Unlock your 3G smart phone so that you can use it anywhere.
A 3G mobile phone allows you to get a fast connection to the Internet from any place that you can get a phone signal. This means that you can surf websites, download music and even watch streaming videos all from your phone. If you purchased your 3G phone from a network provider, then you may find that it is locked. This means that you will find using the data connection extremely expensive while traveling abroad as you will need to pay roaming fees. In order to prevent this you will need to get your phone unlocked.
Instructions
1. Powero on your 3G phone and dial in *#06# on the keypad. A 15 to 17 digit number will appear on the screen. This is the phone's serial number, also known as the IMEI. Write it down as you will need it to create the unlock code later.
2. Turn on your computer and open up the Internet browser and select a site that provides unlock codes. A few sites that you can use are GSMLiberty, Unlocking, and UnlockToTalk (see resource links). As of 2010, you can expect to pay between $15 to $35 for a single use code.
3. Go to the website that you wish to purchase your codes from and enter your phones IMEI number along with the email address, cell phone service provider and country that the phone is registered. Put in your payment details and click "Submit."
4. Check your email in a few days. It generally takes about two days to generate a code. Write down the code that you find in the email.
5. Turn your 3G phone off, take out the battery and remove the SIM card. Replace the card with one from a different mobile service provider. You can purchase these at a local convenience store for about $20 as of 2010. Turn the phone back on. It will request a special code from you.
6. Type in the code that you received in your email and click the "OK" button. Your phone will reboot and once it comes back on you will see the name of the new service provider at the top of the screen.
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