A lot of people are wondering how to unlock their Android phones. In this article we will clear everything up. First off, there’s a bit of confusion when it comes to rooting and unlocking. Those two things are not the same and they have very different purposes. Since this article is about unlocking, we’ll focus more on that. To root an Android device means to gain root (superuser) access to the phone. That means that you can install whatever you want and tweak whatever you want. You have full control over the software of your phone. Unlocking, on the other hand, doesn’t really have that big of an impact on the software.
What is a Locked Phone?
To understand unlocking, you must first know what a ‘locked phone’ actually means. Network carriers usually lock the devices they are selling to their network only – meaning that you can only use the device on the network you’ve bought your Android from. So if you get the latest Samsung from AT&T, it will probably be locked on AT&T, and you wont be able to use it on any other network like Verizon or Orange. You may ask yourself why do people buy locked phones, then? Well, it’s because they are cheaper, in the short term. In the long run, having to use only one network’s services and staying with them for years will get them a lot more profit then a one-time payment for a phone. There’s a bunch of limitations that locked Android phones have, including, but not limited to:
- No access to other networks
- Pre-installed apps that you can’t remove
- Pre-installed ringtones and wallpapers that you can’t remove
Locked phones have the most impact on people that travel. As we all know, roaming costs can be huge and a simple phone call or a message can be really expensive. The workaround is getting a pre-paid SIM card from the country you are visiting. If you have a locked phone, you wont be able to use that pre-paid card. It’s always recommended to unlock your phone, especially if you plan on selling it or using it on another network. Now, to the main point…
How do you unlock an Android Phone?
Now that it’s totally legal to unlock a phone, there’s a lot of options. You can try and get your phone unlocked from the carrier, but it’s a lot of hassle and you have to meet a lot of requirements to be eligible for an unlock. That’s usually off the table. You can go to the local phone shop and get your phone unlocked there, but they usually have bigger lines and longer waiting periods. They even may be more expensive. The best and safest way of doing it is by using an online phone unlocking service (ex: SafeUnlockCode). With a website like that, you can unlock your phone in a matter of minutes (depending on your actual model and network origin). And you can do it from anywhere. No waiting in lines and no added costs.
Is your Android locked? If not, what did you use unlock it? Leave in the comments below.
