What Is The Cell Phone Lock Feature?

The cell phone lock feature is used to keep numbers from being pressed on the keypad of a cell phone or wireless handset. Another type of cellular phone lock refers to cell phones that come pre-programmed to work only with a specific cellular phone carrier.

Used mainly for when the cell phones not in use, cell phone locks are also a good way to keep people from using a cellular phone in the even it is lost or stolen. Mobile phone locks can be encrypted with a simple password system so that only the holder of the password can unlock the keypad.

This simple lock is built into phones made by Motorola. Similar locks are also built by Sanyo and nearly every other mobile phone manufacturer, including LG.

The main function of a wireless phones lock is to keep your phone from accidentally phoning Beijing or Egypt every time someone rubs up against it or you bump it against something.

In this case, a simple keypad lock combination is often used to unlock the cellular phones lock system. Something like “*12” or other simple combinations will unlock the phone. The keypad combination varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, so for example Siemens wireless phones might have a different combination than, say, a Kyocera wireless phone.

At the same time, since it isn’t an encrypted lock, the unlock display will appear on the wireless phone screen every time you try to punch in a number. This way you won’t ever accidentally forget the keypad unlock combination and be unable to use your phones.

Cell phone locks that are “keyed” to only be used with a specific mobile phone company are different matter entirely. This type of locking is also known as a “SIM lock” or sometimes called a “Subsidy Lock”.

Sometimes you can remove the lock on a phone by dialling in a special combination. There are also some third party companies that specialize in unlocking your mobile phones so that they may be used with another service plan.

Some cellular phone companies will supply this service to you if you ask them nicely, but some refuse on the grounds that the cell phones package and the phone itself are a part of a larger cell phone package and service. Call your cell phone carrier and ask them about unlocking your SIM lock if you are interested in this kind of service.

Any mobile phone carrier booth or retail outlet (such as ALLTEL or MCI) should be able to help you if you have any more questions about cell phones keypad locks. They will also be able to answer any questions you could have about any feature on a cellular phone or mobile wireless handset that you may be unsure of or have questions about.

Also see; glossary of cell phone terms and definitions.

Author Notes:

Bill Schnarr contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.cell-phones-n-plans.com. A cell phone industry resource that features service plan comparisons, cellular phone reviews and articles.