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

January 21, 2026 Emma Roth

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 subbrands, 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 to …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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