How To Get Verizon To Unlock Your Iphone

How to Unlock Your Verizon Phone

Published on August 06, 2020

To unlock your Verizon phone, follow these simple steps:

Determine what type of Verizon phone you're trying to unlock (postpay, prepaid, or global-ready 3G).
Enter the correct code to unlock your Verizon phone: 000000 or 123456

Most Verizon 4G LTE phones are on postpay plans, and those phones come unlocked by default. But if your phone is from a Verizon prepaid plan or an iPhone 3G World Device, you'll need to unlock your new phone.

1. Determine what type of Verizon phone you're unlocking

There are two reasons why your Verizon phone might be locked:

You have a prepaid service device that hasn't been activated on the network.
You have an iPhone 3G World device.

Both types of Verizon phones are easy to unlock. You just need the right code.

Do I even need to unlock my phone?

Light Bulb

There's a good chance you don't need to worry about unlocking your cell phone at all. Take out your Verizon phone and see if you get prompted to enter a code. Verizon doesn't lock its postpay 4G LTE devices or its regular 3G devices.

If your phone doesn't fall into one of these categories and you're still having problems, you'll want to contact Verizon customer support to unlock your phone.

You can reach Verizon customer support at 1-888-294-6804 or dial *611 on your cell phone.

2. Enter the correct code

Unlock my prepaid Verizon phone

Your prepaid Verizon phone is locked because it has to be activated on the network. Most prepaid phones are locked to their original carriers for 12 months. Once that time has passed and you make your first payment, your phone should be ready to unlock.

Insert a new SIM card into your cell phone and you'll be prompted to enter a code. There are two codes you can enter to unlock your Verizon phone:

000000
123456

If you run into any problems, you can call Verizon service support at *611 and get help unlocking your phone directly.

Unlock my iPhone global-ready 3G Verizon phone

This one is super easy to fix. Enter either of these two codes on the lock screen of your device:

000000
123456

Thankfully, both of those codes are easy to remember. If for whatever reason these codes aren't working for you, you can call Verizon's customer service—they should be able to help you unlock your device if things aren't working.

What networks can I switch to on my unlocked Verizon device?

Verizon is a CDMA carriers and uses different wireless technology than T-Mobile or AT&T, which makes it a little trickier to switch networks.

You can still switch your unlocked Verizon phone over to T-Mobile or AT&T, but Verizon warns that you may experience decreased functionality with your device.¹

Remember that if you opt for the Verizon prepaid option, you'll have to wait a year before switching to a different service provider. (Hey, we don't make the rules.)

Lucky for you, Verizon is one of the best networks out there. The main downside is that Verizon is expensive, but if that's a deal breaker, you can get a cheaper service provider when that first year is up.

Carriers on T-Mobile and AT&T Networks

What if I forget the code to my device?

If you forget your passcode and can't get into your phone, well, that's another situation entirely.

You'll need to contact the service provider that made your device (Apple, Android, Google, etc.) and make an unlock request. A service rep should give you a code to unlock your wireless device.

Just be prepared to answer some security questions, because it's not like they'll unlock your device without making sure you are who you say you are.

Now that you have an unlocked Verizon phone, here are your next steps:

Find out how Verizon ranks among the best cell phone plans.

Check out our nitty-gritty thoughts on Verizon

Tyler Abbott

Written by

Tyler Abbott

Tyler has been obsessed with watching sports as efficiently as possible since the creation of the DVR. He is always on the lookout for the best tech in TV and wireless so he can watch all the sports and still have enough time to hang out with his baby. He has written about streaming, wireless, and TV for over three years. He hopes the Lakers will eventually get better.

Dad and two daughters lounging on living room couch watching TV

Spectrum TV Choice Review

Spectrum TV Choice gives you a personalized streaming experience for live channels and on-demand content,...

Icon Caret Up Light