Do you want to take advantage of a great data plan that you saw advertised on TV? That's great, but you might be faced with the unfortunate problem of having a network-locked phone. This means that you can only use SIM cards or data plans that are provided by a specific network, and it's extremely restrictive.
In the past, if you wanted to sign up for a data plan that gave you more for your money then it was as simple as switching the SIM cards. That's no longer the case and until you learn how to unlock a network-locked phone, you'll be limited to your current provider's plans. Don't worry! We're going to show you exactly how to do that.
Part 1. How to Unlock Any Network-Locked Phone
The great thing about unlocking a phone is that for the most part, it's incredibly straightforward and anyone can do it. You'll find dozens of methods out there but we've narrowed this down to give you the two that are most effective.
1. DirectUnlocks
First up we have DirectUnlocks which is undoubtedly the best way to unlock any phone from carrier networks. No matter where you are in the world, you can use this affordable service and have your smartphone unlocked in a matter of minutes.
- The best service for unlocking any iPhone or Android phone
- Provides a hassle-free service that can be used with ease
- Unlocks phones in virtually any country and from any network
- Has a 100% success rate when unlocking network-locked phones
- All phones are unlocked within 24 hours of the order being placed
- The entire unlocking process is done remotely!
That last point is worth focussing on – you don't have to send your phone anywhere to get it unlocked! All you have to do is send over a few basic details about your device and the professionals will take care of the rest for you.
To show you just how easy it is to unlock a locked phone with DirectUnlocks, we've shown you the steps involved below.
Steps to Unlock Phone with DirectUnlocks
Step #0 – Locate your phone's IMEI number. There are multiple ways to do this depending on the phone you have, but the universally applicable method is to dial *#06# on your device which will display it's IMEI number.
Step #1 – Select your country from the drop-down menu, followed by the network that the device has been locked to.
Step #2 – Type the IMEI number which is displayed on your device into the box provided, then click Unlock For Any SIM Card to proceed.
Provide Your IMEI Number to Unlock
Step #3 – Finally, enter your payment details to pay for this premium service and once your payment has finished processing, your order will be placed.
It'll only take you a few minutes to place an order and after that, you can track the progress of your phone being unlocked. While it can vary, you'll typically see that your phone has been unlocked instantly after placing an order (in some cases it may take several hours).
2. Contact Your Carrier
Although using DirectUnlocks is the fastest and easiest way for you to unlock any network locked phone, it's not the only option. Another common way to do so is by getting in touch with your carrier directly and requesting that they unlock the device. Be aware that this will take significantly longer, often as long as 2 weeks, so your phone won't be unlocked today.
So, how do you unlock a network locked phone for free via your carrier? Before you do anything, you need to collect all the required information that they will request from you during this process. This includes:
- Name of the phone owner
- IMEI number for the device to be unlocked
- SIM card's phone number
- Answers to any security questions that may be asked
These are all fairly basic details that you should expect to have requested. Some carriers may also ask for proof of purchase or additional information, but the list above are guaranteed to be asked for. Now that you have everything ready to go, follow these steps:
Step #1 – Start by getting in touch with your carrier by either calling their support team or using the live chat (if this is available).
Step #2 – Explain to the representative that you want to have your phone unlocked from the carrier. They will now ask you for the information listed above to verify that you are the owner.
Step #3 – Once you have answered their questions, your unlock request will be submitted.
Step #4 – Wait up to 14 working days to receive an unlock code from them along with instructions on how to use this code.
Step #5 – After the code has been used, your phone will be unlocked from the carrier.
Something to note is that every carrier has its own process for handling unlock requests. Upon contacting them, it might not go exactly like this. However, this is the general process that you can expect when you ask your carrier about a network locked phone.
There are a few downsides to going through your carrier for this service though. Aside from potentially waiting for several weeks, if there are any issues with unlocking your phone then you'll have to repeat this process and go through the steps again. For that reason, using DirectUnlocks is preferred.
Part 2. Why You Should NEVER Use a Software Solution
While you are searching for the best way to unlock a network locked phone, you'll probably stumble upon various software solutions that claim to get the job done. You should completely avoid using any of these because they can be very risky and even if you find the rare piece of software that does work, it comes with some strings attached.
To give you an idea of some of the limits that you would experience:
- Blacklisted phones can't be unlocked by software
- You must disable the Find My iPhone feature before using these tools
- Newer iPhones (iPhone XS and newer) can't be unlocked via software
- New iOS (iOS 15 and later) can't be supported
- You are required to jailbreak or root your device for them to work
- If you factory reset your device, you will need to use the same software to unlock your phone again
None of these are small limitations either – even the requirement of having a jailbroken or rooted phone is difficult for most people. That's the biggest downside to using a software solution to unlock a network locked phone, it's never as simple as the methods we described before.
Risks of Using Software Solutions
It doesn't end there though. There are numerous risks that you're taking when using software for unlocking your phone.
- Bricking the Device. If the software fails to install properly, the connection between your phone and computer ends abruptly, or one of a million things goes wrong, you will most likely brick your phone. You won't be able to do anything to fix it and you'll have to purchase a new one.
- Voiding the Warranty. Given that you'll be asked to jailbreak or root your phone, you're also going to be voiding the warranty that you have. Providers don't let their customers modify the device's firmware as it can lead to damaged hardware and frequent repairs. Therefore, if you take the software approach, you'll no longer have a warranty to rely on if the phone is damaged.
- Installing Malware. Most worrisome of all is that regardless of whether the software is effective or not, there's a chance that it'll install malware on the device. Your data may be stolen or perhaps you'll have to endure adware. The point is you probably aren't just unlocking your phone.
Overall, it's just not worth trying to unlock your network locked phone with a software solution. Aside from all the limitations we listed, there's also a lot of risks you need to keep in mind. On the odd chance that you do unlock your phone with software, you won't rest easy knowing that there could be malware too.
Conclusion
Having a locked phone is a burden, especially if your contract has ended and you don't have the option to try data plans with other providers. That's why it's a great idea to unlock your network-locked phone so that you can remove this limit and enjoy the perks provided by other data plans.
We highly recommend that you go with DirectUnlocks' phone unlock service as the speedy delivery and high effectiveness makes it the best option by far. On the other hand, if you're still looking at other solutions, remember that taking the software route is far from ideal and will only cause you stress in the future!