Verizon has updated its TracFone unlocking policy, now requiring 365 days of paid service before a phone can be unlocked. This change applies to TracFone and its prepaid brands like Straight Talk and Total Wireless. New phones activated after January 20, 2026, must be requested for unlocking rather than being unlocked automatically.

This reversal follows an FCC waiver granted last week, which lifted a previous 60-day unlock mandate. That rule was a condition of Verizon's 2021 acquisition of TracFone. The longer lock period returns to a pre-merger policy, which Verizon and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr argue helps deter phone theft and fraud.

The policy shift also affects Verizon's own prepaid brand, Visible, which now requires a year of paid service for unlocks. Competitors like AT&T and T-Mobile have different rules, with AT&T requiring six months for prepaid devices. Verizon's main postpaid policy has not yet been updated, but a similar extension is expected soon.