Q1. Who are we and what do we do?
Hello and welcome! Our website is InstantUnlockUSA.com; a website that specializes in unlocking your cell phone.. There are many reasons why you would want to unlock your cell phone, here are a few: Let's say you are traveling abroad and want to use your cell phone on the local network when you arrive or would like to switch to a carrier with better service / cheaper price, or finally are selling your phone and would like to raise the value; unlocking your cell phone is the perfect solution for you! We believe every person deserves the freedom to use their phone on whatever they carrier/network they choose. You came to the right place as we offer the most competitive prices in the market along with the fastest delivery times. We unlock thousands of cell phones around the world on a weekly basis; it's what we love to do and we even think we're pretty good at it! We have been in the industry for 7 years and unlike most fly by night websites you'll find, we are safe (We use Paypal which is 100% secure and protects your information) and established! Don't take our word for it, check out our customer testimonial videos! Unlocking your cell phone is great, and we would be glad to help you get that done! Each purchase we plan on giving you the best price in the market along with the fastest delivery time so you can get your phone unlocked! If for some reason the code doesn't work, we will either refund your money or find a solution for you! Unlocking the phone itself only takes a few minutes (For most phones), requires absolutely no technical knowledge, and can be done from the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions whatsoever with regards to unlocking your cell phone, please live chat, call or email us. We would love to hear from you.
Q2. So what exactly is phone unlocking?
When a carrier sells a phone to you or anyone else they place a software lock on it, making it impossible to use your phone on a different carrier. In turn people are forced to purchase a brand new expensive phone every time they switch carrier's and pay horribly expensive roaming charges every time they travel. It's your phone, you should be able to do with it what you please. Cell phone unlocking is unlocking your phone to use on another carrier, plain and simple. It disables that network lock and allows you to enter any sim card from any carrier you choose. All it requires is typing a short unlock code into the cell phone's dial pad and pressing enter. No cables, confusing directions, or technical smarts needed. It's as easy as making a phone call! Cell Phones have so many amazing capabilities, this is one of them! Unlocking your cell phone opens up the full potential of your cell phone and helps enhance the user experience to the max! Because cell phone unlocking has become so popular the last few years we get people from all over the globe and from all walks of life. Family's trying a network with a better plan, people saving money by switching to a cheaper pre-paid carrier, service men and women serving overseas, student's studying abroad for the semester, entrepreneurs who buy and sell phones, the list goes on and on. What are you waiting for? Let's unlock your phone!
Q3. How do I do this online then?
Unlocking your phone online is the easiest, fastest, and most convenient way of unlocking your cell phone guaranteed! The whole process is incredibly easy, only takes a few steps, and requires absolutely zero technical knowledge. So, let's get started! First, you'll want to get your phones 15 digit "IMEI" number by typing *#06# into the dial-pad, this is the phones serial number and is specific to only your phone. Second, using the drop-down buttons above, enter your phones: Country purchased from, Original Carrier, Manufacturer, Model, & finally your phones IMEI number that you got earlier. Click "Get Unlocking Code" and check out securely via Paypal. We will retrieve the Unlock Code from their manufacturer database, and lastly send it back to us. We will email you the unlock code & unlocking instructions to the email that you provide us in the time stated on the website. Once received, simply power on your cell phone with a sim card that belongs to a different carrier than that of your phone, soon as the phone boots up it will immediately recognize the non accepted sim card and a box will pop up prompting you to enter the unlock code. After you do so, double check it's correct, press enter, and it will alert you it's been accepted. Your phone may or may not re-boot, and now your phone is 100% factory unlocked for any carrier in the world! You now have the freedom to use your phone on whatever carrier you choose! Unlocking your phone has truly never been easier!
Q4. What are the main benefits of unlocking my phone?
The most common one would be unlocking your phone in order to switch networks. Millions of people do this on a weekly basis across the globe, it is actually a very common and beneficial thing that most phone owner's will do over the life span of their favorite phone. A few of the main reasons people find themselves switching carrier's every couple years is lower prices, larger coverage, better plans, faster 4g speed, special offers, and much more. Not to mention, the list of carrier's to choose from is growing by the year! What's important to us and a huge benefit of unlocking is when they move from carrier to carrier people are able to keep using the same phone without having to purchase a brand new one every time they switch. The beauty of an unlocked phone is you just simply enter the new carrier's sim card and it picks up signal within seconds. The second of the two main benefits to unlocking your phone is being able to travel and not worry about roaming charges. Bring your unlocked phone with you and once you arrive at your destination simply purchase a local pre-paid sim card, enter it and walla it works! Save hundreds during your trip and when you get home just swap that out for your old sim card and you're back in business. This works great for people going on vacation, traveling for work, study abroad or our military stationed overseas. Hope this was able to help you understand the world of unlocking a little more and all the great things that come with it.
Q5. After I unlock my phone what carriers can I use?
Once unlocked you will be able to use any Gsm Carrier in the world! As long as the carrier uses sim cards, more than 99% currently do, then you are good to go my friend! This includes all post paid networks, prepaid networks, little networks, big networks, domestic networks, international networks, on and on. Wireless freedom at the tip of your fingers! There's over 750 different carrier's in the world and you are free to indulge. Travel to any country on the globe and never have to worry about falling out of touch or getting slammed with ridiculous roaming charges. Swap sim cards back and forth as many times as you please until you find the right network for you. There's a lot of companies out there fighting for your business and we see no reason why you should be tied down to just one for years at a time. Having an unlocked phone puts you in the power position and gives you the options to choose! You cannot use your phone on any CDMA network once unlocked, which includes Sprint, Verizon, Boost and US Cellular to name a few.
Q6. Will interent/data work after unlocking?
Unlocking a cell phone will allow the phone to call/text on any GSM network in the world. To get data/internet going it it as simple as getting the APN settings from the new carrier (that you plan on using). Just get ahold of the new carrier and ask them for this. Once you move it over, everything (in most scenarios) will work as it did before. Data and the service we provide (Phone unlocking) are separate and not the same thing. Unlocking the phone will allow calls/text. Enabling the data deals with the new carrier and not phone unlocking.
Q7. Yeah but am I safe purchasing online?
Absolutely. Every purchase is 100% safe and secure. Our website is Trustwave verified and encrypted. We use Paypal as our processor: How secure is the PayPal site? The PayPal site is highly secure. We use industry-leading technology (such as SSL) to keep your information safe. PayPal automatically encrypts your confidential information in transit from your computer to ours using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128-bits (the highest level commercially available). Before you even register or log in to the PayPal site, our server checks that you're using an approved browser - one that uses SSL 3.0 or higher. Once your information reaches the PayPal site, it resides on a server that is heavily guarded both physically and electronically. PayPal servers sit behind an electronic firewall and are not directly connected to the internet, so your private information is available only to authorized computers. PayPal is committed to protecting the privacy of our users. When you send or request money using PayPal, recipients never see your bank account numbers or credit card numbers. They only see your email address, date of sign-up, and whether or not you have completed PayPal's Verification process.
Q8. I ordered, now what?
When you order you will immediately receive a confirmation email to the Paypal email followed by an email containing the unlock code, unlocking instructions, and our contact information if you have any questions. PLEASE NOTE: If you have not received an email from us, please check your spam/trash. (as sometimes for whatever reason our mail gets flagged as such) Also the email we will be sending everything to is your Paypal email. You can also email us and inquiry on your order if you haven't received anything. Most the time the code email is in the spam folder if you haven't received it in a timely fashion. The delivery time on the website is listed in business days (Monday - Friday) We do everything in our power to return the code within the delivery time listed on the website. While 90% of our codes are returned within that time frame, there are some that get stuck in the system or there is issues that sometime occur that will delay the code. Please be patient and understand we will get you your unlock code or refund your original purchase.
Q9. What phones can you unlock?
We can unlock most GSM phones on the market, as well phones that are both CDMA AND GSM.
Q10. Can I cancel my order after I paid?
As soon as you order, your specific IMEI is sent to the manufacturer to be unlocked. Most of our orders are automatically processed and hence cannot be cancelled. For the orders that take a couple of days this is the same case, we already submitted it and it cannot be cancelled. If for some reason the code is wrong, we will however, supply you with a new code or refund your purchase.
Q11. Important information about unlocking your AT&T cell phone:
AT&T has changed their policy recently, where if you attempt to unlock your AT&T phone (iPhone, Lumia, ZTE) more than 2x times in the past 365 days, AT&T will block the attempt and we will not be able to unlock it for 1 year. Please only order from one unlocking company when attempting to factory unlock your Apple iphone or unlock your Lumia/ZTE smartphone. Also some results will come back not found because the phone has not been in contract long enough for us to unlock it. General rule of thumb is if the phone is within 90 days of the contract, we cannot unlock it.
Q12. What is an unlock code and how do you get it?
Every phone made by it's manufacturer is assigned an IMEI (serial number) and an unlock code that goes with it, in the case the customer wants to unlock their phone. Since we are one of the oldest companies in the industry we work directly with the manufacturer and it's database which allows us to obtain the unlock codes for IMEI's that we request. The whole process is very straight forward and allows customer's like yourself to unlock their phone when needed.
Q13. What if my phone is blacklisted?
At the moment, we cannot unlock blacklisted or stolen phones. If you submit an order of a blacklisted/stolen you will not be refunded. Please make sure prior to ordering your phone is not blacklisted or stolen. To check to make sure your phone is not blacklisted check out: http://swappa.com/esn If your phone is hard locked (or has 0 attempts to enter the code) and you order a code, we cannot refund you as well. Email us at support@instantunlockusa.com if you are not sure if your phone is blacklisted or hard locked. If your phone is refurbished the code will also not work, please do not order if your phone is refurbished.
Q14. I am traveling abroad, do I need to unlock it?
Yes in order to avoid roaming charges unlock your phone and when arrive at your destination simply purchase and use a local pre-paid sim card for the duration of your trip. It's very cheap, your phone will work just as it does on your normal carrier, and when you get home just swap sim cards again and you're back in business.
Q15. I want to switch to a different carrier, can you help?
Absolutely just purchase and we will email you the unlock code and instructions to the email you provide us. Once unlocked you can choose whatever carrier you like.
Q16. My phone is asking for a password or a pattern lock!
Sadly we cannot help you with phone passwords (set by individuals) sim locks (where a sim password is needed) or pattern locks on the phone. If you order an unlock code thinking it will get you past the password or pattern lock, it will not. You will not be refunded for ordering a code when you need a password/pattern lock. Our service is a network unlock code used to unlock the network of your phone to use any GSM carrier worldwide!
Q17. What if you can't unlock my phone?
If you run into any issues after we send you the unlock code contact us and one of our trained professionals will walk you through the process and make sure that phone gets unlocked!
Q18. What is 100% customer satisfaction guarantee?
If for some reason your code doesn't work and you sent us the right IMEI, we will do our best to get you the right code or get the problem fixed. If for some reason we cannot unlock your phone, we will refund your purchase. (If the phone is blacklisted, stolen etc this does not apply)
Q19. Verizon and Sprint (CDMA phones)
For all HTCs, LGs if you try and order a CDMA unlock code because your locked carrier is one of the following, Verizon, Sprint, Boost Mobile, US Cellular you will not be refunded as our system is automatic and we get charged for the wrong carrier. We cannot unlock CDMA phones and putting down the wrong carrier on specific models which result in no refund. We can only unlock GSM phones.
Q20. Is it easy to unlock my phone?
Do I need technical knowledge? Incredibly easy. All you do is enter a number into your dial-pad and press enter. There's no chords, downloads, jail-breaking, or techie smarts required. If you can send a text or make a call than you can unlock your phone!
Q21. What is our privacy policy?
As you browse InstantUnlockUSA.com, advertising cookies will be placed on your computer so that we can understand what you are interested in. Our display advertising partner, AdRoll, then enables us to present you with retargeting advertising on other sites based on your previous interaction with The Unlocking Company. The techniques our partners employ do not collect personal information such as your name, email address, postal address or telephone number. You can visit this page to opt out of AdRoll and their partners’ targeted advertising. http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/
Q22. Can I unlock my phone anywhere I want?
That's correct! All you need is your phone and the unlock code and you're set. You can be anywhere in the world geographically and the code never expires so unlock at your convenience!
Q23. After I order how do I track my purchase?
After you order If you want to track your purchase please contact us and we will check the status of your order. In the meantime if you like you can double check the average delivery times on the website.
Q24. Do I need any wires or cables to unlock my phone?
All you need is your phone, the unlock code and a non accepted sim card!
Q25. So once I get my unlock code how do I unlock my phone?
Once you receive the unlock code simply power on your phone with a sim card that is a different carrier than your phone, soon as your phone boots up it will recognize the non accepted sim card and immediately prompt you to enter the unlock code. Type it in and press enter, it will alert you it was accepted, and now your phone is 100% unlocked. Whole process takes maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
Q26. Will it void the warranty or harm the phone in any way?
Absolutely not! Unlocking your phone is just one of the many great capabilities of cell phones. Phones we're created to accept unlock codes, to be unlocked, and doing so is just taking advantage of one the normal every day functions.
Q27. Once I unlock it can I update the OS or factory restore it?
Yes. You can restore, update, download, modify, etc as many times as you like.
Q28. After I unlock my phone will I ever have to unlock it again?
Once you unlock your phone is it permanently unlocked. We're talking forever! Your phone will never re-lock.
Q29. Under carrier, when checking out, what should I select?
Whatever your phone is locked to that is the carrier you should choose. If your phones locked network/carrier is AT&T and you want to use T-mobile, choose AT&T when checking out.
Q30. Is it illegal or looked down on if I unlock my phone?
Absolutely not! Phone unlocking is 100% legal and endorsed by almost every carrier and manufacturer in the world. Not only is it beneficial to the user but it also has became very popular with all the pre-paid companies springing up all over the world. They're business model relies on user's bringing their unlocked phones over to their network. With all the great benefits becoming more widely publicized, it has actually become a huge hit among consumers and in the tech world and we expect it to only get bigger!
Q31. After I unlock my phone can I keep using my current carrier?
Absolutely. You can unlock your phone at any time on or off contract for any reason. Keep using your current contract or use several at a time with your unlocked phone. People going on vacation, have several carriers, are selling their phone in the future, etc. there are tons of situations or instances where people unlock their phones and keep the same carrier for years to come.
Q32. Will it somehow effect my current contract?
Not at all. Unlocking your phone does not effect any current contracts you're in.
Q33. Will they know if I unlock it or get mad at me?
No they will not know nor will they care. As long as you are in good standing with your carrier they don't care what you do with your actual phone and that includes unlocking it.
Q34. Why are some codes instant while others take a few days?
How fast we get the code depends on the manufacturer we get it from. We submit every order the minute you purchase but once we hand it off to the manufacturer the time it takes to process and send us back the unlock code takes anywhere from a couple seconds to a few days. You can find all the average delivery times on the website when you select your phone.
Q35. Why do I have to pay for the unlock code?
We pay a small fee to the manufacturer for every unlock code we request and in turn must do the same. What we can guarantee you is our prices are well below market average!
Q36. Why are some codes cheap while others more expensive?
Some manufacturer's charge more than others so depending on their prices ours vary as well.
Q37. How do I pay and is my information safe?
We accept Paypal, and on Paypal you can use credit or debit card. Each purchase is secure via Paypal.
Q38. When will i receive my code?
It depends on the unlocking service you are using. For example, a Blackberry code can be ready in minutes where as an Ericsson code can take a couple of days. Refer to the product page to find out an approximation of how long it will take.
Q39. Do you offer a money back guarantee?
If the code is not available, you will be refunded. If for some reason the code doesn’t work, a refund will depend on several factors, such as which service was purchased, and whether the phone might be the problem and not the code. Fo some phones, we may request a video of you entering the code as proof that the code didn’t work.
Q40. Can I unlock my phone and use it on a cheaper pre-paid carrier?
Yes and that's actually a very smart move. Pre-paid carrier's don't lock you down to a lengthy and expensive contract for years at a time and also are usually over half the cost. They use the same towers as the bigger carriers so you receive the same reliable fast coverage. As people smarten up and competition grows we have definitely seem a big swing towards pre-paid networks the last couple years.
Q41. Is it true if I unlock my phone it raises the value?
Yes by almost 50%. When you sell the phone make sure you unlock it first because more buyers will be interested in purchasing and that drives the price up.
Q42. Will I lose any of my information like games apps or contacts?
Absolutely not. Unlocking your phone simply lifts the software lock that was placed on there originally and doesn't erase or delete anything on the phone.
Q43. If I unlock my phone will every feature still work?
Every feature will work flawlessly just as it did before you unlocked the phone. Data you will need to manually move over using APN settings from the new carrier!
Q44. Will everything work on my phone once I start using a new carrier?
Yes. No matter what carrier you use or how many times you switch everything will work exactly the same as it did before you switched carriers.
Q45. So be honest is there any negatives to unlocking?
There really isn't any. Q46. I'm not sure which product to pick what should I do? Contact us and we will help!
Q47. How do I know my phones locked?
Most phones come locked by the carrier but an easy way to find out is to just enter a different carrier's sim card and see if it picks up signal. If it doesn't then the phone is locked.
Q48. If my phone or carrier isn't listed what should I do?
Contact us and we will help! Q49. If I live in a different country can you still unlock my phone? Absolutely! We are a worldwide company! Every day we have visitors from over 120 countries looking to unlock over 400 different carrier's across the globe.
Q50. If I use a different currency can I still use your services?
That's right! We offer every currency from every country in the world.
Q51. If English isn't my first language will this be difficult?
Of course! Being a worldwide company we do business with customer's on a daily basis from all over the world a lot of them English is their second language or don't speak it at all. If you need any help before or after the purchase contact us in whatever language you need and we will be sure to assist you!
Q52. If I have any questions after my purchase will you help me?
Yes, feel free to contact us via email at support@instantunlockusa.com or live chat us on the website!
Q53. My phone model or carrier is not listed!
Please email us at support@instantunlockusa.com and we will do our best to unlock your phone!
Q54. Can you unlock phones that have 0 tries left?
Unfortunately someone has already tried typing in the incorrect unlock code too many times and now your phone is hard-locked and is unable to be unlocked.
Q55. If I purchase more than one code can I get a discount?
Absolutely. Contact us and we will get you a discount code immediately.
Q56. Do you have any promotions or discount codes?
Yes we always have various promotions and discount code offers. Please contact us and we will send you some ways to save money.
Q57. Can I get a wholesale rate If I keep coming back?
Contact us about wholesale and we will set you up with a wholesale account.
Q58. So, what do I do next?
Have a look around the website and if you have any questions we're open 24/7 to assist you. Otherwise thank you for reading and we hope you decide to unlock with us!