You are here because you want to know how to sim unlock Samsung Galaxy S9+. In the US and many countries in the EU, mobile phones are not sold by the manufacturers alone. The mobile network providers or carriers sell the handsets to the buyers. So, the buyers opt for contracts offered by carriers like T mobile, Verizon wireless, AT &T and Sprint, etc.
This is applicable for the Apple iPhone as well as its Android counterpart, the Samsung Galaxy S9+. However, at times, the users may feel like changing the carrier without changing the handset they are using. Usually, the handsets are SIM locked to the carriers. This necessitates SIM unlock on those handsets.
Why you may want to unlock your Galaxy S9+
The Galaxy S9+ is the flagship Android device from the stables of Samsung, the South Korean technology conglomerate. It offers blazing fast performance and category redefining features and it would not be wrong to call it a multimedia powerhouse. However, under certain situations you may feel like SIM unlocking the Galaxy S9+ bought by you. These are:
- You may have become weary of the bloat ware installed by your carrier in the device. You cannot uninstall them unless the device is unlocked.
- You may have found another carrier is offering great offers on the Galaxy S9+. You may also feel the other carrier offers better speed and network coverage than what your existing carrier offers.
- You have plans to travel abroad and want to use the device in foreign countries. The SIM card may not work there and even if it does, using it will be pretty expensive! So, you may want to use a new SIM in the device during the travel.
Ways to SIM unlock the Galaxy S9+
Before you proceed to unlock Samsung Galaxy S9+ a few things have to be analyzed. You need to check if you still owe the carrier any fee as per the contract or not. If you have cleared the amount entirely, unlocking the handset will be relatively smooth. In case, you are still under the contract duration and due are remaining- there are workarounds too. Checking the facts with your carrier is advisable before you proceed, at any rate.
Procedure 1: Unlocking the Galaxy S9+ through the carrier/network provider
To unlock the Galaxy S9+ through your mobile carrier, you need to get the phone’s IMEI number. This can be obtained by dialing *#06#. You may write down the 15 digit IMEI number at this stage. Then, you need to contact your provider and send a request for the unlock code.
They will need the device’s IMEI number. If the dues are clear and you are eligible for switching to any other carrier, your carrier will email you the code or send it through an SMS. Thereafter, you can power down the device and take out old SIM. Out the new SIM in its place and reset the device.
Based on the carrier, you may have to provide the code before or after changing the SIM. O2 offers phone unlocks without hassles and Virgin Mobile phones come unlocked by default. Vodafone takes more than a week to send the SIM unlock code. Some carriers (like T-Mobile and MetroPCS) may offer app based SIM unlock as well.
Procedure 2: Unlocking the Galaxy S9+ through third party service providers
If your carrier refuses to send unlock code owing to any reason or policy, do not fret. You can still unlock Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus by using third-party services. However, it will cost you some money. There are services like Codes2unlock that you can use. They offer a refund guarantee if their methods fail to unlock the device. These services also need the IMEI number with payment details. You are likely to get email based assistance from them to unlock the device.