T-Mobile will now unlock select phones via an app

Now that phone unlockers have been given the governmental green light, T-Mobile's trying to make the very process of unlocking less of a hassle... albeit very slowly. You see, the magenta-hued carrier has created a Device Unlock app that'll let you either temporarily unshackle your phone for 30 days (perfect for those brief stints abroad) or do the deed permanently. Sound too good to be true? You may have a point. You're still bound by T-Mobile's eligibility requirements if you try to permanently unlock your device, for one, and the app only works with Samsung's decidedly mid-range Galaxy Avant (on which the app comes preloaded) right now. The folks at Android Central couldn't help but sideload the app onto a few other devices, but didn't have much luck freeing any of them from T-Mobile's tight grip. Here's hoping this limited release is just a pilot program of sorts -- we've reached out to T-Mobile to see if they're willing to share any more.