Can I remove Carrier Lock on a fully paid iPhone

Being permanently unlocked doesn't change how your phone behaves or security issues it just lets you use a different carriers sim.

Samsung galaxy s20 fe 5g T-mobile. This is really killing me! I switched to T-mobile in 2021 leaving Verizon behind because of outrageous bills going up & up. Now I'm receiving the same deal with T-mobile & the worst thing is my son was hacked last yr & it was taking care of so we decided to give it another shot. Which I'm now realizing was probably a mistake, because now my device is paid off they can unlock my device without informing me, I've been experiencing all sorts of problems with my device & was really scared because my device was tethering & now locked the quick share. This caused me to not have control of my own settings, apps, permissions & just about everything else. I've been addressing this problem since March this yr. Did multiple visits to T-mobile stores & nothing phone calls, T-mobile chats, had to change SIM & all of it but still no network connection & was told its permanently unlocked, so my phone is now being controlled by apps & no security from T-mobile. Can someone please tell me why T-mobile believes I should b paying them for a service I'm not receiving? As much as I wasn't happy paying Verizon what I paid them monthly I should have kept them because with them I had a device that was paid off for 2yrs & was never unlocked from there service which I felt is how it should b. So I'm pretty much going to find a safer network with good connections & full support support with all protection because I'm obviously not protected with T-mobile! Any recommendations for a better service provider? I'm in the Pennsylvania area!

rules are rules..you can toss it into your drawer for 40 days while being thankful youre not with Verizon and their 50+ day wait.

it must be active on the account for 40 days..not many out there that get a phone just to toss it into a drawer as a back up either..which is where this issue of yours started. the poster you quoted even has a link that says this. not a whole lot you can do in small claims seeing as how this is mentioned in their fine print. all carriers have a certain amount of days a phone must be active on the account before it can be unlocked. active being the chosen word of the day here..

for giggles…

Unlock eligibility for mobile devices on Postpaid plans

• The device must have been active on the T‑Mobile network for at least 40 days on the requesting line.
• If the device was financed or leased through T‑Mobile then all payments must be satisfied and the device must be paid in full.
• If the device is associated with a canceled account, then the account balance must be zero.
• T‑Mobile may request proof of purchase or additional information in its discretion and certain other exceptions may apply.

Unlock eligibility for mobile devices on Prepaid plans

• At least  365 days  must have passed since the device was activated on the T Mobile network.
• If the device was activated less than 365 days ago, then the   Prepaid account associated with the device must have had more than $100 in refills during that period for each line active on the account.  In   addition, more than 14 days must have passed since the device was purchased.
• No more than 2 mobile device unlocks have been complete per line of service in the last 12 months.
• T‑Mobile may request proof of purchase or additional information in its discretion and certain other exceptions may apply.

gramps28 wrote:

If you're the original owner with a Tmobile account and meet the requirements in the link below you can request a code.

https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/consumer-info/policies/sim-unlock-policy

 

Gonna throw something in that I doubt will matter to the OP but may to others reading this thread. I’m going to start a new thread about this…..

From the 5G for free promotion, I traded in a 4G phone we had as a backup should a DD become damaged, lost, or otherwise unusable while we shopped/waited for a deal on a replacement. The free 5G was a Galaxy A32. Free meaning the normal 24 month purchase payment was offset by a matching credit from T-Mobile. Never used the phone just powered it up now and then to get software updates.

After the final payment I attempted to unlock the A32. The procedure just gave a cryptic error code and a broken link to get more info. I called CS and after a bunch of head scratching got bumped up to a higher level of support. They just head scratched for awhile until finding some fine print in internal documents saying a phone has to be in service to be unlocked AND in service status can take 40 days to register. 

Needles to say, a customer is not going to throw their high end DD in a drawer for 40 days to get their likely never to be “used” backup phone unlocked.

alainbastien wrote:

There must be away. A Chat with T-mobile online support to whom I send the IMEI the phone is clear. No due, no cloud lock, not declared lost. 
 

 

It has to be verified that it meets all of the SIM Unlock Policy conditions.  That can't happen without the original owner contacting T-Mobile to request the SIM Unlock and verifying their account.

There must be away. A Chat with T-mobile online support to whom I send the IMEI the phone is clear. No due, no cloud lock, not declared lost. 
 

The seller / owner is not responding. May be away. 

alainbastien wrote:

Is the unlocked process on T-mobile Website free ?

Only if the account and the device meet all of the SIM Unlock Policy requirements, which in your case, does not.

Is the unlocked process on T-mobile Website free ?