Verizon May Not Unlock Your Galaxy Phone After 60 Days

If you buy a Verizon-locked Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you may find it harder to switch to another wireless carrier. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allowed Verizon to move away from its 60-day phone unlocking rule. This means the US carrier won’t require automatic phone unlocking after 60 days of active service.

FCC waives Verizon’s 60-day phone unlocking requirement

As you know, when buying a new Galaxy smartphone, you get two choices: carrier-locked and factory-unlocked. The latter works on many networks, while the former works only on the carrier you select (until the carrier unlocks it). For years, Verizon customers who chose locked phones had an advantage. The carrier was required to unlock phones after just 60 days. That rule is now going away.

FCC has granted (via ArsTechnica) Verizon a waiver from the 60-day unlocking requirement. “Under today’s waiver order from the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Verizon will, like its competitors, provide unlocking services in alignment with the CTIA Consumer Code for Wireless Service, established in 2013,” said the agency in a press release. “These voluntary unlocking standards cover disclosure, postpaid and prepaid unlocking policies, notice, response time, and unlocking policy for deployed military personnel”.

However, Verizon will need to follow the CTIA trade group’s voluntary unlocking policy. That means the carrier can unlock prepaid phones one year after activation, while phones on postpaid plans are eligible for unlocking only after the user’s contract ends, complete the financing plan, or pay the termination fee.

For the uninitiated, in 2019, Verizon received FCC approval to lock phones for 60 days after activation to prevent fraud. The company automatically unlocked the phones after 60 days unless it flagged them as stolen or bought fraudulently. In March 2025, Verizon told the FCC that the 60-day period is not sufficient to prevent fraud and asked for a waiver. As such, the FCC granted Verizon’s request.