The policy

A phone bought directly from Mint Mobile is locked to Mint's network — it will not accept another carrier's SIM until it is unlocked. Under Mint's current policy, Mint phones are automatically unlocked 60 days after activation on the network.

There are additional requirements a device has to meet to qualify, which Mint describes as fraud-prevention measures protecting both sides. The 60-day timeline does not apply to deployed military personnel.

If you brought your own phone, it was never locked

This only applies to handsets bought from Mint. A phone you brought to Mint yourself is not locked by Mint at all — there is nothing to unlock and no waiting period. Mint cannot unlock a phone another carrier sold you either; that request goes to whoever sold it.

Checking eligibility or asking early

Because the unlock is automatic, most people need to do nothing. To confirm a device is eligible, or to submit a request, call Mint customer care on (800) 683-7392 — open seven days a week, 5am to 7pm Pacific.

How to tell whether your phone is actually locked

Worth checking first — a phone bought secondhand or brought from elsewhere may never have been locked at all.

• iPhone — Settings, then General, then About. Scroll to Carrier Lock. "No SIM restrictions" means unlocked; "SIM locked" means locked.
• Samsung released before September 2025 — Settings, About phone, Software information, then Service provider software version.
• Samsung released after September 2025 — Settings, Connections, More connection settings, then Network lock status.
• Any phone — insert a SIM from another carrier. If it connects, the phone is unlocked. This is the only test that cannot be misread.

Military deployment

The 60-day timeline is waived for deployed military personnel. Mint's full Device Unlock Policy page carries the specific terms, and customer care can process it on the same number.

Why this matters more than it sounds

A locked phone is the quiet reason people stay on plans that no longer suit them. On a 365-day policy, a phone bought in January cannot leave until the following January — so a better offer in March is simply unavailable to you. Mint's 60 days means a phone bought in January is portable by March.

That is a genuine argument for buying the handset from Mint rather than elsewhere, which is unusual: for most carriers the advice runs the other way, because bringing your own unlocked phone avoids the lock entirely. With a two-month window, the calculation is closer.

Once it is unlocked

An unlocked phone is worth more secondhand and removes the main reason people stay on a plan they have outgrown. Two things before you move: check the handset supports the bands your new carrier uses, because unlocked does not mean fully compatible, and re-pick the plan rather than porting the old one across.