Verizon is acknowledging that its new 35-day phone unlock delay is causing frustration among customers who pay off their device installment plans early. The policy requires customers to wait over a month before their phones can be unlocked for use on other carriers' networks, unless they pay at a Verizon corporate store or use automatic payments. The change represents a significant shift from Verizon's previously consumer-friendly unlocking policy.

Until recently, Verizon had the most customer-friendly unlocking policy among major US carriers, largely due to FCC rules on its 700 MHz spectrum licenses and TracFone merger conditions. However, after receiving multiple waivers from the FCC allowing longer lock periods to combat fraud, Verizon implemented the new policy in January. The rollout has been confusing, with policy language changing on the company's website without clear communication to customers.

Verizon now says it's working to eliminate the delay for all payment methods, telling Android Authority it recognizes the policy as a "pain point" and aims to provide immediate unlocks "really soon." However, the company hasn't provided any specific timeline for the change. This backtracking suggests Verizon underestimated customer backlash to the restrictive policy, which forces early payoff customers to either wait 35 days or make an inconvenient trip to a corporate store for immediate unlocking.