How to SIM unlock the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G

• Tyler Lee
• 3 years ago

The Samsung Galaxy A42 5G was released back in late 2020. It is positioned as a mid-range device that isn’t too expensive, but at the same time we understand if you prefer buying it through a carrier and choosing to pay by installments. The downside to this is that it means that for the duration of your contract, your phone’s SIM will be locked to your carrier.

Why should you unlock your phone’s SIM?

There are several reasons why you might want to consider unlocking your phone’s SIM. The reason why carriers lock your SIM is because they don’t want you to buy the phone from them on the cheap and then sell it off to make a profit. Locking your SIM is one way to stop that from happening.

That being said, there are legitimate reasons why you might want to unlock your SIM. For example, if you’re traveling it might actually be cheaper for you to swap to a local SIM instead of paying roaming fees.

Also, once your contract with your carrier expires, an unlocked SIM means that you can easily bring the phone from one carrier to another (assuming compatibility).

Unlocking the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G’s SIM for free

There are a couple of ways, one of which is free and is done through your carrier, but there are certain things you’ll need to check first:

• First of all, the device needs to have been paid off in full, meaning that if you’re on an installment/repayment plan, you’ll need to make sure that the phone has been fully paid for.
• Secondly, you will also need to ensure that you must have owned your device for at least 60-90 days.
• Thirdly, you will also need to be in good standing with your carrier. This usually means that you do not have any bills that are unpaid or overdue. If you do, you’ll have to pay them off first.

If those requirements are met, then there is a good chance your carrier might approve the SIM unlock. It’s not a guarantee but it’s a good start, and here’s what you need to do next:

1. On your Galaxy A42 5G handset, launch the Phone app and dial *#06# to pull up your phone’s IMEI number
2. Write the IMEI number down somewhere so you can refer to it later
3. Call your carrier and request for your SIM unlock code
4. You will probably be asked to provide the IMEI for the Galaxy A42 5G
5. If you meet all the requirements that we mentioned above, the SIM unlock code will be sent to the email address you provided in the next 2-5 days.
6. Once you’ve received your code, swap out the SIM with a SIM from another carrier
7. Enter the SIM unlock code that you received in your email when the prompted and you’re set!

Getting the unlock code from a paid third-party service

If for whatever reason your carrier has rejected your request and you really, really need to unlock the SIM on your phone, don’t worry. There are third-party SIM unlock services like Android SIM Unlock that will be able to unlock your phone’s SIM for you.

1. On your Galaxy A42 5G handset, launch the Phone app and dial *#06# to get the device’s IMEI number
2. Write the IMEI number down
3. Go to Android SIM Unlock’s website
4. Enter your device’s IMEI number
5. Complete the checkout process with your payment and contact information
6. Once payment is made, you should then receive the Galaxy A42 5G’s unlock code either through SMS or email
7. The moment you’ve received your code, you can then swap out the SIM on your phone with a SIM from another carrier
8. You should be prompted to enter the SIM unlock code that you received in your email, and once you’ve done that, you should be good to go

Once you’ve completed all the steps mentioned above, your Samsung Galaxy A42 5G should now be unlocked and you will not have any issues with swapping between carriers or SIM cards.

Do note that unlocking your phone’s SIM does not free you from the contract that you signed with your carrier. If you use a third-party service, this only unlocks the SIM on your phone and you’re still obligated to continue paying for the phone and the services you use.