Best ways to Unlock Smart Phones via IMEI

By Elease Minors

Any time you acquire a cell phone through a mobile provider, its locked into that network's service. If the company gives you a free or discounted cellphone, you commonly have to agree to a 1- or 2-year contract as well. You can avoid this contract and freely change between providers, in addition to travel overseas and use other networks, simply by unlocking your phone using the IMEI number. If you wish to unlock your cellphone quickly and easily, follow the 3 simple steps below.

Step 1

Find the 15-digit IMEI number. This is typically written on the mobile phone under the battery. You can also sometimes find it inside your cellphone's setting page or by entering a specific code to get your cell phone to display the number on the screen. In most instances, the code is *#06#

Step 2

After you've located the IMEI code of your cellphone, speak to your current network and ask them if they can provide you with an unlock code. Based on the circumstances, they could grant your request. But, many service providers may have thier own set of guidelines that need to be fulfilled before they are willing to give you with an unlock code, and many could refuse. Normally, if you've completed your contract, your phone provider may provide you instructions on how to unlock your cell phone, but normally they'll insist you're the original owner of the phone (the contract on thier system is in your name). In the event you're not, for instance, you purchased the phone used, you will need to find an alternative unlocking technique to factory unlock your cell phone.

Step 3

When you are not the orginal owner of the cell phone, you'll have to acquire an unlock code from a 3rd party supplier. Luckily there are plenty of on line providers offering services merely by giving them your cell phone's IMEI code, it's make and model and the network it's locked to. The price of the service and the time it will take to unlock your phone will depend upon the above mentioned factors, and will vary quite considerably for more obscure phones or networks. Using a 3rd party unlocking provider is typically the quickest and most convenient option to factory unlock your phone, as it is executed remotely without your smartphone ever having to leave your pocession. Once your smartphone's been sucessfully unlocked it can then be used with any carrier and in any country you chose.