Locked to another carrier? We can unlock it.
A carrier-locked phone only takes SIMs from the network that sold it. We unlock phones for the people who own them — yours, or one you bought second-hand — so it works on Mac Wireless or anywhere else.
Every unlock is quoted from the IMEI before anything is charged, because the price depends on the model, the carrier and the status of the account behind it.
Three jobs, one IMEI.
The standard network unlock: the phone is released from the carrier it was sold for, so it accepts a SIM from any network it supports.
Most are back within 1 to 3 business days; some carriers are same day and a few take longer.Phones that still take a typed NCK or network unlock code get one, with the steps to enter it.
Usually same day to 2 business days.Before anything is paid: is the phone clean, is it locked, which carrier does it belong to, and is there money owed on it.
Minutes.If an unlock cannot be completed, it is refunded in full. Once a carrier has released the phone the work is done and the fee is not refundable.
Four steps, and you can watch each one.
- Send the IMEI. Dial *#06# on the phone, or find it in Settings → General → About. Send it with the model and the carrier it is locked to.
- We check it. We look up the model, the carrier and the status of the account behind the phone, and come back with a price and a realistic turnaround.
- You approve and pay. Nothing is charged until you have the number in front of you and say go.
- The phone is released. Most carrier unlocks come back within a few business days. We tell you the moment it lands and, for older phones, send the code and the steps.
What has to be true before an unlock works.
Unlocking is a request made to the carrier that sold the phone. It succeeds when the phone is genuinely eligible — and no service on earth can make an ineligible phone eligible, whatever it charges.
- The account the phone is tied to must be paid off and in good standing with the carrier it came from.
- The phone must not be reported lost or stolen, and must not be on a blacklist.
- We unlock a phone for the person entitled to unlock it. Proof of purchase or account access may be required.
- We do not remove an activation lock, an iCloud or Google account lock, an MDM profile, or a carrier's financing lock. Those protect the owner and the finance company, and removing them is not a service we offer at any price.
Already on Mac Wireless? Phones bought from us are sold unlocked, and our own unlock terms for financed devices are on the device unlock policy page.
Before you send the IMEI.
How much does it cost?
Every unlock is quoted from the IMEI before anything is charged, because the price depends on the model, the carrier and the status of the account behind it. Send the IMEI and the quote comes back the same business day, with no obligation.
How long does it take?
Most carrier unlocks come back within one to three business days. Some carriers answer the same day; a few take longer, and we say which before you pay.
Does unlocking erase my phone?
No. A carrier unlock is a change on the carrier's side; your photos, apps and messages are untouched. Some phones ask to be restarted, or for the SIM to be swapped once, to pick it up.
Will it void the warranty?
No. A carrier unlock through the proper channel is a supported process, not a modification of the phone.
Can you remove an iCloud or Google account lock?
No, and we will not try. Those locks exist so a stolen phone stays useless. The same goes for company MDM profiles and phones still being paid off — the owner or the employer has to release those.
What if it does not work?
If an unlock cannot be completed, it is refunded in full. Once a carrier has released the phone the work is done and the fee is not refundable.
I bought the phone used and it is locked. Can you still help?
Often, yes — a great many second-hand phones are simply locked rather than blocked. The IMEI check tells us in minutes, and it tells you whether the phone was ever reported lost or stolen, which is worth knowing either way.