To unlock your AT&T phone, meet AT&T’s eligibility requirements, then submit an official device unlock request or use the AT&T Device Unlock app for a compatible prepaid Android phone. Eligible Apple, Google, and some Samsung phones unlock automatically, so check your phone’s status before submitting a request. After approval, follow AT&T’s instructions to finish unlocking and activate your new carrier’s service.
The short version
- Check eligibility: Postpaid phones must have been purchased more than 60 days ago and be paid off, while prepaid phones require twelve months of paid AT&T service.
- Choose your route: Use AT&T’s request portal for most requests, including prepaid iPhones, or its Device Unlock app for compatible prepaid Android phones.
- Confirm your email: Noncustomers must select Confirm your request in AT&T’s email within 24 hours.
- Finish after approval: Follow the instructions for your phone to finish unlocking and activate another carrier’s SIM or eSIM.
| Unlock route | Who uses it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic unlocking | Eligible Apple, Google, and some Samsung phones on AT&T Wireless or Business | Check status, then request an unlock if still locked |
| Web request with an AT&T number | Current customers, including prepaid iPhone owners | Select Yes and enter your mobile number |
| Web request without an AT&T number | Noncustomers and secondhand owners | Select No and provide the IMEI and contact details |
| AT&T Device Unlock app | Compatible prepaid Android phones | Follow the app’s unlock request prompts |
Make sure your phone is eligible
For a postpaid phone, AT&T requires that you purchased it more than 60 days ago and paid it off. The phone cannot be active on another account or reported lost, stolen, or involved in fraud. If you are a current AT&T customer, your bills cannot be overdue.
Prepaid phones require twelve months of paid AT&T service. Once you meet that requirement, use the browser request for a prepaid iPhone or the Device Unlock app for a compatible prepaid Android phone.
Buying a used AT&T phone does not remove these conditions. You can request an unlock without an AT&T service account, but the phone still needs to qualify. If it remains active on another account or has an unpaid device balance, those conditions must be resolved before it meets the standard requirements.
Check whether your phone is already unlocked
On an iPhone running iOS 14 or later, open Settings > General > About and check Carrier Lock. The status No SIM restrictions means your iPhone is unlocked. This setting displays the result; it is not a switch you can use to request unlocking.
For a Samsung phone released after September 1, 2025, open Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Network lock status. For models released before that date, open Settings > About phone > Software information > Service provider software version. AT&T directs you to its request portal when that entry ends in ATT/ATT.
You can also sign in to your AT&T wireless account, select your phone, and inspect Device info for Device unlocked. Business accounts use Device Unlocked. If an eligible phone is still locked, continue with the appropriate request route below.
Submit an official request in your browser
Open the AT&T device unlock request portal. At Do you have a mobile number from AT&T?, select Yes if you have one. Enter your number in 10-digit mobile number, accept the eligibility agreement, and select Next. Complete the requested details and submit your request.
If you do not have an AT&T mobile number, select No instead. Follow the prompts for the phone’s IMEI and your contact information, then submit the request. This is also the route for an eligible secondhand AT&T phone when you are not an AT&T customer.
To retrieve the IMEI on a phone that supports the dialer shortcut, open its dialer and enter the code below. Record the IMEI for your request; the code displays an identifier and does not unlock the phone.
*#06#As an alternative website entry point, open Support > Wireless > Device options > Unlock a device on AT&T’s website. This takes you to the account unlock page. You can also start at the direct request portal above.
Use the unlock app for prepaid Android
For a compatible AT&T Prepaid Android phone, open AT&T Device Unlock, which may be named Unlock on the phone. Follow its prompts to request unlocking after meeting the twelve-month service requirement. Prepaid iPhone owners should use the browser request instead.
If you need the app, open the official AT&T Device Unlock listing on Google Play, confirm the publisher is AT&T Services, Inc., and select Install when Google Play offers it for your device. The listing names specific older Alcatel, AT&T, LG, Nokia, and Samsung models. It does not establish compatibility with every prepaid Android phone.
If Google Play does not offer installation, or the app cannot complete the request, contact AT&T for help with your particular model. The general AT&T account app is separate from the Device Unlock app. Installing the account app does not replace the prepaid unlock process.
Confirm your request and track its status
If you submitted a request without an AT&T service account, open AT&T’s confirmation email and select Confirm your request within 24 hours. Current customers receive their unlock instructions by email or text. Keep the request email because it contains the request number you need for tracking.
To check progress, open AT&T’s device unlock request status portal. Enter IMEI number and Request number, then select Submit. Checking status tracks your existing request and does not submit another one.
Wait for AT&T’s approval and completion instructions before treating the phone as unlocked. Submitting a request does not itself remove the carrier lock. Use the instructions AT&T sends for your specific phone when completing the unlock.
Finish an approved iPhone unlock
After AT&T confirms the unlock, an iPhone with a physical SIM tray can complete activation using another carrier’s SIM. Remove the existing SIM, insert the new carrier’s SIM, and allow the iPhone to activate. Then return to Settings > General > About to check Carrier Lock.
For an eSIM-capable iPhone XS, XR, or later, obtain an eSIM from your new carrier after AT&T unlocks the phone. Support depends on your regional iPhone hardware and the carrier. When your carrier supplies a QR code, open Camera and scan the carrier’s QR code. Tap Cellular Plan Detected, then Continue > Add Cellular Plan, and enter the carrier’s confirmation code if requested.
If you do not have another SIM to complete the approved unlock, Apple provides a backup, erase, and restore workflow. Back up your iPhone first, because erasing deletes local data. Use this workflow only after AT&T confirms unlocking; a factory reset alone does not obtain carrier approval.
After backing up, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, then select Continue. Choose whether to retain the eSIM, complete authentication, and finish the reset. Restore your backup afterward.
Complete a Samsung or Pixel unlock
For a Samsung Galaxy that receives an unlock code from AT&T, follow the model-specific approval message. The code-based procedure for covered Galaxy models is to power off the phone, insert a non-AT&T SIM, power it on, enter the supplied code at the unlock prompt, and tap OK. Incorrect attempts are limited, so do not guess codes or reuse instructions intended for a different model.
This code-entry procedure does not apply to every Samsung phone. If your phone unlocks automatically, check its status using the applicable settings path or your AT&T account. Otherwise, follow the completion instructions supplied with AT&T’s approval and check the status afterward.
For Pixel phones covered by AT&T’s completion instructions, insert a non-AT&T SIM and connect to Wi-Fi. Wait for the notification that the carrier lock has been removed. If service still does not work, first confirm that AT&T removed the lock and that your new carrier has confirmed service.
Once you have both confirmations, Google provides a SIM-status refresh for a Pixel that has not updated its locked status. Connect to Wi-Fi, install Android updates, open Phone, and dial the following code. After the phone returns to the dialer, wait about two minutes and check connectivity.
*#*#7465625#*#*If the refresh fails, Google’s next troubleshooting step is to back up and factory-reset the Pixel, then complete setup again. Contact the carrier if connectivity still fails afterward. This reset addresses problems after confirmed unlocking and cannot bypass AT&T approval.
Resolve a rejected or unfinished request
When a request is rejected, compare the reason AT&T gives you with the eligibility requirements before trying again. Check the purchase waiting period, payoff status, overdue bills, and whether the phone is active on another account. For prepaid service, confirm that you have met the twelve-month requirement.
For an unresolved request or an approved unlock that will not finish, call AT&T at 800.331.0500. You can also open AT&T Wireless support, select Contact us, then choose Chat with a rep. Have your IMEI and request number ready, and explain whether the problem concerns eligibility, request processing, or completion after approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to turn off Wireless Account Lock before requesting an unlock?
No, AT&T allows device unlocking while Wireless Account Lock is enabled. You can leave that feature on when requesting an unlock.
Can deployed military personnel unlock a phone before paying it off?
AT&T permits qualifying customers deploying for active military duty to unlock before paying off the device. Submit an unlock request, indicate deployment when asked, and email the deployment documents as instructed.
What extra requirements apply to a company-controlled phone?
You need permission from the controlling company and must complete any contractual term. For an early upgrade from a two-year contract, AT&T requires a 30-day wait. Eligible devices may unlock automatically; otherwise, submit an unlock request.
Can Ask Andi approve your phone unlock?
AT&T describes Ask Andi as an in-app assistant for common questions, troubleshooting, and account tasks, and its listed features do not include unlock approval, so submit your request through AT&T’s official unlock routes. In the AT&T app, open Home, select Need Help?, and choose Ask Andi, or select Troubleshoot for support articles. If you need the account app, text ATTapp to 556699 for the official download link.
Can AT&T support override the unlock requirements?
Contacting support does not guarantee manual approval or an eligibility override. Your phone still needs to meet the applicable requirements unless you qualify for a stated exception.
Can you unlock an AT&T phone by removing apps or changing developer settings?
AT&T’s unlock guidance documents automatic unlocking for eligible phones, the official request portal, and the AT&T Device Unlock app for compatible prepaid Android phones. It does not list uninstalling apps, removing management profiles, OEM-unlocking toggles, voice commands, or hardware-button combinations as unlock methods, so use one of those documented routes.