I recently unlocked my Samsung S23 after having issues with my carrier. They were trying to charge me a hefty $700 right before my phone was fully paid off, and refused to unlock it until I paid. I managed to navigate the Android settings and requested a permanent network unlock, which was approved, so my phone is now marked as fully unlocked. However, I'm worried about whether my old carrier can reverse this unlocking process. Can they really do that?
2 Answers
As far as I know, once your phone is unlocked, the carrier can't reverse it. You're in the clear! Just keep using your phone as usual.
I might be mistaken, but the carrier might be able to blacklist your IMEI. If you've been using the same SIM, they could still track it. If you switched to an eSIM, that might use a different IMEI altogether. Just something to think about!
Yes, eSIMs will still use the same IMEI as your physical SIM, so it might not matter if you switched.
Just to clarify, the IMEI is your phone's identity, while the SIM has an ICCID linked to your mobile identity (IMSI). Carriers usually blacklist the IMEI to prevent theft, but the SIM details are less likely to be an issue since they can change easily.