Cricket Wireless Unlock — Eligibility, Timing and Used Phones

Cricket runs on AT&T's network but has its own unlock rules, and they are stricter than most people expect.

Cricket's own requirements

Cricket's published device unlock policy says it will unlock on request once all of these are true:

• The device has been active for at least 365 days of paid service on that device.

• The device is locked to Cricket's network.

• It has not been reported lost or stolen.

• It is not tied to a fraudulent account.

Active-duty military facing deployment can request one device unlock early with deployment verification.

The part that catches people out

The 365 days has to be on that specific device, not on your account. Swapping a phone mid-year resets the clock on the new one. And if you bought the phone used, you usually cannot see the service history at all, which is the single most common reason people end up looking for another route.

Before you order anything

Dial *#06# for your 15-digit IMEI. Then confirm the phone is actually locked to Cricket and not to a different carrier — plenty of phones people call Cricket phones turn out to be AT&T. If you are unsure, run the $1 carrier check on our site first rather than guessing and buying the wrong service.

Prices and turnaround for every service are shown at cellphoneken.com before you pay. Questions first? Call or text (940) 344-3069.