All I want is a definitive set of steps to cover unlocking and porting a number....

[Halesowenmum]

I hav an HTC One M8 (the least relevant piece of info possibly but there it is if needed!).

I've been sat here like a lemon since 11.50am waiting for live chat which now finally at 2.07pm they have decided is totally not workng or all the staff are at home having fallen sick, and it's not even available at all any more. Way to go O2.

I have had repeated conflicting and changing instructions on how to:

Unlock my phone

Port my number.

I am switching to Sky SIM and have been told different things by different people from both providers and am now so confused I literally cannot start the process at all because I have zero confidence that I have the correct instructions. 

O2's instructions say to:

a. Insert the other network's SIM card

b. This should ask for a code

c. Key in the unlatching code provided by us at O2

d. The device should now be unlatched.

Contracted by what Sky says:

1. Unlock my HTC O2-purchased phone using the unlatching code provided by O2 leaving the original O2 SIM still in place
2. Fill in the form online located somewhere on Sky.com (to do with porting the number)
3. 'No service' appears on the phone screen
4. Remove the O2 SIM
5. Insert Sky SIM
6. Activate the Sky SIM code on their website using the Sky activation code on the SIM card, which will port the number over.

What I need is 100% accurate, crystal clear instructions that I can follow, step by step, in the right order so this doesn’t see me totally unable to make any calls or get on the internet or for my children to be unable to contact me. I haven’t been able to get clear steps in a consistent order from ANYONE. Can someone kindly look at all the various steps above and tell me definitively, in what order do I do which steps so that the entire process will work correctly?

Thank you, Desperate Confused Woman.

[Halesowenmum]

Thank you Spoiler. I'll give it a go (I totally believe you, but it is unbelievably annoying to be told totally the opposite and several different versions by both O2 and Sky). 

[MI5]

Unlocking, porting and pac codes can be confusing.
Don’t worry though, it will work out ok for you.

[Halesowenmum]

How do I know if my phone is unlocked?

Sky.com is telling me (on the activate your SIM page) that I need to be sure it's unlocked before I activate the Sky SIM.... should I really go ahead????

[Halesowenmum]

This is after I've put the Sky SIM in already by the way. It's not asked me for the unlatching code yet.

[MI5]

If you have the sky sim in and it’s not asked for an unlock code it’s not required as I said previously.
Sky runs on O2 anyway or your phone may not be locked.

[Halesowenmum]

Okay... I'm clicking on Activate then...

[Halesowenmum]

And getting this message on the Sky website having just activated and followed the Keep Your Number action that was part of that process:

We've received your request to keep your number. We'll send you a text when it's all complete. Please leave your current SIM in your phone until you see "No service" on screen. When this happens, you can insert your Sky Mobile SIM.

Should I quickly re insert my O2 SIM or what?

[MI5]

No, just leave your sky sim in now and you can use that until your number changes over.

[Halesowenmum]

Ok, thank you.

[MI5]

In a couple of days your sim will lose signal.
When it does, just turn your phone off and back on again until your signal comes back on.
This will most likely happen on Wednesday but may change on Tuesday if you’re lucky.