Do you need a different SIM Card to unlock your phone?

Greetings Community!

Here's what you need to know about whether a SIM card is required to unlock your device from AT&T. Once you have received your approval for unlocking your device, you are not required to insert a non-AT&T SIM card into the device unless you're planning to immediately use the device on another wireless carrier's network.

However, once you get an email from us approving your unlock request, it is advised that you follow the steps provided in the email to unlock your device. For additional details about unlocking your device, check out AT&T Device Unlock Help - Solutions & FAQs.

There, you will find details such as:

How to Request a Device Unlock:
1. Go to our Device Unlock portal
2. Select Yes if you are an AT&T Customer, No if you are not an AT&T customer. 
3. Enter your telephone # if you are an AT&T Customer. Enter your IMEI if you are a non-AT&T Customer.
4. Follow the prompts. 

Check the Status of Your Request:
1. Go to our Status Portal
2. Enter your IMEI Number & Request Number.
3. Follow the prompts.

Heads Up: AT&T cannot unlock devices from other wireless carriers. If you are a business customer, visit our AT&T Small Business Support Center.

There is even a list of General Requirements for All Unlock Requests:

• The device must be designed for use on, and locked to, the AT&T wireless network. 
• It must not be reported lost or stolen.
• It’s not associated with fraudulent activity.
• All the device’s service commitments and installment plans are completed, and all early termination fees are paid in full.
• The device is not currently active on a different AT&T customer’s account.
  If you performed an early upgrade, you must wait the 14-day buyer’s remorse period before you can request to unlock your previous device.
• Visit our Unlock Support page for the full requirement list.

Something To Know: It can take 7 business days, or longer, for your request to be processed.

Also, in instances where your request is approved but you are unable to unlock their device, it is usually due to one or more of the following:

• You're using the wrong type of SIM in the phone while attempting to unlock (e.g. 4G vs. LTE).
• You will need to use the correct SIM type.
• You have attempted to use the unlock code too many times.
• The incorrect entry of an unlock code too many times during the life of the device disables the unlock ability and permanently locks the device to the network.
• The number of attempts to unlock the device varies by manufacturer and model.

What's more, the device does not need to be unlocked if you're traveling internationally and you intend to use another carrier's prepaid SIM. Check out AT&T's international offers to help you stay connected at home and abroad.

We hope this info helps!

Tim, AT&T Community Specialist

It should work. You don't have to have a working SIM. As long as it is not an AT&T SIM, it will ask you for unlock code first thing the phone boots up.

Also beware, sometimes AT&T gives out wrong unlock code. You have a limited retries (5 times IIRC) before your phone permanently locked to AT&T.

You need a nother carrier's SIM to unlock the phone.

Thanks Max for the quick reply.

Therefore, for me, my best course of action is to find a buddy's phone that's not on ATT and put their SIM Card into my phone?

Then go from there.

Another question, would my local corp ATT store have the ability to put a non-ATT SIM Card in?

The store may have a SIM card laying around, but no guarantees. Your best bet is probably to borrow a friend's SIM. When I unlocked my Captivate I used a SIM that wasn't even active.

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@BMan17 wrote:

 

Therefore, for me, my best course of action is to find a buddy's phone that's not on ATT and put their SIM Card into my phone?

 

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The only other US carrier in this case is T-Mobile.

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Another question, would my local corp ATT store have the ability to put a non-ATT SIM Card in?

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Unless one of the employee carries a T-mobile phone, the answer is NO.

 

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@foxbat121 wrote:

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@BMan17 wrote:

 

Therefore, for me, my best course of action is to find a buddy's phone that's not on ATT and put their SIM Card into my phone?

 

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The only other US carrier in this case is T-Mobile.

 

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Another question, would my local corp ATT store have the ability to put a non-ATT SIM Card in?

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Unless one of the employee carries a T-mobile phone, the answer is NO.

 

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Hmmm, now you have me thinking, I'm at work right now, but I do have an old TMobile SIM Card from my wife's old phone at home before she swtiched to ATT in 2009. Would that work?

Can't hurt to try, right?

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@Max69 wrote:

Can't hurt to try, right?

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Ha, yeah, right, I have nothing to lose. At worst it just won't accept the SIM Card. At the same time I'd have to think once the phone sees a non-ATT SIM Card, it'll ask to unlock it, in which after I do that, I'm guessing it will try to connect to the TMobile network and get an unregistered notification or the like.

I'll try it tonight and report back.

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@foxbat121 wrote:

It should work. You don't have to have a working SIM. As long as it is not an AT&T SIM, it will ask you for unlock code first thing the phone boots up.

 

Also beware, sometimes AT&T gives out wrong unlock code. You have a limited retries (5 times IIRC) before your phone permanently locked to AT&T.

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Thansk Foxbat, I posted same time as you.

I saw that 5 retries warning on another post. So I'll be careful on that....

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@BMan17 wrote:

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@foxbat121 wrote:

It should work. You don't have to have a working SIM. As long as it is not an AT&T SIM, it will ask you for unlock code first thing the phone boots up.

 

Also beware, sometimes AT&T gives out wrong unlock code. You have a limited retries (5 times IIRC) before your phone permanently locked to AT&T.

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Thansk Foxbat, I posted same time as you.

 

I saw that 5 retries warning on another post. So I'll be careful on that....

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Well, that was easy.

I actually rememebered that I have an old Blackberry 7100t sitting in my desk from when I was with TMobile. Popped the TMobile SIM Card in, asked for the unlock code, and bingo, accepted.

Then I got the "SIm Card not provisioned MM*2" Which is fine cause at that point it doesn't matter.

So good call Foxbat, it worked.

Now I assume then that I don't have to put the unlock code in anymore? I did it once and now the phone is free to be used on any carrier at any time? 

Once unlocked forever unlocked.

Is a new gophone sim card considered "non AT&T"?  Can I unlock my AT&T phone with a inactive gophone sim? 

I can recommend the site I used personally, namely the following one: http://sim-unlock.net . The whole process is automatic, so you'll receive you unlock code in no time. Due to detailed instructions and skillful staff I was able to unlock my phone in seconds. I came across the site when I was wading through reviews, of course the verified ones: https://www.google.com/shopping/seller?q=sim-unlock.net

Does anyone know just exactly how long it takes At&T to un-lock a phone? I bought my contracts out 2 weeks ago and they have been dancing me around with every excuse in the book to stall me into the next pay period. Claiming an unlock request email has expired .... even though I just submitted it 1 hr ago, with their claims to respond soon or the request expires withing 24hrs...what happened in the last hour? humph   Then I go into my account to check on unlock status, I  get service error. I have submitted over 6 unlock requests in 12 days, got case #'s 5 days ago, was told yesterday I would have a decision/response by end of day March 6th.......still nothing. I'm trying to get my phones unlocked to switch companies and keep my same phone numbers...I'm getting pretty fed up with this baloney...I was even told I was submitting the wrong account info? After 18yrs I think I darn well know what my information is......this is angering me to know end...any advice?