How to Unlock a Verizon Prepaid Phone
By Palmer Owyoung
Updated September 28, 2017
If you purchased a Verizon prepaid phone but want to change to a different carrier, you need to get your phone unlocked. Depending on how long you have been with Verizon, you may be able to get an unlock code for free.
Turn your phone on and dial *#06#. This brings up a 15-digit serial number, also called the IMEI. You need this in order to create the subsidy unlock code.
Call Verizon's customer service department, at *611 if you are using your wireless phone. Otherwise, call 888-294-6804 and ask for a subsidy unlock code. Verizon generally gives you a code if you have been a customer for at least 90 days (you must purchase a code otherwise). Provide the representative with the IMEI number so that Verizon can generate a code.
Choose an online store where you can purchase an unlock code; as of 2010 this costs between $15 and $30.
Turn off your mobile phone and take out the battery. Remove the SIM card that sits beneath the battery and replace it with a new card from another network.
Replace the battery and turn the phone on. Type in your unlock code and click “OK.” Wait for the phone to restart and you will receive a message that says your phone is successfully unlocked.
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Writer Bio
Palmer Owyoung holds a Master of Arts in international business from the University of California at San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a trained molecular biologist. He has been a freelance writer since 2006. In addition to writing, he is a full-time Forex trader and Internet marketer.