O2 locked phone

[Archie_wan]

Hello there, I brought a very old iPhone 3G from a CeX store recently and I use it as an mp3 player. It is locked to the O2 network and I wish to use an old EE sim card of mine in the phone to use as in an emergency or for a backup if my daily phone breaks. It says on the current page about unlocking O2 phones, that you need an existing O2 sim/phone number to unlock it however I don't have one (It also seems to be the one that the phone is originally activated with but I may be wrong). Is it possible to unlock it any other way for free or will I have to leave it locked? Many thanks, Archie.

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

You just need any o2 sim so you can use the phone and register it on the network again.
It is now completely free to unlock any phone.
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-Guides/Unlocking-an-O2-phone-to-use-a-different-SIM-card/ba-p/1...

[Archie_wan]

But I still have to buy a sim, and put some credit on it to unlock?

[Cleoriff]

No you can get a free sim as indicated in the guide....but you will have to top up and make a few calls to register the sim on the network... @Archie_wan

[MI5]

Yes, it's all explained in the guide I gave you.
If you can find someone with an O2 contract sim it's even easier to do.

[Archie_wan]

Say if my friend was on o2, I could borrow it to unlock my phone?

[MI5]

Yes

[Marjo]

Hi @Archie_wan welcome to our forum! Good info above from our members - let us know if you're all good now or if there's anything else the community can help with?

Cheers guys for your advice @Cleoriff and @MI5.