“After I bought my new phone I started to think it has been locked to the Tesco Mobile network. How can I check if this is true and how do I unlock it from Tesco Mobile?”
Carrier locks are incredibly limiting to anyone who purchases a second-hand phone or who wants to switch to a network with cheaper plans. This is because with a carrier lock, you can only use the phone on a specific network. In this case, encountering a Tesco Mobile lock will need to be remedied by learning how to unlock Tesco Mobile.
By reading this article you’ll learn how to check if your phone has actually been carrier locked, as well as what methods there are to unlock it.
Part 1. How to Know if Your Phone is Locked to Tesco Mobile?
First thing’s first: before unlocking a phone, we need to make sure it’s locked. If it turns out there isn’t actually a lock in place, then you can avoid this process altogether. To check if a mobile phone is locked to a carrier, follow these steps.
Step 1. Remove the current Tesco Mobile SIM card from your phone.
Step 2. Insert a SIM card from a different carrier (e.g. EE, T-Mobile, O2, etc).
Step 3. Check if your phone connects to the different carrier network.
If the phone does connect then there isn’t a carrier lock, but if it refuses to connect to any network that isn’t Tesco Mobile, a carrier lock is active. If you don’t have a different SIM card, just check it without SIM card.
This will likely confirm that there is a carrier lock on your phone. In that case, the next thing to do is look into Tesco Mobile unlock solutions.
Part 2. How to Unlock Your Tesco Mobile Phone?
Although there are lots of different solutions to unlock Tesco Mobile phone, we’ve handpicked the 2 methods we believe to be the most effective and worth focusing on.
Before unlocking, you need to know the blacklist status of your phone. If it’s blacklisted, none of the methods work for you. The most accurate way to check the blacklist status is to use WipeLock IMEI Checker.
If the blacklist status is “Clean,” you can use either of the methods below to unlock your phone.
Method 1. Unlock Tesco Mobile with an Unlock Code (7 Days)
First of all, you can take the direct approach of contacting Tesco Mobile. By doing this, you can request an unlock code which you can then use to remove the carrier lock yourself. You will be charged for this service and how much you pay will differ depending on the Tesco Mobile plan that the SIM card has.
- Bill Pay Plan. With this type of plan, you won’t have to make a payment, although you still have to meet the terms of your phone contract.
- Pay As You Go. You may unlock your phone if it has been connected to the Tesco Mobile network for a minimum of 9 months. Otherwise, you are required to have a €150 balance.
- Capped Plan. Similar to PAYG plans, you must have had the phone connected to the Tesco Mobile network for at least 9 months or have paid €150 in total.
Steps to Get Free Tesco Mobile Unlock Code
Prices for a Tesco Mobile unlock are clearly very steep, so it’s not optimal. Nonetheless, if you’re on a Bill Pay Plan, here’s how you can proceed with unlocking this way:
Step 1. Go to the Tesco Mobile support page. And click on the the ‘Send an email’ section.
Step 2. Offer all the information they required, including your name, phone number, email address. Select your phone plan.
Step 3. Then select “Request Phone Codes” > “Request phone unlock code”
Step 4. Type the phone’s IMEI number which can be found by dialing *#06#.
Step 5. Leave your message as detailed as possible. And click on the “Send Message” button.
Step 6. After receiving your unlock request, Tesco will contact you after 3 – 21 days with unlock code and further instructions via text.
Although you’ll be waiting as long as 21 working days to unlock Tesco Mobile, it gets the job done.
4 Limits of Carrier Code Unlock
In some cases, you can’t unlock your Tesco Mobile with this method.
- New phones that have been recently released (the phone has to be 1-year old before Tesco Mobile will unlock it)
- Phones that different carriers have locked (Tesco Mobile can only unlock their own phones)
- Phones which are marked as lost, stolen, or for any other reason are banned from the network
- Phones that were bought from different suppliers
Method 2. Unlock Tesco Mobile with DirectUnlocks (in 5 minutes)
Alternatively, the method that we highly prefer, you can seek help from DirectUnlocks. This website offers phone unlocking for various devices (including iPhone, Samsung, LG, and more), and from virtually any carrier too.
This method can bypass all the limits of using an unlock code. Notable features include:
- Unlocks your phone and removes all carrier limits
- Experts remotely unlock the phone after you provide the IMEI number
- Their service allows you to switch to any carrier you want afterwards
- Permanently unlocks your phone even if you do a factory reset
- Moneyback guarantee if the Tesco Mobile unlock doesn’t work (very unlikely)
Tesco Mobile Unlock Instructions
Given that this Tesco Mobile unlock method is significantly more affordable than the first way, it’s definitely worth checking out. Follow these steps to get started.
Step 1. Go to the DirectUnlocks Tesco Mobile unlock page.
Step 2. Using the drop-down lists, select the type of mobile phone you have as well as the region which you are in. You can choose from different devices here.
Step 3. Below these lists, enter the IMEI number of the device you want to unlock. You will find this number by calling *#06#.
Step 4. Click “Continue” after entering the device details. Confirm that you have typed the correct details by reviewing the order summary, and proceed to submit your payment information.
Finally, once all the required information is entered, the order will be processed and the phone will unlock in 5 minutes.
That is literally all there is to it. All you’re required to do is submit a few basic details about the device, make the payment, and wait for the experienced professionals to remove the carrier lock. It couldn’t be any easier!
Part 3. FAQs About Unlocking Phone from Tesco Mobile
Are Tesco Mobile phones unlocked?
All the Tesco Mobile Pay as you go phones are unlocked now. If you’re not sure, just insert a SIM card from another carrier into your phone to see if it can work normally (make phone call, send text, etc.)
If it can work normally, then your phone is unlocked.
How to unlock Tesco Mobile phone with PUK code?
PUK (PIN Unlock Key) code is different from unlock code; it’s a code used to unblock your SIM card. When you enter your PIN code incorrectly three times, your SIM card will be blocked. From then, you can’t use it to make calls/texts.
To get the PUK code, contact Tesco Mobile by calling 0345 301 4455 or 4455 (from a Tesco Mobile device).
After receiving the PUK code, enter it on your phone, your SIM card will be unblocked.
Can Tesco Mobile unlock your phone or tablet from another network?
Tesco Mobile can’t unlock a phone that is locked to another network. They can only unlock a device from Tesco Mobile.
To unlock your phone from another network, you’ll need to contact your old network and offer them the IMEI number of your phone.
How to take your Tesco Mobile number to another network?
To take your Tesco Mobile phone number to another network, you’ll get a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) from Tesco Mobile, then give it to your new network.
To get the PAC, text PAC to 65075, then Tesco Mobile will send the PAC (valid for 30 days) for free within 60 seconds.
Are Tesco contract phones unlocked?
If your Tesco Mobile phone is in contract, it may still be locked. Insert a new SIM card from another carrier into your phone to check if it’s locked.
What is the SIM network unlock PIN for Tesco Mobile?
SIM network unlock PIN is also known as unlock code that is generated by network provider.
When you insert another SIM card into your locked phone, it will ask for the SIM network unlock PIN. After entering it, your phone will be unlocked, and the new SIM card start to work for you.
How to get Nokia 100 Tesco unlock code?
Most Nokia unlock code generators are scammers. You’d better contact Tesco Mobile to get the unlock code for free.
Conclusion
Using these solutions will enable you to unlock Tesco Mobile alongside several other UK carriers, removing the limits that have been imposed on your mobile phone. Whilst contacting the carrier directly is one option, it’s far from being the best option. The better choice would be to use DirectUnlocks Tesco Mobile unlock method. It comes at an extremely reasonable price, takes no time at all, and allows you to connect your phone to any other carrier afterwards.
