How to Unlock Verizon Phone the Official Way As mentioned twice already, the best way to get your Verizon device unlocked is to wait 60 days after purchase, when it will be automatically unlocked. Unlocking CDMA Verizon Moto G Mark as New; Bookmark; Subscribe; Subscribe to RSS Feed; Permalink; Print; Email to a Friend; Report Inappropriate Content; abhisheklnsri. Member 05:32 AM. I have purchased a locked moto g cdma verizon phone and would like to use it in India and hecne i need to unlock.Please advise me on this.
- How To Unlock A Cdma Verizon Phone Number
- Can You Unlock A Verizon Phone
- How To Unlock A Verizon Phone
Verizon often gets a bad rap before being more expensive than most, but that comes with a handful of different perks. Aside from having one of the best networks in the US, they also make it extremely easy to unlock their devices — no request form or stringent customer requirements necessary. The only “requirement” per-say is that you have a Verizon phone.
How To Unlock A Cdma Verizon Phone Number
So if you’re not quite sure how to unlock a Verizon phone, be sure to follow along below. We’ll show you step-by-step on how you can unlock your phone, and in just a couple of seconds, too. Here we go!
Unlock a Verizon Phone
Verizon for years has made it extremely easy to unlock one of their phones with the unlock code at all. Verizon doesn’t have any request portal or step-by-step guidelines to unlock their phones; in fact, they don’t even have a list of requirements that you have to follow in order to unlock it. That’s because Verizon keeps all of their phones, well, unlocked from the get-go.
Any SIM-equipped 4G LTE smartphones are already unlocked. You can take your phone at any point in time to another carrier — even if you just bought the phone a few minutes ago! Here’s the official statement from Verizon:
“We do not lock most phones or tablets that are activated with our postpay service either during or after the term of your service contract or Device Payment Plan installment sales agreement. We do not lock our 4G LTE devices, and no code is needed to program them for use with another carrier.”
See? No unlock code necessary. Of course, there are a couple of things to remember when taking your. Most Verizon phones launched recently will work flawlessly on GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile — even as far as texting, calling, and LTE features go; however, Verizon has been a CDMA carrier for years, which means that’s the primary network that many of its phones have operated on. So, naturally, some of the older phones might not have the GSM radios necessary to call and text within the US, not to even mention being able to operate on LTE. Once again though, you should be fine as far as any recent Verizon phone goes, but you’ll need to do your research on some of the older ones (or even just take one for a test run).
If you’re running into trouble with using your SIM-equipped Verizon phone on another network, you can call 888-294-6804 for assistance.
Many postpaid 3G devices can sort of be unlocked without a code. There are two preset codes that you can use to unlock them — either “000000” or “123456”. However, there is a brand of 3G devices that do require a special code. That brand is Verizon’s World Devices, and you have to talk to a Verizon tech to get that unlocked, or use a third-party service, which we’ll touch on momentarily.
Prepaid devices are a little different. Like postpaid 3G devices, many can be unlocked with the preset codes “000000” or “123456″; however, many prepaid devices bought off the shelf have to be activated for 12 months before you can unlock. Luckily, there’s a way around that with third-party unlock companies.
Use a third-party service
As you can see, it’s pretty easy to unlock a 4G LTE SIM-equipped smartphone, but it gets a little more difficult when it comes to 3G devices and prepaid devices. After all, the carrier certainly wants to keep you on their network and not on a competitor’s network. That said, you can skip the Verizon red tape by simply using a third-party service to unlock your phone. You’ll just buy a code from an unlock company — which can cost as much as $60 — but it’ll get your phone operating on another network in no time, and without all of the barriers that Verizon puts in front of you, such as a prepaid device needing to be activated for 12 months.
You’ll want to search around and research good companies for this, though. Make sure they’re reputable, otherwise you might end up handing your money to one in return for, well, nothing. Most reputable companies out there will have a customer service team on standby to assist you with unlocking your phone with their supplied code.
Verdict
Here we’ve shown you how you can unlock a Verizon phone without the code; however, some phones on Verizon just require a code — there’s not much way to get around it without one. The good news is that you don’t have to meet Verizon’s requirements to get that code — an unlock service can get one of those phones operating on another network in a jiffy.
Do you have an unlocked Verizon phone? How easy was it for you to use it on another carrier’s network?
Even though Verizon is one of America’s leading carriers, it’s not for everyone. Whether it’s the cost or the coverage in your area, you might be considering a switch to a different network. But what happens if you love the phone you have? Or maybe you can’t afford to purchase a new one? There’s no need to worry — here’s all you need to know on how to unlock a Verizon phone.
See also: The best Verizon phones to spend your money on
The process varies from carrier to carrier, but luckily it’s pretty straightforward with Verizon. However, Verizon is a CDMA network, so you’ll have to carefully check your phone’s compatibility with other networks. Competitors like AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM carriers so you may see differences in coverage depending on the bands your phone supports. Ready? Let’s get started.
Do you even need to unlock your Verizon phone?
We’re not questioning whether you want to change carriers or plan to travel abroad, we’re just saying that your phone might be unlocked already. This is true for all Verizon postpaid devices as well as some prepaid options.
If you’re planning to unlock your postpaid device, all you have to do is keep it on Verizon for 60 days or about two billing cycles. The 60-day period begins either after you purchase your device through Verizon or activate it through a retail partner. For prepaid phones, this period begins at activation so you couldn’t just buy a prepaid phone and wait 60 days.
No matter what you do during this 60 day period — whether you pay off your device in full or cancel service — you can’t accelerate it or escape from its limitations. The only way to get around the timeframe is if you are active military and stationed outside of Verizon’s coverage area.
How to unlock a Verizon prepaid phone
If you’re still here it means that you’ve got a Verizon prepaid phone that hasn’t been activated or a non-iPhone 3G World device. As long as either of those options is the case, you’ll want to follow these simple steps:
1. Insert a new SIM card into your device and power it on.
Can You Unlock A Verizon Phone
2. Once prompted, you’ll have to enter one of two codes:
- 000000
- 123456
3. All done! Those are the only two codes that Verizon uses for unlocks. If either one did not work, simply call Verizon support service at *611 for manual help.
It really is that easy to unlock a Verizon phone. If you’re considering making the switch, you might find a few of our other guides helpful. We’ve created lists of the best plans on all of the major networks, so check ’em out right below.
How To Unlock A Verizon Phone
Best cell phone plans: