Samsung Electronics is a “South Korean Company” that is among the world’s biggest producers of electronic devices. Samsung is the largest manufacturer of semiconductor chips, televisions and smartphones globally, and it also excels in the production of household and industrial electronics, digital media devices, mobile devices, memory chips and integrated systems.
The Samsung makes one of the best smartphones globally, with its galaxy devices bringing the best in innovative smartphone development year after year. With a tailored Android operating system called the One UI and Samsung-exclusive apps and services, Samsung keeps making its mark in the electronic world with phones that stand out from the crowd.
Samsung smartphones offer the most stylish designs and user friendly interface available in the Android smartphone market and it remains unbeatable as the largest and most popular manufacturer of Android smartphones globally. Samsung has partnerships with various carriers in the United States including Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, as well as MVNOs that work on these companies’ networks.
This makes it easy for people to purchase a Samsung phone with deals and offers provided by the carrier they are partnered with. Carrier-locked phones come at a cheaper price, but the lack of versatility makes a lot of customers want to Samsung unlock their phone in order to make it compatible with other carriers. Cell carriers lock your cell phones under their networks in order to discourage you from changing carriers.
Unlocking your Samsung smartphone can seem like a tedious task, so we have set up a guide that will help you unlock your Samsung phone.
Is it Possible to Unlock my Samsung Phone Free of Charge?
Yes it is. Unlocking your phone is free as long as you are not under any contract with the current carrier. Getting an unlock code from your carrier is free. However, if you are making use of a third party software or taking your smartphone to a phone repair shop to get it unlocked, you might need to pay some bucks for the service. The fee might be worth it though because unlocking your Samsung cell phone is a one-time thing.
How to Unlock Samsung Phone – Unlocking Process
It is most likely that the new smartphone you purchase will be locked to a carrier network like Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T. This makes it impossible for you to use on a carrier other than the one it’s locked on. There are many legit reasons why you would want to unlock your Samsung phone. You might not want the carrier it’s locked on, and would want to change the carrier. The methods by which you can unlock your Samsung Smart Phone to make it ready to accept another carrier are going to be explained in detail in this article.
These methods include unlocking the phone through the carrier, using a third party softwares to unlock the service, or via a repair shop. Before beginning any unlocking process, you need to ensure that the smartphone has not been blacklisted because it is almost impossible to unlock a blacklisted phone. You can do that by checking your ‘IMEI Number’ and running it through an IMEI check.
To obtain your Samsung IMEI number, You can check it on your phone settings or by following the steps below:
- Open your Samsung keypad and dial *#06#. You will immediately get a pop up message that will include the ‘IMEI Number’ and ‘MEID Numbers’.
- Save the ‘IMEI Number’ somewhere. This number is also known as your phone’s serial number.
3 Ways to Unlock your Carrier-Locked Samsung Phone
Way 1. Through The Carrier
You can unlock your Samsung Smart Phone carrier network by contacting the carrier customer service and requesting an unlock code. There are certain conditions that you must meet depending on the requirements of the carrier the phone is locked on. The device must not be blacklisted, reported lost/stolen, or under an ongoing contract with the carrier.
The carrier will request for the phone’s ‘IMEI Number’ and other information like your personal information and account passwords in order to verify that you are the owner of the device and you meet the requirements for the unlocking process.
If you do and the verification process is successful, your unlock request will be approved and you will get a ‘Four Digit Code’ from the carrier which you can use to unlock your Samsung device.
To Unlock your Samsung Device using the Unlock Code:
Unlocking your Galaxy phone lets you use your device with a different provider and network.
- Switch off your device.
- Input the alternative SIM card into the phone.
- Turn on the device.
- Just Wait for device to display the ‘SIM Network Unlock PIN’ screen will appear.
- Input the 4 digit code you obtained from your carrier into the keypad and click on ‘Unlock’.
- Your Samsung smartphone will then be unlocked successful and able to accept other carrier ‘Networks unlock successful’.
Disclaimer: When you purchase a Samsung phone from a carrier, your phone is locked to their network for a specified period of time according to the contract. You must contact your carrier to find out the conditions of your contract and obtain an unlock code.
- Official and secure unlock process.
- Fast and easy to process.
- No fees required.
- No external device needed.
- Requires a lot of verification from carrier.
- High risk of permanent lock.
- Must meet the conditions of the carrier network.
Way 2. Through Third Party Software
If you are unable to get an unlock code from your carrier network due to reasons like failed verification or ongoing contract, you can try getting your phone unlocked via third party phone unlocking software. There are hundreds of these softwares available online and it can be difficult to find legit and safe software, so it is advisable to be cautious while selecting a software for unlocking your Samsung smartphone.
Most of these softwares are not free and would require an upfront payment before you are allowed to use their services. This is worth it though because you only have to unlock your Samsung Smart Phone once. An example of legit phone unlocking softwares include the following:
- DoctorSIM
Doctor SIM is currently one of the most popular softwares for unlocking both Android and iOS devices. This utility software is legit and deemed safe by many of its past customers so you should have no problem using this to unlock your Samsung Smart Phone.
To make use of this service, you need to ensure that your device has been paid in full to the carrier, and is not blacklisted or reported stolen. Making use of this service is easy and can be done by simply visiting doctorsim.com and selecting your phone’s brand.
You will then be required to provide your phone’s ‘IMEI number’ and select the ‘Original Carrier’. You will receive an ‘unlock Code’ which you can use to unlock your Samsung phone after you’ve made the required payment.
- Dr. Fone SIM Unlock
This software supports more than 400 mobile brands and will most likely be able to unlock your Samsung phone. It is completely free to install and it is only available for Windows.
This software however was halted and it’s development discontinued recently, which means that you cannot download it officially from the Dr.Fone website. However, it is still available for download on third party websites and you will still be able to use it to unlock your Samsung phone.
It is advisable that you should not use this particular service on recently released phones because the development of the software was stopped long ago and a few bugs might be experienced if launched on a newer device.
- Universal Advance Unlocker
This is a free phone unlocking software that is created to unlock Android phones specifically. It is available for download on Windows and it supports a lot of smartphone brands like Samsung, Motorola, LG, ZTE Android, Huawei, and more. It works by generating a code that can remove the carrier restrictions on any Android device.
This software works like most phone unlocking softwares and you only need to install the software on your Windows computer. You will need to provide your Samsung phone’s IMEI number and device model in order to unlock the phone.
- Third party softwares are easy to use.
- The unlocking process is fast and uncomplicated.
- Supports a lot of smartphone brands.
- Requires very little verification.
- Third party softwares can be unsafe and risky.
- Most of the softwares are overpriced.
- High risk of external virus attack and malware.
- Requires an external device to launch the softwares.
Way 3. Via A Repair Shop
Another way you can unlock your Samsung phone is by taking it to a reputable repair shop. However, you need to research and make sure that the repair shop is trustworthy and efficient because you might be leaving your Samsung phone with them for a few days. You wouldn’t want any parts replaced or your phone mismanaged so it’s important to do your research.
The workers at the repair shop will probably use the online phone unlocking methods that you could probably do yourself at a cheaper price. So this should only be an option if you really can’t use all the other unlock methods because it’s better to do it yourself rather than leaving your phone unsupervised at a repair shop.
- Repair shops offer professional help.
- Saves you a lot of hassle.
- High risk of data disruption.
- Might take longer than needed.
- Insecure and risky.
How Can I Unlock my Galaxy Device if I Forget the Security?
If you forgot how to unlock your mobile device or if the lock method you registered on your mobile device does not work, you can unlock your mobile device by using the Find My Mobile feature or the Smart Lock feature on your mobile device. You can view the detailed steps for each method below.
Step 1. Using the Find My Mobile Feature
The Find My Mobile feature, as its name suggests, is a feature that helps you find your mobile device. You can remotely unlock your mobile device by accessing the Find My Mobile website. However, to use this feature, you need to make sure your mobile device has met the following preconditions outlined below;
- Mobile device must be turned on.
- Mobile devices must be connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile network.
- Your Samsung account must be registered on your mobile device and enable the Remote to unlock option.
Please view the details outlined below that provide steps to enable the Remoted to unlock option on your mobile device and how to unlock your mobile device using the Find My Mobile website.
Step 2. Enable the Remote to Unlock Option in the Find My Mobile Feature
- Step 1: Go to Settings > Biometrics and security.
- Step 2: Tap on Find My Mobile.
- Step 3: To enable the Remote unlock option, tap the switch.
Step 3. Using the Find My Mobile Site
- Step 1: Open the internet browser on your notebook and input the following website address: findmymobile.samsung. Next, click on the Sign-in button and input the login credentials of your Samsung account, then click on the Sign-in button once more.
- Step 2: The mobile device registered under your Samsung account will appear on the right side of the screen. If you have multiple devices registered under the same Samsung account, select the device that needs to be remotely unlocked. Then, refer to the image below and click on the Unlock icon to unlock your device.
- Step 3: Once you click on Unlock, a pop-up window will appear asking to verify the password of your Samsung account. After you input your password, click on the Next button. The pop-up window will automatically close, and another pop-up window will appear due to remotely unlocking your device.
Step 4. Using the Smart Lock Feature
You can set the device to unlock itself and remain unlocked when trusted locations or devices are detected. For example, if you have set your home as a trusted location when you get home, your device will detect the background and automatically unlock itself.
- This feature will be available after you set a screen lock method.
- If you do not use your device for four hours or turn on the device, you must unlock the screen using the pattern, PIN, or password you set.
Step 5. Set The Smart Lock Feature on Your Mobile Device
- Step 1: On the Settings screen, tap Lock screen > Smart Lock.
- Step 2: Unlock the screen using the preset screen lock method.
- Step 3: Select an option and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
The type of Smart Lock Method:
- On-body Detection: Keep your device unlocked while it’s on you.
- Trusted Places: Add a location where the device should be unlocked.
- Trusted Devices: Add a device to keep this one unlocked when it’s nearby.
In Conclusion
Purchasing a Samsung phone from cell carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T can be very advantageous because you get to buy the phone at a good deal that could be much cheaper than buying an unlocked phone. However, unlocked phones offer more versatility because you can use any carrier you want and at any time you want without worrying about a contract. This is why a lot of people try to unlock their phones.
You can easily unlock your Samsung phone by following the various methods that were broadly explained in this article. Hopefully, these methods have been useful to you and you have successfully unlocked your Samsung phone.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How Legal is it to Unlock my Samsung Smartphone?
Yes. Unlocking your cell phone is totally legal as long as you have permission to do so from your current carrier and there is no outstanding payment between you and your carrier. As long as the phone is legally yours and your contract is fulfilled, you can unlock it whenever you want and configure it on another carrier.
Why Do Cell Carriers Lock Phones Onto their Network?
Carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T lock phones onto their network so they can keep them under contract and stop them from switching to a different carrier. The only way you can unlock your phone to stop using a carrier’s services is if your contract ends and you’ve finished paying off the fees for the phone.
How Do I Know if my Samsung Phone is Locked?
You can find out if your phone is locked by contacting your current carrier through the customer service and asking for your lock status. This is the easiest way to find out, but you can also check the lock status by inserting a SIM card from a different carrier into your device. Your phone is unlocked if you are able to use the new SIM, and it is locked on the carrier if you are prompted to provide an unlock code when you restart the device.
Can I Use my Unlocked Samsung Cell Phone Anywhere in the World After it has Been Unlocked?
Yes. As long as your cell phone is unlocked and not under any contract with another carrier, you can use this device anywhere in the world. All you need to do is make sure that a compatible SIM is used on the device and you can get service on your Samsung phone.
What Happens if I Input the Wrong Unlock Code Into my Locked Samsung Phone?
One thing you should never do while trying to unlock your device is inputting the wrong unlock code multiple times. This can lead to the carrier permanently locking your device. Your device will be ‘bricked’ which basically means that you might never be able to unlock the device and at the same time will not be able to continue using the carrier’s services.