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How to unlock a carrier locked phone

I would like to buy a carrier locked phone in the USA.
I do not live in the USA so my question is, can I take this phone home and then flash a new ROM on it?
Would that take care of the lock?
Thanks!

ronr34 said:
I would like to buy a carrier locked phone in the USA.
I do not live in the USA so my question is, can I take this phone home and then flash a new ROM on it?
Would that take care of the lock?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also,
When buying a no-contract phone, is it still locked?
Can I do the same to unlock this phone?

It depends on the phone and the carrier.

Planterz said:
It depends on the phone and the carrier.
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Click to collapse
I'm looking for a good new phone.
QuadCore and 5.0" and bigger.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
A specific model that this would work for?

ronr34 said:
I would like to buy a carrier locked phone in the USA.
I do not live in the USA so my question is, can I take this phone home and then flash a new ROM on it?
Would that take care of the lock?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi There,
Well Unlocking the Bootloader of your device Unlocks it to any Carrier.
If you want to know how to do that tell me which device you are using.
If Helped In Any Way Click THANKS.

DevRakeeß said:
Hi There,
Well Unlocking the Bootloader of your device Unlocks it to any Carrier.
If you want to know how to do that tell me which device you are using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carrier unlocking and bootloader unlocking are completely unrelated things.
ronr34 said:
I'm looking for a good new phone.
QuadCore and 5.0" and bigger.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
A specific model that this would work for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, it depends on the phone and the carrier. Verizon phones are internationally unlocked out of the box. Which means if you buy it and try to use it in the US without unlocking it, it won't let you, but if you take it outside the USA, it's GSM unlocked. AT&T and T-Mobile phones can be unlocked and used globally too, but both require that they've been used with their service for a time. 40 days with T-Mobile, and with AT&T it has to be coming from an active or a prior account.
With AT&T and T-Mobile, you can purchase (through eBay or websites) unlock codes, which run like $30-40 for a flagship phone. Alternatively, you can buy new unlocked phones off eBay that once locked to a network, but the reseller bought the phone new, opened the box, unlocked the phone, then sells it. Or you can buy a used phone that has already been unlocked.
Don't buy a Sprint phone, it won't work.
IMO your best bet is to buy a Verizon "world phone", or buy a factory unlocked "international" version.
LTE bands are another matter. If you want LTE where you'll be taking it (assuming it's available), you might be best off with a Nexus 4 or 5, or a recent Sony Xperia Z - class model, as these have numerous LTE band compatibility.

Planterz said:
Carrier unlocking and bootloader unlocking are completely unrelated things.
Again, it depends on the phone and the carrier. Verizon phones are internationally unlocked out of the box. Which means if you buy it and try to use it in the US without unlocking it, it won't let you, but if you take it outside the USA, it's GSM unlocked. AT&T and T-Mobile phones can be unlocked and used globally too, but both require that they've been used with their service for a time. 40 days with T-Mobile, and with AT&T it has to be coming from an active or a prior account.
With AT&T and T-Mobile, you can purchase (through eBay or websites) unlock codes, which run like $30-40 for a flagship phone. Alternatively, you can buy new unlocked phones off eBay that once locked to a network, but the reseller bought the phone new, opened the box, unlocked the phone, then sells it. Or you can buy a used phone that has already been unlocked.
Don't buy a Sprint phone, it won't work.
IMO your best bet is to buy a Verizon "world phone", or buy a factory unlocked "international" version.
LTE bands are another matter. If you want LTE where you'll be taking it (assuming it's available), you might be best off with a Nexus 4 or 5, or a recent Sony Xperia Z - class model, as these have numerous LTE band compatibility.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the info, but my question was how to bypass the locks on the phone.
I know I can buy it unlocked but it's way more expensive.
I thought that the lock was software related and not hardware so that burning a new ROM would fix this.
Is that the case?

ronr34 said:
I thought that the lock was software related and not hardware so that burning a new ROM would fix this.
Is that the case?
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Click to collapse
It is not the case. Carrier lock/unlock is in a different part of the device's firmware.

Planterz said:
It is not the case. Carrier lock/unlock is in a different part of the device's firmware.
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Click to collapse
So does that mean that a new ROM flash will not solve this?

ronr34 said:
So does that mean that a new ROM flash will not solve this?
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Click to collapse
How many times do I have to say the same thing?
Flashing a different ROM, be it from another carrier, or a custom ROM, does not give you the ability to carrier unlock a device.

[Q] how to remove regional simlock on galaxy s6

how to remove regional simlock on galaxy s6. I try that chainfire's regional lock away apk. It doesn't work

eufixed said:
how to remove regional simlock on galaxy s6. I try that chainfire's regional lock away apk. It doesn't work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any answers?

Make a 5 minute call with a local simcard, your regionlock is lifted.

Stolper said:
Make a 5 minute call with a local simcard, your regionlock is lifted.
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Click to collapse
sorry about that. I don't live in eu contries. Also I haven't an eu simcard

Is it an imported phone? You could try to order an EU sim online. Otherwise I don't know.

eufixed said:
how to remove regional simlock on galaxy s6. I try that chainfire's regional lock away apk. It doesn't work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I've the same issue. As I found in SGN 3 forums you can try to write to Samsung supports all around EU and your own country.
I've tried the same but no luck here yet. Waiting for the response of Samsung Russia (EU sams customer care told me to communicate to sams russia)
Regards,
Alexander

Any news from Samsung Russia?

reflexing said:
Any news from Samsung Russia?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also written to Samsung Russia and they forwarded me to Samsug service. Unlock from region lock cost 3000 rubles in Moscow (55 euro). I didn't try because in 2 weeks I am in Germany, so i will be able to unlock my smartphone by 5 min calling (my S6 from EU).

I'm facing the same problem here.
Just bought my galaxy s6 on spain (EU locked) didn't make the 5 minutes phone call and now I'm back to my home country (Brazil). I have asked a friend that is on EU to bring me an EU sim card so I can make the phone call from here, he is arriving next week, if this works I'll post here.
ps: I have tried to reach Brazilian Samsung services, but the said to me, that they didn't to any support to foreing cell phones.

I have the same problem - phone wasn't activated with correct sim (es).
I insert another country sim first and now even 5 minutes of calling with correct sim doesn't activate another network. I'm afraid that for activation I need to make call not only with correct sim in roaming but with correct sim in correct country.

You can simply go on Sammobile, download the ROM corresponding to your phone in Brazil region, for example, and flash it to your phone. That should let's you use your phone there.
Sent from my GT-I8160P using XDA Free mobile app

i have this g920i that its regional lock and im in the USA, i dont have the sim card from where this dam thing come from. and i dont know where is it come from.
It said on it HECHO Vietnam on the back, but i dont have this sim anyway. i know the phone is unlocked because when i insert the sim it does not ask for any code to unlock.
I read so much all over the forum and i even called USA samsung regardding taking off this Region lock and no lock.
My question, if i flash a different country firmware, will it fix that region unlock? do u guys know of which firmware country since there is hand full of them.
Or any other way to take off this dam region lock off for someone in my shoes went thru that problem?
Thanks

knock Knock

Unlock carrier phone

I got my Mate 9 through Claro Guatemala. Anyone knows any trusted place to carrier unlock it online? I understand there's no free option, but few that I've seen are either pricey or don't support that carrier.

SIM unlock S+

Hi,
Looking in this forum but can't see how to SIM unlock my S+. Phone was locked so I re-flashed with Odin but can't find guide to unlock SIM.
Phone is locked to UK Vodafone.
Can you send me please guide if there is some? Thanks

What is the message your phone displays when you insert a SIM card other than Vodafone UK (ie, a non-accepted SIM card) and try to place a phone call?
If the phone is locked, it will ask you for unlocking codes.

Yes, it's asking for unlock code. I could fix this with odin and some flash on my S7 Edge but how can I do this on S8+?

As far as I know you should buy the unlock code on eBay. Actually it depends on operator (each operator has its own way to lock it). For example Verizon doesn't lock GSM part on the modem for their phones at all. Sometimes remote unlock procedure is required (you will pay to third party and they will do it through the Teamview). The price depends on operator. There are 99% that you will not do it for free by yourself.
There is one chance to do it yourself only if your provider made some calling time lock. For example you have to insert Vodafone SIM card and make a phone call for some 5-10 minutes (but it shlould be done inside the country of phone's origin, UK in your case). Try to ask someone with a same Vodafone UK phone.
You can do it with Odin only if it was not really locked from the beginning but just had some carriers bloat, that was asking for that unlock.
What is exact model of your S8+? What does it says in Bootloader mode?

But actually I could do this with S7 edge. So S8 has some protection?
Ganibal_Lector said:
As far as I know you should buy the unlock code on eBay. Actually it depends on operator (each operator has its own way to lock it). For example Verizon doesn't lock GSM part on the modem for their phones at all. Sometimes remote unlock procedure is required (you will pay to third party and they will do it through the Teamview). The price depends on operator. There are 99% that you will not do it for free by yourself.
There is one chance to do it yourself only if your provider made some calling time lock. For example you have to insert Vodafone SIM card and make a phone call for some 5-10 minutes. Try to ask someone with a same Vodafone UK phone.
You can do it with Odin only if it was not really locked from the beginning but just had some carriers bloat, that was asking for that unlock.
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Click to collapse

lew1s said:
But actually I could do this with S7 edge. So S8 has some protection?
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Click to collapse
Was it the same Vodafone UK? What is exact model number of your S8+? What was original firmware and firmware you have feflashed with?

Ganibal_Lector said:
Was it the same Vodafone UK? What is exact model number of your S8+? What was original firmware and firmware you have feflashed with?
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Click to collapse
no was Irish. Model: G955F and I used this guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qcBBQ4rwis

lew1s said:
no was Irish. Model: G955F and I used this guide:
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Click to collapse
Based on other operators experience I would say you cannot do it by yourself as usually simple flashing will not unlock the phone. You will really need one of paid methods to unlock it. It is still better to ask someone with a same Vodafone phone. As unlockers on ebay etc. make money with those methods I don't really believe that someone here will tell you how to do that by your own.
There was a thread where the guy was discussing unlock for his Austrian locked phone. Finally he paid twice as first seller sold him some wrong unlock code and phone became network blocked completely. However he bought some "unfreeze" code from different seller and that worked for him. If it would be so easy to unlock operators phones they will never sell them cheaper than unlocked.
Another option is still to perform call with original Verizon UK SIM card for 10 minutes. After that you should reboot your phone and it should be unlocked. If it will not work you can approach Vodafone UK and ask them for unlock code. If there was no any financial issues for that phone and it is registered more than 6 months in the network they should provide you with unlock code for free.
Sorry if I didn't help you too much.

Carrier unlock pixel 3

Hello,
I just bought a pixel 3 blocked in EE UK. I live in Romania, and need to unlock the carrier.
Looks like the EE doesnt allow that via IMEI.
There ia another way? I want to pay just to be able to use it.
Thanks.

That's because it's reported stolen......

z3dulik said:
Hello,
I just bought a pixel 3 blocked in EE UK. I live in Romania, and need to unlock the carrier.
Looks like the EE doesnt allow that via IMEI.
There ia another way? I want to pay just to be able to use it.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to contact EE. If the phone is clean and not on contract they will unlock it for you. There is no other way.