Is it possible to unlock phones for free

Fone Toolkit is a little old and might not support all Samsung phones, but it claims to work with over models across 60 countries. Here's a full list of supported devices.

And in case you're worried, Dr. Fone has an active customer care service, offers a money-back guarantee, and says the software won't affect your data. Download: Wondershare Dr. Fone Toolkit for Windows Free. The next time you are buying a phone, take a moment. The price of a SIM-locked phone is substantially cheaper than an unlocked phone at the outset.

But there are hidden costs to this, such as specific tariffs and plans for that phone, and a lock-in period. It's why we always recommend that you buy unlocked phones and save hundreds of dollars. The flexibility to switch to different mobile plans, as well as the freedom to change SIM cards when you travel, will save you more money than the initial difference between the locked and unlocked handsets.

Any internet tips that make life easier are always welcome, so here are 13 useful websites that can do just that. Mihir Patkar has been writing on technology and productivity for over 14 years at some of the top media publications across the world. He has an academic background in journalism. Share Share Tweet Email. Mihir Patkar Articles Published.

Subscribe to our newsletter Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals! Click here to subscribe. It does not mean that it will work with any carrier on any network. Such as loading your own version of Android on it and getting rid of carrier bloatware. You can read more about rooting in our article on the subject. When you get root access in Android, you are opening up the full native powers of the device.

When you jailbreak an iOS device, you remove restrictions that were never meant to be taken away. This lets users run software or modify the iOS experience in ways that Apple certainly does not approve of. These are separate processes with serious risks to security or even your device, if things go wrong.

There is no universal method to enter an unlock code once you have it. The exact process will differ depending on the make and model of the phone you have. So all you have to do is wait for the email or other message confirming that your handset has been unlocked. Active military personnel can request an unlock with their deployment papers and an account in good standing. Moreover, family members on the same account are also eligible for SIM unlocks. Each phone number is allowed up to two unlocked devices during a month period.

It remains to be seen what network versatility will be like for Boost Mobile phones going forward. Past phones from the carrier used the CDMA technology and were restricted to that when unlocking and switching.

Those sold before that date can potentially be updated through an over-the-air update, so make sure your device is up to date before contacting UScellular about unlocking. A specific range of popular phones from Apple and Samsung, whether prepaid or postpaid, are subject to a day lock policy to deter theft and fraud.

An account in good standing that meets the above requirements can still request an early unlock. As is usual, deployed military personnel can also get their device unlocked earlier by presenting their deployment papers, as long as their account has no past-due balance.

If it sounds like your device might fall under that, you can contact UScellular on from a UScellular device or on another device. There are, of course, folks who have prepaid and paid-in-full devices.

Unlocking these is, for the most part, relatively straightforward. While there was already a generalized unlocking policy, the Cellular Telephone Industries Association CTIA put forth a set of standardized unlocking policies for cell phones and tablets.

The agreed-upon terms require carriers to unlock a phone paid in full, or a prepaid phone in service for a year, if a subscriber makes such a request. Cellular providers also have to alert subscribers when their handsets are eligible for an unlock. Finally, carriers must unlock phones for U.

While some modern phones are built for that kind of compatibility, others are still only designed for the network capabilities and features of a particular carrier. Most carriers offer an online Bring Your Own Phone tool to see if your unlocked device will work well on their network.

Third-party unlocking services, by and large, differ only in name. We'll take a look at all the major networks' policies below. When you contact your network to unlock your phone by phone, they'll ask you for your IMEI number. You can get the number in a variety of ways. The IMEI number will flash up on the screen instantly for you to take down with a piece of paper. Got an Android phone? Uswitch studies show the the most common reason for unlocking a phone is to take advantage of well priced SIM only deals.

When your phone's unlocked, you're not limited to tariffs offered by the network you bought your phone from. You can take your pick from the whole market. Just as important is that really good SIM only deals tend to be up for grabs for a limited period only. Having a SIM only deal gives you the freedom you need to chop and change and snap up the best offers while they're still around.

Many people unlock their phone when they want to sell it. Generally unlocked phones command higher prices and sell faster than those that are still tied to a network. If you're a frequent traveller and want to save money on roaming charges by using SIMs from overseas networks, you'll need a phone that's unlocked.

Uswitch's survey into phone unlocking revealed that the time it takes to unlock a phone and the price you should expect to pay is one of the areas where Britons are most confused.

That was borne out by the finding that almost one-third of consumers think that unlocking a phone will be instant. In reality, it takes to get your phone unlocked depends on your provider. But you should be mindful that you could be waiting for anything between a few days or up to 30 days for the process to be complete.

How easy it is to unlock your phone largely depends on your network's policy. Here we look at each of the UK major carriers in turn, so you can see where you stand. That goes for pay as you go phones, as well as those bought on contract from Three.

Three does not enforce a time limit. You can unlock your pay monthly phone at any time during your contract. Three phones are already unlocked when you buy them. So you won't need to talk to anyone from Three.

Compare Three deals. However, after you've owned the phone for 12 months, it's free. To unlock your handset, get in touch with Virgin Mobile's customer support team by calling from your Virgin Mobile handset. Alternatively, you ring from any other mobile phone or landline. Compare Virgin Mobile deals. EE will only unlock pay monthly phones after six months. To unlock an EE pay monthly phone you need to ring from your EE phone. If you're out of contract, however, it's free.