A way to Unlock Smart Phones via IMEI (in three straight forward steps)

By Gaston Mervis

If you get a cell phone from a cellular provider, it will be locked into that network's service. If the company offers you a free or discounted cell phone, you ordinarily have to agree to a one- or two-year agreement as well. You can avoid this contract and freely switch between networks, and also travel outside of the country and use domestic networks, simply by unlocking your smartphone using the IMEI number. Permanently unlock your smartphone by following the 3 simple steps below.

Step 1

Get the 15-digit IMEI number. This is usually written on the cellphone beneath the battery. You can also typically locate it in your cell phone's setting page or by entering a specific code to get your cell phone to show the number on your screen. Most of the time, this code is *#06#

Step 2

Once you've found the IMEI number of your smartphone, get hold of your current network and ask them if they'll give you an unlock code. Dependent on the circumstances, they may very well grant your request. Then again, many network carriers will likely have thier own requirements that need to be fulfilled before they will provide you with an unlock code, and many may very well refuse. Normally, if you've finished your service contract, your phone provider may provide you guidelines on how to unlock your mobile phone, but frequently they will insist you are the original owner of the handset (the contract on thier system is in your name). In the event that you are not, for instance, you bought the cellphone second hand, you'll need to locate an alternative unlocking method to permanently unlock your cell phone.

Step 3

If you're not the orginal owner of the cell phone, you will have to get an unlock code from a third party supplier. The good news is there are a great deal of online companies offering services by merely providing them with your mobile phone's IMEI code, it's model and make and the network its locked to. The price of the service and the time it takes to unlock your phone depends upon the aforementioned factors, and may vary quite considerably for more obscure models or networks. Utilizing a third party unlocking company is often the quickest and the most convenient way to factory unlock your cellphone, as it is done remotely without your cell phone ever needing to leave your pocession. Once your mobile phone's been sucessfully unlocked it can then be used with any carrier and in any country you wish.