Unlocking an Old Cell Phone

When I first started my writing business, I scaled up really fast. I was a one-man show, but I paid for an annual Zoom Business account, a UPS Store mailbox, and a separate cell phone plan. I was making a few grand a month, on average, so I started buying and subscribing to things I didn’t need.

I wasted a lot of money just on business services that were unnecessary, and I eventually learned what happens when clients move on or the work dries up. In hindsight, I went too big too fast and certainly didn’t need any of the wingdings I accumulated. 

I still run my business, and it’s doing well; but I maintain an intentionally minimal footprint. That phone, though, has just been a brick since I cancelled the service plan a few years ago.

Unlocking a Nord N10 Cell Phone

I have to admit, I run most of my business via Google or iOS apps. However, the more I research privacy and data soverignty the more I question those choices. The Nord N10 is one of the only android devices I own, so when I decided to learn about cyber security I wanted to ensure I integrated it into my learning plan.

The first thing I needed to do was make sure the device was unlocked and free from the carrier’s clutches. A quick settings check showed that T-Mobile still had the phone network locked. 

Since this was my first ever phone unlock, I asked Gemini for information on the process and learned that I would need something called an IMEI Number.

What the heck is that??

What is an IMEI Number?

A quick search showed me that an IMEI number is a 15-digit code which acts as a digital fingerprint for mobile devices with cellular connectivity. This unique number is permanently embedded in the device hardware and is used by mobile networks to identify and track specific devices rather than tracking a user or SIM card.

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. 

The IMEI allows telecom carriers to recognize the phone's brand, model, and country of origin, which distinguishes it from all other devices on the network. As creepy as that sounds, there are some upsides.

Carriers can use the IMEI to block lost or stolen devices from accessing cellular networks. This prevents them from making calls or connecting to the internet, even if the SIM card is changed. 

IMEI: A Detailed Look

The fifteen digits of the IMEI number contain specific data, kind of like a VIN number for a vehicle. For example, the first 8 digits are for the Type Allocation Code (TAC), which identifies the manufacturer and model. The next 6 digits are the unique serial number, and the final digit is a check digit for validation. 

Now, for phones with dual SIM capabilities, they have two separate IMEI numbers (IMEI 1 and IMEI 2), with one allocated for each SIM slot. Single-SIM devices have only one.

For my use case, I followed the Settings > About Phone route and discovered the IMEI of my Nord N10 device. Another option I read about involves dialing *#06# from the keypad. I didn’t try that, so I don’t know what that looks like yet.

Requesting Carrier Unlock

Once I squared away the IMEI, my next step was to contact the carrier. I didn’t want to drive across town to the store that sold me the phone, so I tried the social media route. 

I started with X and found @TMobileHelp, the company’s social media based support team. In my initial DM, I explained that I was trying to unlock my phone so I could use it as a testing device. A few minutes later, I received a link to sign into my T-Mobile account.

Since I no longer had my login information, they ask for the IMEI and phone number on my previous account.

Now, I couldn’t remember the phone number right away, so I offered up the Tax ID of my company, which was required to sign up for the business line. The support agent said they would try to run a search with the IMEI and tax ID information, and luckily they found my account!

After I verified that I was the owner of the phone, a short 5 minute wait netted me another DM indicating that T-Mobile pushed the “network unlock” to the phone. They advised me to wait a couple of minutes, reboot the device, and then follow the Settings > About Phone > Network Unlock route to unlock the device.

This whole process took me less than an hour. Now the device is unlocked, it’s ready for the next phase of my operation: stripping down the phone by removing pre-installed bloat.

I’ll cover my experience with that process in the next round of Project OnePlus Nord.