Unlocking Your Used Cell Phone
Thursday, September 18th, 2008If the used or refurbished cell phone you own is one you bought through your wireless provider, it is typically locked to the network you are on. This means that your phone has built in software that will only allow your phone to be used on their network with their SIM card. Your cell phone can be unlocked by following a pretty simple process, allowing the freedom to roam between wireless carriers without the need to purchase a new phone.
The unlock process for your cell phone will depend on the make and model of your cell phone, but for the most part the process should be similar. The unlock code you will need to unlock your cell phone is uniquely linked to the IMEI of your cell phone, so be sure you have this number on hand before making any calls to get the unlock code.
1. A call to your wireless provider might be the easiest and fasted option to unlocking your cell phone. If you explain to your provider your need to have an unlocked cell phone they should be willing to provide you with the code to unlocking your cell phone. For example, say you just bought a used blackberry cell phone and you plan on traveling out of the country in the near future. Before leaving, you will need to have your cell phone unlocked; explaining this to your provider might be the best way to convince the customer service rep you speak to that you need your phone unlocked. If all goes well you will be provided with an unlock code that can be entered into your phone to successfully unlock the handset.
2. There are numerous online sources to get the unlock code for your exact make and model of cell phone. The codes can be purchased from a number of vendors; a quick search in your search engine should provide you with several options. One of the most reliable ways might be to use eBay, using a seller with a good reputation will ensure that you get a usable code.
3. Consider taking your phone to a cell phone vendor. Often stalls in malls offer cell phone unlocking services. For a reasonable fee your phone will be unlocked and tested for you, ensuring that it works correctly.
Once you have your unlock code for your phone the process to actually unlock the cell phone is easy. Your code will be linked to your phone’s IMEI (identifying number that is unique to your phone), which means that your code will only work for your exact phone. For most makes of cell phones all you will need to do is put in a new SIM card – one for another mobile carrier. Your phone will alert you that the SIM you’ve just inserted is invalid, and will then prompt you to enter the unlock code. Simply key in your unlock code. Your phone should then automatically detect the settings of its new wireless provider.
Unlocking your cell phone is a simple process with great benefits to you, the user. Further, with proper planning and research, you can end up with a high quality phone, such as a refurbished treo, that is not locked to any network – allowing you the freedom to roam from network to network and take advantage of specials as they arise.