Unlocking Your Phone in Canada: What You Need to Know

A carrier-locked phone only works with SIM cards from the provider that locked it. If you’re switching providers, travelling or buying a used phone, a lock can stop you in your tracks. The good news is that in Canada, locked phones are far less common than they used to be, thanks to the CRTC’s Wireless Code. Here’s what you need to know.

What “carrier-locked” means

When a phone is locked, its software checks the SIM or eSIM you use and refuses service from networks other than the one it’s locked to. The phone still turns on, takes photos and uses Wi-Fi; you just can’t use another provider’s mobile service. Unlocking removes that restriction, so the phone accepts SIMs from any compatible network.

What Canada’s rules say

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) sets the Wireless Code, a mandatory code of conduct for providers of retail mobile phone services. Changes that took effect on December 1, 2017 mean that, for the individual and small business customers the code covers:

• New phones must be provided unlocked by the providers the code applies to.
• A phone that was locked before then can be unlocked on request, and the provider can’t charge you for doing it.

So if you bought your phone new from a Canadian provider after that date, it should already be unlocked. If you have an older phone from a Canadian provider that’s still locked, your first step is usually to contact that provider and ask. The CRTC’s website explains the Wireless Code in plain language if you want the details.

When a phone can still be locked

• It was bought outside Canada. Rules differ from country to country, and a phone sold by a carrier abroad may be locked to that carrier. Canadian rules don’t change that.
• It’s second-hand. A used phone may have been locked by its original seller — possibly in another country.
• It belongs to a business. Company phones are often managed by device-management software. That’s separate from a carrier lock, and only the company can release it.

How to check whether your phone is locked

iPhone

Open Settings → General → About and scroll to Carrier Lock. If it says No SIM restrictions, your iPhone is unlocked. Anything else means it’s locked to a carrier.

Android

Menus vary between Samsung, Google and other makers, so the most reliable test is practical: borrow a SIM from a friend who uses a different provider, put it in your phone and restart. If you see a message such as “SIM not supported” or a request for a network unlock PIN, the phone is locked.

Whatever phone you have, note down its IMEI number — dial *#06# to show it. Providers ask for it when you request an unlock.

How to get a phone unlocked

1. Start with the provider that locked it. For a Canadian provider, contact customer service with the account details and the IMEI.
2. For a phone from abroad, contact the original carrier. Many have an online unlock request, though conditions vary — some require the phone to be fully paid off.
3. Not sure where it came from? Bring the phone to the MyChoice kiosk or send a quote request with the make, model and the carrier it’s locked to. We’ll look at your situation and explain what’s possible.

What unlocking can’t do

Remove Activation Lock or a Google account lock

iPhones have Activation Lock, part of Find My, and Android phones have Factory Reset Protection. Both are anti-theft features tied to the owner’s Apple Account or Google Account, not to a carrier. Only the account owner can remove them, by signing in or removing the phone from their account. If you’re the original owner and you’re locked out, Apple and Google have their own account-recovery processes.

Clear a lost or stolen report

Canadian providers use a shared database of phones reported lost or stolen, and a phone on that list can be blocked from their networks even if it’s unlocked. When buying a used phone, ask for proof of purchase and make sure the seller has removed the phone from their account before you pay.

Make an old phone work on every network

An unlocked phone still has to support the network technology a provider uses, including voice calls over LTE on many networks. Very old phones that rely on 3G may have limited or no service as providers retire older networks.

After unlocking: switching SIMs

• Physical SIM: power the phone off, open the tray with a SIM tool, swap the card and power it back on.
• eSIM: your new provider gives you a QR code or an app to add the plan in Settings.
• No data? On Android, check the mobile network’s access point (APN) settings — your provider can tell you what to enter.
• Keep your old SIM somewhere safe in case you need it to verify an account.

Visiting from another country? Our guide to getting a SIM card or eSIM in Vancouver walks through the options.

Need help with a locked phone?

MyChoice Mobile Repair offers phone unlocking and SIM cards at our kiosk at 798 Granville St in Downtown Vancouver. Call (236) 785-8300 or send a quote request with your phone’s make, model and carrier, and we’ll let you know what we can do.