Cell Phone Unlocking (Some Tips You Should Know)

If you are unhappy with your current cell phone provider and you are considering changing, then you don’t have to buy a new handset just find out about Cell phone unlocking.

As long as your phone wasn’t purchased in the US after 26th January 2013, it’s perfectly legal.

It’s also very straightforward and won’t damage your phone, as long as you are careful and do it properly.


There are numerous reasons for wanting to unlock a phone.

If you are considering selling it on eBay or Amazon, it will be easier to sell if you advertise it online as unlocked and you will often get more money for it as well.

If you vacation or work outside the country it can also be beneficial as, by unlocking your handset and inserting a local SIM, you can avoid returning home to a huge bill.

The key is to know what you are doing so here are a couple of tips to bear in mind if you are considering unlocking yours.

Don’t use your provider, it will cost you

Whilst using your cell phone supplier may seem the obvious thing to do, it can take up to a week to get the unlocking code with some major suppliers.

However, if you use a reputable online service, it can be done the same day. Don’t panic, this is just as safe, so your phone isn’t going to self-destruct or explode, it will work just fine.

Do your research, and be careful who you buy from.

Once you have looked into an unlocking company, it pays to do your research.

If in doubt, look on forums and Google the company name to ensure that they are a reputable company that knows what they are doing.

Just using any online company that is advertising is a sure-fire way to trouble, so take a few minutes to do your homework and all will be well.

You will need to find out your  IMEI number

With pretty much all cell phones, you will need your IMEI number in order to unlock it.

This number can be obtained by typing the following code onto the keypad, *#06#. You should then be faced with an IMEI number (around 16 digits) which you can make a note of and give to your unlocking company.

Once you have figured out Cell phone unlocking then your mobile will work on any network.

Once you have your IMEI number you can have your phone unlocked in no time and once it is there are many options open to you.

You can change provider, or sell the phone easily.

You may even want to give it to a friend or loved one as a present.

Being able to swap the SIMs at your leisure means that you can use more than one provider if there are advantages to both.