If you buy a cell from someone who used a certain service- can you still use the cell?

Question

If I bought a cell phone from a friend who used Tmobile service for their phone, does that mean I wouldn't be able to use that phone with another/different service provider?

Answer 1

You could use it with another service provider if you unlocked the phone. If they had been with T-Mobile for some time, T-Mobile may give them the unlock code. If not, you will have to find a way to unlock it yourself. Usually this is done with software and a USB cable. Note that features such as picture messaging and WAP web browsing typically have to be manually configured when using the phone on another network.