Search for a phone unlock and you will find two very different products sold under the same name. The difference matters, because only one of them survives a software update.
Official carrier unlock (IMEI whitelisting)
Your IMEI is marked as unlocked in the carrier or manufacturer database. The phone itself is never touched. Because the change lives on the network side, it holds through updates, factory resets and SIM swaps — permanently.
Software unlock
A tool modifies the phone’s firmware to ignore the carrier lock. It is cheaper and faster, and it commonly fails: the lock returns after the next update, the warranty is voided, and a bad flash can brick the handset outright.
Side by side
| Carrier unlock | Software unlock | |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent | Yes | No |
| Survives updates | Yes | No |
| Warranty safe | Yes | No |
| Risk of bricking | None | Real |
| Needs the phone in hand | No | Yes |
What we do
Every unlock we sell is IMEI-based. We do not flash firmware and we do not install anything on your device — you send an IMEI, we register it as unlocked, and it stays that way.
Browse the full list of unlock services to find the one for your device.