Unlock Payment Contract For Free

The simplest way to unlock your device is to get in touch with your provider and ask for a Network Unlock Code (NUC). This is typically easy and free to get ? if you've finished your pay-monthly contract, networks aren't allowed to charge you unlocking fees at all.

The reason many network providers SIM lock their phones is that they offerphones at a discount to customers in exchange for a contract to pay for the use of the network for a specified time period, usually between one and three years. ... SIM locking curbs this by prohibiting change of network (using a new SIM).

Your device is automatically locked to the first carrier it's activated on. The conditions for unlocking your phone require among other things that the phone be paid off, that your account be in good standing.

When a handset is locked it means it will only work with the provider that you bought it from. If your phone is locked it won't automatically become unlocked when your contract expires with your provider. You'll have to specifically ask your carrier to unlock it.

For prepaid devices, participating providers will notify you when your device is eligible for unlocking at the point of sale, at the time of eligibility or through a clear and concise statement of the provider's policy on its website. When your device is eligible, some providers may automatically unlock it remotely.

You can ask your provider to unlock your phone. If you're out of your initial phone contract, the company must do this for free. Even if you're still within the contract term, all the major networks should allow you to unlock the device without a fee. Most phone networks ask you to fill in an online form.

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.