In the US, as in several other countries, mobile carriers sell phones with special offers or price cuts. But such phones are also often locked to their network. You can't swap out the SIM card and use a different carrier's network. Here are a few ways to unlock phones for free, or for a small price, while doing it legally and risk-free.

This article covers free phone unlocking codes, as well as how to get your carrier to unlock your phone for free. If you're a Samsung user, there is also a phone unlocking software that might work on several older devices.

The US has flip-flopped on the legality of unlocking phones for some time. But the final verdict by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is resoundingly in favor of the consumer. Yes, it is legal to unlock phones.

More importantly, the FCC has mandated that all carriers should unlock phones for their consumers for free if a consumer so desires.

That said, you need to know whether your phone is eligible to be unlocked. The FCC isn't giving you a free pass to con the carriers. It explicitly states that you can unlock the device only "after you have fulfilled the applicable service contract, completed the device installment plan or paid an early termination fee."

So, how can you tell if your phone is locked to its network or not? Well, unless you intentionally bought an unlocked phone, it's most likely locked.

Why Should You Unlock Your Phone?

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The biggest benefit of unlocked phones is that you are no longer at the mercy of a single provider. You are free to change networks as you see fit, so that you can use the SIM that best works for you in any region of the USA.

Unlocked phones also help tremendously when you're traveling abroad. Land in any country, buy a local SIM card and use it. It's going to be much cheaper than racking up international call and data charges.

Finally, unlocked phones are excellent backup devices. Whether your main phone isn't working, or someone needs to borrow a device for a few days, an unlocked device gets the job done.

What Unlocking Does and Doesn't Do

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It's pretty simple. SIM unlocking a phone is about letting you use any SIM card from any carrier, as long as it is compatible. You don't get access to any developer features or hidden commands on the phone.

It cannot break the GSM-CDMA limitations of the phone. So, unlocked phones from GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile will let you fit SIM cards from GSM networks. But you can't fit SIMs from CDMA networks like Sprint and Verizon. And vice versa.

3 Ways to Unlock Phones for Free or Cheap

Let's say you have a locked mobile phone and want to get it unlocked. You want the safest and least expensive way possible, maybe even a free phone unlock option. Here's what you can do.

1. Go to Carrier for Free Device Unlock

The first and best route is to go to the carrier. If you are eligible to unlock your phone, then it's completely free!

The FCC says: "Participating providers may not charge existing or former customers additional fees to unlock a device if it is eligible to be unlocked. Providers may charge a fee to unlock eligible devices for non-customers and former customers."

Here's how to check if your phone is eligible to be unlocked:

  • AT&T
  • T-Mobile
  • Verizon
  • Sprint

If your phone is eligible, then either request your free device unlock service online or go to a store. Here are the direct links to contact each carrier:

  • AT&T
  • T-Mobile
  • Verizon: Contact Verizon at *611 from your Verizon Wireless Prepaid phone, or (888)294-6804.
  • Sprint: Visit the Sprint Unlocking FAQs or call 855-639-4644.

2. Get a Network Unlock Code Online

Ideally, you should unlock your phone through the carrier. But if you aren't eligible by their terms and still want to unlock it, you'll need to get it done via a third party. But it probably won't be free.

The internet is full of websites that sell network unlock codes for your specific device. Depending on the country you are in, the manufacturer of the phone, and the carrier you use, you should expect to pay up to $30. Don't spend any more than that if the seller asks, because you will find sim unlock codes cheaper elsewhere. You can get some unlock codes for as low as $10.

You do this independently by typing into Google "unlock my phone online," but we checked online reviews and testimonials to find sites that usually work, and offer refunds in case the code didn't work. Here are some of the best places to get reliable phone unlocking codes:

  • Unlock Radar
  • Release My Code
  • The Unlock Arena
  • Doctor Sim

While all of these are paid websites, you can get free unlock codes on Free Unlocks. This site is a part of the TrialPay network, by which you can get the first network unlock code from the site for free. You will need to sign up for TrialPay as a part of it, of course.

Online reports show customers of Free Unlocks repeatedly got the free unlock phone codes, and successfully unlocked their phones' sim.

3. Use Free Phone Unlocking Software for Samsung Devices

If you're using a Samsung Android phone, one desktop software claims to also unlock devices for free. Wondershare's Dr. Fone Toolkit is a paid program for Windows, but you can still use it to get a Samsung unlock codes list for free.

With the trial version, you can try out the SIM unlocking service for free. You will find it under the More Tools section, and you will need a USB cable to connect your phone to the computer.

Dr. Fone Toolkit is meant to be the software to unlock phones to any network. But it's a little old now and might not support all recent Samsung phones. Still, it claims to have Samsung unlock codes list that works with over 400 models across 60 countries. Here's a full list of supported devices.

And in case you're worried, Dr. Fone has an active customer care service, offers a money-back guarantee, and says the software won't affect your data.

Download: Wondershare Dr. Fone Toolkit for Windows (Free)

It's Better to Buy Unlocked Phones

The next time you are buying a phone, take a moment to check if the sim is locked. The price of a SIM-locked phone is substantially cheaper than an unlocked phone at the outset. But there are hidden costs to this, such as specific tariffs and plans for that phone, and a lock-in period.

It's why we always recommend that you buy unlocked phones and save hundreds of dollars. The flexibility to switch to different mobile plans, as well as the freedom to change SIM cards when you travel, will save you more money than the initial difference between the locked and unlocked handsets.