Free Cell Phone Unlock Codes
But now there is a safe, quick, and clever way to dig yourself out of the contract you are currently stuck with. In fact you can be home free in just a few minutes with UnlockBase.com. Why unlock cellphone? Because you deserve the freedom of the best tariffs out there.
Free Cell Phone Unlock Codes
In the US, as in several other countries, mobile carriers sell phones with special offers or price cuts. But such phones are also often locked to their network. You can't swap out the SIM card and use a different carrier's network. Here are a few ways to unlock phones for free, or for a small price, while doing it legally and risk-free.
This article covers free phone unlocking codes, as well as how to get your carrier to unlock your phone for free. If you're a Samsung user, there is also a phone unlocking software that might work on several older devices.
The US has flip-flopped on the legality of unlocking phones for some time. But the final verdict by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is resoundingly in favor of the consumer. Yes, it is legal to unlock phones.
That said, you need to know whether your phone is eligible to be unlocked. The FCC isn't giving you a free pass to con the carriers. It explicitly states that you can unlock the device only "after you have fulfilled the applicable service contract, completed the device installment plan or paid an early termination fee."
The biggest benefit of unlocked phones is that you are no longer at the mercy of a single provider. You are free to change networks as you see fit, so that you can use the SIM that best works for you in any region of the USA.
It's pretty simple. SIM unlocking a phone is about letting you use any SIM card from any carrier, as long as it is compatible. You don't get access to any developer features or hidden commands on the phone.
It cannot break the GSM-CDMA limitations of the phone. So, unlocked phones from GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile will let you fit SIM cards from GSM networks. But you can't fit SIMs from CDMA networks like Sprint and Verizon. And vice versa.
Ideally, you should unlock your phone through the carrier. But if you aren't eligible by their terms and still want to unlock it, you'll need to get it done via a third party. But it probably won't be free.
The internet is full of websites that sell network unlock codes for your specific device. Depending on the country you are in, the manufacturer of the phone, and the carrier you use, you should expect to pay up to $30. Don't spend any more than that if the seller asks, because you will find sim unlock codes cheaper elsewhere. You can get some unlock codes for as low as $10.
You do this independently by typing into Google "unlock my phone online," but we checked online reviews and testimonials to find sites that usually work, and offer refunds in case the code didn't work. Here are some of the best places to get reliable phone unlocking codes:
If you're using a Samsung Android phone, one desktop software claims to also unlock devices for free. Wondershare's Dr. Fone Toolkit is a paid program for Windows, but you can still use it to get a Samsung unlock codes list for free.
Dr. Fone Toolkit is meant to be the software to unlock phones to any network. But it's a little old now and might not support all recent Samsung phones. Still, it claims to have Samsung unlock codes list that works with over 400 models across 60 countries. Here's a full list of supported devices.
The next time you are buying a phone, take a moment to check if the sim is locked. 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 cha