Typically, when a cell phone is purchased from a cellular service provider (e.g. Verizon, AT&T, and so on), the phone that is bought is locked to the provider's network. What does this mean? It means that the phone you buy from Verizon will only be able to be activated on Verizon's network and the phone you buy from Sprint will only work on their network, and so on and so forth. This creates a problem if you want to switch carriers as it means that you'll have a phone that is useless and will need to purchase a new phone for the new network. This is partly how cellular carriers "trap" their customers - by providing barriers to exit contracts or service plans that make it inconvenient to switch - even if the switch will save you $10 a month.

The process to unlock your phone is dependant on the particular make and model of your phone, but the basic steps are the same. If your phone has a SIM card, simply removing the SIM card and replacing it with a SIM card for another network is "unlocking" your phone. If you don't have a SIM card, you'll need to follow some simple steps to unlock your phone. First, you'll need to find the IMEI number on your phone (usually under the battery). This code is linked to the code needed to unlock your phone and you will be asked for it. Once you have it, do one of the following:

1) A call to your wireless provider might be the easiest and fasted option to unlocking your cell phone. If you explain to your provider your need to have an unlocked cell phone they should be willing to provide you with the code to unlocking your cell phone. If you plan on traveling with your phone, out of the country for example, you will need to have your cell phone unlocked; explaining this to your provider might be the best way to convince the customer service rep you speak to that you need your phone unlocked. If all goes well you will be provided with an unlock code that can be entered into your phone to successfully unlock the handset.

2) If you are unable to get the unlock code for your phone from your service provider, don't fret - you're not alone. There are a number of places online that you can get unlock codes for phones. eBay is a popular place to find unlock codes for particular models of phones, but as always, be aware of who you do business with to prevent getting ripped off. Read seller reviews and ratings to protect yourself.

3) Third party cell phone vendors, such as mall kiosks, often offer unlocking services. They will charge you a fee, but will also be able to test the phone to ensure that all features work on other networks.

Once you have your unlock code for your phone the process to actually unlock the cell phone is very simple. Your code will be linked to your phone's IMEI (identifying number that is unique to your phone), which means that your code will only work for your exact phone. For most makes of cell phones all you will need to do is put in a new SIM card, for another mobile carrier. Your phone will alert you that the SIM you've just inserted is invalid, and will then prompt you to enter the unlock code. Simply key in the provided unlock code. Your phone should then automatically detect the settings of its new wireless provider.

Unlocked cellular phones are handy devices because they give you freedom to move from one network to another. In the end, you can save money on roaming and/or cancellation fees.