Verizon’s prepaid services add a 365-day wait to unlock phones

It’s been just one week since Verizon got permission to lift its 60-day phone unlocking period, and the carrier is already making changes to its policy. Now, Verizon says customers who activate a phone on one of its sub-brands, including Visible, TracFone, Straight Talk, and Total Wireless, will have to pay for service for 365 days before switching their phone to a different network, as spotted earlier by Droidlife.

In addition to the longer lock period, Verizon will also require customers to request that their phone be unlocked, instead of doing it automatically. Visible’s policy states that “if you stop paying for service, your progress toward the 365-day requirement pauses.” It adds that your progress will “resume once you reactivate your account and continue” until you pay for one year of service.

Last week, the FCC granted Verizon’s request to lift a 60-day unlocking requirement stemming from its purchase of spectrum licenses and its deal to acquire TracFone, which had a one-year unlocking policy before Verizon’s purchase, as noted by Ars Technica. As a result of the waiver, Verizon must now follow looser requirements set by the CTIA wireless trade group until the FCC creates an “industry-wide approach” for phone unlocking.

The new unlocking period will go into effect for phones activated on or after January 20th, 2026. If you purchased a phone through one of these services at an earlier date, Verizon will still automatically unlock your phone after 60 days. Verizon says it still won’t unlock your phone if it’s been reported lost or stolen, nor if your account shows “signs of fraud.” The policy also applies to Net10 Wireless, Clearway, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, and Walmart FamilyMobile, though it hasn’t yet been applied to Verizon’s customers.