Phones sold with a contract stipulating monthly payments are not typically locked (as the monthly payments are due no matter what network the phone is used on). Also, most providers will unlock the phone on demand. Usually a fee is charged during the first two years after purchase; afterwards the unlocking is free.
The most reliable way to check if your device is unlocked is by swapping your current SIM card for another carrier's SIM card. Depending on the make and model of your device, you may need a SIM card eject pin or something similar to remove your SIM.
A SIM lock is simply a restriction that is built in your smartphone by the manufacturers for the usage of service providers. Through this restriction, service providers allow the phones to be used in only some specific countries or with specific networks.
It's very rare that an Android (Samsung, Sony, HTC etc.) or Windows Phone sold after 2012 would be locked to any Australian mobile carrier – but it's not impossible. Before you attempt to unlock your phone from the network, try the basic troubleshooting steps below.
If the cell phone is locked, it means that it will only work on one specific network. Consequently, if you insert a SIM card that is from a different carrier, it will simply not work.
If you purchase a replacement phone or upgrade to a new unlocked phone, you can take out the SIM card in your old phone and pop it in the new one. If your old SIM is not compatible (size difference) or you are changing carriers, you will need to purchase a new SIM card.
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.
If you're wondering how to unlock your postpaid Optus phone, you're in luck. If you bought your phone in the last five or so years, it's almost certainly unlocked straight out of the box. This means you can go ahead and insert any provider's SIM card and you shouldn't have any issues.
Depending on how long you've been using the phone on the network, you'll be asked to pay a fee (from $25 – $80). Pay up using either your credit card or funds from your main prepaid credit balance. After paying, Telstra will send you the unlocking instructions in a short while.
A mobile device that is locked to the Telstra network will only work with a Telstra SIM card. If your Telstra phone works with a different telco's SIM card, then it is already unlocked. If your device is locked, the cost to unlock it depends on how long you've had your Telstra phone: Under 6 months – $80 unlock fee.
Is It Illegal To Sell A Network Locked Phone? So, is it illegal to sell iCloud locked phones and locked Android phones? You have a few options, but there are different types of “locks,” and it's essential to know what kind of lock exists on your phone. If your phone is locked to a network, it is legal to sell.
You can find out if your iPhone is locked by going to Settings > General > About. If "No SIM restrictions" appears next to Carrier Lock, your iPhone is unlocked. If you don't want to switch carriers and your device is locked because you forgot the passcode, you don't need to use the steps in this article.
A carrier-imposed “lock” is a software code that prevents your phone from working on another cellular network. With an “unlocked” phone, on the other hand, you can get service with any carrier on a compatible network — and that's just one of the benefits of an unlocked phone.
In some cases, the only thing you need to unlock your phone is a software update your carrier will push to your device, and then you insert the new carrier's SIM card and you're good to go. Or you might need to enter an unlock code provided by your current cell phone company before you can install a new SIM card.
Insert a different carrier's SIM card and power on your Android phone. Check if the phone accepts the new SIM card: Try making a call with the new SIM card. If the call connects, your Android is carrier-unlocked. If not, the phone is locked to a specific carrier.
In reality, it takes to get your phone unlocked depends on your provider. But you should be mindful that you could be waiting for anything between a few days or up to 30 days for the process to be complete. To clarify your network's policy, check out our network-by-network guide below.
If you bought your Android phone from Optus on a postpaid plan, unless it was a MotoBlur, then it's already unlocked. Hooray! If you do have an Optus MotoBlur, you can get it unlocked free of charge by following the steps below.
Pay the unlocking fee: Telstra's charging scheme for unlocking prepaid phones varies a little depending on how long you've been using the phone on its network. If you've been using the phone for more than 2 years there's no unlocking fee.
You can ask your provider to unlock your phone. If you're out of your initial phone contract, the company must do this for free. Even if you're still within the contract term, all the major networks should allow you to unlock the device without a fee. Most phone networks ask you to fill in an online form.
You can use an ALDImobile SIM card in any handset so long as it is compatible with the 3G 850MHz frequency.
Why unlock your phone? Mobile providers are now banned from locking devices to their network. But if you purchased your phone through a network before December 2021, chances are it'll be locked to that network – if you try to put another network's Sim card in, it simply won't work.
No, not all SIM cards fit all phones. Your phone will have a specific type of SIM card it needs because it will have a SIM tray of a specific size.
Yes, it is legal to unlock phones. More importantly, the FCC has mandated that all carriers should unlock phones for their consumers for free if a consumer so desires. That said, you need to know whether your phone can be unlocked. The FCC isn't giving you a free pass to con the carriers.
This is easily the most significant disadvantage of going with an unlocked phone. Carriers will let you use unlocked phones, but they won't offer support if anything goes wrong. When your phone starts failing, the network has issues, or you have any technical difficulties, you will be on your own.
An IMEI number can be used to determine the device make and model, and whether the device is locked or unlocked. If a device has been lost or stolen, the IMEI can also be used to block it from being used on most carrier networks, including T-Mobile's.