Techniques to Unlock Cell Phones via IMEI (in three very easy steps)

How to Unlock Cellular Phones by IMEI

By Vina Jekel

Whenever you get a smartphone from a cell phone provider, it's actually locked to that company's service. If the company offers you a free or discounted cellphone, you typically have to consent to a 1- or 2-year plan as well. You can avoid this contract and freely swap between providers, and also travel outside of the country and use domestic networks, easily by unlocking your smartphone using the IMEI number. Permanently unlock your smartphone by following the three simple steps below.

Step 1

Locate the 15-digit IMEI number. This is typically printed on the mobile phone beneath the battery. You can also generally locate it in your cell phone's setting page or by keying in a unique code to get your cell phone to display the IMEI number on the screen. In many cases, this code is *#06#

Step 2

Once you have found the IMEI code of your cellphone, get hold of your existing service provider and ask if they can give you an unlock code. Depending on your circumstances, they could possibly grant your request. But, many networks will likely have thier own criteria that need to be fulfilled before they'll offer you with an unlock code, and many can refuse. Generally, if you've finished your contract, your smart phone provider will likely give you directions on how to permanently unlock your mobile phone, but frequently they'll insist you're the original owner of the phone (the contract on thier system is in your name). If you're not, for instance, you bought the mobile phone secondhand, you will need to find an alternative unlocking process to a permanently unlock your smartphone.

Step 3

For those who are not the orginal owner of the mobile phone, you'll need to buy an unlock code from a third party service provider. The good news is there are loads of on-line vendors selling services by just providing them with your cell phone's IMEI number, it's make and model and the network its locked to. The cost of the service and the time it will take to unlock your smartphone will depend upon the aforementioned factors, and may vary quite significantly for more obscure models or networks. Using a third party unlocking provider is generally the fastest and most straightforward technique to factory unlock your mobile phone, as it can be executed remotely without your cell phone ever needing to leave your pocession. Once your phone has been sucessfully unlocked it can then be used on any network and in any country you decide.