“I purchased a used mobile phone only to discover that it’s been locked to Boost, the carrier. How do I make sure that that’s what happened and if it has been locked, how do I go about unlocking a Boost device?”
The struggle to unlock a cell phone that’s been locked to its carrier is real – and it’s not new. If a carrier activates a lock on a mobile phone, they immediately have a little too much power and control. If they have an active lock on a device, the carrier can then prevent you from switching your SIM card to that of a different carrier – limiting and incredibly frustrating.
Now, there may be several reasons why you’d want to switch to a different carrier. You may be struggling to receive a signal when travelling to different areas, or you may be on a plan that’s too expensive or limited for your needs.
One of the carriers known for enforcing locks on their devices is Boost Mobile, and the result is that users of Boost mobile phones have now been on the hunt for methods of unlocking their devices. Luckily this isn’t too difficult to do, and this article will explain exactly how to go about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
To kick off this article, we’re going to answer some of your burning questions regarding how to unlock a cell phone that’s been locked to its carrier.
How do I know that my device has been locked to Boost?
You may have your suspicions that your device has an active carrier lock, but perhaps you’re not 100% sure. So, before you go through the whole unlocking rigmarole, you should first determine whether or not your phone has been locked to Boost Mobile.
How to do it:
- Remove the Boost SIM card from the device
- Replace the Boost SIM card with a SIM from a different carrier
- See if the SIM card is accepted or rejected
As you can probably tell, it’s fairly simple to check if you have access to a SIM card from a different carrier. There are some ways of checking to see whether your phone has been locked by its carrier without using the SIM card, but we’re not going to go into that here.
If you discover that the SIM is rejected, then your device has been locked to Boost Mobile and you can use the methods in this article to get it unlocked.
Can you legally unlock a phone that’s been locked to Boost Mobile?
It depends on your geographical location, but there are some areas where the unlocking process of a Boost mobile phone may need to comply with regulations. But, there are almost no laws that forbid you from unlocking it.
In actual fact, there are some countries where the laws forbid carriers from activating locks on cell phones. For the most part, you just have to pay a fee to the carrier if you want your phone unlocked. But regardless of the legality of the business, it is always possible to get your phone unlocked anyway.
Unlocking a Boost Cell Phone by Yourself
So, let’s get to the real reason you’re here – the best ways of unlocking a Boost mobile phone by yourself. We tested a couple and have selected two methods that we’d recommend above others.
NB: Whichever method you end up using, remember to double check that your device has a Clean IMEI status. This means that it cannot be blacklisted, which means that it has been reported as lost or stolen. It is incredibly expensive and near impossible to unlock a blacklisted phone. Use a trusted IMEI checker to double check your status.
Top Choice: DirectUnlocks
The first unlocking solution we’d recommend, and our top pick, is called DirectUnlocks. Our reasoning behind its ranking is fairly simple. It has a 100% success rate and a delivery time of less than 24 hours. It is a top-tier site that offers effective and reliable services that make unlocking your device from its carrier a super simple process.
Best Features of DirectUnlocks:
- 100% success rate within 24 hours
- Ability to remove carrier locks from Boost Mobile and others
- Compatible with a variety of networks from several countries
- Entire process is completed remotely by professional experts
- Once you’ve placed your order, you can track its progress online
- Offers a secondary service that can successfully remove iCloud Activation Locks
If you want to hand over the reins to a professional who knows what to do to successfully unlock your Boost mobile phone, with little to no effort on your part, DirectUnlocks should be your first port of call.
About our Research
In order to offer complete transparency regarding our testing process, we will now explain how we go about doing our research. At its core, it incorporates two separate focus areas:
- We tested the solution, in this case DirectUnlocks, on one reader’s iPhone 8 (the winner of the “Lucky Fan” promo).
- We contacted this reader directly to ask them about previous experiences with unlocking devices from their carrier.
About the “Lucky Fan” promo: Every month we offer the chance for three readers to have their devices unlocked for free. These can include devices that are either locked to the carrier or to iCloud. The “Lucky Fans” are selected at random from those who comment on our posts.
Once we tested DirectUnlocks on the Lucky Fan’s iPhone 8, we were quite happy with the positive response we received from the reader. Because of this success, we weren’t all that surprised when we discovered that the feedback on DirectUnlocks from the general public is just as positive.
We also contacted customers that had tried to unlock a variety of devices locked to the Boost Mobile carrier. This research helped us prove that DirectUnlocks is compatible with any mobile phone (including iPhone, LG, Samsung, Huawei and several others).
How to Unlock a Boost iPhone/LG/Samsung/Huawei with DirectUnlocks
- Go to the DirectUnlocks Boost Mobile Unlock website
- Click on both drop-down menus to select your device model and country
- Submit the device’s IMEI number (if you don’t have it, dial *#06# to find it)
- Click “Continue”
- Complete payment
As soon as the payment has been completed, they will start processing your order and you should receive confirmation of a successful unlock in the span of 24 hours.
Using the Carrier to Unlock your Device
The second method we’d like to recommend is by going through your carrier. You can go straight to their support team and ask them to assist, but this will be less effective, take longer and probably cost you more than DirectUnlocks.
Limitations of using the Carrier:
- Your device cannot be listed as disabled, lost or stolen
- Your device’s Boost account shouldn’t have a bad rating (outstanding bills etc.)
- The device has to be eligible for the unlock process
- The device has to have been active on Boost Mobile for at least a year
- The device has to be sold by Boost
- You have to have paid at least 3 months before requesting an unlock service
If you are aware of these limitations, it makes sense considering an alternative service like DirectUnlocks. However, if you’re still sold on the carrier unlock, here’s how to do it:
Unlocking your device using the Carrier:
- Get in touch with customer support at Boost Mobile (1-866-402-7366)
- Ask for a carrier unlock code – they may ask you to pay now
- Once you have the code, enter it as per the instructions
- The unlock should be processed within 7 days
The Verdict
If you’ve made it this far in the article, you should know that one of the most reliable ways of unlocking a mobile phone that’s been locked to Boost Mobile carrier is DirectUnlocks. It is effective, efficient and affordable and it has a surprisingly quick turnaround time.
Getting in touch with the carrier and asking them to unlock it for you, is possible, but can be difficult and expensive.
With DirectUnlocks your device will get unlocked by a professional team of experts and within 24 hours you’ll be able to put any SIM card from any carrier you wish into your phone and use it without any issues.
