Your phone/router may not be network locked. Try a non-Three SIM in your phone/router before submitting an unlock request. If you get a signal with this SIM, then you will not need to unlock your phone.
Make sure that your phone/router is eligible to be unlocked. There are different criteria for Bill Pay and Prepay, and there are slightly different criteria for new and legacy plans too. For more information, click here.
Back up your data: This is extremely important and often overlooked. If you have photos, videos, music, or other data saved on your phone, you won’t want to lose them once you give your phone away! The easiest way to avoid this is to use a cloud storage app such as iCloud, Google Drive or Dropbox, Alternatively, you can easily back up your data by transferring it manually (using a USB cable or memory card) onto a laptop or PC.
You will need your IMEI. On a phone, dial *#006# to receive your IMEI. On a router, find your IMEI on the sticker under your router. For extra security, we will send you a verification text that you need to confirm before filling out the form. If you are unlocking a router, you will find the verification text in your router dashboard.
Unlocking Criteria
The device must be a Three Ireland device, i.e., the device was purchased from Three Ireland.
The device must be associated with your Three Ireland account.
Prepay customers must have topped up by €100 since the device was associated with a Three Ireland account.
Bill Pay and Business customers:
Must not have an overdue balance.
Must not have their account currently suspended by our Payments team or Consumer Protection team.
Must meet the minimum account spend of €300, or have paid 9 monthly invoices in full as a bill pay customer*.
*Three reserves the right to waive the Minimum Account Spend requirement for its existing customers who enter into an upgrade agreement(s) with Three.
What’s next?
Our unlocking team will verify the details that you have submitted against your Three account and contact you via email, usually, within two days. This email is to confirm whether you are eligible to have your phone/router unlocked.
There are occasions where Bill Pay customers move to Prepay and keep the same phone. This means your phone will automatically fall under the Prepay criteria. Is this you? If so, contact us directly.
Timeframes
Depending on the manufacturer, it can take between 2 to 30 working days to generate the code.
Please note that it can take up to 10 working days* to get an unlock code for a Lumia Nokia or Microsoft phone. Some newer Nokia smartphones do not require an unlock code, so please test a non-Three SIM card in your phone before submitting an unlock code request.
*The time frame specified is a guide only.
Lumia Phones
There are different unlocking instructions for Windows 7 and Windows 8 devices. Please use the relevant instructions for your device.
You can check your Operating System by going to "Settings", then "About", and then "More Information".
Windows 7
Windows 8
Make sure your Three SIM is in the phone.
Turn on the phone and enter your PIN if you use one.
Enter ##782# and press Call.
You will be prompted to enter the unlock code.
The phone will say PIN ACCEPTED.
Your phone is now unlocked!
Insert a SIM from another network.
Turn on the phone and enter the SIM Card PIN if asked.
You will be prompted to enter the unlock code.
If not, dial ##7820# and press Call.
Enter the unlock code.
The phone will say PIN ACCEPTED.
Your phone is now unlocked!
All Other Nokias/Microsoft Phones
Turn on your mobile and enter your PIN number (if you use one).
Make sure your Three SIM card is in your phone.
With your phone in standby by mode enter the following: #PW+Unlock code+1#
To get P press the * key 3 times. To get W press the * key 4 times. To get + press the * key 2 times.
If you enter the code and get a Code Error message when you are trying to enter the unlock code:
Check that you have entered the code correctly.
Make sure you are following the instructions exactly.
Please note that it can take up to 10 working days* to get your Samsung unlock code.
*The time frame specified is a guide only.
Unlock Instructions
All Samsung phones are generally unlocked in the same way.
Enter a SIM card from another network into the phone.
Enter the PIN for the SIM Card if you are asked.
You will be prompted to enter the unlock code.
Enter the unlock code and restart the phone to complete the unlock process.
Please note:
Some smartphone models do not require an unlock code (e.g., Xiaomi, Razer, OnePlus). These devices are already unlocked and will work with any SIM.
Prior to unlocking your device, you should ensure that you back up or otherwise store separately your data, as this may be lost during the device unlocking process. We are not responsible for any information or other data which may be lost during the device unlocking process.
