Have you ever wanted to buy a cell phone but it is locked for a specific carrier different from yours? This is a very common thing, but there are different possible solutions for you. If you want to have an unlocked phone, keep reading and follow this step by step.
Telecommunication companies usually sell blocked mobile phones. The main intention is that these phones only work with a single operator (the one where you bought it). However, there are different ways to unlock a device. Depending on the brand of the mobile phone, this process can be very simple or a little bit complicated.
How To Unlock A Phone?
Know Your IMEI
First, you will need the IMEI. This is the International Mobile Equipment Identity code. Its main function is to identify mobile phones worldwide. It can be understood as the identity document of a person, but in this case, is your phone’s identity number. Mobile phones are identified and registered to have control over them. In most of the mobile devices, this code has 15 numbers and it is important to get this code to know the different uses it has.
If you do not know your IMEI, you can make a phone call to *#06# to find it out. Make sure to write it down somewhere when the screen shows it. Just in case your mobile phone is stolen or you simply lose it, you can put in contact with your mobile network operator to lock your mobile device.
Check the Labels of Your Smartphone
If this first step does not work, do not worry about it, there is another way to get this unlock code. The only thing you have to do is checking the label under the battery or in the original box of your mobile phone. The mobile network operators generally give the user this code, but it only works with a SIM card of the same telecommunication company.
Once your service contract is finished, you can automatically unlock the mobile phone through the IMEI code. So the first method to try unlocking your cell phone is to contact the operator or telecommunication company which the device belongs to.
Call Customer Support to Unlock Your Phone
Since a few years ago, mobile phones have been sold unlocked, and sometimes companies offer the unlock code to their customers not only in the United States but also around the world. So, you may just have to call the customer service of the telecommunication company to which your mobile phone is associated and make your unlocked request.
Just by giving your IMEI code you got from the previous step, they will give you a code for your mobile phone to be automatically unlocked. So, you will be able to use it with any SIM card from any other mobile network.
Unlock The Phone On Your Own
There is another possible way to unlock your phone. First of all, you have to turn off your mobile phone and take out the SIM card. Then turn on the device without the SIM card and wait for it to show a message with the instruction to insert the SIM card. From that moment you will need to write the IMEI code to unlock the phone.
However, each brand and each type of mobile phone has different requirements, so you will not have to follow the same steps to unlock the mobile device.
Unlock Your Phone Depending On Your Mobile Network
Just in case you need to unlock a mobile phone which belongs to a specific telecommunication company, keep reading and find out the different methods to follow according to your operator.
How to Unlock Your Movistar Phone
If you want to unlock your device from this company, you must know that the process is a little bit slower. In fact, you have to call to 1004 with your IMEI code to complete the process and finally unlock the cell phone.
How to Unlock Your Vodafone Phone
If your mobile phone belongs to this company and you want to unlock it, you just have to go to a Vodafone store or you can also do it in your device from My Vodafone. Now you have to look for the option My Mobile and SIM. After that, you need to click the Unlock Mobile option.
How to Unlock Your Orange Phone
With a device from this company, the process of unlocking a mobile phone is a little bit different. You must contact the customer service of this company through an email. First, write My Mobile in the subject and then write your unlock request in the body of the email. By doing this, you will be able to unlock your mobile phone.
Why You Couldn’t Unlock Your Phone?
Sometimes it may seem impossible to unlock your mobile phone. This can happen because of the terms and policies of your telecommunication company. So, before trying to unlock your device make sure you are able to do it. Just in case it is possible to unlock your device but you cannot do it by yourself, it is highly recommendable to get support from professionals to do this task and avoid breaking your phone.
It is important to know that the GSM phones are designed to work with every single operator once you insert the SIM card with the ID of the mobile network. However, telecommunication companies, as a marketing strategy, lock some cell phones in particular to protect their financial interests in a certain way. At the moment of trying to unlock these devices, we are persuading the firmware of the phone. So it will not apply anymore and the owner of the mobile phone can use it in any operator network.
Telecommunication companies can reject the request from the customers, of course, base on their policies and local laws.
Do not waste your time downloading different software to get your IMEI code because it is really unsafe. Keep in mind that the operators have a database. So, if you buy a locked cell phone from a specific telecommunication company and then you unlock it, it is possible that your phone will not work with that network anymore because the device was still under the contract and subsidized for the company.
Buying unlocked phones can be very expensive and unsafe. You can waste your money and maybe you will need to pay again to get in unlocked. The same happens when paying online services to unlock your phone from distance. Try to do it legally and by yourself. Of course, it can be kind of difficult sometimes, but remember there are several safe options for you. Let us know if you have a different way to unlock cell phones!
Recommended Articles
| How to Check Your IMEI Number | CDMA vs GSM: What Is The Difference? |
