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T-Mobile updates activation policy, creating difficulties for some users

T-Mobile-locked phones seemingly no longer work with MVNOs.

By Anam Hamid

Published: Jun 09, 2025, 4:32 AM

1comment

T-Mobile appears to have made some changes to its activation policy. Users on T-Mobile Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) have discovered that phones locked to T-Mobile's network no longer work with MVNOs.

T-Mobile mentions on its website that devices locked to its network will not operate with other companies' networks without first being unlocked. However, until about two years ago, T-Mobile-locked devices used to work with MVNOs that used the company's infrastructure to provide service. That's no longer the case apparently.

Reddit user ken830 complained that the two T-Mobile-locked Motorola Edge (2024) phones they got for their parents to use on T-Mobile MVNOs Mint and Tello didn't work with those MVNOs. This wasn't an issue with their previous locked Samsung phones, which ken830 got for free from T-Mobile through a trade-in deal a few years ago.

I just got two Motorola Edge (2024) phones for my parents to use on T-Mobile MVNOs (Mint and Tello) and it seems the phones are locked out and refuse to work with their SIMs. Their current phones are also locked "free" Samsung phones from a T-Mobile trade-in deal a few years ago and they work just fine. They are still locked.

—ken830, Reddit user, June 2025

This is seemingly not a device-specific issue, as Reddit user loganwachter revealed that the problem first cropped up around 18 to 24 months ago, with many Mint Mobile customers complaining that T-Mobile devices were no longer working on MVNOs. Samsung users were the first to be affected, but the policy was soon extended to Google Pixel users as well.

If memory serves it would’ve been sometime around 18-24 months ago that new devices weren’t working on the MVNOs. Started with Samsung devices first, and then I think the pixel 8 series for Google devices. Seems it’s across the board now with their activation policy.

—loganwachter, Reddit user, June 2025

T-Mobile-locked phones have also stopped working on other T-Mobile MVNOs, such as Simple Mobile.

Technically, T-Mobile cannot be blamed here. The company clearly states that devices must meet eligibility criteria before they can be unlocked. However, it appears that the company wasn't enforcing the policy strictly before, especially when it came to MVNOs that relied on its network.

The only recourse for those who find themselves in this situation is to pay off their phones and meet other eligibility requirements to unlock their devices and port their number to another carrier.

Contacting T-Mobile is another option, but if the company has indeed updated its policy, reaching out to them may be futile.

We have asked T-Mobile for comment and will update the article if we hear back.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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