How To Unlock A Cell Phone
Many cell phones have security features which keep them from being used by those who do not own it. These phones will typically be protected by a password system. However, there may be situations where you need to unlock your own phone for one reason or another. Maybe you are the type of person who gets a thrill out of bypassing systems. You may also want to switch phone carriers, but do not want to pay for a new phone.
Different cell phones have different methods for being unlocked. We will go over how to unlock Nokia phones. This technique will work on models 7650, 6610, 7210, 7250, 6800, 6310i, 6310, and 3510i. If your model isn't listed, you should try the steps below anyway, as it may still work. There are a few Nokia models which I may not have covered. The first thing you need to unlock your Nokia phone is the right information. The first thing you will want to find is your IMEL.
Your IMEL is a 15 digit number. To get it, take out your battery and look for a white sticker with 15 numbers on it. You will also need to know what phone model you have. This should also be on the white sticker next to the 15 digit number. Your network provider code is the next information you will need to obtain. This is the most challenging of the three. If you don't already have it, you will need look for your country and provder in a calculator drop down list. There are calculator lists online for unlocking Nokia phones. You will need to search for them.
Once you have downloaded the calculator, you will need to extract it from the zip file. Choose which folder you want to put it in, and make sure it is a place where you can easily find it. Once you extract the program, you will want to install it. Once it is installed, open the program and carefully type in your information. Choose type 2 if you have a Nokia 7650 or 3650, or type 5 if you have a Nokia 7650. You will then be provided with a list of 7 numbers. Remove your SIM card, then place back in your battery.
Once your battery is in, turn back on the phone. Wait for a message to come on the screen which says "insert SIM." Now you want to type in the code 7 carefully. To get the "+" you will need to press the * key two times. To get the "p" you will want to press the * key three times. To get the "w" you will want to press the * key four times. Your phone should now display a message which says that "restriction has been turned off." Place the SIM back in your phone and key in your PIN. Your phone should now be unlocked.
If for some reason it didn't work, check your information to make sure that it is correct. Remember, if you get it incorrect more than five times, the phone will be locked permanently. You will get a message saying that the restriction cannot be undone. Keep in mind that this trick only works with Nokia phones. Other cell phones will have different methods for unlocking them. The serial number on your phone is a way of allowing your carrier to identify you. This is true with most cell phone services.
A GSM card is not connected to you at all, and has a detachable card called a SIM. SIM stands for subscriber information module, and it has a special number on it which is unique. You can put your SIM into any GSM phone, and your carrier will assume that this phone belongs to you. The good news about this is you can switch cell phone services while keeping the same phone. The only thing you will need to switch is the SIM. The problem is, some carriers lock their phones so that they can only use a specific SIM.
Unlocking your phone will allow you to bypass the security measures your carrier has placed on your phone, allowing it to be used with any service. This will keep you from having to purchase a new phone when switching to another company. Most cell phone companies in the US use CDMA rather than GSM. Cingular, AT&T, and T-Mobile now use GSM. Sprint, Nextel, and Verizon phones cannot be unlocked.
To see if your phone is already unlocked, borrow the SIM of somone you know and see if it works with your phone. If it works, this means that your phone is already unlocked. Any error messages means that it is locked and you will have to unlock it. If you are traveling and want a phone which is unlocked, there may be services which don't require you to sign up for a one year contract. Once you have unlocked your phone even if the splash screen shows the logo of your previous carrier, it can still be used to switch to other mobile phone services.