How to unlock the cell phone to change operator

How to unlock the cell phone to change operator


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Your two-year contract with your mobile operator may be about to come to an end or have already been finalized and you want to change to another company to save some money. Well, sometimes it happens that the chances of your phone being blocked are very high and therefore, this will prevent you from changing company. But, fortunately, the legislation and the FCC have made the process of unlocking the cell phone easier than ever.

That is, unlocking your cell phone is, in other words, legally admissible. Although the fact that it is legal does not mean that it is easy to achieve. Therefore, below we will explain how to do it.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Before doing anything, you'll have to keep in mind that unlocking a cell phone is not a quick process. You may need to make several phone calls and surely you must dedicate a few hours of work.

Also, unlocking the phone before leaving your current company would be a very wise option, since that could help you in the process.

With that in mind, you'll need to know:

The name and account number of the owner
The IMEI of your device
The telephone number
The social security number or password of the account holder
A contract payment plan and / or finished device
When you have all this information, you will have to see how each operator allows unlocking.
With a Verizon phone
Although Verizon uses CDMA instead of GSM, most devices come with an unlocked SIM card slot.

According to Verizon, your 4G LTE devices are not blocked and, if you want to switch to another company, you do not need any code to re-use your phone with other networks.

Although Verizon phones equipped with SIM can be used at AT & T, T-Mobile or other GSM carriers, the phone will need to have roaming GSM radios to make phone calls and send messages in the United States.

While Verizon's latest phones will work very well in the US GSM bands, their mileage will vary when it comes to LTE support.

Verizon does not have an online unlock request, but you can call 800-711-8300 and request to unlock your SIM.

The procedure is a bit different for postpaid 3G devices in the Verizon network. Most are not blocked, but require a code - "000000" or "123456" - to enable third-party cellular compatibility.

Verizon's special brand World Devices, on the other hand, can not be unlocked without the assistance of a store technician, which you can order by dialing 800-922-0204.

As for prepaid devices, the vast majority of Verizon 3G phones can be unlocked with the code "000000" or "123456", but Verizon Phone-in-the-Box prepaid phones are blocked for 12 months after of its activation. And you will also have to call the Verizon customer service line, that is, 888-294-6804 to begin the process.

UNLOCK AN AT & T PHONE
Unlocking an AT & T phone is a bit more complicated than with Verizon. This is the checklist of the prerequisites you must meet to unlock your device at AT & T:You must be a current or former AT & T subscriber.
The device in question must be AT & T.
It must not have been reported as lost or stolen.
It must be attached to an account with a "good reputation", that is, that is not associated with any fraudulent activity.
You must not be active in an account other than AT & T.
You must have been active for at least 60 days with "no balance due or unpaid".
If you've updated very soon, you'll have to wait until the 14-day "buyer's remorse" period happens before unlocking your old phone.
Unlike Verizon, AT & T offers an unlock request form that you can fill out online. After sending it, you will have 24 hours to click on the link within the confirmation email that will arrive.

After about two business days, AT & T will send instructions to unlock your device by email. AT & T no longer specifies a hard drive unlock limit of one year, as was the case before. And unless you're sending out a hundred unlocking requests per month, you should not worry.

Apple iPhones, however, do not need an unlock code. Instead, after receiving the email specifying that your unlock request was approved, you will only have to take out your AT & T SIM card and insert that of the new company.

In the case of prepaid devices (AT & T / GoPhone), the company requires that the devices have been active for at least six months. The network offers limited unlock support through the telephone 800-331-0500, but does not unlock the devices over the phone.

UNLOCKING A T-MOBILE PHONE
There are several things you need to keep in mind if you want to unlock a T-Mobile phone:

It must be a T-Mobile device.
It must not have been reported as lost, stolen or blocked.
It must be attached to an account that has not been canceled and has a "good reputation".
Must have been active for at least 40 days.
If the device is subject to a service contract, at least 18 consecutive monthly payments must have been made.
All payments must have been made and the device fully paid.
To have made less than two unlocking requests, per line, in a single year.
T-Mobile may request to see a proof of purchase.
If your phone is prepaid, it must have been active for at least one year, and the account associated with it must have had more than $ 100 in recharges.If you meet all of these requirements, you can use the T-Mobile mobile device unlock application to complete the process.

Alternatively, you can unlock your phone through a live chat with a T-Mobile customer representative or by calling 800-746-0949 (or 611) from a T-Mobile device.

UNLOCKING A SPRINT TELEPHONE
Before unlocking your Sprint phone, you must ensure that your device and your account meet the requirements listed below:

It must be a Sprint device.
You must have a national SIM that can be unlocked.
It must not have been reported as lost, stolen, blocked or associated with another fraudulent activity.
It must be linked to an account with a "good reputation".
The phone must have been active for at least 50 days.
There must be no payments or fees pending.
Having made less than two unlock requests in a single year.
And if you are unlocking the phone for international use, there are a couple of other requirements that you need to meet:

The device must allow international unlocking.
The device and the associated account must have been active for at least 90 days.
If you are a member of the US military deployed abroad and you want your Sprint phone to be unlocked, the above requirements continue to apply, and both the account holder and any relatives associated with the same account must be active members. from a branch of the United States Army and you will need to have the deployment documents abroad, if applicable.
However, there is a big caveat when it comes to Sprint's unlock capabilities. Because the company, like Verizon, is based on the CDMA network, Sprint branded phones that have been manufactured with a SIM slot in recent years can not be unlocked and used with a SIM card from a different company.

Sprint says that devices based on national SIM cards launched after 2015 will be automatically unlocked when they are eligible.

Alternatively, you can request an unlock via online chat with a customer representative or by calling 888-211-4727.

Uniquely, Sprint offers a short-term unlock for international travel. If you meet the above requirements, you can log in to your online account and navigate to the corresponding page.

You will simply have to click on the "My account" tab, select your phone from the resulting list and select "Unlock device to use international SIM" in the "Manage this device" drop-down menu. If you prefer a Sprint representative to guide you through the process, you can request an unlock by phone by calling 888-226-7212.

UNLOCKING A PREPAID OR PAID TELEPHONE
There are people who prefer prepaid phones or pay the whole amount at once. In these cases, unblocking them is, for the most part, relatively simple.

While there was already a policy of widespread unlocking, the CITA Association presented a set of standardized unlocking policies for cell phones and tablets with which AT & T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon have already begun to comply.

The agreed terms require that operators unlock a paid phone in full, or a prepaid phone in service for a year, if a subscriber makes such a request.In addition, cellular providers have to alert subscribers when their phones are eligible for an unlocking. And finally, unlock phones for US military personnel upon request.

Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon have all complied and AT & T's policies were basically in line with the new terms.

THIRDPARTY SERVICES
Third-party unlocking services, in general, only differ in name. This is how most of them work: you must go to your website, provide a payment in exchange for an unlock code and wait for the code to arrive by email.

Prices vary depending on the device, but usually range from a few dollars to over $ 50 dollars.

Most of these services require you to pay in advance and there is always the risk that someone will keep your money and never send you the code. For this reason, it is better to see beforehand what services are more reliable before making any payment.

The reputation unlocking services also often have customer service lines in order to help with problems that arise. And, usually, they send codes quickly. If you notice that users complain that the codes take days, weeks and even months to arrive, it is better that you do not choose that service.

These are some of the resources of third parties that we know:

Release My Code
FreeUnlocks
MobileUnlocked
UnlockBase
FonesZone
Cellphone Unlock
Buy unlocked phones
Another option is to buy phones that are already unlocked or that are already free. Many phone manufacturers sell unlocked phones, including Sony, Huawei, Google, Apple, HTC, and more on their websites.

Some of these companies also offer payment plans. Retailers like Amazon and Walmart also sell unlocked phones, often with high upfront costs. The price for an unlocked iPhone 7, for example, exceeds $ 700.

The benefits of an unlocked or free phone is that you will not have to waste time or money trying to unlock them and you can choose the operator you want. The freedom to change companies at any time can also help you save money according to the plan you choose.