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Questions about Permanent Device Unlock

Does Permanent unlock mean permanent? Or is it something you can lose with a firmware update, factory reset, or user modification?
How does the device unlock? Is it unlocked by hardware like a knox trip? Is it from the carrier? Could it ever be re-locked?
Basically I bought my S6 from T-Mobile with the full intention of cancelling the service once I fully payed it off. $860 later, I made my final payment a week ago. I put in an ATT sim card, tried unlocking, nothing happened. Put my T-mo sim back in, did unlocking just to try it again, and it says my device is permanently unlocked.
I just want to know how permanent is permanent, and is it safe to cancel my service with T-Mo, and could the phone ever be re-locked by means of factory reset or by any change in the software?
Also my T-mo account balance is -$60, I don't fully know what that means, but it appears that they owe me $60. If I cancel, is a negative amount refunded?

It's supposed to be permanent. But T-Mo's custom device unlock is bugged. I permanently unlocked mine a few days ago and switched back to AT&T. Last night I started getting an invalid sim inserted message with my AT&T sim in it! So much for permanent unlock!!!
All I could think of doing to make sure it's permanent this time around is to Odin back to the stock MetroPCS rom so I could use their radio and unlock it the old fashioned way. Works fine with AT&T now. I just have to stick with the MetroPCS radio, or it will become locked again!

Question
guyd said:
It's supposed to be permanent. But T-Mo's custom device unlock is bugged. I permanently unlocked mine a few days ago and switched back to AT&T. Last night I started getting an invalid sim inserted message with my AT&T sim in it! So much for permanent unlock!!!
All I could think of doing to make sure it's permanent this time around is to Odin back to the stock MetroPCS rom so I could use their radio and unlock it the old fashioned way. Works fine with AT&T now. I just have to stick with the MetroPCS radio, or it will become locked again!
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Click to collapse
I've been away from android for a short time and now back on T-Mobile S6. I bought it outright from T-Mobile and haven't even had it three days yet but service is terrible. Is there a guide for exactly how to use the PCS firmware and then get root and twrp? How and where did you get the unlock code also? You said I need to stay on PCS? What if I flashed a T-Mobile custom rom off xda development site? Thanks, I'm just a little rusty and don't want to mess up my new phone. LOL.

brojoe11 said:
I've been away from android for a short time and now back on T-Mobile S6. I bought it outright from T-Mobile and haven't even had it three days yet but service is terrible. Is there a guide for exactly how to use the PCS firmware and then get root and twrp? How and where did you get the unlock code also? You said I need to stay on PCS? What if I flashed a T-Mobile custom rom off xda development site? Thanks, I'm just a little rusty and don't want to mess up my new phone. LOL.
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Click to collapse
There is a guide somewhere. I read it a couple of weeks back, so I knew what to do to Odin flash the Metro rom and use the regular sim unlock method. You can flash any compatible rom with your device. You just can't flash the T-Mobile radio, or you'll loose the SIM Unlock! The radio firmware is never part of a custom rom, so no need to worry there.
I bought the unlock code from androidsimunlock.com and told them it was a MetroPCS Galaxy S6. Worked perfectly.

Thanks. I'll do some more searching.

So the unlock is in software only?

Flash using Odin loses sim unlock? SM-N920i

Hi, im experiencing some weird resets when i recieve calls, i reset the note 5 like 3 times and still the same, so i downloaded the NZ rom from Sam Mobile and i was wondering if this phone i bought is sim locked and i flash the new rom i will lose my unlock??
Is there any way to know if my phone is factory unlocked or if its locked whit what company?

Ok I find the question a bit strange but will answer to the best of what I understand. If you want to find out if your phone is unlocked just pop in another sim from any other provider and see if you get service or even if it even attempts to find it. If you get invalid sim msg or something similar you are locked. Also to answer your question to which carrier is it locked, that's obvious as it would be the carrier you are currently using. As far as flashing a rom from a different model note 5, I won't recommend without extensive research as you could brick your phone.

devon411 said:
Ok I find the question a bit strange but will answer to the best of what I understand. If you want to find out if your phone is unlocked just pop in another sim from any other provider and see if you get service or even if it even attempts to find it. If you get invalid sim msg or something similar you are locked. Also to answer your question to which carrier is it locked, that's obvious as it would be the carrier you are currently using. As far as flashing a rom from a different model note 5, I won't recommend without extensive research as you could brick your phone.
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Sorry for my bad English, the phone is already unlocked but idk if was manually unlocked or factory unlocked because im from Bolivia and the Note 5 Says spark(NZ Carrier) and accepts any carrier, the problem is my fear of losing the unlock after the flash is this phone was manually unlocked

Carrier unlock a G920T permanently

Hi guys,
I need some clarification re: carrier unlocking and how it works. I recently purchased a carrier unlocked G920T, and I was going to start messing with custom roms/kernels and other goodies. My question is: Will the phone revert back to being locked if I do a factory reset or if I unlock the bootloader and flash custom roms?
I'm not a T-Mobile user, so I can't get another unlock code from them.
Thanks!!

The G920T has a carrier unlocked version, which is probably the one you have, not the T-Mobile one. Even if it is, usually a carrier unlocked device will remain unlocked forever unless it was unlocked using a different or hacky method, then there is a possibility that it will relock
Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

Yeahh go ahead, mess with it. when it is carrier unlocked, the software doesn't affect it, unless it is a hacky method like @serio22 said, but there isnt such hacky method for the GS6 so have fun.

If it is a G920T (the T means it's from T-Mobile), then carrier unlocking is not a guaranteed state. I paid T-Mobile the full price to get my GS6 and they "permanently" unlocked it. Then after a OTA software patch all of a sudden it locked itself again and I couldn't use my phone for 2 days while they tried to unlock it. T-Mobile's new device unlocking uses a new system which has the phone "phone home" to their servers to check if you're allowed to use it outside of their network. It happened again when I accepted the Android 5.1.1 OTA. So...beware of T-Mobile's not-very-permanent permanent carrier unlocking.

I am living in india..
My relatives brought me the t model ( i wanted f model instead of i sold in india for quicker updates but got t model...lol )
Anyways,
The moment i inserted my sim, it worked like a charm so its unlocked at the moment.
I dont know how they made payment their or how it was unlocked, but the way used must be legit coz its still stock at the moment without root / recovery etc. .
I read humo saying it can get locked again...
My main question, what are the odds of that happening?
Also since i live in india, i wont be able to contact t mobile via phone/walk in, are there ways i can get it unlocked again?
I dont have the bill too if it matters

i believe they have an app that unlock ur device since that is how i unlocked mine. if not u can try to contact customer service online since u r not in US.

With device unlock app , will i have to pay for unlock my s6 g920t or it'll unlock my device for free.
I have an unlocked s6 tmobile from usa, i heard the flashing stock rom will relock the device.
If the phone will relock then how can i unlock it again?

I'm not sure about flashing a stock ROM relocking the device. Mine re-locked when T-Mobile sent Android security patches. This week I did the Android 6.0 OTA update and it has remained unlocked.

Hey guys! i have a factory unlocked version of s6 tmobile, my question is if i can flash the tmobile MM firmware . My model says "country: cellular south" and the firmware country says us tmobile, so i dont know if i can flash without any problems, (Sorry for my english it sucks) thanks !

polipol15 said:
Hey guys! i have a factory unlocked version of s6 tmobile, my question is if i can flash the tmobile MM firmware . My model says "country: cellular south" and the firmware country says us tmobile, so i dont know if i can flash without any problems, (Sorry for my english it sucks) thanks !
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Click to collapse
Polio, i have the same phone and i flashed MM without any problems. Check out the q&a section here and theres a recent thread that talks about how to that refers to a reddit post
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA-Developers mobile app

bitbank said:
If it is a G920T (the T means it's from T-Mobile), then carrier unlocking is not a guaranteed state. I paid T-Mobile the full price to get my GS6 and they "permanently" unlocked it. Then after a OTA software patch all of a sudden it locked itself again and I couldn't use my phone for 2 days while they tried to unlock it. T-Mobile's new device unlocking uses a new system which has the phone "phone home" to their servers to check if you're allowed to use it outside of their network. It happened again when I accepted the Android 5.1.1 OTA. So...beware of T-Mobile's not-very-permanent permanent carrier unlocking.
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Click to collapse
How did you solve this? My phone stopped working flashed newest (G920TUES5DPK1_G920TXAR5DPK1_G920TUES5DPK1_HOME.tar.rar) and i can't go to older version as that gives me ;
Code:
SW REV. CHECK FAIL DEVICE: 5 BINARY: 3

Christiaanjadieja said:
How did you solve this? My phone stopped working flashed newest (G920TUES5DPK1_G920TXAR5DPK1_G920TUES5DPK1_HOME.tar.rar) and i can't go to older version as that gives me ;
Code:
SW REV. CHECK FAIL DEVICE: 5 BINARY: 3
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Click to collapse
You can't downgrade your bootloader so you'd have to pay to unlock it unfortunately

crixley said:
You can't downgrade your bootloader so you'd have to pay to unlock it unfortunately
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it done remotely!

I have a Galaxy S6 (SM-G920T) from T-Mobile. It was locked. But it has an "Unlock" app installed by default. I used it and phone was instantly unlocked! Fast, easy and free!

I used to live in the US for a year and bought a g920T. Since i had the requirements i Unlocked and came back to my country but because of a problem, I had to install a stock firmware and now the unlock is gone.
So i'm wondering, if someone with a unlocked phone made firmware backup, remove the IMEI, and send it online would it work? I mean, right now it works just fine, so i can backup my IMEI and ID and just restore it if needed.

Please help
danveer said:
I am living in india..
My relatives brought me the t model ( i wanted f model instead of i sold in india for quicker updates but got t model...lol )
Anyways,
The moment i inserted my sim, it worked like a charm so its unlocked at the moment.
I dont know how they made payment their or how it was unlocked, but the way used must be legit coz its still stock at the moment without root / recovery etc. .
I read humo saying it can get locked again...
My main question, what are the odds of that happening?
Also since i live in india, i wont be able to contact t mobile via phone/walk in, are there ways i can get it unlocked again?
I dont have the bill too if it matters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in same scenario as you are/were,I am also having s6 (Tmobile) please tell me did flashing relocked your device?

So far no
I have flashed recovery - custom rom - kernel
Messed up sometimes so even went back to stock using odin then flashed everything again
Its still unkocked

Hello! I've bought my S6 (SM-G920T) as carrier unlocked but when my pcb has burned due to factory fault and sent my phone to Samsung they gave me again it was locked. I'm from Argentina and I haven't T-Mobile sim to unlock with default application. I've called to my carrier in Argentina and they said me the IMEI it's unlocked but my phone still sais it's network blocked... Can anybody help me?

vita_lp said:
Hello! I've bought my S6 (SM-G920T) as carrier unlocked but when my pcb has burned due to factory fault and sent my phone to Samsung they gave me again it was locked. I'm from Argentina and I haven't T-Mobile sim to unlock with default application. I've called to my carrier in Argentina and they said me the IMEI it's unlocked but my phone still sais it's network blocked... Can anybody help me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried with the tmobile device unloced app.? If that doesnt work then head over to this awesome guy, he can help you unlock it remotely. https://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-galaxy-s6/general/sim-unlock-honestly-free-t3601740

Pixel 5 from "Google Emploee". Locked for AT&T and bootloader is unlocked?

Pixel 5 from "Google Emploee". Locked for AT&T and bootloader is unlocked?
I bought a pixel 5 from google emploee, who is saying he got it from google.
It has a sticker on the back with barcode and some numbers and a date of 6/26
Problems are:
1. It is locked for AT&T and does not want to unlock via AT&T website (https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/). I got a message from ATT that it is unlocked, but still does not like T-Mobile sim. Any suggestions?
2. It is saying the bootloader is unlocked. Will I have problems with google pay? Can I undo this?
3. How to check this is an actual Pixel 5, not a prototype or something? It says "model Pixel 5" in "About phone"..

worry said:
I bought a pixel 5 from google emploee, who is saying he got it from google.
It has a sticker on the back with barcode and some numbers and a date of 6/26
Problems are:
1. It is locked for AT&T and does not want to unlock via AT&T website (https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/). I got a message from ATT that it is unlocked, but still does not like T-Mobile sim. Any suggestions?
2. It is saying the bootloader is unlocked. Will I have problems with google pay? Can I undo this?
3. How to check this is an actual Pixel 5, not a prototype or something? It says "model Pixel 5" in "About phone"..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak as to the origin of your phone, buy it from someone else, and you're buying someone else's problems.
Unlocked bootloader and carrier unlocked are two distinctly different things.
Carrier unlocked means that you can use the carrier of your choice. Unlocked bootloader lets you flash images to you phone, from entire monthly security updates to a custom kernel, root, and do other fun things. Google Pay will not work with an unlocked bootloader unless you root the phone and hide that from Google using root-based trickery. (Standard Google Firmware)
The fact that your bootloader is unlocked means that it probably is NOT from AT&T. Why you seem to be carrier locked is a mystery to me, but I will tell you something, AT&T is probably the most evil carrier to deal with. My phone was purchased directly from Google, my first act was to unlock the bootloader, root it, then get the phone up and running with T-Mobile. If you don't want to root your phone, have no need for it, whatever, yes, it is possible to relock the bootloader. Be aware that this will wipe your phone clean, and you'll be starting fresh.
Look in the forums or:
https://developers.google.com/android/images
Google has very comprehensive instructions on how to lock/unlock your bootloader, flash factory images, take OTA's etc..
Be aware that if you aren't sure what you are doing, flashing a factory image can also wipe your phone, and you'll be back to square one if you don't backup your stuff.
There are tons of tutorials on this site on this subject, just poke around...

bleez99 said:
I can't speak as to the origin of your phone, buy it from someone else, and you're buying someone else's problems.
Unlocked bootloader and carrier unlocked are two distinctly different things.
Carrier unlocked means that you can use the carrier of your choice. Unlocked bootloader lets you flash images to you phone, from entire monthly security updates to a custom kernel, root, and do other fun things. Google Pay will not work with an unlocked bootloader unless you root the phone and hide that from Google using root-based trickery. (Standard Google Firmware)
The fact that your bootloader is unlocked means that it probably is NOT from AT&T. Why you seem to be carrier locked is a mystery to me, but I will tell you something, AT&T is probably the most evil carrier to deal with. My phone was purchased directly from Google, my first act was to unlock the bootloader, root it, then get the phone up and running with T-Mobile. If you don't want to root your phone, have no need for it, whatever, yes, it is possible to relock the bootloader. Be aware that this will wipe your phone clean, and you'll be starting fresh.
Look in the forums or:
https://developers.google.com/android/images
Google has very comprehensive instructions on how to lock/unlock your bootloader, flash factory images, take OTA's etc..
Be aware that if you aren't sure what you are doing, flashing a factory image can also wipe your phone, and you'll be back to square one if you don't backup your stuff.
There are tons of tutorials on this site on this subject, just poke around...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Weird part is that If I go to system-> updates I see an update from ATT:
"ATT Redfin RD1A.2008..."
So this is not a "pure" google pixel? It has an ATT image? Can I install the genuine pixel 5 image?

You sort of do. If your bootloader is unlocked, and you get yourself decoupled from AT&T, you can grab the latest firmware directly from Google and flast it. There is no difference between the AT&T "model" and the generic Google version in the hardware. I don't know what's AT&T is up to these days but the AT&T versions at least older phones, used to lock down their bootloader and make it impossible to unlock. But if yours is already unlocked you sho6be able to put on Google's firmware and possibly escape from AT&T.

bleez99 said:
You sort of do. If your bootloader is unlocked, and you get yourself decoupled from AT&T, you can grab the latest firmware directly from Google and flast it. There is no difference between the AT&T "model" and the generic Google version in the hardware. I don't know what's AT&T is up to these days but the AT&T versions at least older phones, used to lock down their bootloader and make it impossible to unlock. But if yours is already unlocked you sho6be able to put on Google's firmware and possibly escape from AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what about AT&T lock? Once I have official image, the sim lock would be gone? Or do I need just to flash a modem?

Question Can the latest leak of the full international ROM be safely flashed on an NE2217 (T-Mobile)?

I've been wanting to convert to international for a while now but I heard it's very risky, I'm curious if anyone has an answer as to whether this is safe to flash since it's a full ROM

On page 2 there's a thread that should answer your questions.

Ok... Honest opinion... NO. If you are NOT sim unlocked and NOT bootloader unlocked, then when you flash to Android 13, your device will become locked completely... As in no apps will open and you will get some stupid "Contract Phone" error no matter what you tap. I'm trying to hunt down the process that activates this but it's hard considering that the only time it triggers is when you pop a TMobile sim into any other A13 firmware other than the original TMO flash. I know that they TECHNICALLY are the same model, 2217 ... 2217.... And myself am sitting here using 2215 FW on my 2217 TMobile locked phone... But I went thru nightmares and hard bricks to get mine working. I took my phone down to completely unresponsive state.... Had it revived to 2217fw, but NOT the TMO branded....and then used FB to get my unlock token for the bootloader. Once BL unlocked , I tried updating to the same 2217 android 13, and the phone did what I said earlier.... But thankfully I had FB and unlocked BL, so I just flashed the stock recovery and stock boot.img and it went back to working but on Android 13 (with A12 recovery and Boot.img). I don't recommend that at all because while yes I have had no problems doing it to several other phones with no bricks... I have had several reports that ppl didn't get the same success.... As of today I have flashed 27 ne2217 phones to 2215 then 2217. But I have had some headaches with using the exact same processes every time but getting different outcomes every time. There's SOME FILE that needs to be disabled in the system so this can be done safely, but unless you are Sim Unlocked and BL unlocked I cannot recommend you attempt this. That is the only factor I think that has made all my flashes successful, cuz ultimately it's a TMobile BRAND lock... Not region... Cuz ne2217 is NA... So the region is the same as I'm in Texas... But if it's not TMO branded fw.. the phone freaks out sometimes. But only with android 13. Kinda like how the 'Orange' state came back with the updates.... TMobile did this on purpose probably because of all the posts here about successful region swaps! Be warned! The TMO Mafia is waiting to put a brick in your hands!