Unlock Mobile Phones

When you purchase a phone from your carrier, it usually comes locked to their service. If you want to use the phone you purchased through your carrier on another service, chances are you'll need to unlock it first. This will allow you to use SIM cards from other carriers.

Steps

Unlocking Through Your Carrier

  1. Contact your carrier's customer service line. If you meet your carrier's requirements, you may be able to unlock your phone for free.
  2. Inquire about unlocking your phone. The requirements for unlocking vary from carrier to carrier, but generally you will need to have been with them for a set amount of time (usually at least 3-6 months), and the phone will need to have been completely paid off.
    • You may be charged an early termination fee if you haven't paid off the phone's full cost yet.
  3. Wait to receive the code. You will either be given your unlock code over the phone, or it will be emailed to you.
  4. Insert the new SIM card in your phone. You will need to have the SIM card from your new carrier inserted in order to receive the prompt to enter your code.
    • The location of the SIM card slot varies, but it is usually behind the battery or in a tray along the side of the phone. You may need a small paperclip to eject the tray.
  5. Enter your unlock code. When you power your phone on with the new SIM card, you will be prompted for your unlock code. Make sure to enter the code correctly, as entering the incorrect code too many times may lock you out of your phone.
    • Make sure that you are within the coverage area of your new service when unlocking the device.

Unlocking Through a Paid Service

  1. Write down your phone's IMEI number. This is the identification number for your phone, and will be required by the unlocking service.
    • You can get the IMEI of most phone by dialing *#06#.
    • Many phones have the IMEI printed on the back or underneath the battery.
    • You can also find the IMEI on the phone's original packaging.
  2. Find a service. There are a large number of companies online that will sell you the unlock codes for your phone for payment. Different services offer to unlock different devices.
    • Avoid any site that will claim to unlock your phone for completing surveys or offers. These are often scams designed to gather as much personal information about you as possible.
  3. Research your choice. Before paying any company to unlock your phone, research the company as much as possible. Find user reviews, and ask around in phone enthusiast forums. Always be wary of potential scams, especially when you are paying to skirt your carrier's policies.
  4. Pay for the service. Oftentimes, you may have to wait several hours to a couple days in order to receive the unlock code. This is because these companies often have people working for the carriers that provide the codes for them.
    • Be sure to select all of the correct information about your device so that you get a code that works for your phone.
  5. Insert your new SIM card. In order to be able to enter the unlock code, you will need to insert the new SIM card for the service you are switching to. SIM card slots are located in a variety of locations depending on the phone you are using. Typically they can either be found underneath the battery or as a tray along the side of your phone.
    • You may need a small paperclip to eject the tray.
  6. Enter the code. After inserting your new SIM card, turn your phone on. You will be prompted for the unlock code. Enter the code you received and check to make sure that you have connectivity.
    • It may take a minute or two for your phone to connect to the new network. Make sure that you are inside the coverage area.

Unlocking Samsung Galaxy 3 and Note 2

  1. Make sure your phone is up to date. Your phone must be running Android 4.1.1 or later in order for this method to work. You can check your device’s version by opening Settings, and then scrolling to the bottom and selecting About Device. Your version will be listed under the Android Version heading.
    • To update your phone, open the Settings and then scroll down to About Device. In the next menu, select System Updates and then Check for Updates. Your phone will search for any available updates and if it finds any they will be downloaded and installed.
  2. Open the dialer. You will need to enter a code in the dialer to open the Service menu. Once the dialer is open, enter the following code: *#197328640#
  3. Select [1] UMTS. After you enter the code, the phone will automatically open the ServiceMode menu. From here, select [1] UMTS.
    • Tap the menu selection on your screen to select it. If you select the incorrect option, press the Menu button on your phone and select Back.
  4. Open the Debug menu. In the UTMS menu, select [1] DEBUG SCREEN. In the Debug menu, select [8] PHONE CONTROL. In the Phone Control menu, select [6] NETWORK LOCK.
  5. Select [3] Perso SHA256 Off. After you select this option, wait about 30 seconds. Press the Menu button and select Back. Choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ.
  6. Wait and reboot. Once you have selected [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ, wait about one minute and then reboot your phone. You won’t receive any confirmation that the process worked. You can test the phone by putting a SIM card in from another carrier. If you are not prompted to enter an unlock code, then the process worked.

Unlocking Samsung Galaxy S4

  1. Make sure your phone is compatible with the method. This method is for T-Mobile and AT&T Galaxy S4s. It must be done on a stock phone, custom ROMs will not work.
    • This method will most likely not work for CDMA phones, such as Sprint and Verizon phones.
  2. Open the dialer. You will need to enter a code in the dialer to open the Service menu. Once the dialer is open, enter the following code: *#27663368378#
  3. Select [1] UMTS. After you enter the code, the phone will automatically open the ServiceMode menu. From here, select [1] UMTS.
    • Tap the menu selection on your screen to select it. If you select the incorrect option, press the Menu button on your phone and select Back.
    • The Service Mode menu is a diagnostic menu for your phone, and is very powerful. Only make changes to settings specified in this guide. Changing any other settings may result in your phone becoming inoperable.
  4. Open the Debug menu. In the UTMS menu, select [1] DEBUG SCREEN. In the Debug menu, select [6] PHONE CONTROL. In the Phone Control menu, select [6] NETWORK LOCK.
  5. Select [3] Perso SHA256 Off. When you select this option, you should receive the following displayed on your screen:
    SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[1]
    SHA256_OFF => SHA256_ON
  6. Tap the first line. Select SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[1] with your finger. The phone should display:
    MENU NOT EXIST
    PRESS BACK KEY
    In order to continue, press the menu button on your phone and select Back.
  7. Make sure that the settings changed correctly. When you back up, the message from Step 4 should now be displayed as:
    SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[0]
    SHA256_OFF => Not Change
  8. Return to the UMTS menu. Press the menu button and select Back four times until you are back in the UMTS Main Menu. Select [6] COMMON and then select [6] NV REBUILD. The following message should be displayed:
    Golden-Backup exist
    You can Restore Cal/NV
  9. Restore the backup. In the NV REBUILD menu, select [4] Restore Back-up. The phone will automatically reboot. At this point the phone is unlocked. You can insert a SIM card from another carrier to use another service.

Unlocking Old Nokia Phones (DCT3 & DCT4)

  1. Find your IMEI number. You can dial *#06# to display your phone’s IMEI number. You can also find the number printed in the battery cradle behind the removable battery. The IMEI is always 15 digits.
  2. Visit a free unlock website. Nokia phones are some of the only ones that can be unlocked by a generated number online. There are a variety of websites that offer unlock codes for free. You will need to know
  3. Enter your phone’s information. Enter the IMEI number, phone model, country of service, and service provider. The website will generate an unlock code specific for your phone.
    • You can find your phone model by dialing *#0000#
  4. Enter your unlock code. To enter your newly generated unlock code, insert the SIM card from a different carrier. Your phone will prompt you to enter the code.

Warnings

  • Unlocking a phone might violate the terms of any contract with your cell phone provider. If that’s the case, you could face specific penalties outlined in that contract, and your service could be cut off. Do some research before you act.

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Sources and Citations

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