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We often receive messages from our customers asking us to remove their phones from the blacklist if they end up there because they were stolen or had unpaid bills. It a very common mistake, but there is a difference between a blacklisted phone and a carrier locked one. The only thing they have in common is that they will probably prevent you from being able to use the phone properly. In this article we tell you the difference between a blacklisted phone and a carrier locked one, and how to fix both.
Is it possible to remove a phone from the blacklist?
The first thing you need to know is that a phone can be blacklisted if it has been reported as lost or stolen by the owner or because one or more bills have not been paid on time. On the other hand, a carrier locked cell phone is a phone which use that has been restricted to SIM cards from a specific network carrier.
This security restriction will prevent you from using your phone in a normal way and it will start to experience a progressive decrease its features. You will most likely be able to connect to the Internet and send text messages, but won’t be able to receive incoming or make outgoing calls.
If you are unsure if your cell phone has been blacklisted, don’t worry. You can find it out using doctorSIM’s free blacklist check. In order to remove it from the blacklist, the original owner of the phone will need to contact its original network carrier and ask them to remove it after fixing the situation that lead to them blacklisting it in the first place. Any other means is completely illegal.
How does the unlocking by IMEI process work for carrier locked phones?
On the other hand, carrier locking a phone’s IMEI is a mechanism activated by the original network carrier to ensure that the cellphone can only be used with them. Fortunately, there are 100% legal services like doctorSIM that can help you unlock these devices, so they can be used with any company in any country.
Unlocking a phone with doctorSIM is an online process and of course is totally safe. If you need to purchase this unlocking service, you just need to select the brand and model of the phone you want to unlock, and enter the country and carrier of origin.
If available, choose the service you need, provide its IMEI number (which you can obtain by dialing *#06#), and just give us an email address where you want to receive the instructions. We’ll sort everything out for you!
In summary, there are significant differences between removing a phone from the blacklist and unlocking it so you can use it with the carrier of your choice. Not sure if your phone is blacklisted? You can check it for free here. And remember, if you have any questions, just drop us a line on our social media channels. We’ll be happy to assist you!
