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Carriers Unlocking Policies

Find out the requirements needed to unlock your device from the Carrier or Blacklist

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Has your device been blocked?

If you’ve been locked out of your network or your device has been blacklisted, we understand how frustrating this can be. That’s why we’ve put together a detailed guide to help you understand and fix this problem. On our platform, you’ll find information specific to your carrier and situation. We also encourage you to explore our tools to see if they can help you solve the issue.

Unlocking your phone may not be the easiest task, that’s why it is important to be well-informed about the carrier policies along with all new regulations. For that matter, we are creating a robust list of requirements for each carrier in which we will be able to give you all the information that you need. It is fair to say, that compiling such a list can be difficult, as companies are free to set their own rules. On this article, we will give you some general requirements to make it easier and from there we will cover every single one ranging from popular phone providers to regional ones.

Why is my device locked?

There are several reasons why your device ended up being locked, it is important to realize that not all cases are the same. Although, most situations share some similarities, there might be specific reasons why your device is blacklisted or restricted. We will be general on each case to simplify things, but, remember that every mobile phone lock may have their own reason behind.

Carrier Unlock

The carrier lock is a restriction imposed by your phone carrier in which the phone owner will not be able to switch networks without having their phone unlocked. The reason behind this lock is rather strategical, carriers are able to give you a better deal using an installment plan, and instead you compromise to keep using their services. 

Even though, this is rapidly changing, many people are still eager to adhere to such conditions to obtain a better device. As you can see, this lock is very straight forward and for the most part users are fully aware of it. In some other cases, some devices, such as a T-Mobile phone or AT&T phone, are only produced to be sold and used on that specific network (Mostly cheap prepaid phones).

Blacklisted IMEI

The blacklisted IMEI lock is a more sophisticated ban that has nothing to do with a business strategy, as we saw with the previous lock. On this case, this lock was created to discourage the reselling of stolen devices. This is made possible thanks to the IMEI number that each phone contains, and it is unique.

If your device happens to be blacklisted, it is likely that the carrier or some authority has reported your IMEI, and now it is in a blacklist shared by all carriers. If that is the case, the device won’t be able to use any SIM Card as all provider’s networks will refuse your request. To oversimplify things, when you use a mobile network, your phone must generate requests using your Sim Card along with your IMEI. If your phone is blacklisted, the carrier has the right to reject it, making it impossible to use it.

Can I unlock my phone?

Yes, as a regular consumer, you are able to unlock your device regardless of the case. However, not all cases are the same and for the most part it is all up to the phone provider to grant you or not the unlock code. Nevertheless, there are other options you can consider that we will cover further in case you do not meet all requirements.

Eligibility requirements

To generate an unlock request, you will need to follow certain rules that are a must regardless of the country:

  • Being the rightful owner of the device
  • Have a valid IMEI Number (Not cloned IMEI)
  • Have proof of ownership of the phone 
  • Have no previous report

These are some basic requirements that you need to show if you want to unlock your phone. There are specific cases for those users with early termination, deployed military personnel and so on. We do recommend going ahead and check to the federal communications commission of your jurisdiction to check on the requirements.

General Unlocking Policies

Now that we have briefly discussed some basic eligibility requirements, we will cover the most common unlocking policies for both carrier lock and blacklisted IMEI:

  • Be in good standing with the provider
  • Have a clean history with the company
  • ID (Must have your full name and DOB)
  • Have the IMEI linked to your name

Every carrier is free to set their own requirements and may or not ask for further proof or documentation along the process. Keep in mind, that the unlocking request may be rejected if you don’t send the required documentation within their deadlines. 

Does requirements work the same everywhere?

Not quite, although there is a certain consent across carriers when it comes to the unlocking process, local laws may play a role when unlocking your device. For the most part, all western countries use a similar process to make it easier for all users. It all comes down to the policies that apply to you and it depends on your provider to grant or not phone unlock.

Unlock your device outside the carrier

If you find it difficult to unlock your device using your carrier, we invite you to take a look at the UH Unlock app, which let you unlock any device. This will let you use a new carrier without having to deal with your current carrier. This process is easy and straight forward, and it is by far the best way to unlock your phone or device from your wireless provider.

Device Unlock via UH

In case you have decided to use UnlockHere, here’s a quick guide on how to use the app:

  • Complete the form Online
  • Send and validate the order
  • Activate the unlocking request
  • Enjoy a fully unlocked device.

We know this guide was a bit simpler, however, we invite you to check out the app itself where you will find all the steps broken down into different tutorials.

Carrier unlock policies