Verizon acknowledges 'pain' of new unlock policy, suggests change is coming

Source: Ars Technica

Report: Verizon’s goal is “immediate unlock for all payment methods really soon.”

Following our report last week that Verizon is forcing people to wait 35 days for phone unlocks after paying off device installment plans, Verizon is apparently trying to eliminate the inconvenient delay. However, Verizon hasn’t confirmed the plan to Ars, and a statement to another news outlet did not provide any timeline for implementing the change.

As a refresher, the latest version of Verizon’s device‑unlocking policy for postpaid customers imposes a 35‑day waiting period when a customer pays off the remaining balance of a device installment plan:

• Online, via the Verizon app, or with a Verizon gift card – 35‑day wait.
• Over the phone or at a Verizon Authorized Retailer – 35‑day wait.

Verizon says the restrictions are needed to counter fraud. A phone will be unlocked immediately only when the balance is paid off:

• At a Verizon corporate store, or
• Via automatic payments (scheduled installments).

If you’re partway through one of Verizon’s 36‑month device installment plans and you pay off the remaining balance early without visiting a corporate store, you must still wait 35 days for the unlock that would let you switch the phone to a different carrier’s network.

Verizon reportedly said it is trying to change that “really soon,” but provided no specific or even estimated rollout date. Android Authority reported yesterday that it received a statement from Verizon saying:

“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.”

Source: Android Authority

Note: This article reflects the information available as of February 2026.

FCC Lets Verizon Lock Phones for Longer

Verizon did not mention this plan when we contacted the company’s public‑relations team on Friday. At the time, Verizon confirmed the current policy but didn’t say whether it had any plans to change it. We reached out again yesterday morning and today about the statement reported by Android Authority and have not received a response.

Background

• Previous unlocking policy – Until recently, Verizon had the most consumer‑friendly unlocking policy among the major nationwide U.S. carriers. This was due to:

  1. Rules imposed on Verizon’s 700 MHz spectrum licenses.
  2. Merger conditions on the firm’s purchase of TracFone (see the FCC filing here).

  These requirements meant phones were unlocked after 60 days.

• 2019 waiver – Verizon began selling phones that were already unlocked, but in 2019 it obtained a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission allowing it to lock phones for 60 days to deter fraud. Details are in the Ars Technica article “Verizon wants to lock new phones for 60 days to prevent black‑market resale”.

• New waiver (2026) – Verizon later claimed the 60‑day period still wasn’t sufficient to stop fraud. Last month the FCC granted another waiver that lifted the unlocking requirement, effectively allowing Verizon to keep phones locked for a longer period. See the Ars Technica report: “FCC lets Verizon lock phones for longer, making it harder to switch carriers”.

Current status

• Verizon’s policy now permits the carrier to keep phones locked beyond the previous 60‑day limit.
• No official comment has been received from Verizon regarding the new FCC decision.

Sources: FCC filing, Android Authority, Ars Technica.

Confusing Rollout

Verizon started overhauling its unlocking policies after receiving the latest waiver, and the rollout has been confusing. When the new policy was put online with an effective date of January 27, it applied the 35‑day delay only to cases in which a customer uses a Verizon gift card to buy a phone or pay off the remaining balance.

As we reported, Verizon last week changed that language on the policy page to apply the 35‑day delay in more scenarios, but did not change the January 27 effective date. The Verizon statement quoted by Android Authority yesterday said the full terms were presented to customers starting on January 27 even though those terms weren’t fully described on the webpage.

“Regarding the website update timing, the new device unlocking policy went into effect on January 27th,” the Verizon statement said. “Customers purchasing or upgrading from that date were (and are being) presented with the full terms of the new policy at their point of sale. We’ll make sure all our public‑facing info is also clear and consistent across channels.”

Wrong Terms Still Presented to Phone Buyers

Information is still not “clear and consistent across channels,” even when it comes to the terms shown directly to phone buyers.

• Verizon: The device‑unlocking policy on Verizon’s iPhone 17 page states that the 35‑day delay applies only when a customer uses a Verizon gift card to purchase a phone or pay off the remaining balance. The same language appears on Verizon listings for other iPhones and devices from Google, Samsung, and Motorola. This wording would lead a consumer to believe a phone unlocks automatically once the financing balance is paid in full—provided a gift card wasn’t used. That is not accurate (see this article and our article from last week).

• Verizon (postpaid vs. prepaid):

  • Postpaid customers follow the policy described above.
  • Prepaid customers have phones locked to the network until the completion of 365 days of paid and active service.

• AT&T: According to the AT&T unlocking policy, postpaid phones purchased at least 60 days ago can be unlocked when the device is paid in full. Prepaid phones require a six‑month waiting period before they can be unlocked.

• T‑Mobile: The T‑Mobile policy allows postpaid phones that have been active on the network for at least 40 days to be unlocked after they are paid in full. Prepaid phones have a 365‑day waiting period.

About the Author

Jon Brodkin – Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, FCC rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech sector.

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