Guides

Unlocking a phone from AT&T

6 minute read · beginner

AT&T phones stay locked until someone asks. Nothing happens automatically. You check that the device meets AT&T's conditions, submit the IMEI through AT&T's own unlock portal, confirm by email, and wait. AT&T does it for free. Nobody else can do it for you.

What AT&T checks

AT&T applies different conditions depending on the kind of line the phone was used on. These were the published requirements at the time of writing. Check AT&T's current policy page before you submit, because carriers revise them.

  1. Postpaid (contract or instalment): the line has been active for at least 60 days, and the device is fully paid off or the contract is complete.
  2. Prepaid: at least six months (180 days) of active service, and the account is active with no negative balance.
  3. Military deployment: no minimum service period if you can provide deployment orders. The account must be current on payments, but the device does not need to be paid off.
  4. Every request: the device must not be reported lost or stolen, must not be linked to fraud, and must not be active on another AT&T account.

Submitting the request

  1. Get the IMEI. Dial *#06# on the phone to show the 15-digit number.
  2. Go to AT&T's Device Unlock portal at https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/ and type the address yourself. Do not follow a search ad. You can also start from the device section of myAT&T, or call AT&T on 800-331-0500. An authorised user who is not the account holder may be turned away.
  3. Enter the IMEI and say whether you are an AT&T customer. If you are, you will need the phone number and the account PIN. Give an email address you can check right away.
  4. Open the confirmation email and click the link within 24 hours. If you don't, AT&T cancels the request and you have to start again.
  5. Wait for the result. Processing usually takes 24 to 48 hours, though some requests take several business days. If AT&T approves it, most Android phones get an unlock code to enter. iPhones are unlocked on AT&T's side, and you don't enter anything.

The 24-hour email confirmation is the step people miss. Check your spam folder before you assume the request went through.

Never pay a website for an AT&T unlock code. AT&T issues it free to eligible devices.

After you get the approval

Follow AT&T's instructions about when to insert the new SIM. Restart the phone — a factory reset is not needed and will not speed anything up — check that the new carrier's name shows in the status bar, and test mobile data.

If Wi-Fi calling or visual voicemail doesn't work on the new network, the new carrier usually has to set those features up. It doesn't mean the phone has locked again.

Common reasons for a denial

AT&T usually turns down devices with an unpaid balance or a lost or stolen report until the account problem is sorted. Fix the account first, then submit again.

Stop and get help when

  • The IMEI is reported lost or stolen. Only the account holder who filed the report can withdraw it.
  • The phone is still on someone else's instalment plan.
  • A site asks you to pay for an AT&T unlock code.

Official route

AT&T customer service with your unlock request number. If AT&T refuses a request that meets its published policy, file a complaint with the FCC.

Who this is for: You must be the AT&T account holder, or have the account holder's details and authorisation.