How to Unlock Your Phone From Your Carrier: Step-by-Step Guide

To unlock your phone, you ask the carrier that sold it. Only that carrier can remove the lock. Once the phone is paid off and has been active long enough, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile unlock it free of charge, and many phones now unlock automatically. First, check if your phone is locked at all. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About: No SIM restrictions next to Carrier Lock means it's already unlocked. This guide shows how to unlock a phone from a carrier step by step, the current rules at US carriers and prepaid brands, what to do if your request is denied, and how to get an unlocked phone ready for a trip.

Locked out by a forgotten passcode instead? That's a different lock, covered in the last section before the FAQs.

Is your phone locked? Check first

A carrier lock (also called a SIM lock or network lock) means your phone only works with SIM cards and eSIMs from the carrier that sold it. Not sure what that means for you? Read what carrier locked means. Here's how to check.

On iPhone

1. Open Settings > General > About.
2. Scroll to Carrier Lock.
3. No SIM restrictions means your iPhone is unlocked. Anything else, such as SIM locked, means it's still locked (Apple: Unlock iPhone for use with a different carrier).

On Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings > Connections > More connection settings. Depending on your model and carrier, you'll see Network lock status or Network Unlock there (AT&T: Unlock your device, T-Mobile: Device unlock). Samsung doesn't lock phones itself. If your Galaxy is locked, the carrier that sold it locked it (Samsung Support).

On Google Pixel and other Android phones

Pixels bought from the Google Store come unlocked. A Pixel bought from a carrier may be locked (Google: Use your Pixel phone with any carrier). On other Android phones, check your carrier's app or account, or try the SIM test below.

The SIM test

Put in a SIM card from a different carrier and restart your phone. If you can make a call, your phone is unlocked. If you see an error, or the phone asks for a "SIM network unlock PIN", it's locked. This only works on phones with a SIM tray. US iPhone 14 and later models are eSIM only (Apple: Which SIM your iPhone uses), so use the Settings check instead.

How to unlock a phone from your carrier, step by step

1. Find your IMEI. Dial *#06# on your phone's keypad, or look in Settings > General > About on iPhone and Settings > About phone on Android. Your carrier may ask for it. More in our guide to checking your IMEI.
2. Check you meet the rules. Usually the phone must be paid in full, active on the carrier's network for a set time, not reported lost or stolen, and your account can't be past due. See the carrier rules below.
3. Request the unlock, or wait for it. Verizon, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Boost Mobile unlock eligible phones automatically. At AT&T, eligible Apple, Samsung and Google phones should unlock by themselves, and you can submit a request online for other phones. At other carriers, use the website, the app or customer service.
4. Finish the unlock on your phone. On some Android phones, you complete it yourself once the carrier approves. On a T-Mobile Samsung, for example, go to Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Network Unlock > Permanent Unlock, then restart. T-Mobile Pixels use the T-Mobile Device Unlock (Pixel) app. Some carriers send an unlock code instead, which you enter when the phone asks for it.
5. Use your new SIM or eSIM. On iPhone, insert the new SIM or add the new eSIM. If you don't have another SIM, Apple's steps are to back up your iPhone, erase it, then restore it from the backup (Apple). Here's how to factory reset your iPhone.

Can I unlock my phone myself?

Not without your carrier. A carrier lock can only be removed by the carrier that set it. What you can do yourself is check your eligibility in your carrier's app, submit the request, and on some Android phones tap Permanent Unlock once you're eligible.

Can I unlock my phone for free?

Yes, at the big US carriers, once you're eligible. T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile say they unlock eligible phones free of charge. Boost Mobile unlocks eligible phones without an additional fee. Verizon unlocks automatically. AT&T's unlock page doesn't list a fee. Paying a third party won't make an ineligible phone eligible.

Unlock rules at AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile

These rules come from each carrier's official unlock policy, checked in October 2026. Carriers change them from time to time, so check the linked page before you rely on a date.

How to unlock an AT&T phone

• Postpaid: you bought the phone more than 60 days ago, it's paid in full, it isn't reported lost, stolen or involved in fraud, and your account isn't past due.
• Prepaid: at least 12 months of paid AT&T service.
• Automatic unlock: eligible Apple, Samsung and Google phones on an AT&T Wireless plan should unlock by themselves.
• Not an AT&T customer? You can still submit an unlock request for an AT&T phone that meets the rules.
• Check the status: sign in to your AT&T account, select your device and look for Device unlocked (AT&T unlock requirements).

How to unlock a Verizon phone

• Postpaid: your phone unlocks automatically once it's paid in full. If you pay it off with a Verizon Gift Card, the unlock is delayed by 35 days.
• Prepaid: the phone stays locked until it has 365 days of paid and active service, then Verizon removes the lock automatically.
• Once unlocked, it stays unlocked: Verizon says it will never re-lock a device (Verizon device unlocking policy).

Heads-up: Verizon phones used to unlock 60 days after activation. The FCC waived that rule in January 2026, and Verizon's current policy took effect on February 18, 2026 (FCC news release).

How to unlock a T-Mobile phone

• Postpaid: active on T-Mobile for at least 40 days on your line, and paid in full if you financed it.
• Prepaid: 365 days since activation, or more than $100 in refills and more than 14 days since purchase. No more than 2 unlocks per line in 12 months.
• Automatic unlock: once you're eligible, T-Mobile unlocks the phone remotely within two business days if it supports remote unlock. If not, you get a notification with next steps (T-Mobile device unlock policy).
• Former UScellular phones: T-Mobile's device unlock page has steps for Motorola phones bought through UScellular, including how to refresh an unlock that didn't complete.

Prepaid brands: Cricket, Metro, Boost, Straight Talk and more

• Cricket Wireless: unlocks your phone on request once it has been active for at least 365 days of paid service (Cricket device unlock policy).
• Metro by T-Mobile: 365 days since activation, and the phone must have been bought from Metro. It then unlocks remotely within two business days, free of charge (Metro phone unlock policy).
• Boost Mobile: postpaid phones unlock once the financing is complete, or right away if you paid in full. Prepaid phones unlock one year after activation. In both cases Boost unlocks remotely within two business days (Boost Mobile unlocking policy).
• Straight Talk, Total Wireless, Tracfone and Spectrum Mobile: each has its own unlock policy and the rules have changed several times. Check the current one on the brand's website, for example Straight Talk device unlock or Spectrum Mobile unlock.

What about FCC rules?

There's currently no FCC rule that makes every US carrier unlock phones after a set number of days. In January 2026 the FCC said Verizon would follow the CTIA Consumer Code for Wireless Service, like its competitors. That's a voluntary industry code covering postpaid and prepaid unlocking, notice, response time and deployed military personnel (FCC). Deployed military customers can usually get an early unlock: T-Mobile, Metro, Cricket, Verizon and Boost all describe a military exception on their policy pages.

Unlocking your phone in the UK and other countries

• UK: since December 2021, mobile providers aren't allowed to sell locked phones to consumers (Ofcom). An older phone bought before then may still be locked. Ask the provider that sold it to unlock it.
• South Africa, India, Kenya, the Philippines, Canada, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere: the rules depend on the country and the network. Contact the network that sold the phone, give them your IMEI and ask what they need. Prepaid and contract phones often have different waiting times.

Why your unlock request was denied (and what to do)

Carriers turn down unlock requests for a few common reasons:

• There's still a balance on the phone. Pay it off, then request again or wait for the automatic unlock.
• It hasn't been active long enough. For example 40 days at T-Mobile postpaid, 60 days at AT&T postpaid, or about a year on most prepaid plans.
• Your account is past due or suspended. Settle the bill first.
• The phone was reported lost or stolen, or flagged for fraud. Carriers won't unlock it.
• You've hit a limit. T-Mobile prepaid allows no more than 2 unlocks per line in 12 months.

You bought the phone second-hand

1. Find out which carrier locked it. Ask the seller. The error you see with another carrier's SIM may also name the carrier.
2. Contact that carrier with the IMEI. AT&T takes unlock requests from non-customers for phones that meet its rules. T-Mobile may ask for proof of purchase.
3. If there's a balance left, only the original account holder can pay it. Ask the seller, or ask the marketplace for a refund if the phone was sold as unlocked.
4. Before you buy a used phone in the US, check its IMEI with the free Stolen Phone Checker.

Should you use an "IMEI unlock" service?

Be careful. Online unlock services aren't your carrier, and you can't check what they actually do. They can't clear a lost or stolen report or an unpaid balance. The safe route is always the carrier that sold the phone.

Unlock your phone before you travel

A carrier lock hurts most abroad. A locked phone can't use a local SIM card or a travel eSIM from another provider. Apple puts it plainly: to use another carrier when you travel internationally, "your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier" (Apple: Use eSIM while traveling internationally). On a locked iPhone, adding a travel eSIM can fail with "Cellular plans from this carrier cannot be added". Network standards can matter here too, so see the difference between CDMA and GSM and whether it still matters.

1. Check the lock a few weeks before your trip. Unlocks can take a few days, and some need weeks or months on the network first.
2. Check that your phone supports eSIM. See how to check eSIM compatibility.
3. Install your travel eSIM on Wi-Fi before you fly. Keep your home SIM in your phone for calls and texts. Our checklist to prepare your phone for international travel covers the rest.

Once your phone is unlocked, a travel eSIM gives you mobile data from the moment you land, without hunting for a SIM shop. Heading to Europe, Mexico or Canada? These plans are data-only, so leave your home SIM on for texts and calls.

Europe, Mexico and Canada plans shown · data-only, no phone number · Europe · Mexico · Canada · Find the eSIM for your destination

Forgot your passcode? Unlocking your screen

If "unlock my phone" means you can't get past the lock screen, your carrier can't help. Use Apple's or Google's official steps only. Both erase the phone, so you'll need a backup to get your data back.

• iPhone: if you changed your passcode in the last 72 hours, you may be able to use the old one with Passcode Reset (Apple). Otherwise, enter a wrong passcode until the unavailable screen appears, tap Forgot Passcode? and follow the steps. You need Find My turned on, Wi-Fi or cellular, and your Apple Account password (Apple: Reset without a computer). If that doesn't work, use a computer and recovery mode (Apple: Use a computer).
• Android: Google says that if you can't unlock your phone, you'll need to erase it, either remotely with Find Hub or with the phone's buttons. You can then restore data backed up to your Google Account (Google: Can't unlock your Android device).

Avoid apps and tools that promise to bypass a screen lock. If your SIM card is asking for a PIN or PUK code instead, see how to unlock a SIM card without a PUK code.

FAQs

How do I unlock my phone from my carrier?

Ask the carrier that sold it. Make sure the phone is paid off and has been active long enough, then request the unlock in the carrier's app, on its website or by phone. Verizon, T-Mobile, Metro and Boost unlock eligible phones automatically.

How do I unlock a network locked phone?

The same way: through the network that locked it. Once you're eligible, it unlocks the phone remotely or gives you a network unlock code to enter. Then insert another carrier's SIM or add an eSIM.

How can I unlock my phone to any network for free?

Meet your carrier's unlock rules and ask it to unlock the phone. T-Mobile, Metro and Boost say they do it without a fee, and Verizon unlocks automatically. Once unlocked, your phone works with any carrier whose network it supports.

How long does it take to unlock a phone?

T-Mobile, Metro and Boost unlock within two business days of you becoming eligible. Verizon postpaid phones unlock when they're paid off. Apple says carriers may take a few days, so don't leave it to the day before a trip.

Can I unlock a phone that isn't paid off?

Usually not. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile require the phone to be paid in full. Paying off the remaining balance is the fastest way to get it unlocked.

Does a factory reset unlock my phone?

No. A reset doesn't remove a carrier lock. Only your carrier can do that.

Does unlocking my phone delete my data?

Not usually. On an iPhone without a second SIM to test with, Apple's steps include erasing and restoring from a backup, so back up first.

Will an unlocked phone work with any carrier or eSIM?

It works with carriers whose networks your phone supports. Verizon notes that an unlocked Verizon phone may have limited functionality on another carrier's network. For a travel eSIM, your phone also needs to support eSIM.