocks your device.

Part 1

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Unlocking Your Phone

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This displays the phone’s unique IMEI number.
Your wireless service provider needs the IMEI number to unlock your phone.

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Contact your mobile service provider and say you want to unlock your phone. Your service provider will review your account to confirm you meet all requirements to have your phone unlocked for free. You may not be eligible to unlock your phone if you owe money or have not fulfilled the service contract.
- AT&T: Call 1-800-331-0500 or fill out an unlock request online at https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/#/.
- Sprint: Call 1-888-211-4727
- T-Mobile: Call 1-877-746-0909
- Verizon: Call 1-800-711-8300 and ask for a SIM unlock.
You must provide your phone’s unique IMEI number, name, and contact information. The wireless provider works directly with the phone manufacturer to obtain your unlock code. For example, if you use a Samsung Galaxy S4 on T-Mobile’s network, T-Mobile contacts Samsung to obtain the unlock code.
Most major wireless carriers send the unlock code via email, while regional carriers may require you to visit a retail store.
In most cases, you’ll be instructed to insert a SIM card from another carrier, then enter the unlock code at the prompt. After your phone is unlocked, you can use SIM cards from other compatible wireless networks.^{[1]
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Part 2

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Troubleshooting

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Wireless service providers are required by law to unlock your phone for free, as long as your account is in good standing and you’ve fulfilled all contract terms.
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Contact the FCC if you experience problems unlocking your phone for free with your wireless carrier. The FCC is responsible for enforcing policies associated with unlocking your phone, and will escalate your situation as needed to unlock your device.
- File a complaint online at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us, or call the FCC at 1-888-225-5322.^{[2]
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Contact your wireless carrier and confirm the IMEI on file matches the IMEI number of your phone if the unlock code fails to work. This occurs when your wireless carrier provides the phone manufacturer with the incorrect IMEI number.

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How do I unlock my phone?

Community Answer

You can unlock your phone if you connect it to a computer with a USB to receive the files, but if you do a hard reset of your phone, it will erase your data and give you a brand new phone.

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How do I unlock my phone when the SIM can't be detected?

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iPhone IMEI is another online SIM unlocking service especially for iPhone. It can help you SIM unlock your iPhone without SIM card or unlocking code from the carrier. On iPhone IMEI's official website, just select your iPhone model and the network carrier your iPhone is locked to, it will direct you to another page.

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Ask your wireless carrier to unlock your phone immediately if you’re in the military and being deployed internationally. By law, wireless carriers are required to unlock your device after verifying deployment.

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