The idea is to discourage you from leaving in the first place.
If you own the gear, you are allowed to unlock it.
Here are a few ways to divorce your Samsung equipment from your carrier.
The Galaxy S24+.Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Note that some providers automatically unlock a unit 60 days after its been paid off completely.
On your Samsung smartphone, go to prefs and throw in in IMEI.
Other places will tell you to dial a number using the Phone app.
You dont have to do this.
The search bar in the Samsung options panel can do the labor here instead.
Next, paste that IMEI number somewhere you’re able to read it.
Then, call your carrier to start the unlocking process.
Find your way through the customer support rigamarole.
They will ask you for all the requisite information, including your IMEI number, which you copied earlier.
Some carriers, like AT&T, require you to complete an onlinerequest formbefore unlocking your equipment.
The process takes a few business days to complete, which is annoying.
But again, these policies are constructed to encourage you not to bother.
Third-party unlocking services
I have never used a third-party unlocking service.
I also tend to buy directly from the manufacturer.
In that case, you might try a third-party unlocking service like DoctorSIM.
Essentially, you pay for them to take care of the process.
But I would only consider this if youre facing extreme difficulty divorcing a unit from your carrier.
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