Database Develop

Simple sim unlock question.

Hey everyone,
I've been searching on here and somehow I'm not finding ANY helpful info on how to unlock a G1 to work on AT&T. I want to buy one of craigslist and it seems most people aren't able to get customer service to unlock it for me.
Is there any way to unlock it, even if i need to flash the ADP1 firmware or something?
I really thought there would be a sticky for this, but so far all I've found is paid services.
I can borrow a friend's T-Mobile sim if i need one temporarily to access anything for the unlocking.
Thanks!
-Taylor
P.S. I'm hoping to buy one today, so the sooner someone answers my question the sooner i can get in on this new android love!

I believe as of now you have only one choice - buy unlock code on eBay or some other online shops.

get the phone and have a friend that has t-mo say that they are going out of the country and they need the unlock code for their phone. t-mo will ask for the IMEI and you give them that and they will email you an unlock code. but i am pretty sure that you will be stuck with edge network on at&t. not that i have any choice as t-mo STILL doesn't have 3G in stl

Hey, thanks for the help. I only have one friend with Tmobile and she probably could have helped me, but i was hoping there was a more guaranteed way, in case that didn't work. So flashing the ADP1 firmware and bootloader doesn't do it? I assume that the right people have looked at this and all that?
Well it would be cool if we could crack that, but lucky for me i finally found someone with an unlocked g1 at a great price - $250 for a barely used one with accessories and box, still with the original plastic on the screen, it's basically brand new! I was going to buy one that had been used for a few months, just had a charger, and was locked for the same price! I actually thought it might have been stolen till i met the kid, he was driving a brand new car and only looked to be about 18, so basically he was just rich and didn't care too much if he got the most he could get, heh.
So yeah, I have a G1 now and it's unlocked and works great. I of course don't get 3G on ATT but i had an old iphone before that didn't have 3G, so i'm at least not worse of. And somehow the G1 downloads pages much faster than the 2G iphone, interestingly enough, so I'm pretty happy.
Thanks for your help guys. is there a way we could maybe sticky this or something, maybe make a new post that is the official sim unlock thread and sticky that? I never found a place that specifically said you couldn't unlock it, except for a few posts from before the phone was even out with people speculating, so it was pretty tough for me to find out. Sure, i didn't find anything that said you COULD unlock it easily, but i didn't find a lot the other way either and i wasn't sure if I was just missing something.
Thanks,
-Taylor

I used this one to unlock my g1
http://www.unlock-tmobileg1.com/
within 20 min, I received my unlock codes. And it really worked
as t-mobile asked me 125 Euros for unlocking (the Netherlands)

T-Mobile G1 Unlock

Heya all, well i just menage to finally buy a new g1 off ebay been trying for awhile now but finally got one for the right price but the thing is.. being new its locked to t-mobile now from what i have found there are only two way's of unlocking both are via unlock codes and from what I've read i can get it free from t-mobile but i also believe you have to of been a t-mobile customer for 2 months plus or something any you guys know if this is true?
The other option is to get one of these websites that give you unlock codes has anyone used these could you if possible tell me what sites are genuine and safe to use?
Another thing is there any other way's of unlocking the phone?? that i have missed? i haven't actually got it yet but its being posted as we speak..
Hope this is the right place to post this and cheers for you input ;D

Dominating said:
Heya all, well i just menage to finally buy a new g1 off ebay been trying for awhile now but finally got one for the right price but the thing is.. being new its locked to t-mobile now from what i have found there are only two way's of unlocking both are via unlock codes and from what I've read i can get it free from t-mobile but i also believe you have to of been a t-mobile customer for 2 months plus or something any you guys know if this is true?
The other option is to get one of these websites that give you unlock codes has anyone used these could you if possible tell me what sites are genuine and safe to use?
Another thing is there any other way's of unlocking the phone?? that i have missed? i haven't actually got it yet but its being posted as we speak..
Hope this is the right place to post this and cheers for you input ;D
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T-mobile will give it free if your a longstanding customer. If you want to buy it, buy it from ebay. There is another thread in this section (actually more like 20, one of which has a link)

Yea they wont give you the code unless you have been a customer for 90 days or more. The site I used was http://www.unlock-tmobileg1.com it took about 10 hours for the code to arrive, they have detailed instructions on how to register an ATT APN so you can do the initial google setup too. I think they offer codes in 2 hours now, but either way its a good site and I think its just over 20 bucks, like 22 or 23. I looked on ebay but it didn't have a good feel to it, for me anyway.
edit: One great thing about using it on att is that they wont know its a smartphone because its not in there system so you can use the $15/month dumb phone unlimited data plan and it works great, I have been using it for about 3 months now, only downside is att and tmobile use different 3G bands so it is impossible to get 3G with att.

Only use unlock sites who people here say they have used. Don't be fooled by some of them which are *very* cheap (as in, a quater or the cost of most), these will normally tell you *how* to unlock your phone (call t-mobile or buy a code, but they dont give you the code).
I bought my code of eBay, that way you can look at there feed back and you know that the testimonies on their flashy website aren't fake.

Cool cheers guys thought that'd be the case phone still hasn't arrived yet so until then...

Dominating said:
Cool cheers guys thought that'd be the case phone still hasn't arrived yet so until then...
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Some unlocks can be done for free using a custom ROM flash. The operating system is only setup to bar off any non-TMobile sims, so do a flash, and bang, that SIM restriction should be gone.

I have never heard of any rom unlocking the phone, the carrier lock is much deeper in the phone, hence why you dont lose your unlock status when you switch rom's. I did a ton of searching before I unlocked my G1 and never saw anything like what you speak of, I had already rooted and flashed 3 or 4 different roms when my phone was still locked and it never made a difference, so could you please provide a link to this type of rom? And just so you know, in your sig you list phone OS's but what you are talking about is rom's as the only OS for the G1 is Android.

Coburn64 said:
Some unlocks can be done for free using a custom ROM flash. The operating system is only setup to bar off any non-TMobile sims, so do a flash, and bang, that SIM restriction should be gone.
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I don't think that's right either. I've heard quite a few people say that after rooting and flashing a non-tmo ROM their SIM was still locked...

AdrianK said:
I don't think that's right either. I've heard quite a few people say that after rooting and flashing a non-tmo ROM their SIM was still locked...
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He might be confused with something else because of all the smartphones I have had I've never heard a rom to unlock your sim/carrier. I wish there was though but if you think about it you would never be able to change your rom because you would lose the unlock status.

New user droid 3 xt862 - assistance

Hello guys, I just goot this device used from someone in the US. It is locked on GSM, but rooted.
At this I am most interested in getting it unlocked and explore further which is, learning bootstrapping, changing recovery and loading custom roms.
I spoke to Verizon extensively today and was told, they wouldn't be able to give me the unlock code unless it was activated on the network. After a long conversation, the global support team suggested that if I know someone in the US on the Verizon network, what could possibly be done is activating this phone on their current contract, right away share the unlock code and move the Verizon user to their previous phone. All on one call, with a feww minutes? Do Verizon users or with similar experience share their insight, if this would work out with getting an unlock code from them?
I don't really want to go through the idea of finding someone, going through the call and finding out, the person I spoke to was mistaken about all this possible on a single call..
Any other ways to unlock the phone? I don't like the idea of paying money to a website for the unlock code and possibly the code not working, with no refunds.
I've already spent on the phone with the risk of not ever being able to unlock it.
I know, there are threads with unlocking info, but a lot of users I realized were still unable to unlock their phones.
Looking forward to expert insights, and thanks a load everyone!
Cheers.
Sent from my HTC Vision

To add, I am not physically in the US, neither is the phone. Phones GSM bands are apparently compatible with the GSM networks in my country.
Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Vision

Unfortuanlty that is the only way to unlock an xt862. Unless it has never been activated on verizons network. As I understand it verizon changes the sim unlock code upon first activation. Even if that is the case you will still need a code from an unlock site(or possibly your nearest cell repair store)
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium

Endoroid said:
Unfortuanlty that is the only way to unlock an xt862. Unless it has never been activated on verizons network. As I understand it verizon changes the sim unlock code upon first activation. Even if that is the case you will still need a code from an unlock site(or possibly your nearest cell repair store)
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium
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Ok. Unlock4Moto.com is where I am currently planning to purchase it from - they don't have specific verizon codes, but motorola xt862 in general.
Really really hoping, that verizon didn't change the lock code during its few months of activation.
Scared now of not having to use the device as only a PDA..
Thanks for the response.
Can others also pls share their experiences, thanks!
Sent from my HTC Vision

rezapatel said:
Ok. Unlock4Moto.com is where I am currently planning to purchase it from - they don't have specific verizon codes, but motorola xt862 in general.
Really really hoping, that verizon didn't change the lock code during its few months of activation.
Scared now of not having to use the device as only a PDA..
Thanks for the response.
Can others also pls share their experiences, thanks!
Sent from my HTC Vision
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Click to collapse
Ya if its been activated previously the code from unlock4moto will probably fail. In addition if you have too many fails the phone will go into susbsidy lock(or something similar) and will need a PUK(personal unlock code) from verizon to even be functional. You could try just calling verizon repeatedly and explain your perdicament to a new agent each time until you find one that will just give you the sim unlock code. I do believe that it needs to be connected to verizons network at the time though there are several threads of ppl who have had this same problem. Its pretty ****ty. I might recommend selling it and getting the xt860 model. Its easier to unlock and is also global GSM.
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium

Endoroid said:
Ya if its been activated previously the code from unlock4moto will probably fail. In addition if you have too many fails the phone will go into susbsidy lock(or something similar) and will need a PUK(personal unlock code) from verizon to even be functional. You could try just calling verizon repeatedly and explain your perdicament to a new agent each time until you find one that will just give you the sim unlock code. I do believe that it needs to be connected to verizons network at the time though there are several threads of ppl who have had this same problem. Its pretty ****ty. I might recommend selling it and getting the xt860 model. Its easier to unlock and is also global GSM.
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium
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That really sounds crappy :-( I do although plan to buy one and see what happens. Just hoping, I am lucky. Else, I will trt and resort to finding someone from verizon to help me with the situation.
In regards to selling it, I purchased the phone in the us with a friends address almost a month back, and received it in hand just today. Really wouldn't want to sell it yet or thar I might not even find a buyer for a locked phone in my country.
Tough situation I am in, thanks though and wish me luck!
Sent from my HTC Vision

You can bypass the Verizon setup by tapping the four corners of the setup window. At least this will make the phone useable.

That would make the phone usable as a PDA (wifi only), but I think he mentioned that wasn't his goal. Still good info to have while waiting for unlock though.
OP, the phone definitely needs to be activated on a Verizon account temporarily so it can communicate with their system for unlock code to work. Maybe you can place an ad on craigslist offering some money or something similar. People have nothing to lose by helping you if they don't have a global phone or if they never travel outside the US. If they've already done it before, I believe they have to wait ten months before they can unlock another phone on their line. Just fyi.
Good luck!
Sent while mobile using Tapatalk.

BenSWoodruff said:
That would make the phone usable as a PDA (wifi only), but I think he mentioned that wasn't his goal. Still good info to have while waiting for unlock though.
OP, the phone definitely needs to be activated on a Verizon account temporarily so it can communicate with their system for unlock code to work. Maybe you can place an ad on craigslist offering some money or something similar. People have nothing to lose by helping you if they don't have a global phone or if they never travel outside the US. If they've already done it before, I believe they have to wait ten months before they can unlock another phone on their line. Just fyi.
Good luck!
Sent while mobile using Tapatalk.
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Ahh here's another catch then. But I guess, someone who doesn't travel out might be willing.
Btw, just a quick question, so like the support person told me that I can get the phone activated on Verizon without the phone having to be physically in the US, can someone confirm that's possible?
Also, while at it, if someone on XDA is willing to help me with the situation, it would be awesome! I don't mind looking at the option of a monetary incentive for the assistance.
Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Vision

True-ish
Having been through the SIM unlock route myself, here is what I found out. The Droid3 Sim unlock code modification is presented in the first Over The Air (OTA) update. And it doesn't effectively change the code. It adds a modified algorithm to the existing code which has to match up to the one they provide you with. Just like an md5 sum would be incorrect if anything is missing or altered. If the phone is or is returned to the original software that came on the phone (i.e. SBF / Fastboot / Flash) then this algorithm is not present in the firmware and thus the code you recieve from a third party vendor should work. I would surf around and find a trusted source with a strong reputation. When you find a company that states they can do it for you then ask them what their success rate is with the Droid 3 in particular.
As far as the subsidy lock......mine was just like the droid 2 global, when I tried too many attempts it subsidy locked on me ( I was trying different variations that I found in different areas of RadioComm to see if I could circumvent the system, finally gave up). I didn't touch it and let it sit on the subsidy lock request screen for about an hour and it asked me again for the sim unlock code. I finally got the right code through my inderect agent rep and voila. Hope this helps. I've been unlocking a rack of Droid2 and 3 for myself and friends lately, so if any of the information provided is cross-device (I sometimes get confused) then hopefully a guru will correct me. But this is to the best of my recollection.
If you haven't succeeded in about a week I'll be having my acct transferred from an employee line to a consumer acct and I can help you with swapping it to my service briefly and getting in touch with global support. Just pm me or send a message to my gmail - same username queberican351
take care and best of luck
~SU1C1D3~

Hey thanks for the info. All of it made lots of sense. So at this point i am hoping that the OTA update didnt happen on device in its lifetime with the first owner although I am almost sure its highly unlikely.
I am currently most inclined towards unlock4moto.com for the code, hoping it works out.
Regarding flashing the OS version to the factory default version, I will try learning how to flash the roms on this device since I think the way to flash roms on motorolas are pretty different to other phones.
And thanks, really really appreciate the offer of helping me out if I don't succeed in a week.
Thanks!
P.s. first message on xda using the droid 3 (in airplane mode), wonderful phone!
Sent from my DROID3 using XDA App

Good news guys. The code from unlock4moto.com worked perfectly.
This makes me think that Verizon doesn't change the code on their network, because the phone was used for a couple months on their network prior to being detached from their network.
But there's another sad news too, which is, right after being unlocked I had to give it to my sister.. So I guess I will stick around to my Desire Z for another while.
Thanks everyone who helped me get my direction right and opted to help me, cheers!
Sent from my HTC Vision

rezapatel said:
Good news guys. The code from unlock4moto.com worked perfectly.
This makes me think that Verizon doesn't change the code on their network, because the phone was used for a couple months on their network prior to being detached from their network.
But there's another sad news too, which is, right after being unlocked I had to give it to my sister.. So I guess I will stick around to my Desire Z for another while.
Thanks everyone who helped me get my direction right and opted to help me, cheers!
Sent from my HTC Vision
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Click to collapse
I'm glad to hear that, so many others have had issues with this.
Sent from my XT862 using xda premium

Endoroid said:
I'm glad to hear that, so many others have had issues with this.
Sent from my XT862 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feel for them. I guess, was lucky :-D
Sent from my HTC Vision

[Q] Questions about Sprint Unlocking

So I see there is a thread about unlocking your phone in these forums but that says its a GSM unlock. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to unlocking phones but I know I want to use my sprint M8 on Verizon since I'm switching services.
So my question is, is there any way to unlock my phone to work on the Verizon network? Is that unlocking method make it work on Verizon or just ATT?
Sorry but I am extremely ignorant on the subject and am looking for some info, rather not rebuy my one.

Knnox said:
So I see there is a thread about unlocking your phone in these forums but that says its a GSM unlock. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to unlocking phones but I know I want to use my sprint M8 on Verizon since I'm switching services.
So my question is, is there any way to unlock my phone to work on the Verizon network? Is that unlocking method make it work on Verizon or just ATT?
Sorry but I am extremely ignorant on the subject and am looking for some info, rather not rebuy my one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, extremely sorry that no one took the time to respond to this sooner. I believe there is 2 methods to do this, one being a SIM unlock and another being the GSM unlock you mentioned above. To my knowledge GSM unlock is what you want but sadly I don't think there is any 'free' way of doing this. I've never personally GSM unlocked one of my own phones but I have helped a friend do so. Anyways in order to GSM unlock a phone you need a special 'generated' (i think generated) code to input in your phone which will unlock it and allow it to use other carriers besides the one it was made for.
Here is a presumably valid tutorial on how to do this on an HTC One M8.
I would recommend trying freeunlocks.com first, only because I have a coupon from there which i'll gladly give you if you plan on using it. Only reason I have one and or am giving it away is because previously I bought one from there and they didn't have a code at the time so they refunded me and gave me a coupon code to enter if I ever purchased from them again which I most likely won't as I have no need for GSM unlocking, i.e why i'm giving it away. If by some chance freeunlocks does not work then you can try the one in the video or you can look for others.
If you would like to try this and want the coupon for freeunlocks.com then just say so in your response and I'll PM you it. I think its for either a discount or a free code, I don't really remember as this was quite a while ago when I was given it. (around a year)
Goodluck!

I'm just not sure if this would work because I'm trying to go from sprint to verizon, both being CDMA. If I did this would it mean I have to go to ATT?

Knnox said:
I'm just not sure if this would work because I'm trying to go from sprint to verizon, both being CDMA. If I did this would it mean I have to go to ATT?
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Click to collapse
I don't think so, according to this it should have all the proper bands to support both Sprint & Verizon. On the off hand there is always the chance that this link I just sent is ONLY for the International model and I am wrong which I very well could be. I've had trouble truly understanding if all versions of phones have support for the same bands or if they don't. I'd recommend researching this a bit or waiting until someone else comes along with the proper knowledge to assist you in your question on the radio bands comes along.
Anyways LS;DR, It should work but I may be wrong so do your own research or wait for someone else with the proper knowledge to assist you to come along.

PLEASE, Someone find a way to SIM Unlock Sprint version!

Please! tell me how can i do it. Im willing to pay. If i wont unlock it im stuck with 2 devices. It is Sprint Prepaid.
Thank you !!!

MeTaL.SnAkE said:
Please! tell me how can i do it. Im willing to pay. If i wont unlock it im stuck with 2 devices. It is Sprint Prepaid.
Thank you !!!
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Prepare for a soap box, I've hidden this now because as relevant as it is, it's a little over the top.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CALL SPRINT AND GET AN DEVICE UNLOCK CODE FROM THEM! It's pretty simple. Ya'll need to quit with all these posts. You're not encouraging anyone to do any work any quicker than they might already be doing it. You are simply being an annoyance. Twenty thousand posts about the same thing is getting really old. Buy a phone that works with your SIM card, buy a device already SIM unlocked, or wait until someone figures out a way!
STOP ASKING A MILLION TIMES OVER FOR THE SAME THING!!
This post is not just against you but EVERYONE begging over and over again about the same thing. The same thing goes for those with 64 bit devices who beg for a 64 bit recovery.

....
Ok sherlock, Already called sprint before i made this post. You know what was their answer? "WE CANT UNLOCK IT, SORRY SIR". Yes, very dissapointing, I know. She told me "you can only use the wifi". Like, if she would answer me - Get lost.
And btw, I already have a phone, A OnePlus One I just bought these 2 sprint phones from amazon for super cheap - 30$ each. I've been planning using them as a backup / Give one for my sister's boyfriend. So, just saying again, I hope someone can do it and unlock it..

Go after Sprint
Seems to me that we are growing frustrated at the wrong people...
Obama signed into law a few months back that requires the phones to be "Unlockable" by the end user. I do know, a lot of the carriers have voluntarily put in promise to comply in the future, in regards to selling Unlockable phones. But, I just see it as lip service and does not help us Now.
Someone or a group of people need to take this up with the FCC or Justice Department...
But at the very least file a class action lawsuit on two fronts... I personally am miffed about this same phone being marketed as a 4 Gig of internal memory, when in fact it really has about 1.5 Gigs or less of available memory. And, this whole SIM/Locked, S-On, Bootloader Locked nonsense.
Owner of 4 HTC Desire 510s'

MeTaL.SnAkE said:
Ok sherlock, Already called sprint before i made this post. You know what was their answer? "WE CANT UNLOCK IT, SORRY SIR". Yes, very dissapointing, I know. She told me "you can only use the wifi". Like, if she would answer me - Get lost.
And btw, I already have a phone, A OnePlus One I just bought these 2 sprint phones from amazon for super cheap - 30$ each. I've been planning using them as a backup / Give one for my sister's boyfriend. So, just saying again, I hope someone can do it and unlock it..
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Click to collapse
Well Watson, if Sprint wont help you, instead of creating such a useless thread--that helps nobody and gets you no answers--how about you utilize the search function and notice that nobody has currently found a way to sim unlock (save Virgin Mobile apparently). You'll also notice how many useless posts there are about this same thing. So "for the love of god", either figure it out yourself or sit patiently. You posting about this issue, really a non-issue, is not going to get it solved any faster. You are simply being an annoyance just like every other user incessantly posting about the same thing. I'm sorry if this seems mean or whatever but that post wasn't necessarily directed at you but all the damn posts about this non-issue. And honestly this is something you should have researched and considered before you bought the phone.
Sorry, I'm off the soap box.
Also, try calling Sprint International Customer Service at 1-888-226-7212 and tell them you are going to be traveling abroad to whatever country you want and tell them you want to use a local sim card while you're there. I can't tell you that they'll definitely do it because on the website it says that prepaid phones are not eligible to be unlocked, however, there are multitude of places on the internet (some respected, others not so much) that you can go to and get your MSL code. Also, this is the bill @flash4yish was talking about which you might bring up in conversation with Sprint, H.R.1123 - Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
Regardless, just chill, people are in fact working on it as it's a hot topic in the forums so it's really just a matter of time.