Mobile Phone Unlocking

Why do Mobile Phone Networks Lock Mobile Phones?

Very simply the phones are locked so the networks can keep you as a customer and therefore make more money from you.

Is it legal to unlock my Mobile Phone?

Yes it is perfectly legal to unlock your mobile phone. Unlocking your mobile phone allows you to use it on any Mobile Network or use an International Sim card (link to int sim page) in it to save you money on your roaming charges. You can either ask your Network to do it for you, most Mobile networks in the UK will charge you around £30 for this service. Alternatively you can go to your local Mobile Phone shop who will charge anywhere from £5 - £20. However it is possible to unlock most Mobile Phones yourself and of course the best thing about this is its completely free of charge!

How do I unlock my Mobile Phone?

There is two ways to unlock your mobile phone. The first is by obtaining a code that you type in using information about your phone, more about this method below. Some mobiles cannot be unlocked using these codes so the second way is to use a cable and downloading the free software that can be downloaded off the Internet, most of these cables can be found on the popular auction site Ebid. (link to ebid via clixgalore)

Where do I obtain the Mobile Phone Unlock Codes?

There are numerous websites on the Internet who will provide you with full guides and tutorials on how to unlock your mobile phone for free. We have found some of the best ones for you :

Unlockitfree

Unlocknokiafree

Trycktill

You can also get free unlocking software and unlock calculators which you download, enter the required information and the unlock code is shown for you to type straight into your Phone. Alot of this software is only for Nokia Phones but an excellent place to download it for free is :

Unlockme

What information do these Sites / Software need to unlock my Phone?

-The Network your phone is currently locked too
-The IMEI number of the phone - The IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity and is a unique number found on every Mobile Phone. The IMEI can be found by clearing the screen on your Mobile and typing in the code *#06# . Alternatively if you take the back cover off the phone, remove the battery and look on the label printed on the phone the IMEI will be the long number starting 35. You may need a magnifying glass to see this number as it can be extremely small on some phones.
-Which make and model of phone you have. This information can also be found on the label inside the phone.

Once you have entered this information into which ever Mobile unlocking Site or Software you are using the Unlock code will be generated.

What do I do with the unlock code?

Quite often most Mobile Unlocking Sites or unlocking software will generate numerous codes. Always start with the one at the top, if this one doesn't work then work your way down the list till you find one that does. You have 5 goes to enter the code, if your Mobile is not unlocked by the 5th attempt then you will have to take it to a Mobile Phone Shop and pay to have it unlocked, however most phones will unlock by the 2nd or 3rd attempt. When typing the code into your phone you will need to enter letters rather than numbers, the letters required are P, W and a + sign. To put a 'p' in the code press the * button 3 times within 2 seconds, for a 'w' press the * button 4 times within 2 seconds and for the '+' sign press the * button twice in 2 seconds. When you enter the code correctly you will see a message on the screen which says 'Phone restriction off'

Unlocking via Cable or Clip

The best place to buy is on either of the big auction sites at either Ebay or Ebid. Make sure you buy the correct clip or cable for your particular handset or it will not work. When looking for an unlocking cable or clip always look for auctions that include instructions and either a free CD with the required software or a link to download the unlocking software on the Internet.