How long does verizon account stay locked

Tyler has been obsessed with watching sports as efficiently as possible since the creation of the DVR. He is always on the lookout for the best tech in TV and wireless so he can watch all the sports and still have enough time to hang out with his baby. He has written about streaming, wireless, and TV for over three years. He hopes the Lakers will eventually get better.

I love tinkering with any new phone I get my hands on, which is why I wanted to know if I could unlock the new phone I just got from Verizon a few days ago.

Once unlocked, I could change carriers if I wished or if I wasn’t satisfied with Verizon’s service anymore, so I went online to find out more about Verizon’s unlock policies.

After reading through Verizon’s support documentation and going into their community forums for more practical information, I felt I had learned quite a lot with my several hours spent there.

This article was created with the help of that research and should help you understand what Verizon’s unlock policy looks like and what it means for you as a customer.

Verizon lets you unlock your phone, which happens automatically after 60 days from the date you purchased the phone. You will still need to pay off the phone, but you will be able to change phone providers.

Continue reading to find out why Verizon unlocks their phones and how their policy compares with other phone providers.

Can You Unlock Verizon Phones?

Verizon is one of the only big carriers that lets you get your phone unlocked with too many terms and conditions, making the whole process easy.

Any device you buy from Verizon will be locked for 60 days from the date you purchase it, and it applies to all customers, old and new, and includes customers porting over their service from Verizon to another service.

It applies to postpaid and prepaid plans of all tiers, and all phones will be automatically unlocked after 60 days.

If your phone falls under any of the categories that I will be talking about, your phone will be unlocked after 60 days.

The 60-day limit applies to:

• Devices purchased at full price or under payment agreement paid off or otherwise.
• Customers porting to another provider.
• Service was canceled, and the device was locked.

Customers who are porting to other providers will still be bound to the payment agreement they have signed and will need to pay off the phone as agreed when signing up for Verizon.

All smartphones that are sold by Verizon themselves or by participating retailers have the same unlock policy.

How To Unlock Verizon Phones

The best thing about getting your Verizon phone unlocked is that you don’t have to do anything to get the phone unlocked to be used with other carriers.

After the 60 days pass from the date of purchase, the phone automatically unlocks with no prompt required from you or Verizon.

As long as your device was not flagged as lost or stolen or was recovered after being used for fraudulent activities, the unlock will happen regardless.

After the phone is unlocked, Verizon won’t lock the phone at any time, and you’re free to use the phone with whatever carrier you want.

The policy is the same for prepaid and postpaid customers, but if you have a 4G Phone-in-a-Box from a participating retailer, you’ll need to check the box to see how long the phone will be staying locked.

Why Does Verizon Lock Phones?

When you find out how you can unlock your Verizon device, you might wonder why they have an unlock policy in the first place.

If the phone gets automatically unlocked, then why even lock it in the first place?

The biggest reason, Verizon says, is handset fraud which has cost them millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lost devices.

People get the device from participating retailers with fake IDs and immediately sell the phone online to buyers abroad.

This means Verizon won’t even get the first installment because it was a fake ID, and locking the phone for 60 days dramatically drives down its value.

But the locking feature isn’t a detriment to real customers of Verizon, though, and if they can wait for the 60 days to be over, they can use their phone however they want.

This strikes a balance by catering to legitimate customers while not letting fraudsters and malicious agents from taking advantage of your carrier-unlocked devices.

Verizon can lock phones that you report to them as stolen, which is a great way to stop the device from being resold.

Verizon’s Policy Compared With Other Providers

Verizon’s policy is pretty liberal regarding carrier unlocking their devices, which is better compared to other providers.

T-Mobile and AT&T, the other two of the ‘Big Three,’ requires you to pay off the full price of the phone and wait for a set number of days to pass from the date of purchase.

They don’t let you pay off the phone while you are on another provider, and you’ll have to continue with T-Mobile or AT&T until you complete the payment agreement.

For T-Mobile, you’ll need to wait at least 40 days, while AT&T requires 60 days of activation.

Verizon has the best unlock policy among the bigger phone providers, making it the best choice for people who must go abroad frequently or want to try out Verizon before committing to the service.

Final Thoughts

The best service you can switch to once you unlock your phones is MVNOs or virtual phone providers.

They don’t have any network infrastructure of their own and let you bring your own device as long as it’s unlocked.

I would recommend Visible or Straight Talk, which are great MVNOs that offer cheaper plans than what Verizon currently provides.

They use Verizon’s networks and cell towers, which means you’ll have the best coverage possible in the US, with 70% of the country under 4G coverage.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I unlock my Verizon phone myself?

Verizon has a user-friendly carrier unlocking process that involves you doing absolutely nothing.

As long as the phone wasn’t flagged stolen or involved in fraud, your phone will get automatically unlocked 60 days after the date of purchase.

Can you unlock a Verizon phone if it’s not paid off?

You can unlock your Verizon phone if it isn’t paid off, and it gets automatically unlocked 60 days after you purchase the device.

You will still have to honor the purchase agreement and pay off the phone even if you move to another phone provider.

How do you check if My Verizon phone is unlocked?

To see if your Verizon phone is unlocked, contact Verizon customer support and ask them if the device is unlocked.

Your Verizon phone automatically gets unlocked 60 days after you get the phone.

Can I use My Verizon phone with another carrier?

You can use your Verizon phone with other carriers as long as the phone is carrier unlocked.

I would recommend Straight Talk or Visible if you’re looking for a cheap phone plan that has internet.

What do I do if my Verizon account is locked?

How long does it take Verizon to reactivate your account?

Does Verizon unlock after 60 days?

How do I unlock my Verizon plan?