If you’re considering purchasing a new phone from Vodafone, either on a plan or prepaid, you might be wondering if Vodafone phones are locked to its network. In this Canstar Blue guide, we reveal whether Vodafone phones are locked and, if they are, how to unlock them.
What does it mean if a phone is locked?
A locked phone is only able to be used on the network that it was purchased from. Generally, in Australia, phones purchased outright on prepaid phone plans are locked to their phone plan’s network. This is done to ensure that the phone is only used on the network it was bought from, preventing customers from purchasing a cheap phone from one telco and then switching to another for its service.
While Vodafone stopped locking phones bought on postpaid phone-on-a-plan agreements over 10 years ago, the telco still locks prepaid phones.
How do I unlock my Vodafone phone?
If you want to unlock your Vodafone prepaid phone, you will unfortunately be charged an unlocking fee.
If you bought your phone from Vodafone less than six months ago, you will be charged a $50 unlocking fee. If you’ve had your phone for longer, you’ll be charged $25. You can unlock the phone yourself using Vodafone’s online unlocking tool.
To unlock your phone, you’ll need to find your phone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) serial number, which you can discover by dialling *#06# on your handset. The first 15 numbers that appear are your IMEI.
Simply enter your number and follow the prompts. Once your phone is officially unlocked, you’ll be free to switch SIM cards and shop around for a new SIM-only phone plan.
SIM-only Vodafone plans
The following table shows all published Vodafone SIM-only postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of advertised standard cost, lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see a wider range of plans from other providers. These are products with links to referral partners.
What are the benefits of unlocking a Vodafone phone?
If you’re travelling overseas, unlocking your phone can make it easier and cheaper to keep using your device. Global roaming is usually quite expensive, so many budget-conscious travellers prefer to purchase a SIM card from the country they’re visiting, or to use a travel SIM. These are usually the most affordable ways to use your phone on your travels. But keep in mind that your temporary international/travel SIM will use a different phone number than your usual Australian one.
Alternatively, if you have a current plan with Vodafone, you could be eligible for Vodafone’s international roaming. For $5 per day, this add-on lets you use your phone plan the same as you would in Australia (minus roaming charges) in over 100 countries.
Unlocking your phone also means you might be able to shop around and secure a better deal by switching to a plan from a different telco. If you’d like a new SIM-only postpaid phone plan to pair with your unlocked phone, the following table shows a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB data, listed in order of advertised standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our comparison tool to see a wider range of plans from other providers. These are products with links to referral partners.
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