Database Develop

Unlocked? Potential Problem?

Hi Guys,
Long story short I'm a long time Sprint customer getting ready to bail. There is a new MVNO using TMO's network launching in September and I'm in the pre-release and get my SIM later this week.
I picked up my Note Friday night after several days of searching. Also picked up a SimpleMobile SIM and a one month card so I could play with it as much as possible and confirm it unlocked before receiving my new SIM here shortly.
I made a request to T-Mobile as I paid full retail and according to their website if you do that from an Authorized Dealer you would be eligible for an unlock code. Gal was very nice on the phone and seemed to understand the process. The next morning prior to receiving the confirmation email from TMO I dropped in the SimpleMobile SIM and it booted right up and never prompted for an unlock code. I changed the MMS and APN to SM's settings from their website and it's worked perfectly.
Today I received the email from TMO saying that they couldn't approve the unlock request until I made a new request including all the required info (predominately my TMO Phone Number and Account Number). I've never been a TMO customer and as such don't have that. Gal at Customer Service said I didn't need it.
Now I wonder what's up, is the phone already unlocked hence the non-issue using the SimpleMobile SIM? Is this going to bite me in the butt later?
Coming from Sprint and the ESN system it's a whole different world and you can move phones to another account if the ESN is clean but doesn't have to be unlocked but they cannot unlock the phone to take to Verizon for example. So this is my first foray into the GSM world.
Thanks!

Just fyi your phone is still Carrier locked. Exemption with simple mobile, any TMobile phone would work with simple mobile without unlocking. Since they use the TMobile network they don't need to have the phones unlocked in order to work properly.
In order to get the phone unlocked there are different ways on doing it. If you had an account with TMobile they'll unlock it for free but since you don't I don't think they are or would even if you paid retail on the phone.
Hope that helps.
Sent from my SGH-T879 using xda premium

[Q] Moving AT&T Apps to SD card

I bought a new AT&T factory unlocked G4 Active off eBay. It is running Gingerbread and has not been rooted.I then bought a StraightTalk sim card and everything works fine except two things,
I have used Applications Manager and discovered (I will confess I have learned a lot from this forum AFTER I tried that) it will not allow me to move the useless(????) AT&T apps to the SD card. Is there any way to do that since I don't think I am using them since I have a StraightTalk sim installed? And #2, since I get lousy service on the GSM network (AT&T), is it possible to convert this phone so it runs on VZ?
Thanks

The Galaxy S4 Active is barely 4 months old and shipped with Android 4.2.2 aka Jellybean - if yours has Gingerbread on it (Android 2.3) something is very wrong.
And GS4A's are not sold unlocked, even from AT&T. You have to buy one that's carrier locked, then contact their support to get the unlock code (as I understand it). Even paying full price for the phone off-contract in an AT&T corporate store means you still end up having to contact their support by phone, providing the necessary info, and they'll provide the unlock code as required - the store personnel just don't do that or even have access to those codes even if you pay full price on the spot for one "unlocked."
As for moving the apps to the microSD card, I don't think that's a possibility with the stock apps; your best bet to get rid of them is with Titanium Backup (the paid version) and freeze 'em all out. I could be wrong on that so someone else can answer it perhaps.
The LTE capability of the GS4A won't work with Verizon's CMDA network that I'm aware of, and obviously Verizon isn't a GSM carrier at all so there goes that idea too.
Are you 100% confident of what you actually bought?

Moving AT&T apps to sd card
br0adband said:
The Galaxy S4 Active is barely 4 months old and shipped with Android 4.2.2 aka Jellybean - if yours has Gingerbread on it (Android 2.3) something is very wrong.
And GS4A's are not sold unlocked, even from AT&T. You have to buy one that's carrier locked, then contact their support to get the unlock code (as I understand it). Even paying full price for the phone off-contract in an AT&T corporate store means you still end up having to contact their support by phone, providing the necessary info, and they'll provide the unlock code as required - the store personnel just don't do that or even have access to those codes even if you pay full price on the spot for one "unlocked."
As for moving the apps to the microSD card, I don't think that's a possibility with the stock apps; your best bet to get rid of them is with Titanium Backup (the paid version) and freeze 'em all out. I could be wrong on that so someone else can answer it perhaps.
The LTE capability of the GS4A won't work with Verizon's CMDA network that I'm aware of, and obviously Verizon isn't a GSM carrier at all so there goes that idea too.
Are you 100% confident of what you actually bought?
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Click to collapse
Yep, I am sure it is unlocked. I bought it advertised as unlocked and activated it on StraightTalk. It came with an AT&T sim card (unused) and I bought a StraightTalk sim card for it and have been using it for about a month. My only "gripe" is one AT&T app (My AT&T) is still in the App menu and I recently downloaded and launched GPS/Mapquest. AT&T came on in the middle of my drive with their AT&T travel app and I could not get back to my original course. Not to be argumentative but is there any way I can tell for sure I am unlocked given the info above? I have 4.2.2. Guess I'll have to give up on deleting the AT&T apps. PS I have disabled all AT&T apps, except the one above, in my phone App Mgr Haven't checked the Mapquest routing since I did that so don't know if that very big problem went away.
Thanks for the help

The StraightTalk SIM card will be using AT&T's cellular network so that's why it won't complain with it in there - stick a SIM card from T-Mobile or some other network provider and you'll find out instantly if it's carrier locked or not as soon as you turn it on because it'll ask for the unlock code if it is.
AT&T doesn't sell the GS4A unlocked - it is sold locked to their network and if you pay the full price for the phone (meaning you own it at that point) you will be given a number to call (an AT&T support rep) where you have to provide the IMEI of the phone and the transaction number from the purchase receipt; they will provide you with the carrier unlock code which is entered when you put in SIM card from another carrier and turn on the phone.
While I got mine unlocked using an official AT&T unlock code from an eBay reseller, before I got this one off craigslist I had considered buying it brand new back in June from AT&T at the full retail price so I asked how the carrier unlock would be accomplished and was told by the AT&T corporate store employee here in Las Vegas exactly what I just said above: the boxed phones at the stores are locked to AT&T and must be unlocked with the carrier unlock code.
Since I'm not the original owner I couldn't just call in and ask for it myself so that's why I used a person off eBay and haven't had any issues so far, it was worth the $9 to get it unlocked.
Whoever owned that phone you have may have already unlocked it, but AT&T doesn't sell them that way...

You bought it off eBay, not directly from AT$T. Many eBay sellers unlock phones to make them easier to sell, but no carrier sells phones already unlocked. And 4.2.2 is definitely not Gingerbread. All S4 Actives came with Jellybean. As was said, you will not get this phone to work on Verizon's 4G network.

Get unlock code from AT&T

So I went and bought a S6 on retail price and I asked the employee that helped me was I able to get an unlock code since I paid for it outright and he said it would have to go up to upper management for me to even get the unlock code. Is this correct?

Fill out the unlock request on att.com. I know if you pay off your phone after having it on the AT&T Next contract they will unlock it for free.

Isn't there a rule that you have to be on AT&T service for at least 60 days? I think it's ridiculous but that's what it says on their unlock request portal.
OP, please let us know how it went. I'm thinking of AT&T version because I have no other choice. I'm going to get it unlocked too ASAP and probably go with Cricket or Tmobile.

I did the same and after a week of fighting to get unlocked code and getting denial submissions due to Imei not an Att member when I selected non subscriber or being denied for imei linked to another att customer which was me using a Crickett SIM card, I took it back to BB and got the international unlocked version for $699 from ebay seller Breed. Working like a champ on Crickett, no bloat ware and loving it. FY ATT.
Ian B

You can buy the Verizon phone outright too, it is an unlocked world phone and will work on any provider out of the box.

I will keep you guys updated as I just filled out the request today and now im waiting to hear back. I bought mine outright so I don't see why it should be a problem but I will let you know how it turns out.

Update. Sent request earlier this morning and got the email with the unlock code about 2 hours ago! Now to find someone with a non AT&T sim card.

tee00max said:
Update. Sent request earlier this morning and got the email with the unlock code about 2 hours ago! Now to find someone with a non AT&T sim card.
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Click to collapse
Where you outside the 14 day return policy when you requested it. I did inside 14 days after buyin outright from BB and could not get them to approve unlocked code. They said either imei. Or recognized as ATT customer, duh I selected non subscriber on request page. The 4th and 5th time denied they denied as imei being used by another ATT customer, duh, yes me with my cricket SIM card. Ended up returning it to bb and getting unlocked version from eBay seller Breed for $699.
Working perfect on Crickett.
Ian B

Mr Ian B said:
Where you outside the 14 day return policy when you requested it. I did inside 14 days after buyin outright from BB and could not get them to approve unlocked code. They said either imei. Or recognized as ATT customer, duh I selected non subscriber on request page. The 4th and 5th time denied they denied as imei being used by another ATT customer, duh, yes me with my cricket SIM card. Ended up returning it to bb and getting unlocked version from eBay seller Breed for $699.
Working perfect on Crickett.
Ian B
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought my S6 this morning and when I got back to work I immediately requested an unlock code and got it all in the same day.
When I first created the post, I had an S6 and then returned it and then I got another one. I also purchased mine from BB.

I bought my S6 outright (full retail) on April 10 and waited 14 days to try to get an unlock code through their online portal. AT&T kept refusing for one reason or another. Finally today I called customer service. A very nice lady helped and sent a request to whatever department and within two hours I had my code via email. Thanks AT&T.

rayellio77 said:
I bought my S6 outright (full retail) on April 10 and waited 14 days to try to get an unlock code through their online portal. AT&T kept refusing for one reason or another. Finally today I called customer service. A very nice lady helped and sent a request to whatever department and within two hours I had my code via email. Thanks AT&T.
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Click to collapse
Nice.

Can I root after unlocking?
tee00max said:
Nice.
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Click to collapse
does this mean the bootloader is unlocked as well?
Sorry for n00bness...

xXQuintonXx said:
does this mean the bootloader is unlocked as well?
Sorry for n00bness...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, just carrier unlock...
we all dream that we can unlock the bootloader one day......

Thanks for the reply

Unlocked my S6 with the providesd unlock code and it worked perfectly.

[RESOLVED] Galaxy S6 Active Unlocked: No 2/3/4G with tmobile in NYC

1. Bought a Galaxy S6 Active from best buy.
2. Unlocked it through ATT online.
3. Running it on T-mobile.
4. Voice calling works.
5. In Brooklyn (Gowanus) it does NOT get any 2G/3G/4G network.
6. If I voice call, for a few seconds 4G comes on and then it disappears.
I wonder if there are others having this problem.
------------
This was resolved.
The problem was getting the correct APN settings in. I used the instructions from the tmobile forums/site. Google for it.
And now I get decent throughput, but not spectacular: 7Mbps download / 11Mbps upload.
I noticed I am on band 4. You can install "LTE discovery" to do that.

Make sure to properly configure your APN settings and enable mobile data.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using XDA Free mobile app

I just picked up an S6 Active, and it won't let me add an APN for T-Mobile. I'm still waiting for my unlock code, so it still has a deactivated AT&T SIM in it. Could that be what's blocking me from adding an APN?

MizuRyuu said:
Yah, seems like if you want OTA update, you must have an activated AT&T SIM card... Your best bet if you are in the US is to find a friend who has AT&T and borrow their SIM card so you can authenticate against the AT&T OTA server.
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Click to collapse
******I have an inportant information.******
I have a friend in Vietnam, I and him got an S6A.
I bought an S6A in Bestbuy, paid off.
He bought and S6A in ATT shop, paid off too.
But
I can get the unlock code after 2 days request in ATT webs => The staff in bestbuy told me, I can get the code if I buy ATT device in best buy for Free.
He tried like me, but the system said no => I asked 3 customers service in ATT website before, all of them said I have to contract an ATT SIM for 2 months (minimum $45/month for SIM card) and I could get unlock code after that for "free" after paid at least $90 for them.
the Important thing is :
My S6A (bestbuy) Cannot get OTA update (unlock or non-unlock) if I dont have ATT SIM.
His S6A (ATT shop) Can get OTA update (unlock or non-unclock) without ATT SIM card and another carrier in used. (he can get OTA for OF3 and the newest OF4).
*Yesterday,he bought an unlock code in a Vietnam mobile phone shop (~ $27) and It was unlocked, now he can use the vietnam's carrier.
I will show you the screenshot of his phone after I go home.

Unlock
Hi,
I'm in Turkey and I've bought a Samsung galaxy s6 active from bestbuy by paying full retail price (unactivated device option for 694$). My friend will bring it to me to Turkey tomorrow and my question is if it is possible to unlock my phone even though the device is not in USA? My point is, if the code that will be provide by at&t s device unlock page is verifying by internet connection or via mobil service satellites ? Because obviously phone have to send/receive some configurations to the unlocking. If this process requires US services, I have to say my friend to unlock the phone before he came ..
Thanx

yunussaraclar said:
Hi,
I'm in Turkey and I've bought a Samsung galaxy s6 active from bestbuy by paying full retail price (unactivated device option for 694$). My friend will bring it to me to Turkey tomorrow and my question is if it is possible to unlock my phone even though the device is not in USA? My point is, if the code that will be provide by at&t s device unlock page is verifying by internet connection or via mobil service satellites ? Because obviously phone have to send/receive some configurations to the unlocking. If this process requires US services, I have to say my friend to unlock the phone before he came ..
Thanx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to att.com to take a free unlock code after 2 days request
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using XDA Free mobile app

[FYI] UNLOCKED S6A sent for repair and returned LOCKED

Hi guys,
I just thought I should share my experience with SAMSUNG and AT&T.
I've bought my brand new UNLOCKED S6 Active from EBAY about 13 months ago and used it for 11 months with no problems at all. I've never dropped it nor put it under water or anything etc. However about 2 months ago the phone started freezing and randomly rebooting.
I'm an IT specialist so after carefully examining the phone during freeze I realized it's probably a defective motherboard. The phone was under warranty so I shipped it to SAMSUNG USA for repair. They send it back after two weeks with a replaced battery claiming the phone is fixed. Of course it wasn't and I had the exact same issues as before. I had to send it back to SAMSUNG and after another month they confirmed it's the motherboard and replaced it. The service slip states "Replaced PBA".
Since then the issues are resolved but.... as soon as I've put my international SIM card the phone stated "Invalid SIM card. Enter network unlock code". What a surprise! I called SAMSUNG and they claimed it's locked by AT&T (??) and connected me to AT&T rep about it. I've explained everything again and the AT&T guy said since I don't have an AT&T account he'll send me the unlock code after 3 business days to my phone. "How exactly are you going do to do that when my phone is with an international SIM card which is not working on the locked phone?" I asked. "Oh... in that case I'll give you the code now". So in a minute I had the code and the phone is UNLOCKED again.
Cheers!

Hey I am having the same issue with S6 edge. I bought AT&T S6 edge unlocked from ebay. I used it with Tmobile sim. Something went wrong with the phone, sent the phone to repair and Samsung replaced the PBA and sent back. Now it is locked. When I put Tmobile sim, I get this "Invalid SIM card. Enter network unlock code". I called Samsung and they told me to call Tmobile to get unlock code. I don't think it is going to work. How did you get the Samsung to connect AT&T rep to you?

adasse10 said:
Hey I am having the same issue with S6 edge. I bought AT&T S6 edge unlocked from ebay. I used it with Tmobile sim. Something went wrong with the phone, sent the phone to repair and Samsung replaced the PBA and sent back. Now it is locked. When I put Tmobile sim, I get this "Invalid SIM card. Enter network unlock code". I called Samsung and they told me to call Tmobile to get unlock code. I don't think it is going to work. How did you get the Samsung to connect AT&T rep to you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SAMSUNG rep told me to call AT&T and request an unlock code. I told him I'm living in Europe and I've never had an AT&T accout which is required in order to speak with AT&T support. So he was kind enough to call them and then to forward my call directly to an AT&T support rep.

It's unexpected to see an AT&T rep provided unlock code so fast. But yours phone came back locked is understandable, since its motherboard had been replaced. I think the IMEI is also changed as well. In the past, usually if motherboard was replaced by Samsung then the IMEI is clean and ready to unlock with AT&T device unlock portal, so even you didn't get it unlock at that time, you can just go to the link above to unlock your phone.