T-Mobile glitch allows Samsung phones to be unlocked early

Ben Schoon | Feb 15 2024 - 6:55 am PT

Buying a phone from your carrier is a good way to get great deals or an easy payment option, but it also often means being stuck with a device locked to one carrier. A glitch over at T-Mobile, though, has left the ability to permanently unlock Samsung smartphones just a few taps away.

Detailed on Reddit, a glitch in T-Mobile’s phone unlock system is allowing users to unlock any Samsung smartphone without the typical waiting periods.

Through the Settings menu on Samsung phones, users can request a temporary network unlock. This functionality is typically used for international travel and only works for 30 days. But requesting that temporary unlock, at least for now, also opens up the ability to request a permanent unlock. A few minutes after the temporary unlock is done, users can tap the option to permanently unlock their devices, leaving them open to use a SIM from any other carrier.

T-Mobile details the process on its website, but the option for a permanent unlock isn’t supposed to be available until a user has paid off their phone entirely.

The only prerequisite for this working seems to be having the device active on T-Mobile’s network for a few days, but it apparently doesn’t work for all users. So far, the method appears to work for recent Galaxy S devices as well as foldables, including the brand new Galaxy S24 series.

T-Mobile is likely to shut down this loophole relatively soon, but it’s a useful option if it works for you.