How to Unlock Your Verizon Phone

To unlock your Verizon phone, follow these simple steps:

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

Most Verizon 4G LTE phones are on postpay plans. If you purchased your device directly from Verizon or from a retailer, the device will be locked for 60 days. If your account is in good standing after the 60 days is up, the lock is removed by Verizon and you'll be able to insert a new SIM card.  

But if your phone is from a Verizon prepaid plan or an iPhone 3G World Device, you’ll need to unlock your new phone.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.