Verizon has actually begun imposing a 365-day lock duration on phones bought through its TracFone department, one week after the Federal Communications Commission waived a requirement that Verizon unlock handsets 60 days after they are triggered on its network.

Verizon was formerly needed to open phones instantly after 60 days due to limitations troubled its spectrum licenses and merger conditions that assisted Verizon get approval of its purchase of TracFone. An upgrade used today to the TracFone opening policy stated brand-new phones will be locked for at least a year and that each consumer will have to ask for an unlock rather of getting it immediately.

The “brand-new” TracFone policy is essentially a go back to the yearlong locking it enforced before Verizon purchased the business in 2021. TracFone initially consented to offer unlocking in a 2015 settlement with the Obama-era FCC, which declared that TracFone stopped working to abide by a dedication to unlock phones for clients registered in the Lifeline aid program. TracFone later on reduced the locking duration from a year to 60 days as a condition of the Verizon merger.

While a locked phone is connected to the network of one provider, an opened phone can be changed to another provider if the gadget works with the other provider’s network. The brand-new TracFone opening policy is strict, needing clients to pay for a complete year of service before they can get a phone opened.

“For all mobile phones Activated on or after January 20, 2026, the mobile phone will be opened upon demand after 365 days of paid and active duty,” the policy states. A client who does not preserve an active duty prepare for the entire 12 months will therefore have their opening eligibility date postponed.

TracFone, the modification uses to pre-paid brand names Straight Talk, Net10 Wireless, Clearway, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, and Walmart Family Mobile. Clients who purchased phones before today are still qualified for opens after 60 days.

365 days of paid service

As DroidLife mentions, the Verizon-owned pre-paid brand name Visible is likewise needing a year of paid service. The Visible policy upgraded today needs “a minimum of 365 days of paid service” for an opening demand. “If you stop spending for service, your development towards the 365-day requirement stops briefly. It will resume as soon as you reactivate your account and continue up until you reach an overall of 365 paid days of service,” the policy states.