Criminal Simulator how to unlock phones is best understood as a progression and tool-shop question. You do not unlock the robbery loop by finding a hidden phone quest in the available evidence: phones are listed as loot, while robbery tools are bought with cash from the computer in your hideout.
How the tool unlock loop works
- Take a job from the Job Board. Check the target, quota, and return deadline before leaving the hideout.
- Rob an achievable house. Start with ordinary houses and use the basic route that your equipment supports. A rock can make a window entry, but breaking glass is noisy and may alert residents or police.
- Return loot to the hideout. Put stolen items in the selling area or Loot Crate and sell them. The evidence says the sale returns only part of an item's full value, so one successful haul may not pay for every upgrade.
- Open the hideout computer. The computer is the documented shop for tools, weapons, supplies, and character upgrades. Available examples include Lockpick, Glass Cutter, AC Gas, Baseball Bat, Running Shoes, and Lifter.
- Buy the next useful option and repeat. Some shop items require higher levels, but the supplied records do not give a complete level, price, or unlock-order table.
The practical decision is to buy access and escape tools before forcing a high-risk location. The tools guide compares these options in more detail. A Lockpick opens locked doors, while a Glass Cutter provides a quieter window entry than throwing a rock. Running Shoes help with movement and escapes; Lifter helps carry heavier or more valuable loot.
Start house robberies quietly
This moment supports the recommended beginner route through ordinary houses, including crouching and watching for residents who may hear or spot you.
What each requested item means
Robbery items and documented access
| Item or term | What the evidence supports | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | A loot item found during house searches | Search rooms and take it when you find one; no separate unlock requirement is documented. |
| Zip ties | Mentioned in gameplay as something the players need | Check the hideout computer and current prompts; the supplied evidence does not establish a price or unlock level. |
| Key | Included in the requested search term, without a confirmed acquisition record | Do not assume a key opens a specific door or has a fixed shop requirement; verify its prompt in-game. |
| Lockpick | A purchasable tool for locked doors | Buy it from the hideout computer after earning cash, then use it on locked doors. |
| Glass Cutter | A purchasable, quieter window-entry tool | Buy it from the hideout computer when available and use it instead of making a noisy window break. |
| AC Gas | A purchasable supply that can put house occupants to sleep | Treat it as an optional stealth purchase; the exact cost and unlock threshold are not documented. |
| Lifter | A progression upgrade for carrying heavier valuables | Prioritize it when heavy loot is preventing you from taking valuable items. |
Best first purchases
Lockpick for access
Buy the Lockpick once you can afford it if locked doors are blocking rooms. Gameplay evidence shows it being purchased from the Tools section and then used to open a locked door. This expands the rooms you can search without requiring a noisy window entry.
Glass Cutter for quiet entry
The Glass Cutter is the next strong access option when you want to enter through windows. It is described as quieter than smashing a window with a rock, which matters because noise can wake or alert people inside and bring police attention. Use it when the extra access is worth the cash cost, especially before testing more valuable houses.
Avoid noisy window entry
This moment supports the Glass Cutter recommendation by showing why throwing a rock through a house window can alert occupants and bring police attention.
Lifter and Running Shoes for risk control
Lifter improves what you can carry, including expensive heavy objects such as televisions. Running Shoes improve movement and can help when escaping danger. These upgrades do not directly unlock phones, zip ties, or keys, but they improve the cash-making loop that pays for later shop options.
A safe route to more tools
Start with regular Houses rather than a mansion or bank. Crouch, watch residents, and prioritize valuable items that your current Carry Capacity allows. If you are detected, leave the search area and avoid returning directly to the hideout while wanted; getting caught can cost carried loot and skip a day.
After selling, spend the next cash on the bottleneck you actually hit:
- Locked rooms: choose Lockpick.
- Noisy entries: choose Glass Cutter instead of relying on a thrown Rock.
- Heavy valuables: choose Lifter or a capacity upgrade.
- Long escapes: choose Running Shoes.
- Occupied houses: consider AC Gas if it is available in your computer shop.
Only move to mansions or banks after this loop is reliable. Those locations can add guards, cameras, and faster police pressure, so a more expensive target is not automatically a better first investment.
What is not confirmed
The available records do not provide a fixed price list, exact level requirements, or a complete unlock order for every item. They also do not prove that phones, zip ties, and keys are all permanent shop unlocks: phones are explicitly described as loot, while zip ties and keys are not backed by a documented acquisition procedure here.
If you are looking for one of those terms and cannot find it, check the hideout computer after completing another job, confirm that you are viewing the relevant Tools or Supplies section, and follow the current in-game requirement. Do not spend cash based on an assumed price or level from another game mode.
FAQ
Do phones need to be unlocked?
Not according to the supplied evidence. Phones appear as loot that can be found during a house robbery. The evidence does not show a phone-specific quest, level, tool, or purchase requirement.
How do you unlock zip ties?
The evidence only records gameplay dialogue saying the players need zip ties. It does not document their price, shop category, level, or acquisition step. Check the hideout computer and the current job prompts rather than assuming a fixed unlock route.
Is there a key unlock in Criminal Simulator?
The requested keyword includes “key,” but the supplied records do not establish a key item, door relationship, price, or unlock threshold. Treat any exact key requirement as unverified until the game shows it.
What should I buy first?
Buy Lockpick if locked doors are your main limitation. Choose Glass Cutter if noisy window entry is exposing you, then invest in Lifter or Running Shoes as carrying and escape become the larger problems.
SourcesReviewed October 28, 2026
The guide uses the supplied Criminal Simulator summary, local gameplay transcripts, and Roblox metadata. The records support the hideout-computer purchase loop, Lockpick, Glass Cutter, phone loot, and the risk differences between ordinary houses and guarded locations. They do not establish exact prices or unlock thresholds for phones, zip ties, or keys, and repeated gameplay mentions are not treated as independent confirmation.
https://www.roblox.com/games/83048653078891/Criminal-Simulator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R9J3kARygA