How to unlock T-mobile phone bought online - Google Pixel 4 XL Questions & Answers

Hi, I'm thinking about buying a locked T-Mobile Google Pixel 4 XL being from outside the US, and I'd like to check first with you guys what are my options yo unlock it. I've read here that if the owner Is a long-time owner they can request the phone to be unlocked, although this might not be the case with the person I'm planning to make the purchase with.
Is my only option to unlock it by buying a code (if that"s still a thing..) anyway, I would appreciate your help, thanks!

I contacted T-mobile directly because I do not have an account. The rep told me if I bought the pixel 4xl in the store I would still have to wait 40 days for an unlock code even though I am buying the phone outright.

Get the t-mobile app and chat with them. If you ask nicely they'll unlock it

If the phone is being financed through them then they will most likely refuse to unlock it.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

I used Facebook messenger to contact TMobile. Mine is paid off but the rule is 2 payments and 40 days I think. 40 days is easily waived.

Thank you all, I can give it a try, however, will they help me even if I purchased it through eBay?

Took me about 6 or 7 Pixel 4XLs, ordering and returning via Care, TMOHelp, or a Supervisor from either. On the 12th (of February), i received my last and final Pixel 4XL, when i received it, i left it in the UPS Box, so the IMEI is yet to be active, and i owed FULL PRICE for the device, and i contacted the right Rep @ TMOHelp on Twitter to white list my IMEI, before i even activated or turned the device ON. The TMOHelp rep asked for the new IMEI and 5-10 minutes and he would try and work his "MagentaMagic" and i tried explaining, as long as he whitelists the correct IMEI, we wouldnt and shouldnt have any issue. He came back and said all went well, just turn the device on make sure I update the UNLOCK App and choose PERMANENT UNLOCK and there she was : T-Mobile Google Pixel 4XL Carrier Unlocked and awaiting fastboot instructions... Only took 6-7 Devices and a little over a Month!

TeeJay420 said:
Took me about 6 or 7 Pixel 4XLs, ordering and returning via Care, TMOHelp, or a Supervisor from either. On the 12th (of February), i received my last and final Pixel 4XL, when i received it, i left it in the UPS Box, so the IMEI is yet to be active, and i owed FULL PRICE for the device, and i contacted the right Rep @ TMOHelp on Twitter to white list my IMEI, before i even activated or turned the device ON. The TMOHelp rep asked for the new IMEI and 5-10 minutes and he would try and work his "MagentaMagic" and i tried explaining, as long as he whitelists the correct IMEI, we wouldnt and shouldnt have any issue. He came back and said all went well, just turn the device on make sure I update the UNLOCK App and choose PERMANENT UNLOCK and there she was : T-Mobile Google Pixel 4XL Carrier Unlocked and awaiting fastboot instructions... Only took 6-7 Devices and a little over a Month!
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@TMOHelp OR @TmobileHelp ?
*Edit* must be @TmobileHelp because @TMOHelp looks fake as hell.

mikepopo99 said:
Get the t-mobile app and chat with them. If you ask nicely they'll unlock it
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Yep, that what I did and the rep unlocked my phone even my phone is not paid off yet but the 40 days is a must.

Caltinpla said:
Yep, that what I did and the rep unlocked my phone even my phone is not paid off yet but the 40 days is a must.
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Mine was unlocked immediately (within 20 minutes) via the Twitter help. Once the rep white listed the IMEI it took about 10 minutes for the permanent unlock to show up. My device is not paid off, however I have had 6 lines on a business account with auto pay setup for over 2.5 years. I'm definitely thinking account longevity helps.

kdoggy said:
@TMOHelp OR @TmobileHelp ?
*Edit* must be @TmobileHelp because @TMOHelp looks fake as hell.
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https://twitter.com/TMobileHelp

CBMC said:
Mine was unlocked immediately (within 20 minutes) via the Twitter help. Once the rep white listed the IMEI it took about 10 minutes for the permanent unlock to show up. My device is not paid off, however I have 6 lines on a business account with auto pay setup.
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I used the chat option within the T-Mobile app and got it unlocked immediately after the phone reboot. He didn't even ask for the IMEI number but just the last 4 digits of the phone number of the phone to be unlocked.
He mentioned the phone must be active with T-Mobile service for at least 40 days, account in good standing, and been with them for a long time. So, it really depends on how and who you talk to to get it done!

Caltinpla said:
I used the chat option within the T-Mobile app and got it unlocked immediately after the phone reboot. He didn't even ask for the IMEI number but just the last 4 digits of the phone number of the phone to be unlocked.
He mentioned the phone must be active with T-Mobile service for at least 40 days, account in good standing, and been with them for a long time. So, it really depends on how and who you talk to to get it done!
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Yes. I think the length of time you are with them is the key factor. The guy on Twitter said as much.

Okay so I am in shock right now.
I'm a brand new T-Mobile customer, my phone is on a lease and I just got this Pixel 4 XL like 4 days ago.
My phone is fully SIM unlocked and I can verify that the OEM bootloader unlock is no longer greyed out and I've already checked it and it worked.
Originally when I asked I said hey I don't really have a good signal where I work can we unlock the phone so I can use a different sim when I'm at work and they told me I needed to pay off the phone and wait the 40 days.
I tried messaging them again and asking them to enable the dual SIM feature and they did. They asked why I needed it and when I told them they said sure no problem, they set my T-Mobile SIM to be an eSIM and then white listed my phone so I could use the T-Mobile unlock app so that I could use my AT&T SIM.
Sounds like the trick is to ask them to enable dual SIM mode due to signal carrier issues. I will say that the person that I was speaking to told me which type of tower I was connected to and that they could see that I had an extremely poor signal in that area and that there was probably nothing we could do to fix it. Basically they verified that I was in an area with a poor signal and then were like sure no problem!
The person helping me stayed right there on Twitter and walked me through the entire process until I had both SIMs functioning together.

Have my phone just over a week, tried and failed 2 times!
Finally, after third time chatted with T-Mobile through Twitter got my phone unlocked.
It depends who you talk to... Just keep trying!

Related

Quick Way to Unlock Your ATT Tilt

I just got off the phone with ATT and I got an unlock code over the phone within 2 minutes!!!
Simply call 1-(916)-843-4685 and do what it says and you will talk to a representative. Tell them you are going to England/France/Germany/etc this week and you bought a Tilt and your old phone died and that you have a European SIM with you that you use over there and you need it to work in the Tilt. I just did it and I now have an unlocked phone!
Also, for all of you naysayers, google that phone number and it will show up with the ATT International Support.
Enjoy!
staulkor said:
I just got off the phone with ATT and I got an unlock code over the phone within 2 minutes!!!
Simply call 1-(916)-843-4685 and do what it says and you will talk to a representative. Tell them you are going to England/France/Germany/etc this week and you bought a Tilt and your old phone died and that you have a European SIM with you that you use over there and you need it to work in the Tilt. I just did it and I now have an unlocked phone!
Also, for all of you naysayers, google that phone number and it will show up with the ATT International Support.
Enjoy!
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You have a SIM unlocked phone. This doesnt mean you can go dumping any ROM on it you want. But yes its a good idea
yeah, the technique works on ur convincing abilities though
@bratag: I'd say SIM unlocking is a much more desired issue as compared to cid unlocking, but then it might vary from person to person..
Quick... somebody try this with an iPhone!!.... *crickets chirping* anyone? *cricket* eh... *shrug* I love my Kaiser :-D
I posted this elsewhere and its documented by others all over.
SIM unlock is very easy. And legal. And actually done by AT&T.
Step 1: Call AT&T @ 1-(916)-843-4685, tell them you travel alot internationally. Ask them to to add the "International Dial" add on to your account (it costs like $6/month). (Note: the reason the number is not a 800 number is because it asumes you are calling from an int'l location, since its their int'l support line. 800 numbers don't work from an int'l location. You can even call the normal 800 # or even call 611 from your phone, and you can get routed to the int'l support line. I recommend you call from a separate line, so you can actually type in the unlock code when they give it to you to confirm it "takes" before you hang up. If you have another company SIM card, you can even test it with them on the phone)
Step 2: Tell them you also travel for extended periods of time and might need to use a local SIM in your phone. And you need an unlock code to do it. Since you have the international plan, they almost always will oblige. (if they don't, hang up, call back, get another rep, and ask again. They will eventually do it)
Step 3: They ask for your IMEI number. And they give you an unlock code.
Step 4: Say thanks to them
Step 5: Go online to your account manager, and remove the Int'l Plan on your features page to cancel it. You will only be charged a pro-rated amount for the feature.
Step 6: Enjoy your SIM unlocked phone.
Bratag said:
You have a SIM unlocked phone. This doesnt mean you can go dumping any ROM on it you want. But yes its a good idea
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Well my phone is CID unlocked too, but thanks to Pof
ehhhh, slow it please:
what is the difference between SIM Unlock and CID Unlock?
Which is more permanent or more secure?
If I buy an unlocked Kaiser off this website, is it SIM unlocked or CID Unlocked?
thanks, MN
actually sometimes you dont even have to add international call...if you have been with ATT for a while (I'm going to assume 1 yr +) they will either give it to you over the phone, or email you it within a week if they dont have the code for your phone on hand (this is what happened with my 3125, which is still has no free SIM unlock) CID unlocking of course, is a completely different issue...
CID unlocking allows you to flash any carrier's ROM. SIM unlocking allows you to insert any carrier's SIM.
I dont have an ATT number. I just went into a store and bought the phone, and later that night called internation support and they gave me an unlock code, no questions asked (except for imei )
staulkor said:
I dont have an ATT number. I just went into a store and bought the phone, and later that night called internation support and they gave me an unlock code, no questions asked (except for imei )
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That surprises me - I've ALWAYS had to give my account information, so I'm leaning towards calling B.S. on your description of your experience, unless you told them a number of other things also....
FWIW, the 800# for International Services is: (800) 335-4685 though for exactly your point about dialing 800#s outside the US, most of us have the non 800 # in our phones: (916) 843-4685.
I've never had to add the $5.99/mo discounted international roaming, just make sure that the "normal" international roaming is enabled. (Of course they fvcked that up last time and took me 3 calls from Japan on VOIP to get it fixed.)
YMMV of course,
Richard
rsolomon said:
That surprises me - I've ALWAYS had to give my account information, so I'm leaning towards calling B.S. on your description of your experience, unless you told them a number of other things also....
FWIW, the 800# for International Services is: (800) 335-4685 though for exactly your point about dialing 800#s outside the US, most of us have the non 800 # in our phones: (916) 843-4685.
I've never had to add the $5.99/mo discounted international roaming, just make sure that the "normal" international roaming is enabled. (Of course they fvcked that up last time and took me 3 calls from Japan on VOIP to get it fixed.)
YMMV of course,
Richard
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Wait AT&T charge for international roaming?
Good grief - what DONT they charge for.
I got my unlock code, but where can i find the instructions? anyone? thanks
Bratag said:
Wait AT&T charge for international roaming?
Good grief - what DONT they charge for.
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Ha, well actually, of course they charge a huge amount per minute for calls when u are roaming intl'ly. But you can buy a monthly service that brings the cost down per minute. It goes from f'in ridiculous rates to just plain ridiculous per minute rates. But this add-on does make sense if you plan to go overseas for an extended trip. And since its an add-on you can add it / cancel it whenever you need/don't need it. An example of the rates: in some cases its like 2.29 per minute to call without the plan. But with the plan its only 1.99
But at 30 cents per minute, if you make more than 20 min of calls, then you've "saved" money. So, how I stumbled upon getting an unlock code was since I was going to be there for a month, I actually got a local SIM and tried to put it in the phone and they said I could, but they'd have to give me an unlock code, which they did.
You may call BS, but who cares. I did this and it worked. If you want to call BS on this, go ahead. I found this on Howard Forums and thought you guys might like to know. Others have got their unlock code directly from ATT by using this method.
staulkor said:
You may call BS, but who cares. I did this and it worked. If you want to call BS on this, go ahead. I found this on Howard Forums and thought you guys might like to know. Others have got their unlock code directly from ATT by using this method.
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You are the first person I've heard of getting an AT&T unlock code without being an AT&T customer. Bravo for you if true. (Note that I didn't say the *method* was B.S. - in fact I affirmed it working for me as well! I said doing all that when you "dont have an ATT number" sounded like BS - because I've always been asked for my account information as soon as they answer the phone.)
Richard
Hi,
I'm new in this phoneworld. I wonder if it is possible to buy a AT&T tilt via ebay and nulock her in Belgium. Do you think it is possible?
Kind regards.
I have called twice now to get my SIM unlock code and both CSRs said that because I have had AT&T service for less than 90 days, they can't/won't do it. They say I have to have at least 3 months service. Will try a couple more times but doesn't look good.
bernard.schockaert said:
I'm new in this phoneworld. I wonder if it is possible to buy a AT&T tilt via ebay and nulock her in Belgium. Do you think it is possible?
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Click to collapse
Well, I'm not aware of any verified-working Kaiser unlocking services right now, so I'd say no - not unless the person you buy it from has already had AT&T unlock it.
Richard
YMMV
rsolomon said:
You are the first person I've heard of getting an AT&T unlock code without being an AT&T customer. Bravo for you if true. (Note that I didn't say the *method* was B.S. - in fact I affirmed it working for me as well! I said doing all that when you "dont have an ATT number" sounded like BS - because I've always been asked for my account information as soon as they answer the phone.)
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Click to collapse
Well I got a Tilt on Friday and called this morning to get it unlocked. For grins I bought a brand new $20 GoPhone w/activation kit, activated it, and used that phone # at an Agent store to buy the Tilt no-contract ($530 ugh). Then I called the International Services folks and gave them the GoPhone # and my new Tilt IMEI. I expected a big spiel about the length of time I'd been a customer (as T-mo did to me on a prepaid unlock), a refusal to unlock phones on prepaid (as I'd previously heard from Cingular), or some other such nonsense - at which time I planned to call right back on my loooong-term account and get an unlock code.
Note that the first thing the agent asked was "Mobile number and last 4 digits of SSN". I gave him the prepaid phone # (active for <1wk) and my correct last 4 digits of SSN. He seemed to have trouble getting that combination to take, so I mentioned "This is prepaid, so I didn't think there was a SSN on it...."
To my unending shock, the guy on the other end of the phone then said "Ok, I've got an unlock code for you. Ready?" and read me out the code for my phone. Popped in an old Tesco SIM I had kicking around, entered the code, and wham! Unlocked Tilt.
So there's either some serious YMMV going on at International Services or AT&T has thrown in the towel on unlocking!
YMMV of course
Richard

How to unlock SIM?

I'm in peculiar situation: I bought my T-mo S8 direct from Samsung, paid in full, so now whom do I go to unlock my SIM? People from Canada received unlock code together with copy of bill, but I can't find anything on mine, any suggestions? Of course I want to do it as painless as possible and I want to ask here before calling customer service and waste few hours.
pete4k said:
I'm in peculiar situation: I bought my T-mo S8 direct from Samsung, paid in full, so now whom do I go to unlock my SIM? People from Canada received unlock code together with copy of bill, but I can't find anything on mine, any suggestions? Of course I want to do it as painless as possible and I want to ask here before calling customer service and waste few hours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same boat as you
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
pete4k said:
I'm in peculiar situation: I bought my T-mo S8 direct from Samsung, paid in full, so now whom do I go to unlock my SIM? People from Canada received unlock code together with copy of bill, but I can't find anything on mine, any suggestions? Of course I want to do it as painless as possible and I want to ask here before calling customer service and waste few hours.
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Click to collapse
I am in the same situation. From my understanding of past and present TMo devices, the account has to be in good standing (EIP/equipment paid off) AND your device needs to have 40 or 45 days (someone correct me) of continuous usage on TMo network before you can request the Device App unlock = carrier unlock.
So just wait until then
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
As I suspected, I called Samsung to unlock my phone, they told me to call T-mo, called T-mo, they told me to call Samsung, wasted already 1 hour on this.
escabar said:
I am in the same situation. From my understanding of past and present TMo devices, the account has to be in good standing (EIP/equipment paid off) AND your device needs to have 40 or 45 days (someone correct me) of continuous usage on TMo network before you can request the Device App unlock = carrier unlock.
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It's 40 days, that is I was told by CS. After that you use "Device unlock" app on your phone and choose permanent unlock.
Same techniques for S6 and S7 and it worked for me.
First of all I'm leaving on a trip in 20 days, second, the phone is paid in full now, not in 40, third I didn't buy it from T-mo so most likely they wont have any record of it. It's total BS and should be illegal, in Canada Samsung sends unlock code with the phone., but I guess here consumers have no protection. Last time I'm buying carrier phone. This whole locking of the phones is leftover from carrier subsidies and should not exist outside of those plans, if they still taking place. And a funny thing is I have no intention of leaving T-mo anyway and there are services to unlock phone for money. I remember some law about phone getting unlocked when paid I read about few years ago, but can't get any details now.
pete4k said:
First of all I'm leaving on a trip in 20 days, second, the phone is paid in full now, not in 40, third I didn't buy it from T-mo so most likely they wont have any record of it. It's total BS and should be illegal, in Canada Samsung sends unlock code with the phone., but I guess here consumers have no protection. Last time I'm buying carrier phone. This whole locking of the phones is leftover from carrier subsidies and should not exist outside of those plans, if they still taking place. And a funny thing is I have no intention of leaving T-mo anyway and there are services to unlock phone for money. I remember some law about phone getting unlocked when paid I read about few years ago, but can't get any details now.
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That is T-Mobile branded phone, and that is their rules, sorry for that. What you can do, before going on the trip, on that app/ choose Temporary unlock, it's good for 30 days and you can have it up to 5 times in a year.
pete4k said:
First of all I'm leaving on a trip in 20 days, second, the phone is paid in full now, not in 40, third I didn't buy it from T-mo so most likely they wont have any record of it. It's total BS and should be illegal, in Canada Samsung sends unlock code with the phone., but I guess here consumers have no protection. Last time I'm buying carrier phone. This whole locking of the phones is leftover from carrier subsidies and should not exist outside of those plans, if they still taking place. And a funny thing is I have no intention of leaving T-mo anyway and there are services to unlock phone for money. I remember some law about phone getting unlocked when paid I read about few years ago, but can't get any details now.
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You can call T-Mobile and let them know that you are travelling out of the country on ___ date and ask for an unlock code for a long time customer. It has worked for me in the past if you get the right rep.
mrbear01 said:
You can call T-Mobile and let them know that you are travelling out of the country on ___ date and ask for an unlock code for a long time customer. It has worked for me in the past if you get the right rep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem, I bought the phone from Samsung.com and there was no option to purchase an unlocked phone. I am traveling in two days for a few weeks and I called Tmobile several times trying to at least get a temporary unlock and even that cannot be done. They said it has to be on their network for 40 days. I even called Samsung and they said all the unlock codes are sent to Tmobile and only they can unlock it due to the stupid Device Unlock app. You cannot unlock it even if you have the code, only the app can unlock it. If I didn't like the S8 so much I would have switched to the iPhone 7. Absolutely ridiculous!!!
I still don't understand how T-mo will know the phone you purchased direct from Samsung is paid for and should not have SIM locked to begin with.
I have the same problem with my S8. Bough it directly from Samsung. I contacted Samsung and they told me that I need contact tmobile; contact tmobile and they told me that my phone does not show in their system as a tmobile phone because I did not buy it from them. I need my phone unlock so when I travel overseas I can use a local sime card. I don't want to wait until 40-45 days go able to unlock my phone and then not be able to return it to Samsung. There some unlock services charging $50.00 plus to unlock it. I don't want to expend more money, since this phone is already very expensive.
kindongo said:
I have the same problem with my S8. Bough it directly from Samsung. I contacted Samsung and they told me that I need contact tmobile; contact tmobile and they told me that my phone does not show in their system as a tmobile phone because I did not buy it from them. I need my phone unlock so when I travel overseas I can use a local sime card. I don't want to wait until 40-45 days go able to unlock my phone and then not be able to return it to Samsung. There some unlock services charging $50.00 plus to unlock it. I don't want to expend more money, since this phone is already very expensive.
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It's not even about money, this should be illegal. This whole business of locking the SIM card is left over from contract subsidized phones and I could perfectly understand that phone belonged to phone company and you just leased it until end of contract. Now I praise T-mo for getting rid of this practice and changing whole industry, so now at least you know what are you paying for and how much. But now SIM locking shouldn't even happen anymore: if phone is stolen/unpaid for, blacklist IMEI and also you can unlock SIM for the fee, even if it is stolen, so what purpose this SIM locking serves? Canada gets unlock code with the phone.
Anybody had any luck getting the phone unlock.?I waited too long to return the phone, now I'm stuck with it.
http://www.cellunlocker.net/t-mobile-device-unlock-app.php
the service is expensive $130 dls for the unlock
kindongo said:
Anybody had any luck getting the phone unlock.?I waited too long to return the phone, now I'm stuck with it.
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I was in the same boat as you. Went through T-Force on Twitter and seemed to have gotten a rep on the first go who understood the situation and submitted my IMEI number to the right place. Your IMEI number needs to be added to their "device distribution inventory system" and needs to be submitted to their highest level tech support, this allows the Device Unlock app think your phone came from T-mobile's inventory and will let the app unlock your phone.
There may be hope for everyone in the future, this one of the final responses I got from them:
"I am right there with you. It definitely makes things harder on both sides since the phone isn't technically bought from us, even though it is branded a T-Mobile phone and our system rejects any IMEI that didn't come from our inventory. None the less, we're all about giving you full access to what is yours. Teams are currently working on a process update that'll make things a lot more seamless, but in the meantime we've got this work around! I really appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us today!"
14 hours later I tried the Unlock Device app and requested the permanent unlock and was greeted with "Unlock Approved: Mobile Device is permanently unlocked"
Device is fully unlocked, tested with an AT&T SIM card and everything worked fine. After 2 reboots the Device Unlock app even disappeared from my phone. I'm so happy with how fast T-Mobile dealt with this. The more people that make a stink about this issue on social media hopefully T-Mobile will find a permanent fix for people buying a SIM locked at full price and have it easily unlocked under their standard procedure.
INGHUGO said:
http://www.cellunlocker.net/t-mobile-device-unlock-app.php
the service is expensive $130 dls for the unlock
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Did this work for you and were you able to successfully unlock ?
no,unfortunately it couldn't be unlocked because cellunlock no longer have access to their server ,I had to have a contract and wait the 40 days that are the requirement so I can release it
I dont think anybody has now. nearly all the sites i checked unlocking tmobile does not seems to be available.
fragg3d said:
I was in the same boat as you. Went through T-Force on Twitter and seemed to have gotten a rep on the first go who understood the situation and submitted my IMEI number to the right place. Your IMEI number needs to be added to their "device distribution inventory system" and needs to be submitted to their highest level tech support, this allows the Device Unlock app think your phone came from T-mobile's inventory and will let the app unlock your phone.
There may be hope for everyone in the future, this one of the final responses I got from them:
"I am right there with you. It definitely makes things harder on both sides since the phone isn't technically bought from us, even though it is branded a T-Mobile phone and our system rejects any IMEI that didn't come from our inventory. None the less, we're all about giving you full access to what is yours. Teams are currently working on a process update that'll make things a lot more seamless, but in the meantime we've got this work around! I really appreciate you taking the time to reach out to us today!"
14 hours later I tried the Unlock Device app and requested the permanent unlock and was greeted with "Unlock Approved: Mobile Device is permanently unlocked"
Device is fully unlocked, tested with an AT&T SIM card and everything worked fine. After 2 reboots the Device Unlock app even disappeared from my phone. I'm so happy with how fast T-Mobile dealt with this. The more people that make a stink about this issue on social media hopefully T-Mobile will find a permanent fix for people buying a SIM locked at full price and have it easily unlocked under their standard procedure.
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Thanks, I will try that

Unlock Note 5 T-mobile variant

Hi guys, anyone know of a good method to unlock a locked T-mobile Note 5 that was bought from e-Bay? I've been using t-mobile for years, but I don't know if the 40 days of use method will work since I didn't buy my previous/current Note 5 (unlocked) from t-mobile. My new Note 5 is factory locked, and I don't think the unlock code method some third party sellers sell will work with it.
Any info?
It doesnt matter if you bought the device from Tmo or not you may have to get service for at least 40 days. and after that last payment with 40 days in mind the unlocker app will work....I went thru that with the Lg v10 when it first came out and i got it from swappa. But i dont know off hand if things have changed or not since then but third party unlockers couldnt do it then. Thats one reason i quit buying devices from tmo and having to mess with that app but after 40 days made the payment on the 42nd day and the app worked fine.....
KennyLG123 said:
It doesnt matter if you bought the device from Tmo or not you may have to get service for at least 40 days. and after that last payment with 40 days in mind the unlocker app will work....I went thru that with the Lg v10 when it first came out and i got it from swappa. But i dont know off hand if things have changed or not since then but third party unlockers couldnt do it then. Thats one reason i quit buying devices from tmo and having to mess with that app but after 40 days made the payment on the 42nd day and the app worked fine.....
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. As far as I've read there used to be more options in the past:
-People would flash a MetroPCS Rom to their Note 5's in order to prompt to enter an unlocking code they would buy from a third party seller.
-People would unlock the phone through the T-mobile app regardless of where they bought the phone from, after a 40 day service under t-mobile, and have the phone fully paid if they bought it through t-mobile (used to be a whole year in the old old days). Also, some people reported being able to unlock after only 4 days of use under a t-mobile line, and requesting help from t-mobile. However IF the phone was stolen, or the previous owner had pending payments, the phone would get flagged by t-mobile, and other issues would appear to prevent you from unlocking, which is why it's risky to buy used phones off not so reputable sources like eBay.
- Some people or third party sellers would offer a server based unlock that was either free or paid by donation. I read that they needed root, but would use a "ping pong" type of temporary root that would not trip Knox, which sounds amazing, but I doubt people are still doing that since a lot of users ar moving on from the Note 5 by now.
thenetvines said:
Thanks for the info. As far as I've read there used to be more options in the past:
-People would flash a MetroPCS Rom to their Note 5's in order to prompt to enter an unlocking code they would buy from a third party seller.
-People would unlock the phone through the T-mobile app regardless of where they bought the phone from, after a 40 day service under t-mobile, and have the phone fully paid if they bought it through t-mobile (used to be a whole year in the old old days). Also, some people reported being able to unlock after only 4 days of use under a t-mobile line, and requesting help from t-mobile. However IF the phone was stolen, or the previous owner had pending payments, the phone would get flagged by t-mobile, and other issues would appear to prevent you from unlocking, which is why it's risky to buy used phones off not so reputable sources like eBay.
- Some people or third party sellers would offer a server based unlock that was either free or paid by donation. I read that they needed root, but would use a "ping pong" type of temporary root that would not trip Knox, which sounds amazing, but I doubt people are still doing that since a lot of users ar moving on from the Note 5 by now.
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I wasnt getting nowhere talking to tmo but went ahead and got the service with them just to unlock the device. But after that i started buying international devices, which was better since tmo is allowing bootloader lock and i prefer the exynos chips anyhow over snapdragon.
Hey, I was able to easily unlock my phone through T-mobile for free and really quick.
I bought a genuine T-mobile locked Note 5 from eBay, fearing it maybe a fake, since they still sell so many fake phones out there.
I tried the unlocking app on my SM-920T, and it said my device wasn't eligible. I called T-mobile, and a lady told me that she wouldn't know how to unlock my device past the unlocking app, so I asked her to transfer me to a tech guy, and she did.
The tech guy looked up my IMEI number, and realized it wasn't a stolen phone, or a used phone under someone's account left with a debt, so he said that was good so far, and he tried his first "unlock method" to no success... I don't know what that method was, but then he said he'd try a second method (probably server based), and he was successful. He told me to wait anywhere from 2 hours to 24 hours, and try the unlocking app.
I tried the unlocking app right away, and it worked. Overall, it took less than 5 minutes talking to T-mobile to unlock permanently.
I did this in Florida, US, with a refurbished phone that seems to be legit. I don't know how this method will vary under other circumstances.
thenetvines said:
Hey, I was able to easily unlock my phone through T-mobile for free and really quick.
I bought a genuine T-mobile locked Note 5 from eBay, fearing it maybe a fake, since they still sell so many fake phones out there.
I tried the unlocking app on my SM-920T, and it said my device wasn't eligible. I called T-mobile, and a lady told me that she wouldn't know how to unlock my device past the unlocking app, so I asked her to transfer me to a tech guy, and she did.
The tech guy looked up my IMEI number, and realized it wasn't a stolen phone, or a used phone under someone's account left with a debt, so he said that was good so far, and he tried his first "unlock method" to no success... I don't know what that method was, but then he said he'd try a second method (probably server based), and he was successful. He told me to wait anywhere from 2 hours to 24 hours, and try the unlocking app.
I tried the unlocking app right away, and it worked. Overall, it took less than 5 minutes talking to T-mobile to unlock permanently.
I did this in Florida, US, with a refurbished phone that seems to be legit. I don't know how this method will vary under other circumstances.
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Im glad you didnt go thru the crap most of us had to do with tmo unlock app...
KennyLG123 said:
Im glad you didnt go thru the crap most of us had to do with tmo unlock app...
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Click to collapse
Hey man, just to let you know, it is even EASIER to unlock phones through T-mobile now, and for free!!! All you have to do is leave a message about it on T-Mobile's Facebook support, and leave them your IMEI.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE NOT USING THE PHONE ON T-MOBILE
NO CONTRACT OR DAYS OF USE WITH THEM REQUIRED
THEY USUALLY RESPOND IN MINUTES
NO CHARGE WHATSOEVER
IF YOU ARE IN THE US, EVEN THE SIM CARD ON TMOBILE SHOULD BE FREE IF YOU NEED IT, JUST DON'T GO TO A SHADY SMALL T-MOBILE SHOP OWNED BY A THIRD PARTY, GO TO THE BIG STORES.

Galaxy Note 8 T Mobile Unlocked?

Did anyone here successfully unlock T-Mobile GN8 buying directly from Samsung.com?
You need to chat with tmobile Twitter. They unlocked my T-Mobile s8 purchased from Samsung.com. It takes a few days for your emei to be added to their system then use the unlock app to unlock.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
My TMO Note 8 was ordered direct from Samsung and paid in full at the time of purchase. I just used the sim card from my S7 to switch phones for the Note 8. When I go to my TMO account online the Note 8 is shown as my phone, but when I hit the link on the web page to check unlock status I get a message that the phone is not listed in the TMO system. I stopped by a TMO store to ask about this and was told the phone is showing up but that I have to use it on my account for 40 days before TMO will request the unlock code. I am travelling internationally in November and want the phone unlocked before I go.
advocate2 said:
My TMO Note 8 was ordered direct from Samsung and paid in full at the time of purchase. I just used the sim card from my S7 to switch phones for the Note 8. When I go to my TMO account online the Note 8 is shown as my phone, but when I hit the link on the web page to check unlock status I get a message that the phone is not listed in the TMO system. I stopped by a TMO store to ask about this and was told the phone is showing up but that I have to use it on my account for 40 days before TMO will request the unlock code. I am travelling internationally in November and want the phone unlocked before I go.
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If the phone is paid in full, you're not required to wait 40 days! That rep was shooting sh!t out of his @sshole! You're eligible for an immediate unlock!
i contacted T-Mobile via Twitter and they said they will put in required to have it unlocked and would take couple days for the them to email me back to let me know whenever it ready to unlock using Device Unlock app.
I still get this message when I sign in to my TMO account: This device is not in our system.
I am wondering if the problem is that I just took the old sim card from the S7E and put it into my N8. Anyone else have this problem? Maybe I should switch sim cards and use the new one that came in the box with the N8?
3 day after contacted T-Mobile, mine device successfully unlocked using Device Unlock app which is what they told me to wait for 72hrs before try it.
koolboyztn said:
3 day after contacted T-Mobile, mine device successfully unlocked using Device Unlock app which is what they told me to wait for 72hrs before try it.
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Click to collapse
Can you be more specific? Did you talk to person, or tweet, did you gave them your imei? Because I wasted half an hour talking to multiple people at customer service and finally was told by some idiot tech that my T-mo phone comes unlock from factory. Very frustrating, you would imagine they know a little bit about their phones, but it's like trying to explain theory of relativity to 2 yr old.
pete4k said:
Can you be more specific? Did you talk to person, or tweet, did you gave them your imei? Because I wasted half an hour talking to multiple people at customer service and finally was told by some idiot tech that my T-mo phone comes unlock from factory. Very frustrating, you would imagine they know a little bit about their phones, but it's like trying to explain theory of relativity to 2 yr old.
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Click to collapse
Same idiot that I spoke to TMobile Twitter last night saying mine was already unlocked LoL. Second person on t mobile help Twitter told me they have sent my IMEI details to Samsung and to wait 3 or 4 days before using the unlock app. That was last night.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
pete4k said:
Can you be more specific? Did you talk to person, or tweet, did you gave them your imei? Because I wasted half an hour talking to multiple people at customer service and finally was told by some idiot tech that my T-mo phone comes unlock from factory. Very frustrating, you would imagine they know a little bit about their phones, but it's like trying to explain theory of relativity to 2 yr old.
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Click to collapse
i contacted T-Mobile via Tweet, yes i gave him my name, phone# and IMEI#.
Limeybastard said:
Same idiot that I spoke to TMobile Twitter last night saying mine was already unlocked LoL. Second person on t mobile help Twitter told me they have sent my IMEI details to Samsung and to wait 3 or 4 days before using the unlock app. That was last night.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
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Hey guy, how can u do that?did u Twitter on their wall or in messages?
hien0934568800 said:
Hey guy, how can u do that?did u Twitter on their wall or in messages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was a direct message via Twitter. Not on their wall.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Can Anyone do aa network unlock for my T-Mobile pixel 4a 5g?

Just curious if anyone can network my T-Mobile 4a 5g?
I haven't paid off my EIP but there was a fellow in the OnePlus 8 forum who unlocked my device.
Just curious if anyone can help it would be a huge favor?
Try asking tmobile, you might get lucky and have a person perform a permanent sim unlock for you.
NikoZBK said:
Try asking tmobile, you might get lucky and have a person perform a permanent sim unlock for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already had them unlock my OnePlus 8 and pixel 3a xl about three months apart before my EIP is up.
They said that there is a maximum of 2 device unlocks before the EIP is fully paid off.
Whether or not that's true is anyone's guess.
I used T-Mobile T-force support team on Facebook to have the others unlocked.
CaptainBrownTee said:
I already had them unlock my OnePlus 8 and pixel 3a xl about three months apart before my EIP is up.
They said that there is a maximum of 2 device unlocks before the EIP is fully paid off.
Whether or not that's true is anyone's guess.
I used T-Mobile T-force support team on Facebook to have the others unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's interesting, haven't heard of that before. I had success in the tmobile app and just told them I would like to root my phone to use my "tool" (viper4android/adaway) and that I have to switch between phones to have access to my tools.
How long have you been a customer? I just had mine unlocked through the chat feature in rhe tmobile app. However Ive been a customer for 14 years 7 of which have been post paid with EIP devices.
Back story...I purchased the device through EIP with Tmobile on Nov. 25th. I was aware of the carrier lock blocking OEM unlocking but tbh i forgot. So when I recieved the device last week i was more angry with myself for not choosing google store.
Anyway on to how i received my carrier unlock....
It took me 3-4hrs of back and forth with the chat rep. 1st rep told me policy says no.
me: "i am looking to unlock my Pixel 4a 5G device. I was under the impression that the device, like most ALL other Google devices, came with the ability to unlock the bootloader but, i am unable to perform the action without the device being SIM unlocked. I could lie and say Im planning a trip but im going to try and be honest and hopefully get this resolved without issue."
Rep 1: "Thank you for your patience, I checked and due to the balance on your device I see it only qualifies for a temp unlock. That will last 30 days. and due to fact the phone has not been in use for 40 days."
I had to become Karen at this point...
me: "So loyalty means nothing? i wouldnt have got the phone had i known i NEEDED to SIM unlock it to use it how i intended. in 14years of being a customer ive NEVER had to do that on ANY of the dozen devices ive purchased through tmobile. i would have purchased it through Google and been able to do everything i want and still be on the tmobile network. its deceptive."
rep 1: "Of course loyalty means alot, this is just our unlock policy."
me: "but the policy is for use of the device on another network. i dont want to use it on another network i dont even WANT the sim unlock its being forced on me by tmobile in order to be able to use the device in the way the device was marketed to developers. And policy says 40days so even if i paid it off or purchased in full tmobile is shipping devices sim locked, which is preventing me from bootloader unlocking, when i could have ordered from google and it would have been able to unlock the bootloader out of the box wether financed or paid in full. and policy is bs i know its a simple approval from a supervisor to move my imei from ineligible to eligible so its a human decision. these will be the LAST devices i ever purchase through tmobile. its outrageous that this is the first and only time ive experienced this."
This is when Rep 2 came in...
Rep 2: "Oh no! I am so sorry you are having an issue with unlocking that Pixel device. I know how important being able to do what you want with your phones is. Let's work together to make sure there isn't any options we missed on our side. I want to make sure you can feel confident purchasing and using those phones with us!"
Rep 2: "So I did reach out here to my support teams and they said with the low time frame of having the device and only one payment in there wouldn't be a way to override a full unlock. I did confirm that a temporary unlock can be done 5 times a year and you can get the bootloading done on a temporary unlock as well."
me: "thats disappointing. i could have purchased the device from google at a discount and been able to do everything i want out of the box but ive been a loyal tmobile customer so i went with you guys. Next time ill be purchasing directly from google. thank you though."
Rep 2: "I totally get that. When you are wanting to do things like bootloading that honestly would be my recommendation as it does give you way more freedom when you purchase a device that is directly unlocked. All of our devices are meant for our network so they all come locked until full paid and used a little bit at least. I appreciate you letting me try to help out best I could though. Was there anything else at all?"
Temporary unlock DOES NOT WORK!!!! for OEM unlocking MUST BE PERMANENT! I stated thos to the rep. Tried to make it seem like a user error...
Rep 2: "Gotcha! I did reach back out to them to see if they can provide any other insight. Did you go through the fastboot menu and everything after enabling developer mode?"
me: "i did it stated that OEM unlocking must be enabled but as u can see in settings it cant be enabled unless its sim unlocked and the temporary unlock didnt change that."
me: "i guess i just have to live with it. now i just know that whether i finance or pay in full NEVER buy a phone from T-Mobile"
HERES WHERE THINGS TURN AROUND
Rep 2: "Let me try something else here.,"
Rep 2: "Would you be able to make 2 additional monthly payments on the phone? If you could do that I could get the override for the permanent unlock."
I hadnt paid anything on the device at this point aside from taxes nd shipping....
me: "i would be able to that. so pay $42 today or would it be added to my bill next month?"
Rep 2: "Yes! If you go in there it will let you type in how much you want to pay. Just pay the $42."
$42 paid 2 minutes later....
Rep 2: "OK! Now try to go do the permanent unlock in the app. If it doesn't work restart your phone super quick."
SUCCESS!!!
me: "it worked!! thank you very much!"
Rep 2: "No problem! Had to go to bat for you with my supervisor, but you have been an amazing customer for over 7 years so we wanted to help. Was there anything else I might be able to do"
So, with ALL of that said....if you've been a good standing customer just try and use your merit to pursuade a rep. and if the first one denys you just threaten to leave. if the swcond rep denys you swear that you're leaving lol customer is always right. I still owe $457 on the device and i havent had it for just about 9 days lol don't let them tell you *policy says no" theres always wiggle room.
Edit: he stated 2 additional monthly payments however i had to go into my account and pay $42 off of the balance of my device so it didnt actually cost me anything more and my monthly payments are lower because of it.
It's a complete lottery, customer for 3 years and got an unlock hassle free first rep. Back with my 6T had no luck, spoke to many different reps until found the right one
i can network unlock any pixel with android 11. Pm and i will help
eugenodk said:
i can network unlock any pixel with android 11. Pm and i will help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this offer still stand?
So for anyone who might end up in this thread looking for a way to sim unlock their T-Mobile Pixel 4a 5G.
I contacted T-Mobile Help through Twitter ( @TMobileHelp ) and they did a permanent unlock for me on a brand new Pixel 4a 5G.
They used to be called T-Force and are a much more helpful dept of customer service.
Anyway after following the Twitter account I started talking to one of their reps by Direct Message. I told them about my long account history and how I thought this phone wouldn't be locked. Since my phone was still in the return period the rep told me to wait until the return period was over and he'd get back to me.
Anyway he did get back as promised and now my phone is sim unlocked as of today.
So definitely try through T-Mobile Help on Twitter.

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