How to Unlock Mobile Phones
Generally phones are unlocked so they can be used on other networks and plan types. For example, you might unlock your AT&T phone to use with a rival post-paid carrier like T-Mobile, or a prepaid carrier such as Straight Talk. Carriers usually won't unlock your phone until your account meets certain requirements. Follow this guide to unlock the latest Samsung phones, old Nokias, as well as information on unlocking through a carrier service. Non-carrier approved unlocks are currently technically illegal in the US.
Method 1 of 4: Unlocking Through a Paid Service
- 1Find a service. There are a large number of companies online that will sell you the unlock codes for your phone for payment.
- 2Research your choice. Before paying any company to unlock your phone, research the company as much as possible. Find user reviews, and ask around in phone enthusiast forums. Always be wary of potential scams, especially when you are paying to skirt your carrier's policies.
- 3Pay for the service. Oftentimes, you may have to wait several hours to a couple days in order to receive the unlock code. This is because these companies often have people working for the carriers that provide the codes for them.
- Be sure to select all of the correct information about your device so that you get a code that works for your phone.
- 4Enter the code. Once you receive the code, insert the SIM card for the new service into the phone. Your phone will prompt you for the unlock code. Enter the code you received and check to make sure that you have connectivity.
Method 2 of 4: Unlocking Samsung Galaxy 3 and Note 2
- 1Make sure your phone is up to date. Your phone must be running Android 4.1.1 or later in order for this method to work. You can check your device’s version by opening Settings, and then scrolling to the bottom and selecting About Device. Your version will be listed under the Android Version heading.
- To update your phone, open the Settings and then scroll down to About Device. In the next menu, select System Updates and then Check for Updates. Your phone will search for any available updates and if it finds any they will be downloaded and installed.
- 2Open the dialer. You will need to enter a code in the dialer to open the Service menu. Once the dialer is open, enter the following code: *#197328640#
- 3Select [1] UMTS. After you enter the code, the phone will automatically open the ServiceMode menu. From here, select [1] UMTS.
- Tap the menu selection on your screen to select it. If you select the incorrect option, press the Menu button on your phone and select Back.
- 4Open the Debug menu. In the UTMS menu, select [1] DEBUG SCREEN. In the Debug menu, select [8] PHONE CONTROL. In the Phone Control menu, select [6] NETWORK LOCK.
- 5Select [3] Perso SHA256 Off. After you select this option, wait about 30 seconds. Press the Menu button and select Back. Choose [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ.
- 6Wait and reboot. Once you have selected [4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ, wait about one minute and then reboot your phone. You won’t receive any confirmation that the process worked. You can test the phone by putting a SIM card in from another carrier. If you are not prompted to enter an unlock code, then the process worked.
Method 3 of 4: Unlocking Samsung Galaxy S4
- 1Make sure your phone is compatible with the method. This method is for T-Mobile and AT&T Galaxy S4s. It must be done on a stock phone, custom ROMs will not work.
- This method will most likely not work for CDMA phones, such as Sprint and Verizon phones.
- 2Open the dialer. You will need to enter a code in the dialer to open the Service menu. Once the dialer is open, enter the following code: *#27663368378#
- 3Select [1] UMTS. After you enter the code, the phone will automatically open the ServiceMode menu. From here, select [1] UMTS.
- Tap the menu selection on your screen to select it. If you select the incorrect option, press the Menu button on your phone and select Back.
- The ServiceMode menu is a diagnostic menu for your phone, and is very powerful. Only make changes to settings specified in this guide. Changing any other settings may result in your phone becoming inoperable.
- 4Open the Debug menu. In the UTMS menu, select [1] DEBUG SCREEN. In the Debug menu, select [6] PHONE CONTROL. In the Phone Control menu, select [6] NETWORK LOCK.
- 5Select [3] Perso SHA256 Off. When you select this option, you should receive the following displayed on your screen:
SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[1]
SHA256_OFF => SHA256_ON - 6Tap the first line. Select SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[1] with your finger. The phone should display:
MENU NOT EXIST
PRESS BACK KEY
In order to continue, press the menu button on your phone and select Back. - 7Make sure that the settings changed correctly. When you back up, the message from Step 4 should now be displayed as:
SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[0]
SHA256_OFF => Not Change - 8Return to the UMTS menu. Press the menu button and select Back four times until you are back in the UMTS Main Menu. Select [6] COMMON and then select [6] NV REBUILD. The following message should be displayed:
Golden-Backup exist
You can Restore Cal/NV - 9Restore the backup. In the NV REBUILD menu, select [4] Restore Back-up. The phone will automatically reboot. At this point the phone is unlocked. You can insert a SIM card from another carrier to use another service.
Method 4 of 4: Unlocking Old Nokia Phones (DCT3 & DCT4)
- 1Find your IMEI number. You can dial *#06# to display your phone’s IMEI number. You can also find the number printed in the battery cradle behind the removable battery. The IMEI is always 15 digits.
- 2Visit a free unlock website. Nokia phones are some of the only ones that can be unlocked by a generated number online. There are a variety of websites that offer unlock codes for free. You will need to know
- 3Enter your phone’s information. Enter the IMEI number, phone model, country of service, and service provider. The website will generate an unlock code specific for your phone.
- You can find your phone model by dialing *#0000#
- 4Enter your unlock code. To enter your newly generated unlock code, insert the SIM card from a different carrier. Your phone will prompt you to enter the code.
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