Verizon has begun enforcing a 365-day locking period on devices bought through its TracFone unit, coming one week after the Federal Communications Commission waived a rule that had required Verizon to unlock handsets 60 days after activation on its network.
Until now, Verizon was obligated to automatically unlock phones after 60 days because of conditions attached to its spectrum licenses and merger terms that helped secure approval for its acquisition of TracFone. But an update posted today to the TracFone unlocking policy states that new devices will remain locked for at least one year and that customers must request an unlock rather than receiving one automatically.
The “new” TracFone policy effectively restores the yearlong locking that TracFone enforced prior to Verizon’s 2021 purchase. TracFone originally agreed to provide unlocking in a 2015 settlement with the Obama-era FCC, which alleged the company had not honored a promise to unlock phones for customers in the Lifeline subsidy program. As part of the Verizon merger, TracFone later reduced the lock period from one year to 60 days.
A locked handset is restricted to a single carrier’s network, while an unlocked handset can be moved to another carrier provided the device is compatible with that network. The updated TracFone unlocking rules are strict, however, requiring customers to maintain a full year of paid service before an unlock will be granted.
“For all cellphones Activated on or after January 20, 2026, the cellphone will be unlocked upon request after 365 days of paid and active service,” the policy says. A customer who fails to keep an active service plan for the entire 12 months will therefore see their eligibility date for unlocking pushed back.
The change covers, in addition to TracFone, prepaid brands Straight Talk, Net10 Wireless, Clearway, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, and Walmart Family Mobile. Purchases made before today remain eligible for unlocks after 60 days.
A full 365 days of paid service
As DroidLife notes, Verizon-owned Visible is also requiring a year of paid service. The Visible policy updated today requires “at least 365 days of paid service” for an unlocking request. “If you stop paying for service, your progress toward the 365-day requirement pauses. It will resume once you reactivate your account and continue until you reach a total of 365 paid days of service,” the policy says.
