How to unlock your BB free of charge

The BlackBerry craze is still on in the country and so many people want to get on the bandwagon, while some just want to upgrade their BBs to one that’s more powerful or that’s more respectable being the latest.

So you got yourself a ‘new’ BlackBerry, but there is a snag. It has to be unlocked. This is the case with most UK-used BlackBerry phones out there in the market. If your relative or friend happens to send you an unused BlackBerry from outside the country, it most likely has to be unlocked if that has not been done already.

Unlocking a phone means to configure it such that the device is no longer locked to a particular SIM card belonging to a set network operator. This has to be done because abroad, most BlackBerry devices are tied to contract packages with certain network operators.

It is not uncommon to see names like Vodacom or O2 when you power on some phones. This just shows you that they were originally contract phones on those foreign networks.

So what does it take to unlock your BlackBerry phone for free?

Well, you need just two things: an Internet connection and time.

The Internet connection is needed to access the online service that is provided by freemyblackberry.com that will provide you the code that you will use to unlock the phone.

All you need do is go to the site freemyblackberry.com and follow the instructions there.

Reaching the site, you will initially be asked to supply your email address as a form of identification, the phone’s IMEI and the model number of the BB, like 9320, 8520 and the like.

The IMEI number is obtained by typing *#06# on the phone.

The service gives you two options of using the MEP ID OR PRD number of the phone to get the unlock code. The former requires a relatively lengthy process to find out, so I recommend the latter since it is straight forward to discover.

To know your phone’s PRD number, look on the packaging in which the phone came. It is clearly stated there.

In the event your phone came without the packaging, you can remove the battery. Underneath, on the space the battery occupied is where you can also find both the PRD number and IMEI number.

These are all the details freemyblackberry require for them to supply the unlocking code: the PRD number, the IMEI number and the model of the phone.

When these details have been supplied, you will be guided step by step; all you need do is follow the instructions as provided subsequently.

The free service takes time: 24hours for MEP ID requests and 48 hours for PRD requests. An instant service attracts a $3 fee. So if you are not in a hurry, having successfully supplied the required information the unlocking code will be delivered online at the site in the exact time frame specified free of charge.

To get the code after 48 hours using the PRD number method described here, go to the site and click on ‘Request Tracking’.

When the page comes up you will be asked to supply your email address and IMEI number.

Do this and the unlocking code will be displayed. Follow the instructions carefully for the unlocking process to be carried out on your BB.

When a BB that has been locked is powered on having an incompatible SIM card, the phone will usually ask you to supply a MEP2 code. This is a 12 or 16-digit code which you must enter correctly. If you enter it correctly within a specific number of tries, you will be returned to the homescreen and the network signal and SIM card carrier name will appear, indicating that the phone has been unlocked.

Freemyblackberry also provides services for LG and HTC phones.

Why not save yourself some hard-earned cash and try this do-it-yourself approach that technology affords you. It has been tested and it works!