Need to Unlock Your Samsung Smart Phone?

Did you know that when you buy a cell phone from a cell phone carrier, 99% of the time the phone you bought has been “locked” by the company?

What that means is that the cell phone carrier service like T-mobile has “locked” your phone with the use of some software so that it only works with their network. That means if you try to change carriers, you simply can’t. Unless you are able to “un-lock” it.

To be honest, I find this practice VERY annoying. I am buying a phone, it should work with any carrier I want, at any time. The one scenario I do believe it has merit is when you purchase the smart phone on an installment plan, or the company is “loaning” you the phone. Otherwise, if I pay for the phone and no other money is required, then that phone belongs to me, not the carrier. And to be locked down so I can only use it with them is simply wrong in my opinion!

But you most likely didn’t come to this page to hear my opinion, did you? Rather I am sure you’d like to get the freedom of unlocking your Samsung phone so you can use it whenever, wherever and with whichever carrier you choose.

So let’s get started on how to unlock your Samsung Galaxy cell phone:

In order to unlock your phone, you need either a software, an unlock code or both. And since there are thousands of different phones on the market today, there are millions of these codes, and you need to have the exact code for your exact phone or it won’t work.

But luckily there are all kinds of services and software that have been developed to help you free your phone. And although this particular article is based on the Samsung cell phone line, it is a great starter for any type of phone or manufacturer.

Is Unlocking Your Phone Legal?

In the USA and most countries it is 100% legal to unlock your phone regardless of the contract you have with your carrier.

What Problems Can Happen?

A few problems can occur, especially if you are doing the unlocking yourself. First, the warranty will be gone if you unlock your phone. Usually the warranty is over by the time you want to leave your old cell phone service, so this is not always an issue. But do understand, as soon as the manufacturer knows you have tampered with your phone, they will no longer honor any warranties you may still be entitled to.

One thing to always consider, buy an unlocked phone right from the start whenever possible. Then you don’t need to worry about any of this and your phone will be able to connect to any carrier with a compatible network.

So How Do I Unlock My Samsung Galaxy Cell Phone:

First, open up your cell phone and behind the battery is a model number. You MUST have this in order to get the correct unlock code. Like I stated earlier, the code must match your phone exactly!

Next, start with these sites to see if they offer your phone’s unlock code. You can usually buy a code rather cheaply and follow the detailed instructions given to get success. There are also a few software sites that are code generators, so you’ll need to download them and run them on a desktop and they will “generate” the code you need for them.

Here are the most helpful sites for unlocking Samsung first as this is probably the easiest route to go if you are software “phobic”…

SamPhoneUnlock.com – Although not a free site, this one does offer unlock codes that are emailed to you that have a high success rate of unlocking your Samsung cell phone. The site is easy to use and it only takes a few minutes to go through the process. A few minutes later you’re emailed a code and instructions and then you have an unlocked phone to do with what you wish.

SamMobile.com – Another site that does charge you, but again, it’s fairly simple and people have had good success with this site.

WorldUnlock Codes Calculator – This is a Windows desktop application that actually generates the code for you on your computer, which means you can use it to get multiple codes. It works for a few different manufacturers as well. One quick tip here, when you do get the code, these codes need to be entered when there is NO SIM card installed on your phone. This is in the instructions, but I know a few people that have tried to do this and wondered why it wasn’t working, this was always the problem

UnlockSamsungOnline – This is another software you’ll need to download, the software is on this website and there are detailed instructions on how to use the site and program.

Universal Simlock Remover – Another software for unlocking not just your Samsung phone, but it works with many different manufacturers as well.

If none of these work for you, you can also explore the following:

1. FreeUnlocks
2. UnlockBase
3. CellUnlocker.net

One last thing when it comes to unlocking your cell phone, many places in the world have little stores that you can find that will unlock your cell phone pretty cheaply. I had mine done in Mexico for around USD $20. Even in the USA there are cell phone repair shops that’ll do it if you ask them to. They just don’t advertise that they are willing. But it never hurts to ask. And if they do it for you, expect to pay something, but it’s nice to leave the hassle of unlocking to someone else.