Control Us Phone Release For Free

Wireless phone companies must unlock handsets upon request, without fee, when a consumer purchases a new phone outright (unsubsidized) without a contract; wireless phone companies must unlock handsets upon request, without fee, when a consumer comes to the end of their contract, or at any time thereafter.

A decision from 2012 by the Library of Congress meant cellphone unlocking became a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The decision to renew the exemption was scrapped, meaning cell phone and smartphone owners can take their phones to other carriers.

Can my mobile service provider refuse to unlock my phone because I owe them money or am currently under contract? Yes. Providers do not have to unlock devices for existing or former customers that are not in good standing.

A carrier-imposed ?lock? is a software code that prevents your phone from working on another cellular network. With an ?unlocked? phone, on the other hand, you can get service with any carrier on a compatible network ? and that's just one of the benefits of an unlocked phone.

Carriers, upon request, will unlock mobile wireless devices no later than one year after initial activation, consistent with reasonable time, payment, or usage requirements.

But the safest and smartest way of unlocking mobile phones is to call your network and ask them to unlock it. Whether a charge will apply and how fast and readily they'll unlock it depends on your carrier's policy.

Contact your specific carrier You can call the customer service department for your carrier and ask them if your phone is locked. You can also request that they unlock it. If you'd prefer to talk with someone in person, you can always visit one of your carrier's stores and do the same thing.

This software "locks" the phone to a provider's network. The unlocking process varies by device and by carrier. A carrier may automatically unlock a device after certain conditions are met, send instructions to customers on how to unlock a device upon request, or complete the unlocking process in-store.