My phone is operator locked. How can I unlock it?

Question

• My phone is operator locked. How can I unlock it?
• How do I remove the operator lock on my Xperia device?

Valid for

• All operator locked Xperia devices

Solution

You may experience that your device only works with a SIM card from a certain operator. This happens when your device is operator locked.

Note! Sony Mobile authorized service centers do not unlock operator locked phones. Please contact the relevant operator in the country/region of purchase to be informed whether they can provide you with an unlock code. Make sure that you ask the operator for a Network Unlock Code (NUC) as this is the code needed to unlock your device. Sometimes this code is referred to as Network Control Key (NCK).

Devices may be available in different versions depending on the country/region of release. There may be generic versions or operator locked versions. An operator locked version is customized for a certain operator, and may only work with SIM cards from that operator.

The operator locked versions may also feature modified or additional menus or menu items, preinstalled operator settings for MMS and internet, and shortcuts to the operator’s online services. It may not be possible to delete these operator features from your phone.

It's recommended to only use operator locked devices with SIM cards from the specific operator that they were designed to work with. An optimal performance of the device cannot be guaranteed, especially in relation to network dependent features when an inappropriate SIM card is used.