Now Verizon has some good news if you want to unlock your phone
Source: Android Authority
TL;DR
- Verizon has confirmed that it plans to provide immediate device unlocking for all payment options “really soon.”
- This follows a 35‑day waiting period that was imposed for unlocking devices paid for via the Verizon app or authorized retailers.
- Customers who purchased devices on or after January 27 were presented with the updated unlocking terms at the point of sale.
Background
Verizon recently made it more difficult for postpaid customers to unlock their phones by imposing a 35‑day waiting period when payments were made through the Verizon app or authorized retailers. The restriction was intended to prevent fraud, as those channels cannot validate transactions in real time.
Verizon’s Response
Verizon told Android Authority that it is working to eliminate the waiting period:
“We’ve already rolled out immediate unlocking for customers who pay at our corporate stores or use automated payment methods, since those systems can validate transactions in real‑time. For other channels such as our app or authorized retailers, the 35‑day window is strictly focused on fraud prevention, ensuring payments are fully cleared. That said, we recognize this is a pain point for our customers and our goal is to provide an immediate device unlock for all payment methods really soon. Our teams are diligently working to bridge that gap and we’ll update the website/policy when this is possible – happy to also reach out and let you know first.”
The carrier currently allows immediate unlocking for “secure” payment types at Verizon stores, defined as cash, contactless payments, or credit cards with EMV chips. Verizon hopes to extend this to all payment methods soon.
Policy Update Timeline
- January 27 – The new device‑unlocking policy went into effect. Customers purchasing or upgrading from this date were shown the full terms at the point of sale.
- February 11 – Verizon’s device‑unlocking policy page was updated to reflect the changes.
Verizon clarified that the policy was not applied retroactively to customers who bought devices before the public announcement.