iPhone: $20 to $80 for some carriers and $120 to $220 for premium & high guaranteed unlocks. Samsung: Start at $3 and range between $20 to $30 for higher-end models. Models with some carriers even cost up to $80.
Ideally you shouldn't pay anything to unlock your iPhone, because your carrier should unlock it for you for free. But some carriers are still setting admin charges, so you might prefer looking at third-party options.
If you've had your device for less than 6 months there's a $50 unlocking fee. If you've had your device for over 6 months there's a $25 unlocking fee.
The price can cost you from as low as $20 up to $100 and usually takes days before your device gets totally unlocked.
No matter your reason, it's perfectly legal to unlock your iPhone -- if it's not already unlocked -- and switch to a new carrier. And there's now an easy way to check to see if your iPhone is locked to your current carrier's network. Your iPhone needs to be fully paid off, however, before you jump ship.
But the final verdict by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is resoundingly in favor of the consumer. 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.
While most cell phone operators offer unlocking services after you've fully paid off your phone and all installments or your contract term has expired, it doesn't always happen automatically. AT&T, Boost Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Virgin Mobile, Xfinity, and many more offer unlocking services.
Unlocking your phone isn't hard to do—and it's completely legal—but a little help can go a long way, because the process varies from phone to phone and carrier to carrier. If you didn't make a point of buying an unlocked model when you purchased your phone, it's likely tied to your current network.
If you can't remember your passcode when you try again, use a computer to put your iPhone in recovery mode. Recovery mode allows you to erase the iPhone, giving you access to set it up again. After you've erased your iPhone, you can restore your data and settings from a backup.
It usually takes a few minutes to approve your request, but it could take up to 48 hours.
If your service has been active for over two years, we don't charge an unlocking fee, but if your service has been active for less than two years, we charge: $80 for devices that have never been activated, or active for six months or less.
Want to know if your phone is unlocked? There's a short answer: probably. An unlocked phone is one that can be used with any telco. And unlike in the US where locked phones are widespread, most phones sold in Australia these days are unlocked – with the exception of phones sold with prepaid plans.
If it's carrier locked, then you are going to have to go through the carrier that sold the phone. They are the only ones that are going to be able to unlock it by sending it a signal allowing it to be unlocked. You may be able to call Apple and see if they can lookup what carrier it came through.
Find out how to reset your passcode. Apple can't unlock your iPhone for use with a different network provider. Only your current network provider can unlock your iPhone.
If you don't remember setting up a 6-digit passcode, try entering the numbers “123456” or any single number repeatedly such as 000000, 888888, or 555555. This restriction seems to be a new feature introduced with the iOS update and the numbers “123456” seem to be the default code.
After six failed attempts to enter your passcode, your iPhone displays a red message that says "iPhone is Disabled." The iPhone also prompts you to try again after a minute -- you cannot make another passcode attempt until the minute is up.
Unlocking is legal in the U.S. To be able to unlock a phone, you'll need to either buy an unlocked phone or complete all the requirements of your phone company contract (generally either two years of service or paying installments for the price of your phone).
Yes. Providers do not have to unlock devices for existing or former customers that are not in good standing. You should contact your mobile service provider to understand the terms and conditions of your agreement and your provider's unlocking policies.
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.
Your wireless service provider needs the IMEI number to unlock your phone. 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.
Can I unlock my iPhone with the IMEI number? The only way to "unlock" an iPhone is by entering the correct passcode. If your friend's screen says "Activation Locked" ... it IS. The only way to "unlock" an iPhone is by entering the correct passcode.