Galaxy s3 not factory unlocked ? - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III

it was to my understanding that all verizon LTE phones were carrier unlocked ?
my buddies mom gave him her phone and of course im like "Yes we can" but with his att sim card it just kept coming us a "unknown sim"
can anyone give this a little clarification ? thank you

dust906 said:
it was to my understanding that all verizon LTE phones were carrier unlocked? my buddies mom gave him her phone and of course im like "Yes we can" but with his att sim card it just kept coming us a "unknown sim" can anyone give this a little clarification? thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a good question but, it requires a little bit of explaining...
The answer is "NO" only if the device was obtained under contract and the terms of the contract was not fulfilled.
Just 1 example would be... If someone had obtained the device for a discounted price with a 2 year contract and didn't fulfill those terms, then the Serial Number (aka IMEI Number) would then be blocked by that carrier and can only be released by that carrier. Also, the Serial/IMEI Number cannot be changed.
If the above doesn't apply to your situation and, If the SIM is not a Verizon SIM, then you would need to obtain a Verizon compatible SIM from the carrier you want to use. This is also known, by most carriers, as the BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) Program.
I hope I had explained this okay via text...
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I DO NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT VIA PM UNLESS ASKED/REQUESTED BY MYSELF.
PLEASE KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE

i understand what you are saying, but i have litterally purchased someone's upgrade immidiately after purchase and they just take their sim and put it back into their old phone, i put my att sim card in the new phone , and done.... i never had an issue
it was to my understanding that all LTE verizon phones were unlocked via factory
my friends mom had this phone, i am almost positive that she just upgraded and left this phone in the box. cause thats how she gave it to me
Ibuprophen said:
This is a good question but, it requires a little bit of explaining...
The answer is "NO" only if the device was obtained under contract and the terms of the contract was not fulfilled.
Just 1 example would be... If someone had obtained the device for a discounted price with a 2 year contract and didn't fulfill those terms, then the Serial Number (aka IMEI Number) would then be blocked by that carrier and can only be released by that carrier. Also, the Serial/IMEI Number cannot be changed.
If the above doesn't apply to your situation and, If the SIM is not a Verizon SIM, then you would need to obtain a Verizon compatible SIM from the carrier you want to use. This is also known, by most carriers, as the BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) Program.
I hope I had explained this okay via text...
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I DO NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT VIA PM UNLESS ASKED/REQUESTED BY MYSELF.
PLEASE KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

dust906 said:
it was to my understanding that all verizon LTE phones were carrier unlocked ?
my buddies mom gave him her phone and of course im like "Yes we can" but with his att sim card it just kept coming us a "unknown sim"
can anyone give this a little clarification ? thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably late already but the Verizon galaxy s3 is factory unlocked and i can confirm that it's working on AT&T. You can't get a data connection though because it only supports 2G and AT&T dropped 2G support already. You are still able to make phone calls and send and receive SMS. Did you confirm that the phone was on the latest 4.4.2 I535OYUDNE1? I don't see why it wouldn't be working unless the phone got blacklisted or something.

Related

[Completed] Newbie Question about rooting

Hi all,
I have a Samsung Galaxy 4 that I got with a 2 year contract with Verizon. That contract is up and I like the phone very much. I saw that I could save a lot of money with Ting as my carrier (Ting.com) and bought a SIM card from them. I followed all of the Ting instructions, but working with their support staff apparently they have issues working with phones that did not come from Sprint or Tmobile. I can make calls with my phone through Ting, but texts do not work and when I call voicemail it gives me an error. This error might be because the phone is still calling the Verizon service for voicemail, which is cancelled.
If I root my phone (never done it before) can I bring it back to the manufacturer settings before Verizon put any software on it? If so, what software/ROM do you recommend to get it back to factory settings. I think this is my only chance to get Ting to work with this phone. I don't want to have to sign up with Verizon or ATT and pay activation fees.
I appreciate the help.
XDA Visitor said:
Hi all,
I have a Samsung Galaxy 4 that I got with a 2 year contract with Verizon. That contract is up and I like the phone very much. I saw that I could save a lot of money with Ting as my carrier (Ting.com) and bought a SIM card from them. I followed all of the Ting instructions, but working with their support staff apparently they have issues working with phones that did not come from Sprint or Tmobile. I can make calls with my phone through Ting, but texts do not work and when I call voicemail it gives me an error. This error might be because the phone is still calling the Verizon service for voicemail, which is cancelled.
If I root my phone (never done it before) can I bring it back to the manufacturer settings before Verizon put any software on it? If so, what software/ROM do you recommend to get it back to factory settings. I think this is my only chance to get Ting to work with this phone. I don't want to have to sign up with Verizon or ATT and pay activation fees.
I appreciate the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thanks for using XDA assist!
The problem here is that Verizon is a GSM carrier and Sprint is CDMA.
See here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2635776
Good luck!
Evolution_Tech said:
Hi, thanks for using XDA assist!
The problem here is that Verizon is a GSM carrier and Sprint is CDMA.
See here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2635776
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for responding. Actually Ting has deals with Tmobile and Sprint so it works. I am GSM and the phone says Tmobile at the top now, so I dont think that is the issue. Do you know if my idea regarding rooting will work?
SwedishDave said:
Thanks for responding. Actually Ting has deals with Tmobile and Sprint so it works. I am GSM and the phone says Tmobile at the top now, so I dont think that is the issue. Do you know if my idea regarding rooting will work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, I don't think that will work. I know from repairing phones, that phones built for Verizon have different internal hardware than phones built for Sprint. While it may be possible that I'm wrong, and your phone might be successfully ported to Ting, I feel it is highly unlikely.
I think you should contact Ting customer support and get a definite answer before proceeding.

T-Mobile Note 5 on AT&T

I'd like to get the T-Mobile variant so I can root and install a custom recovery (curse AT&T). I'm just curious if anybody has done this yet without any drawbacks before I pull the trigger (good LTE speeds?).
kareeem said:
I'd like to get the T-Mobile variant so I can root and install a custom recovery (curse AT&T). I'm just curious if anybody has done this yet without any drawbacks before I pull the trigger (good LTE speeds?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, there are many Note5 owners using at&t who purchased from T-Mobile (model SM-N920T), got it unlocked and using on at&t without issue. getting it unlocked is the painful part; T-Mobile uses an app embedded in its ROM to SIM unlock their phones. 3rd-party unlocking sites won't work. T-Mobile unlock prerequisites (summarized from website and my conversations with customer reps): (a) paid full price for phone, (b) phone is used on T-Mobile w/post paid account for 30-40 days or (c) open a prepaid account, deposit $100, use phone on T-Mobile for at least 3-days (so it shows up in their system). some of us have been lucky enough to get the SM-N920T SIM unlocked without meeting criteria (b) or (c). a coworker purchased the T-Mo Note5 and used a post-paid account for 1 week, called in to cancel service and the rep got his device permanently unlocked. search this forum for more details. i requested and received a temporary unlock approval within 48 hours of getting the phone, but for some reason it wouldn't work. 4 days later i called in to complain, got connected to a tech rep who couldn't get it to work and finally got a manager to authorize a permanent unlock (vs. the approved temporary unlock granted). Good luck!
cortez.i said:
Yes, there are many Note5 owners using at&t who purchased from T-Mobile (model SM-N920T), got it unlocked and using on at&t without issue. getting it unlocked is the painful part; T-Mobile uses an app embedded in its ROM to SIM unlock their phones. 3rd-party unlocking sites won't work. T-Mobile unlock prerequisites (summarized from website and my conversations with customer reps): (a) paid full price for phone, (b) phone is used on T-Mobile w/post paid account for 30-40 days or (c) open a prepaid account, deposit $100, use phone on T-Mobile for at least 3-days (so it shows up in their system). some of us have been lucky enough to get the SM-N920T SIM unlocked without meeting criteria (b) or (c). a coworker purchased the T-Mo Note5 and used a post-paid account for 1 week, called in to cancel service and the rep got his device permanently unlocked. search this forum for more details. i requested and received a temporary unlock approval within 48 hours of getting the phone, but for some reason it wouldn't work. 4 days later i called in to complain, got connected to a tech rep who couldn't get it to work and finally got a manager to authorize a permanent unlock (vs. the approved temporary unlock granted). Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wow, thank you for that informative response. I had no idea third party sites wouldn't work. I just came back from purchasing my T-Mobile Note 5. I purchased it from Craigslist and the seller showed me their Costco receipt. I have a friend who works for T-Mobile, but I doubt he'll be able to assist since he works in the actual store (sales rep). Do you think I have a chance at getting b and c bypassed? Not sure what kind of excuse to use.
Thanks again for your input.
Edit: I'm guessing you got the T-Mobile variant for the same reasons I did?
kareeem said:
Oh wow, thank you for that informative response. I had no idea third party sites wouldn't work. I just came back from purchasing my T-Mobile Note 5. I purchased it from Craigslist and the seller showed me their Costco receipt. I have a friend who works for T-Mobile, but I doubt he'll be able to assist since he works in the actual store (sales rep). Do you think I have a chance at getting b and c bypassed? Not sure what kind of excuse to use.
Thanks again for your input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, i always get the T-Mobile version for use on at&t so i can root and enjoy!
did the seller pay full price for the phone? personally, i'd ask the seller for a receipt. best way to find out if it can be unlocked is to call t-mobile and tell them you'd like to unlock for overseas use. the fact that you don't have service may help get it unlocked. they should ask for the IMEI (to confirm it's T-Mobile and that the phone is not blacklisted) and then submit an unlock request. if you're lucky, maybe they can unlock over the phone. good luck!
cortez.i said:
Yes, i always get the T-Mobile version for use on at&t so i can root and enjoy!
did the seller pay full price for the phone? personally, i'd ask the seller for a receipt. best way to find out if it can be unlocked is to call t-mobile and tell them you'd like to unlock for overseas use. the fact that you don't have service may help get it unlocked. they should ask for the IMEI (to confirm it's T-Mobile and that the phone is not blacklisted) and then submit an unlock request. if you're lucky, maybe they can unlock over the phone. good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, I don't blame you.
Well, it looks like they used the Jump! service. They gave me the service agreement sheet (I took a picture of it) where it displays the IMEI, plan, store location, etc. Should I refrain from mentioning I'm an AT&T customer? I don't think I'll be able to say I need it for international use because I don't have a T-Mobile account for them to look up.
kareeem said:
Haha, I don't blame you.
Well, it looks like they used the Jump! service. They gave me the service agreement sheet (I took a picture of it) where it displays the IMEI, plan, store location, etc. Should I refrain from mentioning I'm an AT&T customer? I don't think I'll be able to say I need it for international use because I don't have a T-Mobile account for them to look up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'd open the "Device Unlock" app and if you're presented with 2 unlock buttons - one for Permanent and one for Temporary - then the phone is SIM Locked. if you open the app and a message says the device has been permanently unlocked, you're good to go. pop in the at&t SIM and you should get connected to at&t service.
if it's SIM Locked, when calling T-Mobile, i wouldn't say anything about at&t, maybe mention it was a gift. before calling T-Mobile, however, if the phone is a Jump! purchase then you/seller needs to confirm the phone has been paid for in full, e.g., there's no outstanding balance due. if there's an outstanding balance, you might not be able to get it unlocked. i'd ask the seller if the phone has been paid off.
I tried that, but it said "Unlock Failed" (for obvious reasons I guess).
I spoke to a T-Mobile rep and he said they would need the original owner's account information to verify everything, which I obviously don't have. I asked if a manager can override that and he said no. I searched Cell Unlocker and they gave me a quote surprisingly (http://www.cellunlocker.net/order-code-step-2.php). It's at $49.99, which isn't cheap, but I think it's my best option. If they're advertising it, then it should work, no?
Edit: added an attachment.
kareeem said:
I tried that, but it said "Unlock Failed" (for obvious reasons I guess).
I spoke to a T-Mobile rep and he said they would need the original owner's account information to verify everything, which I obviously don't have. I asked if a manager can override that and he said no. I searched Cell Unlocker and they gave me a quote surprisingly (http://www.cellunlocker.net/order-code-step-2.php). It's at $49.99, which isn't cheap, but I think it's my best option. If they're advertising it, then it should work, no?
Edit: added an attachment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i tried them as well and got a refund. don't think it will work. did you see this message on the website: WARNING: Your device must prompt for a network unlock pin after restarting with a non-accepted sim card. If your device does not prompt then you do not require our services. If your device has a Device Unlocking App installed (T-Mobile/Metro PCS) please.
i think your only option is to contact the seller and let him know the circumstances (you want to unlock for T-Mobile) and ask him to help you out. Good luck, bro...

Blacklisted Question!!

I purchased a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note5 from someone who isn't longer reachable on Craigslist, unfortunately they got one over on me, it's blacklisted however I contacted T-Mobile & it was due to non payment but there still isn't anything they can do nor I can do.
To my question, is there anything I can do to fix the issue so I can use it.
I currently have metro pcs, if I were to get it unlocked would it then work?
Help me please!
Thanks in advance,
Joanna
Msjoannalynn said:
I purchased a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note5 from someone who isn't longer reachable on Craigslist, unfortunately they got one over on me, it's blacklisted however I contacted T-Mobile & it was due to non payment but there still isn't anything they can do nor I can do.
To my question, is there anything I can do to fix the issue so I can use it.
I currently have metro pcs, if I were to get it unlocked would it then work?
Help me please!
Thanks in advance,
Joanna
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you were to use it on a non-tmobile network (att, straight talk on att,etc) yes. Just none that use tmo network.
I don't know why T-Mobile doesn't do it, but when I has Verizon and the same thing happened to me, they have me an option to pay the balance due on the device and use it. I didn't, they wanted way to much money. But the option was there.
diopskill said:
If you were to use it on a non-tmobile network (att, straight talk on att,etc) yes. Just none that use tmo network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
justin94 said:
I don't know why T-Mobile doesn't do it, but when I has Verizon and the same thing happened to me, they have me an option to pay the balance due on the device and use it. I didn't, they wanted way to much money. But the option was there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately the information that was provided to you was to the best of my knowledge incorrect. Due to the fact that T-mobile owns Metro PCS it would not be usable even if you unlocked the device. All of the GSM carriers in the U.S share blacklists now and a device cannot be unlocked and taken over to another carrier. I have had this happen to me previously before. A word of advice for all future craigslist transactions call customer care and ask if there is a remaining EIP or Lease balance on the device you are looking to purchase. The individual you are purchasing the device from will have to verify their account and get the information for you but this is the quickest and easiest way to avoid a scam.
If the phone is good and working without a confirmed balance make sure before you leave you make a phone call or two to register the device to your account to somewhat avoid a loss/theft claim as well. If you want to go a step further in ensuring that the device you just bought stays non-listed as lost or stolen complete the IMEI change during the same conversation as the balance inquiry and make sure the representative notates your account that the phone has been purchased from said individual. If they somehow manage to make a claim after that all they will have to do is look at the notes and they will see that both accounts were verified during the process and 9/10 times unlock the device again.
This has happened to me more times than I would like to admit and those are some of the things i have dont to really cover myself in the case of a scam.
I wish you the best of luck with future purchases and sorry for what happened!!

SIM Unlock possible? Please Help

I bought 2 of these from Cricket prepaid (OT 6045O)as a gift to my family in Cuba, I do not care about LTE as there is no data coverage over there. My family will use them with voice and texts only(GSM 2G 900/1800), maybe the occasional Wi-Fi.
I have tried several different unlock sites to no success, they always refund me back because the code is not available on their end. Please if someone know a way to unlock the phone(again dont care about LTE bands) please let me know. Both phones are currently running stock 6.0.1 on Cricket
I have 6039Y from UK 02 network and 2 or 3 unlock codes did not work. Hardware unlock via Furious box was succesful. It was in January 2017.
So try it out there: http://www.furiousgold.com/en/homepage
aydanmonty99 said:
Can you tell me what sites you tried until now? I have a few recommendations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far I have tried with:
- Doctor Sim https://www.doctorsim.com/us-en/
- World GSM Unlock https://www.worldgsmcodes.com/UnlockingInstructions/
- On Time Mobile https://ontimemobile.com/
-Sim-Unlock https://sim-unlock.net/
- Unlock Ninja https://www.unlockninja.com/
Any other suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated. I will be reviewing the Furious option now and post an update.
Thank you for the responses!
I think the only way I've heard of unlocking this phone is through cricket
I think that's actually against American law but I don't see anything happening about it soon :\
Linux guy said:
I think the only way I've heard of unlocking this phone is through cricket
I think that's actually against American law but I don't see anything happening about it soon :\
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any help, ideas or comments are appreciated.
arman3986 said:
Any help, ideas or comments are appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically, Providers generally will honor SIM unlocks if you;
1) Serve out the length of the contract (usually 2 years)
2) Buy out the remaining time on the original contract
3) Bought the phone in the States, but actually live in a country that does not have that specific provider. I know some success stories in the tablet forums a couple years ago with ATT and another provider.
Other than that, they pretty much ignore you. If you've reached the end of the contract, you will have to be very persistent with them. Eventually they will provide the necessary unlock code. I believe there has been some recent legislation in the past couple years making it mandatory they provide the code after the contract has been honored. At least to the best of my knowledge.
EDIT: One more thing, it's not the SIM that is locked, I believe it's the IMEI number. We just call it "SIM Locked" for lack of proper terms.
Moscow Desire said:
Technically, Providers generally will honor SIM unlocks if you;
1) Serve out the length of the contract (usually 2 years)
2) Buy out the remaining time on the original contract
3) Bought the phone in the States, but actually live in a country that does not have that specific provider. I know some success stories in the tablet forums a couple years ago with ATT and another provider.
Other than that, they pretty much ignore you. If you've reached the end of the contract, you will have to be very persistent with them. Eventually they will provide the necessary unlock code. I believe there has been some recent legislation in the past couple years making it mandatory they provide the code after the contract has been honored. At least to the best of my knowledge.
EDIT: One more thing, it's not the SIM that is locked, I believe it's the IMEI number. We just call it "SIM Locked" for lack of proper terms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not get these phones through contract, I just got them off Walmart for $65.00+change. I am not a Cricket customer and these 2 phones are not meant to be used in the United States. My guess is that it will be better to insist with Cricket and see if at some point they provide the unlocking codes.
Thanks!
arman3986 said:
I did not get these phones through contract, I just got them off Walmart for $65.00+change. I am not a Cricket customer and these 2 phones are not meant to be used in the United States. My guess is that it will be better to insist with Cricket and see if at some point they provide the unlocking codes.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have searches extensively to see if I could unlock them through software mods but so far no go. I will keep you updated if anything changes.
You might try some outside company. but carrier is prob only way to do these.
Hi. I have 1 phone 6039Y and I need unlock it.
Did you solve the problem?
Best regards
Jose

Sold Paid off Verizon Note 20 Ultra - New owner cannot activate it on T-Mobile

Hello,
I owned a Verizon Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that I bought shortly after release. I got bored with it, as often happens, so I paid it off in full and sold it, to someone who uses T-Mobile. They cannot activate the phone, when they put their T-Mobile SIM in it, it gives the message "SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless". The facts:
I owned and used the phone for well over the 60 day automatic unlock period.
It was active on my Verizon account for the entire time until a week before I sold it.
It was paid off IN FULL, and my account said the line was paid in full and ready for an upgrade.
My Verizon account is never behind or not paid on time (Auto-Pay)
Is there something I needed to do to the phone besides factory reset it? Is there anything that can be done? Should I call Verizon customer service? To further complicate matters, the person I sold it to lives in another state. I may need to have them send me the phone back and refund them their money if I can't figure this out.
Thank you so much for any help that can be provided.
Are you sure you used the device for 60 days?
Rtiberius said:
Hello,
I owned a Verizon Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that I bought shortly after release. I got bored with it, as often happens, so I paid it off in full and sold it, to someone who uses T-Mobile. They cannot activate the phone, when they put their T-Mobile SIM in it, it gives the message "SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless". The facts:
I owned and used the phone for well over the 60 day automatic unlock period.
It was active on my Verizon account for the entire time until a week before I sold it.
It was paid off IN FULL, and my account said the line was paid in full and ready for an upgrade.
My Verizon account is never behind or not paid on time (Auto-Pay)
Is there something I needed to do to the phone besides factory reset it? Is there anything that can be done? Should I call Verizon customer service? To further complicate matters, the person I sold it to lives in another state. I may need to have them send me the phone back and refund them their money if I can't figure this out.
Thank you so much for any help that can be provided.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure you used the device for 60 days? Did you check with another carrier sim before you sold the device?
SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless is a common message for all Verizon branded phones. May be buyer is confused with this message.
dadmi said:
Are you sure you used the device for 60 days?
Are you sure you used the device for 60 days? Did you check with another carrier sim before you sold the device?
SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless is a common message for all Verizon branded phones. May be buyer is confused with this message.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, it was activated in late August 2020 and was active up until the end of December 2020. No, I didn't realize I should try a different carrier's SIM first.
I asked them if they are able to call or text despite the SIM card message and they said no.
You need(ed) to request VZW to carrier (SIM) unlock the device prior to selling it.
cam30era said:
You need(ed) to request VZW to carrier (SIM) unlock the device prior to selling it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm so confused, Verizon says devices are automatically unlocked in their policies listed here: https://www.verizon.com/support/device-unlocking-policy/
I'm going to call Verizon, and see if there's anything they can do.
Update: Called Verizon tech support, and the agent confirmed that the device IS unlocked. He said I should have the buyer contact T-Mobile customer service and add the device to their database. Hopefully that works.
Rtiberius said:
Update: Called Verizon tech support, and the agent confirmed that the device IS unlocked. He said I should have the buyer contact T-Mobile customer service and add the device to their database. Hopefully that works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adding to database is a Verizon thing, Tmobile is gsm. There is no way to sim unlock it if you don't do it on your phone line and request the unlock as if you're using the phone yourself.
Verizon will not unlock it unless it's currently on the line and met the other criteria you already have. For some reason verizon can't read if its really unlocked unless it's on their network, I went through it with an iphone earlier this year. They're a mess.
damn, i thought me getting a new phone annually is bad. you get a new phone every quarter? lol, actually i was thinking about trading mine for a fold 2 but no s-pen, no exp storage and a step down camera array, i decided to keep my note and see if they fix the fold 2's shortcomings.
what's in your pocket now?
It is quite possible that the buyer was not using an existing active sim. He was probably trying to activate a new sim which failed. I had the same issue with AT&T when activating a new sim. AT&T was not recognizing Unlocked model imei and I had to use a very old phone imei for activating sim after which I was able to use the same sim with with AT&T.
It also possible the buyer is lying to you. Either way it looks like the deal is going tits up for you. Perhaps next time check with a T-Mobile SIM before selling it or sell it as verizon locked. Feel for you.
Hello, i know this is a old thread but did you find the solution? i bought a verizon note 20 ultra and it doesnt work on any carrier, just work for a minute and it stops.
You guys found a way to unlock this? I just got the same phone and its a very expensive paperweight atm

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