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The best ways to Unlock Smartphones by IMEI (three basic steps)

By Janay Tondreau

Every time you buy a mobile phone via a cellular provider, it will be locked to that network's service. If the company offers you a free or discounted phone, you generally have to agree to a one- or two-year contract as well. You can avoid this contract and freely swap between providers, along with travel abroad and roam on domestic networks, simply by unlocking your smartphone using the IMEI code. To permanently unlock your smartphone follow the three simple steps below.

Step 1

Get the 15-digit IMEI number. This is typically written on the mobile phone beneath the battery. You can also generally find it in your cell phone's setting page or by keying in a special code to get your mobile phone to show the number on your screen. In most cases, this code is *#06#

Step 2

When you've located the IMEI number of your mobile phone, call your existing network carrier and find out if they are willing to supply you with an unlock code. Based on your circumstances, they could possibly grant your request. But, different service providers have thier own set of guidelines that need to be fulfilled before they will provide you with an unlock code, and many will probably refuse. Frequently, if you've completed your contract, your smart phone provider will probably give you directions on how to permanently unlock your mobile phone, but normally they will insist you are the original owner of the smartphone (the contract on thier system is in your name). In the event you're not, for instance, you bought the cell phone pre-owned, you have got to locate an alternative unlocking method to factory unlock your cellphone.

Step 3

For anybody who is not the orginal owner of the cell phone, you are going to have to get an unlock code from a 3rd party supplier. Thankfully there are loads of on line providers offering services by just giving them your mobile phone's IMEI number, it's model and make and the network it is locked to. The price of the service and the time it takes to unlock your phone will depend upon the above mentioned factors, and can vary quite considerably for more obscure mobile phone models or networks. Using a third party unlocking company is typically the fastest and the most convenient option to factory unlock your cellphone, as it is executed remotely without your cellphone ever needing to leave your pocession. Once your cell phone has been sucessfully unlocked it can then be used on any network and in any country you decide.

Should you carrier unlock your cellular phone yourself and is it legal to do so?

So you've hopefully got to the end of your mobile phone contract, you have finished paying off your highly-prized mobile phone and you are obviously set to select a cheaper pre paid deal. There is just one issue. Your phone is locked to your current network and unless you can solve that, you are not going to be able to get a better option provided by other network carriers. So, how will you get your mobile phone officially unlocked and get your pick of the Pay-As-You-Go deals? Thankfully, it's essentially fairly easy.

Am I allowed to factory unlock a smartphone?

Nothing could possibly be criminal about unlocking your cell phone. It's your phone and you are well within your legal rights to use it with any carrier you would like. Still, there's a good chance that IMEI Unlocking your device may void your warranty, so it may well be best to wait until you have completed your contract before you decide to ditch your current carrier.

How do I network unlock my cellphone?

1. 3rd party unlocking service providers: You'll find many websites that offer to source IMEI unlocking services for you, but it's recommended you read testimonials to get an informed view of how dependable they are before you hand over any hard earned cash. Be advised there are a large number of fraudsters out there offering these products and services!


2. Do it yourself: A number of technically-minded people could possibly be able to do this on their own but it's not very easy and you will have to have specialized computer software.


3. Local shops unlocking services: You'll commonly see signs in shops, market stalls and sometimes hairdressers offering mobile phone unlocking services and it's typical to pay around $40 or above for the service.

How much will it actually cost me to unlock a phone?

Many networks will likely not charge for unlocking advice while some others might charge up to $60. It's also worth taking into consideration that each networks has distinct policies associated to how long you have had your regular monthly or SIM-only plan for and how to get your IMEI unlock. A large percentage of providers have online forms to submit a SIM unlocking request, but quite a few will advise you to phone their helplines. How long it may take to unlock your cell phone once again varies greatly between each network. In the UK, EE for example, will unlock an iPhone in 4 days, while Plusnet state it can easily take up to 20 calendar days to unlock IMEI locked handsets.

Who is the most trustworthy and fastest 3rd party unlocking company around?

If you are uncertain who to use, I highly recommend Unlock.Zone. They offer unlocks for all major makes and carriers, give a guaranteed price match promise, plus even more importantly, have a no questions asked refund policy in the unlikely event they cannot unlock your mobile phone. I have used them personally and was very happy with the service I received and ultimately that they successfully unlocked my mobile.

If you want to find out more, here's a link to their homepage: Cell Phone IMEI Unlocking Service