How to unlock an AT&T phone: paid off and 60+ days for postpaid, 12 months for Prepaid

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You may not need an unlock at all. On AT&T’s own international options the phone can stay locked; the lock only matters when you add another carrier’s eSIM. Check both first: Is my phone unlocked? and Does my phone support eSIM?.

A forgotten screen passcode is a different kind of lock, with a different fix: screen lock vs carrier lock.

Who qualifies for an AT&T unlock?

Postpaid needs both terms at once: the phone was bought more than 60 days ago, and it is paid in full. Prepaid needs 12 months of paid AT&T service instead (AT&T’s page, “Last updated: June 29, 2026”, checked on October 29, 2026).

AT&T unlock eligibility, side by side:

Both terms are AT&T’s own policy. The table below sets them beside what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the industry code say.

Source: AT&T unlock page · FCC consumer guide · FCC 24-77.

How to request an AT&T unlock

AT&T says an eligible Apple, Samsung or Google phone on an AT&T plan “should unlock by itself”. Any other phone, and any phone owned by a non-customer, goes through a request at att.com/deviceunlock (checked on October 29, 2026).

1. Match your phone against the table above; a device payment balance has to be zero.
2. On an Apple, Samsung or Google phone, sign in to myAT&T first: Device info may already say “Device unlocked”.
3. Otherwise open the AT&T device unlock portal at att.com/deviceunlock and submit the request. You don’t need an AT&T account.
4. Watch your email, including spam or junk folders, and your texts for AT&T’s answer.

Deploying for active duty? AT&T says you don’t have to pay off the phone first. Answer Yes when the request asks if you are deployed military personnel, then email your deployment documents.

Only the carrier can lift its own lock: Apple says it can’t unlock an iPhone for use with a different carrier (Apple). Paid unlock services are not an AT&T path, and we don’t link them.

How long does it take, and how do you check it worked?

AT&T says a request usually takes a few minutes to approve but can take up to 48 hours. If AT&T doesn’t approve it, the phone probably isn’t eligible yet (checked on October 29, 2026).

To follow a request, use the link in AT&T’s text or email. You can also enter the request number and the phone’s IMEI in AT&T’s unlock request status portal. Once it clears, myAT&T shows “Device unlocked” under Device info.

On iPhone, AT&T says “SIM locked” next to Carrier Lock means the phone is still locked. For the full iPhone and Samsung checks, including AT&T’s Samsung menu by release date, see the lock check guide.

Worked example (our arithmetic): you bought a phone outright on October 1, 2026 and fly on December 20. The 60 days end on November 30, so the phone qualifies from December 1. A request that day clears by December 3 at the latest, which leaves 17 days to fix a refusal. Bought on October 25 instead, it qualifies only on December 25, after the flight; plan that trip on AT&T’s own roaming.

AT&T Prepaid phones

An AT&T Prepaid phone qualifies after 12 months of paid AT&T service. It also can’t be active on another AT&T account or reported lost, stolen or involved with fraud, and it unlocks by request (checked on October 29, 2026).

An AT&T Prepaid unlock goes one of two ways. On Android, use the AT&T Device Unlock app; on iPhone, submit a request at att.com/deviceunlock.

With a physical SIM, AT&T suggests a test: insert a non-AT&T SIM card. A message that the SIM card is not compatible with the AT&T network means the phone is still locked.

Twelve months is AT&T’s figure. The CTIA code sets its prepaid ceiling at one year after activation. AT&T counts paid service; the code counts time (table above).

Cricket Wireless sets its own unlock rule: Cricket unlock. Every other carrier: all unlock rules.

Unlocked: adding a travel eSIM next to your AT&T line

A travel eSIM is another carrier’s plan, and Apple says an iPhone used with another carrier when traveling internationally “cannot be locked to a carrier” (Apple). Your US number stays on your main line, and most of our plans are data only; check the plan’s calls/SMS fields.

Apple says that with both lines on, your primary line keeps working, and you might still incur roaming fees from your home eSIM. Which line carries data and which takes calls is set in dual SIM setup.

Next: how to install an eSIM, then our country plans.

Frequently asked questions

Sources are linked in the text. Carrier terms change: for your own plan, check with AT&T.

Change log

Unfamiliar term? See the eSIM glossary.