PSA: Get Your Phone's Carrier Lock Removed Before You Are Migrated from Republic to Boost Infinite

General
1

If you bought your phone from Republic’s online store after December 1, 2021 and have not yet requested its carrier lock be removed (also known as carrier unlocking), I suggest you do so now.

If you bought your phone from Republic’s online store before December 1, 2021 or purchased your phone from a third party retailer, your phone is already factory unlocked and may be used with any service provider willing to support it. Merely using a phone with Republic Wireless by DISH does not carrier lock it and you do not need to be concerned with the information in this post.

Boost Infinite’s policy on unlocking phones is the phone must be active on their network for one year (no exceptions). There is no guarantee once one’s service is migrated to Boost Infinite that policy won’t be enforced should things not work out.

What does it mean to get your phone’s carrier lock removed?

A phone that is carrier locked may be used only with the carrier to which it is locked. Removing your phone’s carrier lock (having it carrier unlocked) allows it to be used with other carriers (if otherwise compatible).

Removing your phone’s carrier lock (having it carrier unlocked) does not impact current service.

What is the unlocking process like?

Requesting your phone be unlocked requires contacting support. Among other questions, support will ask for the phone’s IMEI. The easiest way to get the IMEI is dialing *#06# from the Phone app.

Support, generally, quotes two business days for the unlock.

Motorola Phones

Motorola phones require an unlock code. Support is not able to provide the unlock code. Support will open an internal ticket to get the unlock code on your behalf. Based on what we’re hearing, you will need to call back into support in two days to to advised of the unlock code.

Receiving your phone’s unlock code is not the end of the journey. You will need to temporarily replace your phone’s current SIM with an alternate non-DISH SIM (anything but a SIM from RW by DISH, Boost Infinite, Boost Mobile, Gen Mobile or Ting Mobile). The alternate SIM may be active or inactive and, if inactive, does not need to be activated for service. Once your phone sees the alternate SIM, it will prompt you to enter the unlock code received from support. Once the unlock is complete, restore your phone’s original SIM.

If unable to get the unlock code for your Motorola phone via the above outlined process, email executivecustomerservice@dish.com and ask them for the unlock code. This is DISH’s Executive Escalations Team.

Samsung Phones

Samsung phones are unlocked over the air by Samsung once Republic asks them to do so. Usually, this takes less than two days.

You will receive a notification on your phone, the carrier unlock is complete. You may verify the carrier unlock is complete as follows:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap Connections
  3. Tap More connection settings
  4. If the carrier unlock is complete, under Network lock status, you’ll see “Unlocked”

Apple iPhone

Apple iPhones are unlocked over the air by Apple once Republic asks them to do so. Usually, this takes less than two days.

On Apple iPhone, one may verify the carrier unlock is complete as follows:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap General
  3. Tap About
  4. Scroll to Carrier Lock
  5. You want to see “No SIM restrictions”

A final note

Removing your phone’s carrier lock (carrier unlocking) is entirely separate from obtaining the information (account number and porting PIN) necessary to port (transfer) one’s phone number to a new carrier.

If you’ve decided to leave Republic and wish to take your number with you, that’s a separate call to support.

14 Likes
3

so if I unlock my RW phone (Moto w/ code), but I’m still on RW in the meantime, the RW service will still be OK on my unlocked phone?

Thanks for the heads-up on this, Rolandh!

2 Likes
4

Hi @NancyM,

Unlocking your phone will not affect your current Republic service.

1 Like
5

On Samsung phones you can also locate the IMEI under Settings->About phone.

It is also found under My Lines when logged into your RW account. It is the Device ID.

I unlocked our phones late last week. The process was easy and completed in less than the 2 days the support rep said it would take.

I forgot to mention needed to give the support rep my RW account PIN to complete the transaction.

1 Like
6

I’d like to note that no one person’s experience will necessarily be the same as the next person.

Specifically, those seeking to unlock a Motorola phone will not have the same experience you had unlocking your Samsung phones. Those seeking to unlock Apple iPhones will share a similar experience. Those seeking to unlock a Motorola phone will likely have a more complex experience unless something has changed in the past eight months.

3 Likes
7

I had a similar experience with the iPhone SE I bought (cheap) from Republic by Dish just over a year ago. A couple of days later, unlocked.

1 Like
8

I called RW to have my Motorola unlocked. They said 2 business days, but I won’t be notified of the code – I have to call back in.
I’ll let you know how it goes!

1 Like
13

From Update on the Transition from Republic Wireless to Boost Infinite but also pertinent here:

Will former Republic members with locked phones be subject to Boost Infinite’s unlocking policy, which, as I understand it, is the phone must be on Boost Infinite’s network for one year?

Members will have access to Boost Infinite phones post migration to Boost Infinite. If a phone is purchased at Boost Infinite, the Boost Infinite policy will apply. If a phone was purchased at Republic prior to migration, the Republic policy will apply.

If it were me, I would still make every effort to get my phone unlocked prior to migration. There’s no reason to wait and you’ll save yourself potential hassle convincing Boost Infinite support you bought your phone from Republic Wireless later.

2 Likes
14

Just called RW support to get my Motorola unlocked. They quoted me 24 hrs. QUESTION: Once I get that unlock code, can I use an OLD RW REFUND PLAN sim to unlock (I have no other sims at my disposal)?

1 Like
15

Hi @Imback and welcome!

Yes, an old no longer active Republic SIM should do the trick.

1 Like
16

Awesome. Always the Answer Man!! Thanks. As others have noted, I’ll report back with my experience.

4 Likes
17

Thanks Roland!

As of two hours ago I had no idea this RW>Boost transition was even happening (apparently I’ll get my email later this week). Now I am up to speed and have my support ticket in to get the Moto G unlocked.

I will also report back on the process, as it pertains to Motorolas at least!

Mike

4 Likes
18

Ok, I got my email. I have two Moto g power phones purchased after 12/21 from RW/dish. I pay $25 total, for 2 phones with unlimited talk/ text and 1g data (each phone). I Don’t have an additional SIM card to use if I want to try to unlock these phones. Am I at the mercy of Boost?
Any ideas?

1 Like
19

Hi @grab1bike and welcome!

You need a non-DISH brand SIM to trigger your phones’ request for the unlock code. The unlock code itself you get from Republic support.

The non-DISH SIM doesn’t need to be active nor does it need to be a SIM from the provider you ultimately choose in place of Boost Infinite (if that’s your choice).

Typically a local big box store Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc. will have someone’s SIM on sale for a dollar or two. Again, the SIM used to unlock the phone doesn’t need to be a SIM from the service provider you ultimately decide to use nor do you need to activate the SIM you use to unlock your phones.

2 Likes
20

Thanks.
If both phones are on one plan, I would need to request a separate unlock code for each phone, correct? Each sim kit should specify the carrier even though the carrier might not be mentioned in the title of the plan, correct? My apology for questions that may seem simple.

1 Like
21

The answer to your first question is, yes.

I don’t understand your second question.

1 Like
22

I think there is a code on the SIM kit card that lets you know which carrier it is.

23

Was able to get my 2 Samsung A32’s unlocked, Surprised at how easy it was
Called and phones unlocked same day

2 Likes
24

I just talked to Republic about unlocking our phones and he said the phones were unlocked but our phones say “sim locked” not “no sim restrictions”. Should I assume the sims are locked but not the phones?

1 Like