If your smartphone was blacklisted for some reason and now you want to unlock it, then I can help you. In this guide, you will learn How to Unlock a Blacklisted Phone for free in 2023. Let’s get started.
IMEI is a unique number that is associated with your smartphone, and if it gets blacklisted, then you won’t be able to access the services of your Carrier.
Here is an article on my website that you must read, its about How To Know If IMEI Is Blacklisted, Unlocked, Or Fake?
So, if you want to unlock it, then you can simply request the Carrier, and your IMEI will be removed from the Blacklist.
Let’s take a look at the details.
Table of Contents
How To Check If Your Phone Is Blacklisted?
There are basically two ways to check whether your phone is blacklisted or not.
- Check IMEI service of carriers – Many carriers such as AT&T have their own service, which you can use to check whether your IMEI is blacklisted or not.
- Check third party services – You can also use third-party services, but many of them are not reliable, so I would recommend sticking with the first option.
Why Is Your Phone Blacklisted?
So, if you have found that your phone is blacklisted and you are wondering what could be the possible reasons behind it, then this section can help you. In this section, I will share the common reasons why phones get blacklisted.
Your Phone Was Reported Lost Or Stolen
If your phone is blacklisted, then it could be due to the fact that it was lost or stolen. As smartphone snatching is common these days, the carriers have the Blacklist where the owners of the phone can report their phone lost or stolen. Once the device is on the Blacklist, that device can’t access the network of any carrier.
You Have Pending Bills Against Your Phone
If you have bought a second-hand phone and you found that it is blacklisted, then it could be due to pending bills against the previous owner. The only way to get your phone out from the Blacklist is to show that you have no connections with the previous owner & pending bills.
Other Reasons
Your smartphone can also get blacklisted due to other reasons such as false information, change of address, or phone insurance fraud.
What Happens When The IMEI Number Is Blocked?
When your IMEI number is blocked, you won’t be able to access the services of your Carrier. If you want more details, then you can check my guide on this topic, where I have explained everything in great detail.
How To Unlock A Blacklisted Phone For Free 2023?
If you want to unlock your Blacklisted Phone for free, then the only way to do it is by contacting the Carrier. Please note that your IMEI can only get unlocked by the Carrier, which has blacklisted it. For example, if AT&T has blacklisted your IMEI, then only AT&T can remove it from the list. Here’s how you can start the unlock process.
- The first step to ensure that you have the IMEI Number of your device, you can find it on the Box of your smartphone. If your smartphone has a double SIM option, then make sure that you know the IMEI number of both SIM Slots.
- Next step is to contact your Carrier; if your number is blacklisted by AT&T, then you should contact AT&T and so on.
- Once you established the contact, they will check the pre-conditions. If your IMEI was blocked for pending bills, then make sure that you pay the bills or prove that you have no connection with pending bills. Similarly, if your phone was stolen and you reported it, and now you want to unlock it, then you may be asked to provide some legal documents.
- If you have completed the pre-conditions, then they will ask you for the name, contact, and other information.
- Once you are verified, they will provide you with Unlock Code, which you can enter on prompt.
That’s it.
In this way, you can easily unlock your blacklisted phone for free. There are paid services as well, but there is no need to spend your money when you can unlock it for free.
How to Avoid Getting the Blacklisted Phone?
If you get any blacklisted phone which was reported stolen or lost, then you can’t do much about it. So, the idea is to ensure that you don’t get any blacklisted phone in the first place. You can easily do it by following these 2 simple tips.
- Verify the IMEI – Checking the IMEI number is pretty easy these days, so make sure that you verify the IMEI before buying the phone. You can either check through an online portal or simply call the Carrier, and they will verify it for you.
- Get the phone from reputed Stores – When getting the smartphone, make sure that you buy it from the reputed stores. If you are comfortable with using your phone with one Carrier, then you can get the Phone from Carrier. In this way, you will be sure that it is not blacklisted.
Lastly, if you are getting a used phone, then only get it from someone who is trusted and don’t ignore the “too good to be true” signs. If someone is selling you an iPhone, which costs $400 on resale, and you are getting it on $200, then it is a clear sign that there is something wrong with it.
Conclusion
Unlocking your Blacklisted Phone is a very simple task, and you can easily do it if you have completed the pre-conditions. Also, make sure that you don’t get any blacklisted phones as large chunk of them are usually stolen ones, and you can’t unlock them.
I hope this guide helped you find answers to your questions, and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask in the comment section. Also, make sure to visit the website for more useful guides.
Here is an article that I have written about What Happens if I Put my SIM Card in a Blacklisted Phone?
As a professional trainer and a gadget lover, I’ve spent a lot of money and time buying wearable activity trackers, smartwatches, and gadgets, and checking them out. My site is focused on helping you with your activity tracking and smart technology journey. I try to provide the most helpful updated content on this subject. Hopefully, you will love my blogs and be a regular around here.
