Verizon doesn't have to unlock your Samsung phone after 60 days anymore

Verizon is the largest mobile network in the United States. Carriers make their bread and butter on service plans, which is why they often subsidize phones so that subscribers can stay on their network. To that end, locking devices on their networks has long been a preferred option for carriers.

There was a restriction that required Verizon to automatically unlock devices 60 days after they were activated on its network. It can now keep them locked for longer, thereby making it harder for users to switch networks.

Verizon had petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for the 60-day unlocking requirement to be waived. This means no more automatic unlocking after two months. The voluntary policy Verizon now has to follow calls for unlocking prepaid devices one year after activation and postpaid devices after the installment plan or early termination fee is paid off.

This unlocking requirement only applied to Verizon in the United States, it wasn't applicable to any other major carrier. That's because Verizon had agreed to them back in 2008 when it bought 700 Mhz spectrum and again in 2021 when it bought TracFone.

Today's announcement doesn't mean that you won't be able to get your Samsung device unlocked on Verizon, it's just that the carrier will now do so “upon request” from customers, so it could end up taking longer. Previously, it would unlock the devices automatically after 60 days.

This waiver doesn't apply retrospectively, so phones that have already been activated on Verizon will continue to be automatically unlocked after the 60 day period is up.