Buying a phone from an online carrier is easy; knowing when it will unlock is not, because each brand sets its own rule and the big carriers that own them don’t always apply theirs. Here is what Mint Mobile, Google Fi and Visible say, with the page each rule comes from.
The three rules
| Bought from | Locked? | Unlocks when |
|---|---|---|
| Mint Mobile | Yes, to Mint | By itself 60 days after activation — the commitment T-Mobile gave the FCC when it bought Mint in 2024, and what Mint’s own help page says |
| Google Fi or the Google Store | No | Sold unlocked; there is no lock period and nothing to request. A financed phone is a payment plan, not a lock |
| Visible | Yes, to Visible | On request after 365 days (phones bought on or after January 20, 2026, with 365 days of paid service); phones bought before that date had a 60-day lock |
Mint Mobile: 60 days, by itself
When the FCC approved T-Mobile’s purchase of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile in April 2024, T-Mobile committed to unlock Mint and Ultra phones within 60 days of activation, to unlock every capable phone automatically once it has been active 60 days, and to make all new Mint and Ultra phones capable of automatic unlocking within two years of closing. Mint’s help page says the same: phones bought from Mint unlock automatically 60 days after activation, and you can check or ask through Mint customer care. Note that T-Mobile’s own brand follows different numbers — 40 days on postpaid and 365 days on prepaid — so a Mint phone and a T-Mobile phone are not the same case.
Google Fi: unlocked from the box
Google’s Fi help says phones bought through Fi or the Google Store are sold unlocked, and the Pixel help page adds that every phone in the Google Store comes unlocked (an unlocked Google Store phone can show “Fi” on its SIM label until it is set up with a carrier). Financing a phone through Fi over 24 months is a payment arrangement; the page does not tie it to a lock, though the remaining balance is due if you leave Fi. The other way round matters too: Fi only works with an unlocked phone, so a phone bought from another carrier has to be unlocked by that carrier first.
Visible: a year, on request
Visible’s policy, effective June 1, 2026 and last updated August 15, 2026, says a new smartphone bought from Visible on or after January 20, 2026 is locked for 365 days and is unlocked on request once it was activated more than 365 days ago, has 365 days of paid service (progress pauses when you stop paying) and was used under Visible’s terms. A phone financed through Visible’s monthly plan on or after June 1, 2026 unlocks on request after 365 days, or earlier once the device loan is paid off. Phones bought before January 20, 2026 had a 60-day lock. Visible can’t unlock phones bought elsewhere, or replacement devices from its insurer or from Apple; requests go through Visible’s chat, and deployed military customers with relocation orders can ask early.
When an IMEI unlock makes more sense
A Visible phone months into its year, a used Mint phone that never reached 60 days on the first owner’s account: our Mint Mobile page and Visible page list the unlocks we offer, each with its live price and delivery estimate. Google phones don’t need one. Check the lock first with what carrier is my phone locked to, and run an IMEI check on anything bought secondhand.
