Learn how to check if your phone is unlocked and, if it isn't, how you go about making an unlock request with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. Matt Elliott Senior Editor Matt Elliott is a senior ...

For almost two years, it was illegal to unlock your new smartphone. Now carriers’ grip on users’ smartphones has been loosened by several key pieces of legislation. As of February 11, no carrier can ...

If you’ve had a smartphone for any amount of time, you’ve no doubt heard of the term “unlocking” your phone. And we’re not talking about your phone’s passcode to access the home screen — we’re talking ...

Obama signs a bill into law that makes unlocking a cell phone legal again, making it easier for some consumers to take their phones with them when they change wireless operators. Marguerite Reardon ...

Use these codes to forward calls, pay your bill, check balances, etc. Some of the codes work only on certain carriers or devices. One of the codes also might erase your data, so use with caution. I've ...

Citing frustration with mobile carriers enforcing different phone-unlocking policies that are bad for consumers, the Federal Communications Commission is proposing a 60-day unlocking requirement that ...

Legislation to allow people to "unlock" their cell phones won unanimous support on Capitol Hill and is about to become law. But the bill won't have much practical effect for most people. Cell-phone ...

Coders have a storied tradition of creating back doors in programs (or sometimes just fun little Easter eggs) that can only be accessed with a special "key." This has happened for almost as long as ...

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at an event announcing the nominations of Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the President of the Walmart Foundation, as his budget chief, Gina ...