Unlocking a Cricket phone: the wait, and the faster route
Cricket unlocks its own phones for free after 365 days of paid service, or six months for a phone bought before July 1, 2026. Here is how to check yours and what to do sooner.
Cricket unlocks a phone made for its network for free once it has had enough paid Cricket service: 365 days for a phone bought on or after July 1, 2026, at least six months for one bought before that date. The phone must not be reported lost or stolen and the account must not be tied to fraud, and you have to ask; Cricket doesn’t unlock by itself. A paid IMEI unlock is for the months in between, or for a used phone whose days of service aren’t yours. Check the lock first, then the rule that applies to your purchase date, then pick the model above.
Is your Cricket phone already unlocked?
- 1iPhoneSettings → General → About → Carrier Lock. “No SIM restrictions” means the phone is unlocked; “SIM locked” means it is still tied to the carrier.
- 2Samsung GalaxyRecent Galaxy phones show the network lock under Settings → Connections → More connection settings; older ones under About phone → Software information.
- 3Any phone with a SIM trayPut in a SIM from another carrier. A message that the SIM isn’t supported, or a prompt for an unlock code, means the phone is still locked to Cricket.
- 4A used phone, or no accountDial *#06# for the IMEI and run an IMEI check: it shows the carrier and lock details on record without the account.
Cricket’s own unlock rules
Cricket’s device unlock policy was revised on July 1, 2026, and its support page keeps the older wait for phones bought before that date. Both were read on October 3, 2026. In our words:
| Condition | What Cricket asks |
|---|---|
| Phone bought on or after July 1, 2026 | At least 365 days of paid Cricket service on that phone. |
| Phone bought before July 1, 2026 | At least six months of paid service on that phone. |
| The phone | Designed for Cricket’s network and locked to it. A phone from another carrier is unlocked by that carrier. |
| Its record | Not reported lost or stolen. |
| The account | Not associated with fraud. Cricket can refuse a request it believes abuses the policy. |
| Deployed military | Active, deployed military members who can’t reach the waiting period can ask Cricket with deployment verification, every other condition met. |
How to ask Cricket
Once the phone qualifies, request the unlock: Cricket’s support page describes an online portal for iPhones, the myCricket app or the Cricket Device Unlock app for Android phones, and the account page or Cricket support for everything else. Have the IMEI ready (dial *#06#). After Cricket applies the unlock, restart the phone with the new SIM in place.
Which route fits your phone
| Your situation | The route |
|---|---|
| The phone has had its 365 days (or six months, bought before July 1, 2026) of paid service | Cricket, for free, on request. |
| Months short of the wait | A paid IMEI unlock from the grid above. |
| Bought secondhand, the days of service aren’t yours | A paid IMEI unlock. Run an IMEI check first so you know the carrier and lock on record. |
| Reported lost or stolen | Neither. The report has to be cleared by whoever placed it. |
The rules the US carriers share are in our guide to whether your phone is eligible for an unlock, and what a blacklisted IMEI means explains the one report no unlock can clear.
Pick your phone above
The brand tiles and the model grid at the top of this page are the paid route: pick the brand, then the model, and the card shows that service’s live price and usual time, which is why neither is written here. The order box then asks for the IMEI and an email, and pays in one step. Apple, Samsung and the other brands also have their own pages.
What to confirm before you order
- The phone is locked to Cricket, not to another network: the services above are for Cricket phones only. An IMEI check settles it when you aren’t sure.
- The exact model: Settings → General → About on an iPhone, Settings → About phone on Android. Each card above names the models it takes.
- The IMEI: dial *#06#, or read it in the same About screen. You type it at checkout; nothing is installed on the phone.
- No lost, stolen or fraud report on the IMEI. An unlock can’t remove one, and no one else can either except the carrier that placed it.
- The service’s own notes on its page: some take only phones with a clean record or a paid-off balance, and each states its refund rule.
- 1ConfirmationThe order number arrives by email straight away. Keep it; it is what Track order and our support use.
- 2While it runsEach service card above shows its usual time. Leave the phone as it is; there is nothing to do on it in the meantime.
- 3DoneThe result comes by email. Put in the new SIM, restart the phone, and the lock-status check above should now read as unlocked. Anything odd: Help & FAQ.