EE unlock policy in 2026, for the UK shop holding the phone

EE was the last of the big UK networks to stop locking handsets, which is why locked EE stock still turns up in trade-ins four years after the rule changed. This page covers the Ofcom rule that ended locked sales, what EE says about unlocking the older devices it did lock, the gaps between EE's consumer and business pages, and what all that means for a shop with the phone on the counter and no account holder.

Last reviewed 2026-10-28. Written for shops by STACKS. Not affiliated with any carrier.

The Ofcom rule since December 2021

Ofcom's ban on selling locked handsets came into force on 17 December 2021, alongside a 24 month cap on bundled handset contracts (source). When Ofcom announced the measure in October 2020, O2, Sky, Three and Virgin already sold only unlocked phones; EE and its parent BT, Vodafone and Tesco Mobile did not, and were given a year to switch (source). Ofcom's case was that unlocking "usually costs around GBP 10 and can involve a long wait", that about half of people who tried had difficulties, and, per the Ofcom page as indexed, that 35 percent of people who decided against switching said locking put them off (source). Ofcom's page returned 403 to fetches on 2026-10-28, so the 35 percent figure is unverified against the live page; the rest is from press reports of the same announcement. The rule bans the sale of locked phones; it does not retroactively unlock phones sold earlier, which is the whole reason this page exists.

What EE says about older devices

EE's consumer help page is unambiguous on price: "There used to be a charge to unlock a device, say if it was still in contract. Now you can unlock your device free of charge no matter what" (source). The route is the online device unlock link in My EE (source), and "you'll need your device's IMEI handy", the 15 digit number shown by dialling *#06# (source). If the phone shows two IMEIs, EE says it is probably unlocked already, and to try both when checking online (source).

Three further points from the same page (source):

• All Google Pixel, Oppo and OnePlus devices are already unlocked, whenever they were bought.
• To check an Apple device, text UNLOCK to 150.
• Android customers are given an unlock code. Apple devices do not need one; EE unlocks them on its side, and a device may be "partially unlocked", waiting for a non-EE SIM and a few on-screen steps.

EE's community guidance adds that all devices sold directly by EE since December 2021 are unlocked and that Apple devices were proactively unlocked (source). That page returned 403 to fetches, so the wording is from a search excerpt; unverified.

Where the business page differs

EE's business help page tells a slightly older story, and it is the only EE page with timings. It says "if you're out of contract, we can unlock EE phones and tablets for free", that "if you're still in contract, there's a charge of GBP 8.99 to unlock your EE pay monthly device", that pay as you go unlocks also cost GBP 8.99, and that iPhones and iPads sold by EE Small Business after 01 September 2015 "unlock automatically after 18 months" (source). On timing: "We aim to unlock EE phones and tablets within 72 hours", and up to 10 days if a manufacturer code is needed (source). The GBP 8.99 charge contradicts the consumer page's "free of charge no matter what"; the consumer page is the newer statement, and the charge should be treated as stale, but the conflict is on EE's own site, so we flag it.

The second hand route

The business page is also the only EE page that names a route for a device the requester did not buy: "second-hand devices" are handled by phone, 150 from an EE phone or 0800 956 6000, option 2 then option 4 (source). It does not say whether the caller must hold an EE account, what proof is asked for, or whether a trader can call about stock. Those terms are unverified.

How to check lock status

Put a SIM from another UK network in the phone. If it registers, the device is unlocked; if it asks for a network unlock code or rejects the SIM, it is locked. For an Apple device, EE's text UNLOCK to 150 check works from an EE SIM (source), and on the phone itself Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock shows "No SIM restrictions" when the lock is gone.

The trade-in case

A locked EE phone in 2026 is by definition a pre-December 2021 device, and most of them are long out of contract. EE's online route lives inside My EE, which the shop does not hold, and its phone route is written for the device's owner. The value gap between a locked and an unlocked handset is covered on locked vs unlocked value, and the financed and blacklisted page explains the free check for a device whose original owner stopped paying, because a blocked IMEI stays blocked on every UK network whether or not the SIM lock is gone.

Our EE services are listed near the top of this page as STACKS sells them: each row states the condition it applies, the turnaround and whether it is refundable if it fails. A network unlock does nothing for Activation Lock; Apple's guidance is not to take a used iPhone that still asks for the previous owner's Apple Account (source).

If it is your own phone

Use the My EE device unlock link with your IMEI. It is free (source). Unlock STACKS serves approved businesses. See how approval works.

Questions shops ask

RELATED O2 / Tesco (UK) Three (UK) Vodafone (UK) All carriers Locked vs unlocked value Financed and blacklisted

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