How to Unlock Alcatel Phones

By Palmer Owyoung

Factory Reset a VX8300 Verizon Phone
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Alcatel is a Hong Kong-based company that designs innovative and stylish mobile phones. Their phones tend to be at the higher end of the cost spectrum and thus are often sold as a package by the phone carriers. In exchange for a two-year contract you can purchase the phone at a lower cost, which means that it will often come locked, preventing you from using it with a different carrier.

Step 1

Call the phone company that you have service with and ask for the unlock codes if your service contract is up. This should be your first step. However they are not legally required to give you the codes. Be persistent, but it is largely up to the customer service representative with whom you are dealing with. If they flat out refuse, then ask to speak to a supervisor.

Step 2

Get the IMEI number from your Alcatel phone by dialing *#06# and waiting for a 15-digit code to appear. This is basically a serial code that your carrier will use to identify your phone. Write down the code. Skip to Step 6 if you obtain the code from your phone company.

Step 3

Find a website that offers unlock codes for Alcatel phones for sale. Some of these include UnlockItnow, FoneZone, and Unlocking.com. These sites will sell you codes for between $12.99 and $29.99 as of 2010.

Step 4

Go to the site that you will purchase your codes from and enter the IMEI number in the first box. You will then need to select the make as Alcatel and find the model next to that in the next drop-down box and click “Purchase Codes”. Enter your credit card details and an email address where you can receive the codes, and then click “Submit”.

Step 5

Check your email in a day or two and retrieve the unlock codes.

Step 6

Turn your phone off and take out the battery. Remove the SIM card.

Step 7

Turn on your Alcatel mobile without the SIM Card in. Type in #0000CODE# where "CODE" is the unlock code. Then type in #0001CODE#. Your phone will restart, and when it comes back on you will get a message that it is unlocked.

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