T-Mobile users with Samsung and Pixel phones can't believe their luck after surprise discovery
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If you purchase a phone through T-Mobile, you must use it on the company's network for at least 40 days before you can unlock it. This means that during this period, your phone will only work with T-Mobile. People usually buy carrier-locked phones to save money and carriers lock the devices to get their money back. The arrangement makes perfect sense but that doesn't make being tied to a carrier any less annoying. If you happen to have a Samsung or Google Pixel phone though, you can apparently unlock your phone right now.
As users on Reddit have discovered, there appears to be a glitch that's allowing people to unlock their Samsung and Pixel devices. So far, people have been able to unlock the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Flip 2, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Fold 5, Pixel 7, and Tab A9 Plus.
Apparently, many of these are Metro devices, but people were also able to unlock devices they purchased from T-Mobile.
To unlock your Samsung phone, open the Settings apps, go to Connections, tap on More Connection Setting, select Network Unlock, and then request a Temporary Unlock. After waiting for a moment, tap on Permanent Unlock. For a Pixel handset, download the T-Mobile Device Unlock (Pixel) from Play Store.
The unlocking process is reportedly even working on devices on Equipment Installment Plans (EIP). Keep in mind that T-Mobile hasn't officially said anything about a new unlocking policy, so proceed at your own risk. The carrier recently announced that bill credits would stop if devices financed through an Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) were paid off early, so it's possible that it no longer cares if devices are unlocked ahead of time.
What's more probable though is that this is a glitch, like the one we saw earlier this year, and once it's fixed, you won't be able to unlock devices at your will.
If you do manage to unlock your device before T-Mobile catches wind of the loophole, the carrier supposedly won't be able to relock it, meaning this is a great opportunity to permanently unlock your device.
It's just been reported on the Metro sub and the SD site that various Samsung devices bought from Metro (originally subject to the 180/365 policies) can be permanently unlocked as of today! Not sure if it works on Samsung devices sold by T-Mobile. But if you have one, please give it a try.
Grouchy_Juice_5275, Reddit, June 2024
Working on pixels too. Install pixel unlock app from play store. May take a few tries for it to go through.
Jman100_JCMP, Reddit, June 2024
just worked with my A54 purchased through T-Mobile. still on EIP.
tweakdeveloper, Reddit, June 2024
The unlocking process is reportedly even working on devices on Equipment Installment Plans (EIP). Keep in mind that T-Mobile hasn't officially said anything about a new unlocking policy, so proceed at your own risk. The carrier recently announced that bill credits would stop if devices financed through an Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) were paid off early, so it's possible that it no longer cares if devices are unlocked ahead of time.
If you do manage to unlock your device before T-Mobile catches wind of the loophole, the carrier supposedly won't be able to relock it, meaning this is a great opportunity to permanently unlock your device.
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