Community Support
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2.5K Messages
AT&T Device Unlock Help - Solutions & FAQS
Not able to unlock your device?
If you are planning to use your AT&T Device with another carrier, it has to be unlocked and meet the requirements listed below. You'll also find information about why your request may have been denied.
Something To Know: It can take 7 business days, or longer, for your request to be processed.
How To Request A Device Unlock
- Go to our Device Unlock portal.
- Select Yes if you are an AT&T Customer, No if you are not an AT&T customer.
- Enter your telephone # if you are an AT&T Customer. Enter your IMEI if you are a non-AT&T Customer.
- Follow the prompts.
Check the status of your request by:
- Go to our Status Portal.
- Enter your IMEI Number & Request Number.
- 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.
Website Troubleshooting: If you have an issue with the site, delete cache, cookies, and restart your browser. In some instances, you may need to use another browser.
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.
eBay & Non-AT&T Purchases
If a phone is purchased from a non-AT&T authorized dealer or sites like eBay, AT&T may be unable to unlock the device. Before purchasing the device, make sure the seller performs the unlock request. In some instances, you will have to contact the seller to perform the request. If the device was purchased by another provider, they should have online resources to unlock the device.
Postpaid Customers
- Your account must be active for at least 60 days, with no past due or unpaid balance.
Prepaid / GoPhone®
- The device must be active for at least six months of paid service.
Non-AT&T Mobility Customers
- You’ve never had an AT&T wireless account and you meet the General Requirements for unlock requests.
Deployed Military Personnel (Current AT&T Customers Only)
- Current AT&T customers who are active and deployed military personnel, and have provided deployment verification, need to meet all the General Requirements, except those related to the device's service commitments, installment plans and early termination fees.
- AT&T, at its sole discretion, may limit the number of devices military personnel can unlock.
Meet the requirements and are an AT&T Customer?
Chat with us so we can look at your request further. (Scroll down to find the chat option)
Important:
AT&T reserves the right to deny any unlock request that it concludes would result in an abuse of this policy or is part of an effort to defraud AT&T or its customers. AT&T further reserves the right to alter this unlocking policy at its discretion without advance notice.
ChrisZ, AT&T Community Specialist
AT&T Help
Need help with an account specific question? Post a new question here on the forums by clicking the "Ask a Question" button.
For additional support, please visit us at our AT&T services hub.
Responses
lizdance40
ACE - Sage
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82.3K Messages
2 years ago
If you don’t intend to use an AT&T phone on AT&T you shouldn’t buy it.
1. You can’t unlock it unless you meet requirements. https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1262649?gsi=5udhtq
2. It will not get updates..
3. I can’t tell from the photo, but phones sold as cheap prepaid androids have US LTE bands and may not get LTE in other parts of the world.
🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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Dpujdak
Tutor
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7 Messages
2 years ago
> If you don’t intend to use an AT&T phone on AT&T you shouldn’t buy it.
Sorry. It was my mistake. I should never buy any AT&T products. And I cannot see (really) any reason why AT&T locks their devices with no reason (no pending contract). For me they are aggressive against their customers and it means there is something really bad happening. So run away. And I really don't care about what does AT&T think or any of their agreements.
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nicupasca
Contributor
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2 Messages
2 years ago
Hello,
Please help me for Iphone 6 with the follow mes when I've tried to unlock :
"We can't unlock this device because it hasn't been active for at least six months of paid service.
You can submit a new request after six months of paid service."
Steps needed to solved this?
Thank you.
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lizdance40
ACE - Sage
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82.3K Messages
2 years ago
The steps are in the message. If you buy a discounted prepaid phone you must pay for and use 6 months of prepaid service. Only then can you unlock the phone.
🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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Pandabbynikkie
Contributor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Unlocked request 2x
I have unlocked my S7 edge 2x and it keeps saying requests denied. So i tried again and it says its active on another account. Knowing that its not active on another account because it worked before and now my phone is not letting me unlocked it. Please help because I really want to use the S7 Edge for Metro pcs. Thank you.
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Constructive
Employee
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18.7K Messages
2 years ago
@Pandabbynikkie
This forum is comprised of regular customers to communicate with other customers to offer advice and share experiences same as any other user. This is a public forum . Although there is a small team of customer care specialists that monitor the forums the sheer volume of posts are simply too many posts for these agents to respond to each one of them. The most effective way to get any issues resolved , use the contact link on the bottom of the page or call 1-800-288-2020. Some of us are employees but we are here to represent the forum with our knowledge and do not represent AT&T with our responses
While AT&T employees do look at forum posts from time to time, we are here to represent the forum with our experiences as customers and do not represent AT&T in any official capacity with our responses and do so on our own time unpaid and off the clock. As employees we are not rewarded nor compensated to participate in these forums This forum is comprised of regular customers to communicate with other customers to offer advice and share experiences same as any other user Although there is a small team of customer care specialists that monitor the forums the sheer volume of posts are simply too many posts for these agents to respond to each one of them.
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BryanTO
Contributor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Hello I'm trying to unlock my phone, everything is fine until I confirm the unlock and send me an email telling me that the IMEI number and the team does not match, I went to the branch and they gave me an IMEI that they had, I tried again with that IMEI and the same thing appears to me.
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Constructive
Employee
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18.7K Messages
2 years ago
Not sure what your saying. IMEI is hard coded in the phone and can’t be changed legally so I doubt At&t gave you a different imei
While AT&T employees do look at forum posts from time to time, we are here to represent the forum with our experiences as customers and do not represent AT&T in any official capacity with our responses and do so on our own time unpaid and off the clock. As employees we are not rewarded nor compensated to participate in these forums This forum is comprised of regular customers to communicate with other customers to offer advice and share experiences same as any other user Although there is a small team of customer care specialists that monitor the forums the sheer volume of posts are simply too many posts for these agents to respond to each one of them.
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needunlock_
Tutor
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4 Messages
2 years ago
I recently got an iphone 7+ from my friend who upgraded to an 8+, and he definitely payed of the installment plan, which it tells me to pay off when I try to unlock the device. I'm sure of this because he was able to keep to keep this phone after upgrading, so there is no reason that should be getting an error. The only explanation I can think of is that it is still part of his account and is listed as having an active phone number
( I have been trying to unlock as a non-customer), since he upgraded earlier this month and was using data on the 7+ in the beginning. I do not have access to the account at all, but do have his phone number, name, etc. Can anyone help me with this?
Does "Complete your contract (including paying any early termination fees)" mean wait a month after upgrade until the device is completely removed from the contract and billing?
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thanghesman
Contributor
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1 Message
2 years ago
pls help me , i have try many times but as same results tks
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lizdance40
ACE - Sage
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82.3K Messages
2 years ago
Does the phone qualify for unlocking? You provided zero information, other than the denial.
‘When did you buy the phone? From where? Has it been active on At&t for 6 straight months?
🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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nokiflipphone
Contributor
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1 Message
2 years ago
I have a ATT nokia flip phone, I enter the IMEI, click on I am not robot. but I cannot go further because the Next button is gray out. May I ask what is the problem?
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lizdance40
ACE - Sage
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82.3K Messages
2 years ago
Read the top of the screen, I suspect there’s an error message. At&t hasn’t sold Nokia flip phones in a very long time. It’s unlikly the IMEi is in the data base.
🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.
*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.
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KeilaMorales05
Contributor
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1 Message
2 years ago
Mala memoria error bloqueo
Solicita código puk
Chip muchos numeros
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baerjo85
Contributor
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1 Message
a year ago
I wish it would work, but ATT systems aren't that smart it seems. I got my iphone used off eBay this is true, but it's a 6s+ so I'm pretty darn sure by now it's met the time requirements ATT has before unlock. I'm pretty sure what's happening is that since I'm on an ATT MVNO that's confusing the system and thinking the phone is on an ATT accoutn, though it's not. Red Pocket can't do anything and point me back at ATT. ATT employees don't even know what an MVNO is...so no help there. Chat sends you in automated circles, phone support is clueless as are apparently their "escalation contacts". It should not be this convoluted to unlock a used phone. This is just ATT flexing to get us to stick to their overpriced services.
Please ATT, I just want my iphone unlocked so I can go somewhere cheaper. Though my current MVNO is already way cheaper than ATT lol.
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