Ways to Unlock Phones for Free or Cheap
So, let’s say you have a locked mobile phone, and want to get it unlocked. You want the safest and least expensive way possible, of course. Here’s what you can do.
1. Go to the Carrier
The first and best route is to go to the carrier. If you are eligible to unlock your phone, then it’s completely free!
The FCC says: “Participating providers may not charge existing or former customers additional fees to unlock a device if it is eligible to be unlocked. Providers may charge a fee to unlock eligible devices for non-customers and former customers.”
Here’s how to check if your phone is eligible to be unlocked:
If your phone is eligible, then either request to unlock it online or go to a store. Here are the direct links to contact each carrier:
- AT&T
- T-Mobile
- Verizon: Contact Verizon at *611 from your Verizon Wireless Prepaid phone, or (888)294-6804.
- Sprint: Contact Sprint Customer Care by dialing *2 from your Sprint phone, or call 888-211-4727
2. Get an Unlock Code Online
Ideally, you should unlock your phone through the carrier. But if you aren’t eligible by their terms and still want to unlock it, you’ll need to get it done via a third party. But it probably won’t be free.
Note: This method is a little iffy to use with iPhones now. We have a full guide to unlocking your iPhone, and we suggest you follow that.
Everything You Need To Know About Unlocking iPhonesIf you bought your iPhone direct from Apple, you've got an unlocked phone that's good for use with any network. But what if you bought it through your mobile carrier?READ MORE
The internet is full of websites that sell unlock codes. Depending on the country you are in, the manufacturer of the phone, and the carrier you use, you should expect to pay up to $30. Don’t spend any more than that if the seller asks, because you will find it cheaper elsewhere. You can get some codes for as low as $10.
We checked online reviews and testimonials to find sites that usually work, and offer refunds in case the code didn’t work. Here are some of the best:
While all of these are paid websites, you can get free unlock codes on Free Unlocks. This site is a part of the TrialPay network, by which you can get the first code from the site for free. You will need to sign up for TrialPay as a part of it, of course.
Online reports show customers of Free Unlocks repeatedly got the free codes, and successfully unlocked their phones.
3. Use a Free Software for Samsung Androids
If you’re using a Samsung Android phone, one desktop software claims to also unlock devices for free. Wondershare’s Dr. Fone Toolkit is a paid program for Windows, but the trial version is free.
With the trial version, you can try out the SIM unlocking service for free. You will find it under the More Tools section, and you will need a USB cable to connect your phone to the computer.
Dr. Fone Toolkit is a little old and might not support all Samsung phones, but it claims to work with over 400 models across 60 countries. Here’s a full list of supported devices.
And in case you’re worried, Dr. Fone has an active customer care service, offers a money-back guarantee, and says the software won’t affect your data.
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