It is common that when you buy a phone from a carrier or when you buy it from a second-hand reseller you find the problem of only being able to use sims from a specific carrier; this may or may not be a problem for some users, however, it can be really annoying as well as limiting some aspects.
In this guide, we will try to explain in a simple way everything that having a locked smartphone by the carrier entails, from what it is, how it works, and its main causes, to the easiest way to get rid of this lock definitely; On the other hand, we will explain the pros and cons of having a locked phone and how this limits the experience with your smartphone.
There are many ways to unlock or bypass the carrier lock on any device, however, all of these methods have their pros and cons and may not be what you are looking for. Today we will show you the perfect solution you need to completely remove the sim lock from your phone without worrying about future inconveniences, with SafeUnlocks. We will explain in detail everything that involves unlocking with this tool, the process, costs, what you need to unlock your device, and all possible doubts that may arise in this regard.
General concepts
What is a SIM lock?
It is easy to understand what a sim lock is, however, it is very common to misunderstand what it really does, having a phone locked by SIM is not a bad thing, truly, you can use it in your daily life and you will not notice any difference at first glance with respect to other phones, the main difference (and drawback) is the limitation in the network, you can only and exclusively use a single carrier.
In general, carriers block their devices as a way to ensure that you will use the services they provide and as a security measure if at any time you fail to fulfill your obligations with them; Since the competition between carriers is quite high, they tend to keep their clients as long as possible.
What is a Sim Card?
A SIM card is a small, removable card that stores information for GSM phones. This information includes phone numbers, contacts, text messages, and other data. A carrier lock is when a phone is restricted to only being able to use a specific carrier’s SIM card. This can be incredibly frustrating for customers who can’t use their phone with any other carrier, even if they’re abroad.
What is the IMEI number?
Let’s talk about what the IMEI is and why it is important for unlocking. The IMEI number is a 15 or 17-digit number that is unique for each mobile device. It is used by mobile phone providers to identify valid devices and can help prevent a stolen phone from accessing the network. However, it is also used by carriers to limit the use of networks that your phone can access once you purchase it.
How does the lock work?
Carrier locks are set by the phone manufacturer at the request of the carrier. The carrier then activates the lock when the phone is first used with their services. Carrier locks can also be applied to phones which were purchased directly and not through a carrier. This severely limits some aspects of the phone such as the networks it has access to or the software updates that might receive.
Causes of this problem
Generally, this inconvenience is presented exclusively in devices that have been obtained through credit with a carrier, phones that you buy from an authorized point of sale from any manufacturer or authorized stores do not present this problem, however, there are two possible cases in which your device could be locked:
Purchased from a carrier
When you buy a phone through a carrier, in the vast majority of cases, you will notice this new device already has a carrier lock. This is the measure carriers use to ensure that you will fulfill your obligations and take action in the event that you neglect your payment.
Bought from a second-hand seller
There is also the possibility your phone is locked if you bought it from a reseller, usually, the low cost of these devices is attractive and we overlook checking if there is any lock or if its IMEI is registered with some network, when inserting the sim card for the first time we are surprised with the phone does not recognize a different carrier’s SIM.
How does the lock limit my phone?
With normal usage of your phone, you won’t notice much difference, you can access each of the functions that your phone can offer such as the use of the camera, calls, applications, save your information, in this sense like any other phone that you could use; however, there are key points for which it would not be presenting all its functionalities, such as:
Updates:
Perhaps one of the least known disadvantages of having a phone locked by the carrier, locked phones has a delay in receiving updates since they do not receive them directly from the manufacturer. The carrier receives the update from the manufacturer, optimizes it, checks it and after that, starts to roll it out to their devices, this process takes time preventing you from using the new features that come with the updates.
Limitations with the SIM card:
Naturally, the main disadvantage of having a phone locked by the carrier is the impossibility of using different SIMs on it, this is more serious than you imagine, it is not only forcing you to use the same carrier but also its services and rates, thus avoiding carriers that could be a better deal for you.
Roaming:
Similar to the previous point, nevertheless, this limits you when you leave your country since you cannot change the carrier, you must keep the same service without the possibility of inserting a SIM from a local carrier in another place, if you want to be connected you must be subject to the roaming rates established by your carrier.
Apps Restriction:
A phone with carrier lock is limited in the type of app that can be installed, you can install most applications from the App Store or Play Store, however, if we want to install an application from another resource or some application that is not present in these application stores you could not able to use them or even install them, the carriers impose this limitation in order to avoid that with some application you can remove the lock.
General Questions
Can I remove the lock by restarting my phone?
No, the lock is done directly to the IMEI of your phone, therefore a restart or factory reset of the device will not solve the problem, the only thing you will achieve by doing this is to erase all the data on your phone and leave it in a factory state.
Can the carrier remove the lock?
Absolutely, you can remove the lock by making a request to your carrier, just as the phone was locked they have an obligation to unlock it, notwithstanding, there are certain conditions you must meet before applying for an unlock. In the next chapter, we will explain the proper way to remove the lock with your carrier.
Is carrier lock the same as non-payment locking?
It is similar in a certain way, however, it is not the same, the carrier lock is a lock implemented from the first moment you use your device, this lock remains active until it is removed in some way and does not limit the usage that you can give to the smartphone, on the other hand, the lock for non-payment totally disables your device completely, allowing only in some cases to make and receive calls and messages, you do not have access to the camera or any apps. It should be noted that while the carrier block is removable, the non-payment lock is not, there are no ways to remove the non-payment lock unless you fulfill your obligation.
Is it illegal to unlock a smartphone from the carrier?
Absolutely not, in fact, all phones are unlocked from the factory and allow the free use of them, however, as we explained earlier, carriers lock the phones and modify some aspects in order to have a guarantee of the devices they provide. You have two safe ways to unlock a device, which we will tell you about next.
Unlocking methods
Directly with the carrier
Before unlocking your phone you must make sure of the following:
- You must be the legitimate owner of the phone, if you have the invoice or something that proves that you are the phone’s owner, much better.
- Having fully paid the device’s value, you must not present any debt or miss the payment of your phone.
This would be the safest method if you want to remove the carrier lock, you must follow these simple steps:
- Go to a correspondent or official branch of your carrier.
- Make a request to remove the carrier lock from your phone, the carrier will verify that you are the legitimate owner and that everything is correct before you are eligible for unlocking.
- Once you are eligible for unlocking you may need to pay a fee to unlock your phone, it may vary depending on your carrier.
- Wait for the unlock response, remember this may take a few days.
After following these steps your phone will be unlocked and you can use it normally with any other carrier you want.
Contact the previous owner
In case you are not the one who originally bought the phone, contact the legitimate owner of the device, so then, you could ask them to go through the above process and then, you would have an unlocked phone, however, you will not always be able to contact the owner or they may not be in a position to help.
Through third-party applications
One of the options that people commonly resort to is third-party applications, you can find a wide portfolio of services on the internet and even apps from the Play Store promises to unlock the networks of your phone, however, most of these applications are paid and limit the functions of your phone; you can use your PC to carry out the procedure with some specialized software, however, you must be careful to carry out the process in the correct way, otherwise, the problem could be much greater and, in the worst case, it would leave unusable your device. We do not recommend following tutorials that you find on the internet as there is no guarantee it will work correctly, we always suggest using the unlock directly with the carrier or services that give you an unlock guarantee.
SafeUnlocks
The most efficient, simple, and secure way to unlock your phone is through an unlocking service, and the best choice is to do it with the company leader on unlocking processes. Over time we positioned it as the best mobile unlocking alternative, within our services you can find: carrier unlock, iCloud unlock and FRP unlock. You do not need programs, download applications, or follow complicated tutorials, just by entering the official webpage and following a few simple steps you can have the freedom that you should have on your device.
What is SafeUnlocks?
SafeUnlocks is a reliable company dedicated to providing unlocking services, we offer services like iCloud unlock, carrier unlock, and FRP unlocks among other services. We use very advanced technology and data to bypass any lock remotely and legally so you don’t have to deal with it personally. Fast and reliable.
Through SafeUnlocks remote unlocking service, you can be sure that your privacy will not be compromised because we do not record any customer information or private data at all. In addition to this commitment to privacy, our exceptional customer service team is available via live chat on our website 24/7 for any queries related to an online unlock process, such as payment methods and policies; with a variety of options, from carrier unlocks (including AT&T) and Apple products like iPhones to LG phones, iCloud lock, FRP lock, carrier blacklists, and more. The satisfaction of our customers is our business card.
How does SafeUnlocks work?
SafeUnlocks is an online unlocking service specialized in unlocking phones in different ways, our unlock in three steps is one of the most efficient and reliable you can find on the internet, just by providing the details of your device and the IMEI number you will start the unlocking process, after, we continue the unlocking process and in a matter of minutes our team of professionals will remotely unlocking your device.
Why use SafeUnlocks to remove SIM lock?
When you plan to use an unlocking service, you are looking for the service you choose to be reliable, affordable, safe, and fast, all these characteristics are what define SafeUnlocks, within the main reasons to choose us as your unlocking service you can find:
- With a ratio of 99.9% success with most devices regardless of brand (either Apple or Android devices), IOS, or any software version, regardless of the carrier to which they belong, we are a universal tool.
- With an average time of 5 minutes per unlock, we are one of the fastest services you can find on the internet. In around 30 minutes you can complete the entire unlock process from start to finish, from filling out the form to having your device unlocked.
- With over 200,000 unlocked devices around the world, we guarantee our carrier unlock services.
- The lowest price you can get for unlocking your phone, with just a one-time fee of $1 you can get permanent carrier unlocking with a lifetime guarantee.
- Your data is safe with us, we emphasize the security and good treatment of our clients’ information, we do not share your information with other companies, and the information required to unlock your device is the most basic and essential.
How to unlock with SafeUnlocks
Step-by-step guide
To remove the carrier lock on your phone, you just have to follow a few simple steps, our process is intuitive and friendly to all users, so you won’t have any problems carrying it out:
- From your phone, tablet, or computer access the following link https://safeunlocks.com/ you can use your favorite browser for it.
- Once there, you should go to the top of the page and look under the “services” tab, you can click there or just hover over it and some options will be displayed.
- Click the “Carrier Unlock” option and you will be redirected to another page.
- You will find a brief description of our service and below this description a small form.
- Fill out the form, you need the following details: Name, Email, device model (our method works for both Android and iPhone devices), and IMEI number.
- Check the box that says “I accept the $1 fee to register and unlock my device”, this is necessary to continue with the process.
- Click on Proceed.
Free membership
To unlock your device with us we only ask you one requirement, to be a member of our community, all our services are reserved for our members so it is an essential requirement. Obtaining your membership is a free process, it will only take a few minutes, for this you must do the following:
- In option 1, solve the captcha and continue by clicking on “continue to register”.
- Click on the register button.
- Follow the steps on the page, it’s easy to complete and you don’t need more than a valid name and email to continue.
- Verify your identity on the page and your data, don’t worry, our entire process is secure.
- Once the verification is done, you will find a confirmation code, save this code, it will be important later. This code is also sent to your email to ensure you don’t lose it.
- Use the code and enter it in the verification field to complete the order.
- Now open the order and your device will be unlocked within minutes.
If you have any questions or problems following these steps, you will also find a short video tutorial at the bottom of the page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my IMEI number?
Finding your IMEI number is really simple, the easiest way to find it out is to check the box of your phone, there you will find a sticker with the number, if you do not have the box of your device you can also try some methods to find it, first, you can try to check it in your phone settings, go to Settings > General > About and scroll down until you find the respective number.
You can also find the serial number by connecting your device to iTunes (for Apple devices only). Another method is through your phone by calling the number *#06#, by doing so the IMEI number will appear on the screen of your phone.
Is unlocking from SafeUnlocks permanent?
Yes, once you perform the unlocking with our system your phone will be permanently unlocked, there is no limit on the usage of your phone and you will not have to repeat the process after a while, our service guarantees the total network unlocking of your phone for a lifetime.
Which carriers can I unlock with SafeUnlocks?
In theory, any device from any carrier can be unlocked with our services, both from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe as well as from Latin America, within the brands that we have unlocked are:
- Verizon
- Sprint Phone
- T-mobile
- At&t
- Bell
- Fido
- Shaw
- Telus
- Rogers
Latin American carriers:
- Claro (Latin American level)
- Movistar
- At&t
- Telcel
- Tigo
- Any other carrier that uses the networks of these carriers.
Can unlocking erase the information on my phone?
No, the unlocking process by our system does not alter in any way the information or data contained in your device, the only thing that will change is the number of networks to which your phone will have access.
Can I remove the SIM lock if I owe money to the carrier?
Yes, the unlocking can be done even if you have an outstanding debt with your carrier, you must take into account that in no way will this remove the blocking by your carrier for non-payment or allow you to use it again after the lock is done since there is no legal way to do it.
Why do we use the IMEI number?
We use this information as it is the only information that is linked to the device. The IMEI number allows us to remove the network lock, the IMEI number is basically the identity of your device, it is a unique number that is usually used to perform locks, such as iCloud lock for instance.
What to do if there is a problem with unlocking?
If any anomaly is presented during or after unlocking, you can contact our customer service through mail 24/7, on our page you will find a contact form in which you can describe your problem, and our team will contact you as soon as possible. Remember if you have any problems or inquiries about our process you can contact us and we will be happy to help you.