When someone buy a mobile phone through his operator, it is usually locked. After this, he must therefore unlock the straight talk phone if he is going to change this operator to a new other one for a package. Also, if the person want to use that phone with a foreign SIM card or for a second-hand resale, he must also unlock his mobile phone. The other aspect and important thing is to first of all know if the concerning smartphone is blocked by the operator. In some case, normaly after 3 to 6 months of the package, the operator must unlock the sim for free.
In others ways, using Straight Talk to finish a service, oblige the person to bring his device with him and use it on different network he can meet. And because of this, the Straight Talk phone have to be unlocked automatically. This attitude is adopted by manies carriers who lock their devices all the time, to push customers to pay off their bills of phones and services, passing throught switching networks. Another ways that explain why people unlock their Straight Talk phone is because, while they are traveling internationally, it gives them freedom to use available networks.
In this article, we’re going to try explaining how to unlock Straight talk phone, describe all the steps, determine the reasons why people have to apply this method.
Reason Why People Unlock Their Straight Talk Phone
When a customer bought a phone from Straight Talk, he has chances that the concerned phone is locked and this means that he cannot use a SIM card from another carrier to be used freely. So what exactly happen?
The processus of unlocking starts when the mobile phone is bought from a mobile operator as we said before here. Immediatly, the operator blocks the phone, to prevent a possible use of his own network by its concurrents. The act of blocking also prevents the SIM Card from communicating with the mobile phone, this is when the two are not related to the same network (GSM,3G, 4G).
The most important reason or best interest of this for a user to unlock his phone, is really the fact that he is frequently traveling out of his country( international traveler) and, is remaining on the Straight Talk Network.
By purshasing a mobile durectly from Straight Talk, automatically the phone will be locked when the Straight Talk network is used. The solution of this problem now has to bring directly a unlocked phone to Straight Talk versus that is purshasing from the provider. Then the locked device will be avoided to be getting, because this device is only used throught Straight Talk network.
How to Know if a Phone is Sim Locked or Locked
To discover if a phone is locked, start by inserting the new SIM card even if it is activated or not. When the smartphone already starts up, check the requested information that is showing.
- If that message is: A PIN code, it means that the phone is really unlocked and immediately ready to be used with the new SIM card.
- If the showing message is: A network unlock code, it means that the phone is simlocked. This happen exactely when somebody has changed mobile operator. So by inserting the new SIM card, the new operator is obliged to unlock the phone to facilitate the changing contract. This operation also not be doing freely, but with some fees. Now how to get or proceed it?
How to Unlock a Cell Phone?
- The first point to do is to retrieve the International Mobile Equipment Identity number (calling IMEI number) of the mobile. This IMEI number can be the serial number and concerning the laptop, it is written on the back of laptop batterry and we can also see it mentioned on the packaging label.
- The second point and the easiest one, is to dial on the mobile to get the IMEI number.
Purchasing a mobile phone throught Straight Talk don’t mean that it’s gives the eligibility to get an unlock also until after twelve months service, but passing this time, it is recommanded or prescribe to may be request an unlock and then use the device on a other choosing network or the same.
Steps to Unlock your Straight Talk Phone
There are a guide or steps that are very important to learn clairly how to unlock a Straight Talk phone.
- First Step: Contact by a simple call this number 877.430.2355 to have a agent on phone. They are available from 8 a.m.-11:45 p.m every day and are freely answered all questions and solve them.
- Second Step: After succeeding to have somebody online, ask the coustomer service representative and precise that it is concerning the unlock code. Always say that you want to verify with them the real criteria of Straight Talk unlock and contunue by telling them that you find it outlined later in the section you are. We have to clairly undrstand that this method here works to unlock only GSM network phones.
- Third Step: The previous step permit to the Straight Talk customer service representative to provide 10-15 digit unlock code receiving by a text message in your phone. You might write down the receiving code and keep it well by writting somewhere, to be use in the next step down.
- Fourth Step: Here, you have to power your device and introduce the new SIM card purchased.
- Fift Step: Be powering up the phone after a few second and wait so the unlock code received and kept from Straight Talk be prompt. The enter it and touch the “Unlock” button which is showing. Wait until you receive a confirmation message that come exactly when the code that you enter has been accepted or approuved.
Condition to Unlock A Straight Talk Phone
- When a person needs to unlock his Straight Talk device after purshasing it, he has to just submitted a request for that firsty. Then the other condition must be to have had an active device already for a period of 12 months and also a Straight Talk service getting for the same period.
- If the number you use is been recycled, the service will not pass also.
- The resquest sumittede up there has to be done in the period of 60 days after your active service is expired.
- You must own a Straight Talk that is in working condition currently and has to be activated after February 2015.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Generaly, every customer shall take advantage of the unlock program gives by the unlock Straight Talk service one time per year. But an exception is made for military personnel during their deployment.
In general, customers may only take advantage of the Straight Talk unlock program once per year. However, exceptions are made for deployed military personnel. If you have satisfied the criteria outlined above and still cannot unlock your phone, you may contact customer service to receive a partial reimbursement based on the value of your device.
We must note that because everyone knows when his phone is unlocked, if he makes calls, send texts messages and simply uses the new SIM card in others ways, alternatively, the third-party providers who is already utilizing the same phone, the IMEI number must check if that mobile phone is unlocked. In other way, credit or some partial refund can be getted by a customer who doesn’t unlock his phone, because he is purshasing a new Straight Talk phone. But the requirements for unlocking his phone always available to obtain the unlock code.
Other Ways to Unlock your Straight Talk Phone
When you facing yourself in this case of situation that you are in need to unlock your Straight Talk phone, especially on the third-party of the service mentioned up there, you have manies websites that offers unlocking solutions to customers with differents fees. Maybe you have not yet met all the requirements steps that are supposed to be sended, such as the condition of the period of 60 days calling grace period that suppose to be normaly expired.
Those websites mentionned up there proposes manies issues to provide codes in exchange for a service charge with some amount of fees. These fees vary, and depend of any website with his politic. Caution can be doing at the mesure of the trustworthy that present all service of the third-party unlocking.
We can get some example of most trusted unlocking phones in virtually carrier like DoctorSIM, Unlock Radar, UnlockRiver, UnlockUnit, UnlockBase, MobileUnlocked, Cellphone Unlock and others. It is hightly recommanded to reach out to Straight Talk by paying for unlock services, because this helps manies people to save money on a device they already own and this be a special advantage for them.
When all requirements are not respected or met normally regardly conditions, then the customer has to still unlock his phone. But here it will be done not by passing from Straight Talk customer service care, but by usint the third parties who gives or provide the unlock code on exchange of a fee. But in internet like this today, this issue should be done or negociated carefully, because the third parties concerned here are unknown one, there are not a genuine one.
There can exist trust in the case which third party that provides the unlocking services can be Cellphone Unlock, MobileUnlocked, Unlock Radar, and DoctorSIM.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
How to contact Straight Talk technical support?
877.430.2355 is the contact number to use when a customer is in need to unlock his Straight Talk phone. The contact is the direct number to receive all technical support and it is the customer service regardind Straight Talk cases. The service is always available from 8 a.m to 11:45 p.m at the evening depend of the country you are. Each day, this service provides and proposes all informations and assistance, coucils concerning the situation of unlocking phone and Straight Talk phone.
What are the advantages of Straight Talk phone service?
Customers who use Straight Talk phone service have manies benefits. The important here is the fact that the Straight Talk provides to him a live chat option and it is working with a active customer service agent. This Live Chat working throught Straight Talk is accessed passing by the technical support of the concerning website.
Why to unlocking a Phone?
Normaly there is no important urgent to need to unlocking your phone if this one already has a fonctioning Straight Talk, and you are satisfy of his service and don’t really need to change it. Then you must not have to unlock your presently phone because of that. As we said, the need of unlocking the Straight Talk phone borns when there is a problem with the present service, and you are finding a better one.
But there are some situations that can push people to unlock their phone, such as the problem of network coverage of Straight Talk. When this coverage in the area is poor, or if they travel to another Country where the Straight Talk is not really available there. Then unlocking the phone still be the only option and oblige you to contact other carriers in that Country who will provide to use differents services.
However, if we are facing the case of military deployed, Straight Talk accept the unlock request in all condition that you provide the deployment papers that verify that you are concerned for this exception. This issue also permit that your phone will never be blacklisted and there are no other requirement to be met about it.
What are carriers that can be use after unlocking a Straight Talk Phone?
When someone is unlocking already his Straight Talk phone, then there are carriers he can use it after. GSM networks with T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T are presently the fonctionning one. But some like CDMA phone is not able to be use in this section, just because of the fact that all CDMA phones can not support GSM band which accompagning Straight Talk services.
Conclusion
Straight Talk’s requirements regarding to unlock phone are very few and very strict. It is not easy at all to afford pay , prepaid this service for 12 months continuously as it is. Some time even the grace period expired is not respected or the phone is unlocked before the end of the period. But, there is crititeria option that propose solution of third party websites.
Those websites help customers to get their unlock code, but always be careful so that they are no some bucks and make sure that they are genuine. If not you will lose money in a process and still with a unsolved situation: unlocked phone.