If you bought a new phone, and it isn’t working, especially if the phone says that the SIM card isn’t supported, it might have a blocked IMEI number.
In other words, the network provider put the phone on a blacklist and blocked it. That can happen for several reasons.
In this article, you’ll learn several ways to fix a phone with a blocked IMEI. However, you first need to make sure your carrier didn’t simply lock the phone to their network. Also, make sure that the phone supports the correct network bands.
Part 1. Top 5 IMEI Blacklist Removal Tools/Services
Fortunately, there are ways to remove your phone from the IMEI blacklist.
You must use one of these steps – otherwise, the phone will remain on the blacklist, and you won’t be able to use it for calls, texts, and mobile data.
1. Call the Carrier – IMEI Blacklist Removal For Free
Your first step should be to call the original mobile carrier that blocked the IMEI. This method might not cost you any money, and it’s the quickest and easiest method.
There are three main reasons a carrier might block an IMEI. Let’s go over them because this particular unblocking method will only work in specific cases:
- The original owner reported the phone lost or stolen.
- The original owner defaulted on their payments and owes money to the carrier.
- The carrier blocked it by mistake – it got on the list even though it shouldn’t be on it.
In the second and third cases, the carrier will usually unblock the phone right away. If it was a mistake, they will remove it from the blacklist.
What if the original owner still owes money?
This problem can happen if you bought a second-hand phone. Sometimes, people leave the country or switch to another carrier and don’t bother paying their bills, thinking they’ll never need to use that carrier again anyway.
You can explain that you are not the original owner. The carrier might ask you to settle the bill and pay the remaining balance to get the phone unlocked. Usually, it’s a small price to pay.
If the phone was reported as lost, calling the carrier and reporting it as “clean” can unblock it. Say you found the phone. The seller might have come across it and decided to sell it.
So, how do you know which carrier to call?
Sometimes, it is obvious – for example, you might have bought an unlocked T-Mobile phone; in that case, call T-Mobile. You can also get in touch with your carrier.
If your carrier is honoring the blacklist of another provider, they might decide to unblock your device based on the information you give them.
However, if the phone was reported stolen, the carrier probably will not unblock it. It doesn’t matter if you bought the phone from a seller and did not know about it.
It isn’t your fault, but the carrier still won’t unblock the phone. Therefore, you will need to try another unblocking method.
You may also need to use another method if you can’t get in touch with the carrier. Sometimes, cellular companies have poor customer service, and it’s not always easy to get them to unblock a phone.
2. Use an IMEI Blacklist Removal Service
Even if the carrier does not agree to remove your phone from the list, you can still use an IMEI blacklist removal tool or service.
These services provide Android and iPhone blacklist removal services for a small fee. They use several tried-and-trusted methods to unblock phones that are banned.
Some methods these services use may include:
- Replacing the IMEI with a new one
- Using a connection with an employee at the carrier to get the phone off the list
- Reporting the phone as clean
- Getting in touch with the original owner and convincing them to pay the bill
Regardless of the methods they use, which include secret techniques, the services do work.
Are you feeling frustrated after trying to get the carrier to remove the phone from the list without any success? These services can help.
Keep in mind that you do not necessarily need to give your phone to anyone for them to remove it from the IMEI ban list. Many services offer remote services so that you can place an order online, and they will unban your mobile phone remotely.
We’ve tested lots of IMEI blacklist remover services, the most reliable one is DirectUnlocks, it works perfectly for both iOS and Android devices.
Here is how to use:
- Visit one of the above services’ website
- Select your carrier, offer your IMEI
- Make the payment
You just need to offer the IMEI of your device to one of the two trusted services, they will get your phone removed from blacklist in a few days.
3. Replace the IMEI Chip
This free IMEI blacklist removal method is a bit more complicated and technical, but it can work.
There are ways to manually change the IMEI of a phone if you have the phone in your possession. However, this method does not usually work with newer phones – it only works with older iPhones.
In addition, it requires having the correct IMEI chip with which to replace it. Also, you do need to have some technical knowledge to do this right without damaging your phone.
As such, it is not the most recommended method.
4. Contact the Seller for IMEI Blacklist Removal
Finally, try to contact the seller of the phone. They may know why the carrier banned the phone, and they may be able to help you get it off the blacklist. For example, they might agree to pay the bill they owe to the carrier.
If you bought the phone directly from the previous owner, this step is usually more straightforward. You might already have the phone number or email of the seller, so you can send them a message or call them.
If you bought it on eBay, message them via eBay. If you purchased it on Facebook Marketplace, go back to the chat you used to communicate with the seller and find their profile.
Unfortunately, if the seller knew the phone was stolen or there was an outstanding balance on their bill, they might not want to admit to that, so they won’t necessarily answer your message.
Also, many sellers don’t care about helping buyers who have trouble with their phones. After all, they already got their money.
If you bought the phone from a second-hand shop, go back to figure out what went wrong. The shop owner might have bought the phone from a private seller, but they may still be able to help you.
5. AT&T and Verizon IMEI Blacklist Removal Free – Lucky Dog Plan
The last IMEI blacklist removal tool is especially for readers of WipeLock. We’ll help three of our readers (per month) to unlock their device or IMEI blacklist removal for FREE.
Till now, we only support AT&T IMEI blacklist removal and Verizon IMEI blacklist removal. If you’re interested in this, don’t hesitate to join our Lucky Dog Plan!
To john, you need to leave a comment below and share this post, we’ll select three lucky dogs randomly and inform you once you’re chose.
Part 2. FAQs About IMEI Blacklist Removal
1. What Is a Blacklisted Phone?
A blacklisted iPhone has a blocked IMEI. Phone carriers maintain ban lists of phones – and the best way for them to identify a phone is with its IMEI number.
Each phone has a unique IMEI number, though it might have two if it holds two SIM cards.
Usually, even if one carrier puts the phone on a banned list, other companies will honor that list as well.
Therefore, switching to a smaller carrier might allow you to use the phone again. However, it may remain blocked on the major networks.
2. Why Do Phones Get Blacklisted?
Most phones never get blacklisted. If your new phone doesn’t work with your existing SIM, it might simply be locked to the original company’s network. In other words, the phone is still usable.
The carrier is preventing the phone from being used with another phone company. In that case, the company can usually unlock it easily.
However, phones get added to IMEI banned lists when they are stolen or lost. They do it to discourage people from stealing phones or using a phone they found on the street.
Sometimes, a carrier will blacklist a phone if the owner is not paying their bills and owes them money. They don’t want the phone to be used with another carrier, so they block it altogether. That provides an incentive to the owner to pay their bill.
Finally, phone companies can ban phones by mistake. For example, an employee at the company can block the wrong phone.
3. How to Check if Your Phone Is Blacklisted?
You can check with your carrier to see if they blocked the phone. Alternatively, you can use an IMEI checker tool, such as WipeLock IMEI checker.
Differing from other online IMEI checkers who simply generate IMEI report from an outdated database, WipeLock will check your IMEI manually to ensure the results are accurate.
You will need to know your IMEI number first. You can get that in your settings (in the About Phone section) or by dialing *#06#.
4. How to Avoid Getting a Blacklisted Phone?
To avoid getting a bad phone, make sure you only buy second-hand phones from reliable sellers.
If you are buying it on eBay, for example, read the seller feedback ratings and reviews.
Facebook Marketplace allows people to leave reviews as well. Alternatively, purchase it from a trusted second-hand shop or directly from the carrier.
Conclusion
Having trouble removing your phone from blacklist? Don’t worry, the above 5 ways will help you out. All of them are tested & verified by us.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
Very informative information.
Love the blog. Please help as I got scammed with a blacklisted ATT iPhone. Need to be one of the lucky dogs. It’s a paper weight right now. Fingers crossed.
Best service advice I’ve seen so far
Hey, very interesting article! It would be great if you guys could help me out.
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Thank you
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I contacted AT&T and they wont remove, but they will offer to you to join ATT and get a phone and service!!
Helpful blog
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