Database Develop

Options for Unlocking AT&T Samsung Galaxy S5 GM-900A

Hey Everyone,
I need assistance with unlocking my smartphone; it's an AT&T Samsung Galaxy S5 GM-900A. I did a little research on the internet and it's my understanding that unlocking a Samsung smartphone linked with AT&T is a bit more difficult than it already is with other companies. I also saw a lot of sites that offer "unlocking" services for a certain price. Before I decide to do that, I wanted to know if there were any others options or which site is most reliable. From what I've seen and read, it seems that this forum is the best option for seeing if this is possible. Appreciate any assistance you guys can offer.

I am not familiar with unlock sites but have heard mixed reviews on them. Those sites can only unlock the sim card, not the boot loader. Just thought I would put that out there since you didn't specify what kind if unlock you were looking for. I recently submitted a sim unlock through AT&T for my s5 since I am out of contract.

johnkirchner said:
I am not familiar with unlock sites but have heard mixed reviews on them. Those sites can only unlock the sim card, not the boot loader. Just thought I would put that out there since you didn't specify what kind if unlock you were looking for. I recently submitted a sim unlock through AT&T for my s5 since I am out of contract.
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Unfortunately, mine is still under contract but I would like to unlock my smartphone so it can be used with another carrier. This is the type of unlock service those sites are saying they can provide, right? I've also read and heard mixed reviews on the internet, which is why I came here in hopes that I can get additional info on this. Thanks for your prompt response.

Just use att they will unlock your sim

Andrew K. Sterling said:
Unfortunately, these services can't unlock the bootloader, as far as I know.
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What's the difference between that and sim unlocking? Any disadvantages on just having the sim unlocked and not the bootloader?
Andrew K. Sterling said:
I've unlocked several Samsungs using www unlockunit com and the service was always excellent.
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Thank you. I checked it out and it doesn't seem to support "Galaxy S5 SM G900A"; the only thing close to that is "Galaxy S5 SM G900F". Appreciate it if you can suggest another site.
miko85 said:
Just use att they will unlock your sim
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I'm unable to do so because the smartphone is still under contract.

Call ATT. New laws made all carriers be (generally) required to unlock their SIMS not bootloaders under some conditions. see link https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/cell-phone-unlocking-faqs
If u are under contract they will make u pay but u then meanwhile u can use another carrier. Here is a link to an unlock service. https://www.doctorsim.com/us-en/unlock-phone/samsung/
Good Luck!

kwmike said:
Call ATT. New laws made all carriers be (generally) required to unlock their SIMS not bootloaders under some conditions. see link...
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Thanks for the link; I looked over the fine print and unfortunately, I don't fall under those conditions as I am under contract and unable to pay in order to get out of it. :/
kwmike said:
Here is a link to an unlock service. https://www.doctorsim.com/us-en/unlock-phone/samsung/
Good Luck!
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Thanks, I will look into it. What's the difference between unlocking bootloaders and sim unlocking? Any disadvantages on just having the sim unlocked and not the bootloader?

gringolimon said:
Thanks for the link; I looked over the fine print and unfortunately, I don't fall under those conditions as I am under contract and unable to pay in order to get out of it. :/
Thanks, I will look into it. What's the difference between unlocking bootloaders and sim unlocking? Any disadvantages on just having the sim unlocked and not the bootloader?
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They serve entirely different purposes. Sim chooses carrier (ATT,etc). Bootloader chooses what will be started when phone is booted ie system(rom), recovery(TWRP etc), bootloader itself. Bootloader unlock means changes can be made to what will start under different boot requests. No disadvantages to just unlocking sim, often used for foreign travel where your regular sim will not connect. Many times carrier will unlock SIM LATE in contract for foreign travel reasons.

You can try using www.unlockradar.com if you want to unlock your S5. I have a cell phone repair store and I've been using them for a few months and never had any problem. Their customer support is very responsive. https://www.unlockradar.com/unlock-samsung/galaxy-s5-sm-g900a

gringolimon said:
Thanks for the link; I looked over the fine print and unfortunately, I don't fall under those conditions as I am under contract and unable to pay in order to get out of it. :/
Thanks, I will look into it. What's the difference between unlocking bootloaders and sim unlocking? Any disadvantages on just having the sim unlocked and not the bootloader?
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Are you under contract via a next plan thru at&t? If you are planning to unlock to switch carriers I imagine you want to end service with at&t. If so they will want you to pay for the phone in full or return the phone. If you don't pay & keep the phone I'm pretty sure they blackball the imei so it can't be used by any carrier. So what's your end goal here?

joshua14 said:
Are you under contract via a next plan thru at&t? If you are planning to unlock to switch carriers I imagine you want to end service with at&t. If so they will want you to pay for the phone in full or return the phone. If you don't pay & keep the phone I'm pretty sure they blackball the imei so it can't be used by any carrier. So what's your end goal here?
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Yes, I'm under a contract that has been suspended and told them that I am currently not able to pay but also am not able to get another phone due to financial reasons. They said they understood my situation but cannot unlock my phone due to the contract and that once I am able to pay, they will provide me the unlock code if I still want it or wish to continue using their services. I guess what my end goal is to not have to pay for another phone when I'll only use it for medical reasons and once I am financially stable, I can go ahead and pay and probably continue with AT&T. I see your point and understand the predicament I have. I'll just have to wait and see. . .

vlase_2 said:
You can try using www unlockradar com if you want to unlock your S5. I have a cell phone repair store and I've been using them for a few months and never had any problem. Their customer support is very responsive. www unlockradar com/unlock-samsung/galaxy-s5-sm-g900a[/url]
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Thanks, I'll check it out.

gringolimon said:
Yes, I'm under a contract that has been suspended and told them that I am currently not able to pay but also am not able to get another phone due to financial reasons. They said they understood my situation but cannot unlock my phone due to the contract and that once I am able to pay, they will provide me the unlock code if I still want it or wish to continue using their services. I guess what my end goal is to not have to pay for another phone when I'll only use it for medical reasons and once I am financially stable, I can go ahead and pay and probably continue with AT&T. I see your point and understand the predicament I have. I'll just have to wait and see. . .
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No problem. I just am trying to see if you'll end up paying to get it unlocked then have at&t block the phone from being used. Good luck.
~TMS5-3.0-TMBUILD on G900A with Blue Ice Theme

I used www.unlockradar.com

Unlocking S6 Active on ATT

New member here popping my post cherry.
So A friend of mine found a very nice galaxy S6 active on the side of the road. It was in an otter box so it's in pristine condition and he of course wants to use it on another network - Cricket. It's locked to ATT. I'm a bit of a nerd so I've been trying to see what I can do to get this unlocked, without having to pay for it. ATT's website says it is not eligible to be unlocked because all of the installment payments have not been made on it. OK, so someone lost it and deactivated the line and they were still paying for the phone. Got it. Kudos to them for losing such an expensive piece of technology lol oops, glad it wasn't me.
My questions are, for 1: If this device is able to be rooted, are there any methods using root to carrier unlock it? Maybe a different ROM or something? Yes I am experienced with installing that stuff on Android without bricking it haha.
2: Is there a way to obtain an unlock code for free
3: If he does have to end up paying for it, what is a legit and inexpensive site that we could use that will provide a permanent unlock code, reliably?
Any insight an suggestions would be helpful. Thanks everyone!

jdlockhart said:
New member here popping my post cherry.
So A friend of mine found a very nice galaxy S6 active on the side of the road. It was in an otter box so it's in pristine condition and he of course wants to use it on another network - Cricket. It's locked to ATT. I'm a bit of a nerd so I've been trying to see what I can do to get this unlocked, without having to pay for it. ATT's website says it is not eligible to be unlocked because all of the installment payments have not been made on it. OK, so someone lost it and deactivated the line and they were still paying for the phone. Got it. Kudos to them for losing such an expensive piece of technology lol oops, glad it wasn't me.
My questions are, for 1: If this device is able to be rooted, are there any methods using root to carrier unlock it? Maybe a different ROM or something? Yes I am experienced with installing that stuff on Android without bricking it haha.
2: Is there a way to obtain an unlock code for free
3: If he does have to end up paying for it, what is a legit and inexpensive site that we could use that will provide a permanent unlock code, reliably?
Any insight an suggestions would be helpful. Thanks everyone!
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Return the phone to an AT&T store, there's no root for most AT&T phones. Most if not all the new Samsungs have reactivation lock aswell. Since the S4 days there are no free ways to "unlock" ...There were, but all patched with updates.
Lastly... Cricket is AT&T there should be no need for unlocking.
"ATT's website says it is not eligible to be unlocked because all of the installment payments have not been made on it."
This means that most likely the device is black listed, so unlocking is not even an option...X2

Should be able to find an unlock code on eBay or other service. I always think those service has somebody work in att.

The phone has been blacklisted, i.e. reported lost or stolen.
Unlocking it isn't going to help, the imei will be refused connection by the cell network.
AoN

I have successfully unlocked blacklisted (for using outside US ) ATT S6 Active for US $10.40.

[PETITION] [SAMSUNG] Unlocking the bootloader on the SM-j327T & SM-J327T1

Attention samsung we know you spy on us here on xda. We have a major complaint and wish for you to allow our devices to have it's bootloader unlocked. I have checked your company's code in sboot.bin and it has this code in it: "get_oem_unlock_val" and theres hidden jpg files in param.bin (you can open the file as an archive in 7 zip) It has a file named unlock_L.jpg which will show an unlock icon and the word custom. Why would you waste time putting this in the bootloader if you wasn't intending to let us (your customers) use it. We demand an update to allow us to unlock the bootloader. We will not set here and watch our rights as consumers to use our device as we choose be thrown out the window. There's a reason us android fans hate IOS and iphones and that is because it is all proprietary bull crap and we want freedom. Here is the link to a petition i made weeks ago to samsung on change.org: https://www.change.org/p/samsung-unlock-the-bootloader-on-the-j3-prime?recruiter=69539793&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_content=nafta_copylink_shortlink_1%3Acontrol
Update: Samsung has not responded to our demands. and they have decided to randomly stop making the android oreo update. I was told by samsung themselves that the j3 prime from metropcs and tmobile will get android oreo. I feel lied to. Everyone should keep contacting the customer care center of your carrier and samsung both. We should not rest until our demands are met. I refuse to let my efforts of over a year trying to get root go out the window.

Remember this quote: "those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither."

Signed and shared

I have added a poll to the thread so everyone can vote. this is another way to show samsung how much we care.

watch this samsung!: https://youtu.be/Q07uesnjuPg & https://youtu.be/gpVocvREboo

Signed and shared with all 6 Facebook accounts

Signed. Shared.

singed and share

I made a post in the offical samsung forums: [Url deleted since post was deleted on samsungs site.]

No matter how much you beg or how many people sign this petition I can pretty much guarantee Samsung will not respond.
The simple fact is, people wanting root or an unlocked bootloader are a minority as far as Samsung are concerned.
The majority of people who use bootloader locked devices are unaware of what root even is or a locked bootloader.
Unfortunately those who require Admin access to their devices are insignificant in the big picture.

ashyx said:
No matter how much you beg or how many people sign this petition I can pretty much guarantee Samsung will not respond.
The simple fact is, people wanting root or an unlocked bootloader are a minority as far as Samsung are concerned.
The majority of people who use bootloader locked devices are unaware of what root even is or a locked bootloader.
Unfortunately those who require Admin access to their devices are insignificant in the big picture.
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Click to collapse
You do have a good point. I am guessing samsung is just looking at the needs of the many vs the needs of the few but at this point this is our only option unless someone finds an exploit which could take a year or more to find. If i could get a bootloader unlocked device lg is the way to go but it will be years before i get a new device.

thepcwiz101 said:
You do have a good point. I am guessing samsung is just looking at the needs of the many vs the needs of the few but at this point this is our only option unless someone finds an exploit which could take a year or more to find. If i could get a bootloader unlocked device lg is the way to go but it will be years before i get a new device.
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Me too, I'm totally out of luck at this point

ashyx said:
No matter how much you beg or how many people sign this petition I can pretty much guarantee Samsung will not respond.
The simple fact is, people wanting root or an unlocked bootloader are a minority as far as Samsung are concerned.
The majority of people who use bootloader locked devices are unaware of what root even is or a locked bootloader.
Unfortunately those who require Admin access to their devices are insignificant in the big picture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found a solution to our locked bootloader issue. it will require ordering from samsungs website. The model of the unlocked variant of the j3 prime is: SM-J327U it is has oem unlock in developer options, it is unlocked for all carriers, and the bootloader is unlocked completely. looks like twrp can be built for this device. and also i confirm that the device is rooted with the j327t cf autoroot. another guy in another thread has stated he has root.

Attention samsung i have found that you are in violation of federal law which allows us consumers to root or flash a custom rom or recovery. Also you cannot void warranty for rooting or flashing custom firmware according to an article i read made in 2016. On behalf of the community we demand our bootloaders to be able to be unlocked. We are getting sick of relying on exploits which can be really bad to use as hackers use it to get control of our phones. All phones from 2017 onward need to be unlocked regardless of carrier. We do not live in north korea so stop treating us like we are slaves!!!

thepcwiz101 said:
Attention samsung i have found that you are in violation of federal law which allows us consumers to root or flash a custom rom or recovery. Also you cannot void warranty for rooting or flashing custom firmware according to an article i read made in 2016. On behalf of the community we demand our bootloaders to be able to be unlocked. We are getting sick of relying on exploits which can be really bad to use as hackers use it to get control of our phones. All phones from 2017 onward need to be unlocked regardless of carrier. We do not live in north korea so stop treating us like we are slaves!!!
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Not trying to defend anyone, but Samsung has it's reasons for this. They are trying to protect subsidy. So say for example Samsung makes different 737 models to different carriers such as T-mobile or ATT. T-mobile or ATT want the customers to be using their plan. If the phone's could be unlocked, you could simply buy the cheapest model and use it for any carrier. As for unlocking the bootloader or rooting, any android phone with Android 7.0 or higher is difficult to root. All the one click root methods i've tried such as Kingroot for multiple different phones such as Samsung, ZTE, LG.. all failed. All we can do is wait for a master hacker to find a work around.

mohhaxs said:
Not trying to defend anyone, but Samsung has it's reasons for this. They are trying to protect subsidy. So say for example Samsung makes different 737 models to different carriers such as T-mobile or ATT. T-mobile or ATT want the customers to be using their plan. If the phone's could be unlocked, you could simply buy the cheapest model and use it for any carrier. As for unlocking the bootloader or rooting, any android phone with Android 7.0 or higher is difficult to root. All the one click root methods i've tried such as Kingroot for multiple different phones such as Samsung, ZTE, LG.. all failed. All we can do is wait for a master hacker to find a work around.
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Well that is a valid reason. But i think people should check this out: https://www.xda-developers.com/bootloader-unlock-root-pixel-2-skipsoft-toolkit/

thepcwiz101 said:
Well that is a valid reason. But i think people should check this out: https://www.xda-developers.com/bootloader-unlock-root-pixel-2-skipsoft-toolkit/
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Not sure what angle your aiming at, but it won't have any use for this device?

mohhaxs said:
Not trying to defend anyone, but Samsung has it's reasons for this. They are trying to protect subsidy. So say for example Samsung makes different 737 models to different carriers such as T-mobile or ATT. T-mobile or ATT want the customers to be using their plan. If the phone's could be unlocked, you could simply buy the cheapest model and use it for any carrier. As for unlocking the bootloader or rooting, any android phone with Android 7.0 or higher is difficult to root. All the one click root methods i've tried such as Kingroot for multiple different phones such as Samsung, ZTE, LG.. all failed. All we can do is wait for a master hacker to find a work around.
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I think they should allow it, and only make one model of each phone!

Relyt2012 said:
I think they should allow it, and only make one model of each phone!
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Well that would require all cell phone companies to program the device for their market when it is shipped to the company which is inefficient. Cell phone companies request a device catered to how their network works. If you have verizon and you try to get a phone with a GSM radio to work on it you will be wasting time because it wont work. Maybe if all companies switch to cdma or gsm it will be practical to make one model for all carriers.

thepcwiz101 said:
Well that would require all cell phone companies to program the device for their market when it is shipped to the company which is inefficient. Cell phone companies request a device catered to how their network works. If you have verizon and you try to get a phone with a GSM radio to work on it you will be wasting time because it wont work. Maybe if all companies switch to cdma or gsm it will be practical to make one model for all carriers.
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That's untrue of the S7 edge, same modems and all as unlocked variant!!

Unlocked or carrier model?

I have to root my phones (not wanting to pay $30 for Verizon tether), is anyone aware if the Pixel 4 XL from Verizon will have the bootloader locked, and unable to be rooted? In addition to that, would we see a root for the unlocked version? Thanks

Pretty sure most carrier devices are going to remain locked until you pay it off. At least, that's the logical rationale. I can't imagine they want people unlocking devices they haven't paid for. As far as root, that should be a simple process of just patching the boot.img

ZeroKool76 said:
Pretty sure most carrier devices are going to remain locked until you pay it off. At least, that's the logical rationale. I can't imagine they want people unlocking devices they haven't paid for. As far as root, that should be a simple process of just patching the boot.img
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the lock not something they ever lift? My current 2 XL was paid retail but they never allowed me to unlock the bootloader. They do allow for any carrier SIM to be used in it.

psone said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the lock not something they ever lift? My current 2 XL was paid retail but they never allowed me to unlock the bootloader. They do allow for any carrier SIM to be used in it.
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If you bought the Verizon Pixel 2 XL it had a locked bootloader. Since it was exclusive to Verizon. The unlocked version directly from Google did not have a locked bootloader. That was the same for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. I am not sure about the Pixel 3a and 3a XL since it was not exclusive to Verizon.
Does anyone know if the Pixel 3a or 3a XL came with a locked bootloader?
EDIT: There's a thread over on the Pixel 3a XL where a bunch of carrier and non-carrier devices had locked bootloaders. I would be careful which device you buy going forward until you hear others chime in on the greyed out unlocked button.
When in doubt, buy directly from Google.

psone said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the lock not something they ever lift? My current 2 XL was paid retail but they never allowed me to unlock the bootloader. They do allow for any carrier SIM to be used in it.
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This is correct. Verizon is a mofo. Doesn't make much sense. I mean, you paid for the device, you should be able to do what you want with it

ZeroKool76 said:
This is correct. Verizon is a mofo. Doesn't make much sense. I mean, you paid for the device, you should be able to do what you want with it
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This right here has been the case with Verizon going ALL the way back to the Verizon Galaxy Nexus. **** Verizon!

Yep, never buy the carrier modesl unless you have absolutely no other option. In the case of Tmo with OnePlus and similar phones you could get an unlock (both carrier and bootloader) after the device was paid off. You still have to deal with a little bloat and later updates along with lesser issues. AT&T will have this one and their policies are similar to Verizon so I wouldn't go that way unless you hate yourself. No idea on Sprint, that have nothing in my area so I haven't paid attention. The previous posters were 100 prevent though, buying unlocked is the way. Tmo if you must to get a deal but only after verifying the bootloader can be unlocked.

krabman said:
Yep, never buy the carrier modesl unless you have absolutely no other option. In the case of Tmo with OnePlus and similar phones you could get an unlock (both carrier and bootloader) after the device was paid off. You still have to deal with a little bloat and later updates along with lesser issues. AT&T will have this one and their policies are similar to Verizon so I wouldn't go that way unless you hate yourself. No idea on Sprint, that have nothing in my area so I haven't paid attention. The previous posters were 100 prevent though, buying unlocked is the way. Tmo if you must to get a deal but only after verifying the bootloader can be unlocked.
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I currently have a one plus 7pro from T-Mobile that is still financed. The bootloader was locked until you paid off your device and waited the mandatory 45 days. Some were able to talk to T-force and got their devices unlocked early whether they financed or not. I was one of the unlucky ones that could not negotiate with T-force to unlock my device. Luckily there was a nice person that worked for TMobile that was in the forums and was able to unlock my phone. We will see what happens when we get the devices and start working on them. I will be financing my phone with them again next Thursday.

I purchased the Unlocked model. I currently have Pixel 2XL Verizon (Bootloader Locked), not a huge issue. But there are times where I wish I had a rooted phone. Not making that mistake again.

cronojay said:
I currently have a one plus 7pro from T-Mobile that is still financed. The bootloader was locked until you paid off your device and waited the mandatory 45 days. Some were able to talk to T-force and got their devices unlocked early whether they financed or not. I was one of the unlucky ones that could not negotiate with T-force to unlock my device. Luckily there was a nice person that worked for TMobile that was in the forums and was able to unlock my phone. We will see what happens when we get the devices and start working on them. I will be financing my phone with them again next Thursday.
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Did you try calling in multiple times? That often works although some people can't seem to catch a break on it. I've been on a number of OP devices and I'm familiar with what you're talking about; Saw it most recently on the 6T but it goes back further. I had them unlock a SGS6 the day I bought it, I paid cash but still the word was it couldn't be done without a dwell period, I remember it being 30 days at that time but maybe it was 45, been a while. In any event the very next year was the one were it turned out Tmo couldn't unlock your bootloader, came from Samsung they said. I remember there being an exploit coming out for that but I had already given away my S7 and moved on to the next thing before they figured that out. Not much over a year later Samsung started the BS with bootloaders on their international unlocked phones and I didn't keep the Note 8 long either. IMO if root is a must it's a good idea to let someone else be the guinea pig and profit from that information unless you've got enough ching to walk away without worrying about it.
I'm pretty sure this phone will also be exactly as you describe on Tmo and I agree with you BTW, just saying the smart money if a man needs to be careful is to wait for the first phones to meet their owners a few of who will unlock and root or attempt to do it. Or as I said in my first post, buy unlocked direct from Goog or Fi if possible.

There is not likely to be any bootloader unlock for the P4 and P4XL for carrier versions unless an exploit is found (which doesn't seem likely anymore). Google does not provide carriers an interface to change the device type, nor do they provide that interface to their own customer service and support teams. It's not a matter of hounding customer service or posting on the right forum because they can't help you. It's an obligation that Google has to meet if they want to keep their big carrier contracts in the United States.
The only unlocking requirement for carrier specific versions is having the ability to SIM unlock the device for portability between networks. Most carriers will do this upon request if you have international travel plans or have completed a certain percentage of your device financing.

navalynt said:
There is not likely to be any bootloader unlock for the P4 and P4XL for carrier versions unless an exploit is found (which doesn't seem likely anymore). Google does not provide carriers an interface to change the device type, nor do they provide that interface to their own customer service and support teams. It's not a matter of hounding customer service or posting on the right forum because they can't help you. It's an obligation that Google has to meet if they want to keep their big carrier contracts in the United States.
The only unlocking requirement for carrier specific versions is having the ability to SIM unlock the device for portability between networks. Most carriers will do this upon request if you have international travel plans or have completed a certain percentage of your device financing.
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Click to collapse
So, the devices are shipped to the carriers already locked? Interesting. for some reason I always thought it was the individual carriers that lock them down and then would unlock it when you fully paid off the device. So you're saying, even if you fully pay off the device, you will never be able to unlock a carrier pixel 4/XL? Wow, that's a bummer.

ZeroKool76 said:
So, the devices are shipped to the carriers already locked? Interesting. for some reason I always thought it was the individual carriers that lock them down and then would unlock it when you fully paid off the device. So you're saying, even if you fully pay off the device, you will never be able to unlock a carrier pixel 4/XL? Wow, that's a bummer.
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Click to collapse
Correct. Enthusiasts have a channel to bootloader unlock, which is buying directly from Google where Google provides it's own support.
Carriers are only looking to sell you a device that's stable to work on their own networks. What do the carriers have to gain at all from controlling the bootloader unlock? They have nothing to gain from it except a support migraine.

navalynt said:
Correct. Enthusiasts have a channel to bootloader unlock, which is buying directly from Google where Google provides it's own support.
Carriers are only looking to sell you a device that's stable to work on their own networks. What do the carriers have to gain at all from controlling the bootloader unlock? They have nothing to gain from it except a support migraine.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, that makes sense when you put it that way. Just took me by surprise when OP and it's carrier phones pretty much allow you to do whatever you want to the device, once it's paid off. Still can't stand OP, but I have to admit, that's a check mark in their corner

Keep in mind Google does not require it like Samsung does so it's left up to the carrier. Tmo has been unlocking similar devices and there is little reason to think it wont happen here. In the opposing camp you have Verizon which demands a locked bootloader and few exploits have been found to circumvent it on recent devices. Meanwhile something to consider is that even the unlocked straight from google device is not really unlocked in the way some people think: Before you can unlock the bootloader it absolutely must phone home. Don't give the phone that connection and you cannot unlock it. Samsung does the same thing. We are not in control of our devices anymore, they can pull the plug on unlocking any time they want simply by denying it via that same connection even if you have already unlocked it. Samsung did this a few years ago in just that way and to this date no one has found a way around it that doesn't cause real pain with the wait a week and all that BS.

I called several times and got on with T-force sever times and no luck. I got lucky when the post I described about unlocking and got mine done. I always device finance because of the 0% apr and jump on demand so all I need to is bring my phone, get my new phone and profit.

ZeroKool76 said:
Pretty sure most carrier devices are going to remain locked until you pay it off. At least, that's the logical rationale. I can't imagine they want people unlocking devices they haven't paid for. As far as root, that should be a simple process of just patching the boot.img
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Click to collapse
"simple process" "just patch the boot img" come on man.. Ask the people that own a pixel 3 from Verizon. Please don't spread wrong info

bigmatt503 said:
"simple process" "just patch the boot img" come on man.. Ask the people that own a pixel 3 from Verizon. Please don't spread wrong info
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Click to collapse
You mean, ask the people who were dumb enough to buy a locked down device? I'll pass. People that have purchased Verizon's in the past, as you have stated, would obviously know this doesn't apply to them. I was more referring to, since we don't have recovery yet, you would have to patch the boot img manually.

Honestly, I ALMOST got me and my wife's from Verizon (she definitely jumped on the pixel bandwagon). They have a buy one, get one free. Sooo, I kept thinking about root, but ultimately decided I'd rather save $900. Evidently, there's some caveats. One, the get one is for a new line. No biggie, I'll just cancel the one number and add a new one (her phone is paid off, I don't think there's a termination fee after two years). Two, you have to sign up for an unlimited plan. That piece completely wiped the price difference and then some for me. Sooo, I smiled a bit and bought them unlocked from Google. The only reason I would buy directly is for a huge price savings.
Another thing I thought of too, there is an early upgrade fee with V if I were to decide to upgrade to the 5xl next year. So, that's another caveat. I'm glad I just went with unlocked. Hoping it doesn't take long to root.

This time around I placed a pre-order with Google Fi.
All their Pixels are both SIM & Bootloader Unlocked even on
financing, same as Google Store.

Question S21 ultra tmobile locked help

Hi Everyone,
So i just bought the s21 ultra t-mobile from samsung.com. As i understand it, the device is locked to tmobile simcard. I have an att sim card and would like to understand my options if i want to continue to use att sim card.
Since i will have device paid in full,
1. Can tmobile unlock the device for me even though i have no account with them?
2. If they will not unlock it, is my option to then get a prepaid card top it with 100 dollars work with phone for couple months then switch back to att after they unlock?
3. Is there a shorter way, like when i receive device can i just flash unlocked firmware and that would make me able to use any sim?
I am just looking for the following
1. Unlocking device
2. Having wifi call as with this weird att\tmobile combo as i understand it i will not have wifi calling? so flashing unlocked\att should help? but given tmobile unlocks my phone
Thanks alot for your help

Message @Tmobilehelp on Twitter. They'll unlock for you. I did this recently for a couple of A71. I also confirmed with them before ordering the S21 Ultra.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out, My name is Marva and I will be working with you moving forward! I hope that overall your day is going well so far! We always want to be respectful of your time and appreciate you hanging in there with us to make sure that you're all set. I know it's important to get that device unlocked for use on other networks. Traveling is so much easier and versatility of an unlocked phone is awesome. We do have a process for devices purchased directly through the manufacturer. So yes, you are definitely able to purchase from Samsung, then you'll just need to share your device imei with us here and we can submit the request. It does take about 72 hours to complete and then you'll use the preinstalled unlock app once your request has been processed. Let me know what other questions you have abut this.
That's correct, this process is specifically for non T-Mobile customers that purchase their devices through Samsung so you'll be all set!

rmrl2008 said:
Message @Tmobilehelp on Twitter. They'll unlock for you. I did this recently for a couple of A71. I also confirmed with them before ordering the S21 Ultra.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out, My name is Marva and I will be working with you moving forward! I hope that overall your day is going well so far! We always want to be respectful of your time and appreciate you hanging in there with us to make sure that you're all set. I know it's important to get that device unlocked for use on other networks. Traveling is so much easier and versatility of an unlocked phone is awesome. We do have a process for devices purchased directly through the manufacturer. So yes, you are definitely able to purchase from Samsung, then you'll just need to share your device imei with us here and we can submit the request. It does take about 72 hours to complete and then you'll use the preinstalled unlock app once your request has been processed. Let me know what other questions you have abut this.
That's correct, this process is specifically for non T-Mobile customers that purchase their devices through Samsung so you'll be all set!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are not as accomodating with current Tmo customers.

Dai_321 said:
Hi Everyone,
So i just bought the s21 ultra t-mobile from samsung.com. As i understand it, the device is locked to tmobile simcard. I have an att sim card and would like to understand my options if i want to continue to use att sim card.
Since i will have device paid in full,
1. Can tmobile unlock the device for me even though i have no account with them?
2. If they will not unlock it, is my option to then get a prepaid card top it with 100 dollars work with phone for couple months then switch back to att after they unlock?
3. Is there a shorter way, like when i receive device can i just flash unlocked firmware and that would make me able to use any sim?
I am just looking for the following
1. Unlocking device
2. Having wifi call as with this weird att\tmobile combo as i understand it i will not have wifi calling? so flashing unlocked\att should help? but given tmobile unlocks my phone
Thanks alot for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much did you pay? I cancelled my preorder yesterday and today I tried to reorder but now the tmo version is $100 more than yesterday

If someone willing to unlock S21 bootloader on snapdragon variant PM me for unlock and testing TWRP build.

Shuthefrontdoor said:
How much did you pay? I cancelled my preorder yesterday and today I tried to reorder but now the tmo version is $100 more than yesterday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it looked the $100 off the TMO version was only for a day or so.

BladeRunner said:
They are not as accomodating with current Tmo customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe they will unlock if the phone is fully paid off. They will also do temporary unlocks for travel.

Bobb_o said:
I believe they will unlock if the phone is fully paid off. They will also do temporary unlocks for travel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Needs to be active on a line for 40 days. They USED to be much more flexible about that but the last couple of times I've tried they've stuck firm on that.

I've had T-Mobile unlock phones for me in the past, even when the phone hasn't been active on my account for 40 days, but I have had my Tmo account for a long time with several lines and financed devices. I don't ask for unlocks often, I've maybe done 3 or 4 over the years. Last one was a Pixel 4 XL and before that it was an iPhone XS.
BladeRunner said:
Yeah, it looked the $100 off the TMO version was only for a day or so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed this too, and now the Sprint version is $100 off. I would think that getting the Sprint version would work just fine on Tmo these days (especially since all US branded devices are the same hardware model), but then, would that phone be locked to Spring SIM Cards only and using my Tmo SIM would be a problem?