Verizon is one of the cell phone service providers that uses SIM cards in its phones, which is a removable chip that contains information on both the phone subscriber and the cell carrier. Cell phones can be used on any cell carrier, unless they are programmed to block other service providers, which SIM cards are often used to do. "Unlocking" a cell phone is the process of undoing the locking software on a phone's SIM card to allow it to be used on another carrier. Transferring a Verizon phone to a different carrier involves unlocking its SIM card via an unlock code.
Instructions
1. Enter *#06# on your keypad to pull up your phone's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Write the number down because you will need it. You can also locate it under the battery on many phones.
2. Contact a cell phone unlocking service to give you an unlock code. Verizon phones can usually be unlocked remotely and do not require any physical operation on them to switch them to a different carrier. Most services charge a fee for the service that ranges from $15 to $30, as of January 2011.
3. Provide the IMEI to the unlock service you are using. The service will then give you an unlock code specific to that IMEI.
4. Pull out the SIM card from the Verizon phone and slide in another one from a different carrier.
5. Enter the unlock code when prompted by the phone. The Verizon phone will now work with the carrier on the current SIM card and will likewise work with any other carrier you wish to use.
Tags: unlock code, cell phone, different carrier, Verizon phone, cell carrier