Verizon has introduced a 365-day lock period for phones purchased through its TracFone division, effective one week after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowed Verizon to bypass an earlier requirement to unlock handsets 60 days after activation on its network.
Previously, Verizon had to automatically unlock phones after 60 days because of spectrum license restrictions and merger conditions, which were necessary for regulatory approval of its TracFone acquisition. However, the revised TracFone unlocking policy now mandates a minimum one-year lock, with customers required to manually request an unlock.
The “new” policy essentially reinstates the yearlong lock that TracFone applied before Verizon's 2021 acquisition. In a 2015 settlement with the FCC under the Obama administration, TracFone agreed to provide unlocking, as it was alleged they were non-compliant with commitments to Lifeline subsidy program customers. Subsequently, TracFone had reduced the lock period to 60 days as a merger condition with Verizon.
While locked phones remain tied to a single carrier's network, unlocked phones can be transferred to different networks if compatible. However, under TracFone's updated policy, unlocking requires 365 days of paid service before eligibility.
According to the updated policy, "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." Those who do not maintain an active service plan for the entire 12 months will have their unlocking eligibility postponed.
The changes affect other prepaid brands owned by Verizon, including Straight Talk, Net10 Wireless, Clearway, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, and Walmart Family Mobile. Customers with phones purchased prior to the policy update are still eligible for unlocking after 60 days.
DroidLife highlights that Visible, another Verizon-owned prepaid brand, now also requires a full year of paid service for unlocking. The updated Visible policy specifies, "at least 365 days of paid service" must be completed for an unlocking request to be processed. If service payments are interrupted, progress towards the 365-day requirement halts and resumes once the account is reactivated, continuing until the 365 days are fulfilled.