You’ve probably heard that you can save money using your cell phone when you travel abroad by changing your SIM card. But your phone must be unlocked to change your SIM card. Read on to find out how to unlock your cell phone. Unlocking your cell phone can be easier than you think, especially if you have Verizon.
Your ability to change your SIM card depends on your cell phone and your cell phone carrier. We’ve included rules for how to unlock your cell phone from the “big four” cell phone carriers and included links to a couple of others.
How to unlock your cell phone on AT&T? You can call AT&T to unlock your phone or use its unlock portal, but you must meet certain requirements: have an active account for at least 60 days, wait 14 days after an upgrade, and your account is in good standing.
How to unlock your cell phone on Sprint? You can call Sprint to unlock your phone, but you must meet certain requirements: have an active account for at least 90 days, your account must be in good standing, you’ve made no more than 2 unlock requests in the last year, and your device is capable of international SIM unlock (nearly all are). See the list on Sprint’s Unlocking Policy.
How to unlock your cell phone on T-Mobile? You can call T-Mobile to unlock your phone or use its unlock app, but you must meet certain requirements: have an active account for at least 40 days, your account must be in good standing, you’ve made no more than 2 unlock requests in the last year, and if you have an account that is under a service contract term, you must have made at least 18 consecutive monthly payments.
How to unlock your cell phone on Verizon? Verizon does not lock any 4G LTE devices, so it is likely any iPhone 5 or Galaxy S5 or later will be unlocked. If you have a non-LTE phone, you must request that Verizon unlock your phone.
In addition to the big four, smaller cell phone carriers have unlocking policies also, such as U.S. Cellular and Cricket Wireless.
Do you want to learn more about using your cell phone in Europe, including whether to get a SIM card, 14 tips for saving data when traveling, what’s the best calling app and how to use offline maps? Then click here for links to all these articles.
Or get the guide in one easy to read PDF. We just need your email below. You may also like one of our awesome itineraries for France, Germany, Budapest, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Spain or the United Kingdom.
