Develop Bugs

Galaxy Tab Voice Activation - Carrier Guide

Some awesome folks have posted tutorials for replacing the ROM on the tab to enable voice calling. Carrier info on actually using this "new" feature is a little sketchy, though. Will it work on CDMA? Can you still get the discounted price? All sorts of non-technical questions related to carrier are posted but generally buried so deep in threads that the info is hard to find and often there's conflicting info on carriers in different threads. So I am starting this thread in an attempt to collect data on carrier-specific info related to voice calling on the Tab enabled by custom ROMs found here on XDA. Here are two threads to choose from for updating the ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=929479
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=847273
So please don't talk about ROMs here - this is about carriers, calling plans, etc. At first this post will have lots of questions, but as they are answered in the thread I will update the original post with the info. Don't follow the data here until the thread has had some responses! So here goes...
Disclaimer: I haven't done this yet and haven't verified any of this info.
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Currently the "upgrade" does not work with CDMA because it requires tricking the carrier into not knowing you have a voice-enabled Tab by using a SIM card from another phone. No carrier will sell you a voice plan for the Tab. So the process goes like this:
1. Purchase a Tab, but do NOT activate it! The activation would be data-only and that's no good. The SIM card it comes with will be useless.
2. Activate an old phone or used phone you bought on ebay on a GSM carrier. Currently AT&T seems to produce the best results, but please post carrier details in the thread and I'll compile them here. Activate the phone with the voice and data plans of your choice.
3. Follow instructions from one of the links above to upgrade your ROM.
4. Install different modem software (also instructions in above links).
5. Take the SIM card out of the activated phone and put it in the Tab.
6. That's it! Now you can make calls on your Tab! (is that really it or is there more to it?)
PROS:
Voice on the Tab!
By activating an old/used phone you aren't stuck in a contract.
Cons:
You don't get the discount that comes with activation since activating the data plan without voice does you no good.
At some point the carrier could get wise and cut us off, but this hasn't happened yet.
QUESTIONS:
1. What have I missed (likely a lot)?
2. What is WRONG and needs to be corrected?
3. What carrier-specific details are different (like AT&T vs T-Mobile)?
4. Will CDMA always be out in the cold due to no SIM card or is that being worked on?
5. Which GSM carrier has the best plan for the voice Tab (that it thinks is a smartphone)?

CDMA phones do not use SIM cards, so it's not possible to do the same kind of swapping you can do with them. CDMA phones are provisioned by the ESN/MEID linked to an entry in the carrier's database. So unless you hack their corporate data or have a employee contact who will change something in the database, the entry is already linked to the device type. For example, if you have a feature phone and buy an Android phone on eBay, when you go to activate it, it knows it's an Android phone and will prompt you to call a service representative to change your plan, because that phone requires a data plan. It's also why you can't just take a VZW phone over to Sprint. I've actually heard of people getting clear ESN phones added to the other carrier, but it was always by having a friend who could do it from the inside. I'm not saying there aren't alternatives programs or ways to make voice calls on the CDMA Tabs, but it'll never be possible to do anything remotely like the SIM switching solution.

This is only for the GSM Tabs (at&t Tmobile) usa and yes u need a modem switch to hav 3G and voice but they will not work together u hav to switch from 3g to voice please becareful and read everything, the only person who will be responsable for ur tablet being bricked is you

So far I havent seen anyone that has voice and data with a normal phone sim card on T-Mobile Tab due to the fact that they have the IMEI block set up but if your going to do it you have to but one from AT&T will work with a T-Mobile sim and vice versa due to the system not really caring what the device is for the most part (at least on T-Mobile). Removing the IMEI block is illegal so your best bet is if you go with the opposite carrier from what your already using to avoid contract extentions or if you have a friend with other carrier get them to buy it at a discount while you do the same at your carrier. Then switch the two and use the modem switcher andyou should be able to do all you want.

countkakula said:
So far I havent seen anyone that has voice and data with a normal phone sim card on T-Mobile Tab due to the fact that they have the IMEI block set up but if your going to do it you have to but one from AT&T will work with a T-Mobile sim and vice versa due to the system not really caring what the device is for the most part (at least on T-Mobile). Removing the IMEI block is illegal so your best bet is if you go with the opposite carrier from what your already using to avoid contract extentions or if you have a friend with other carrier get them to buy it at a discount while you do the same at your carrier. Then switch the two and use the modem switcher andyou should be able to do all you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
idk , i have tmobile and i had to use my tab as a phone , waiting for a replacement vibrant, all i did was stick my vibrant sim, modem switcher. and poof i have tabphone

Are you saying you changed out the modem software without having to flash the ROM and it worked?

b0ricuaguerrero said:
idk , i have tmobile and i had to use my tab as a phone , waiting for a replacement vibrant, all i did was stick my vibrant sim, modem switcher. and poof i have tabphone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you have internet and phone without using wifi cause i get wifi easy but get redirected when i use 2G or modem switch to 3G

[Q] Switching Carriers

Hello, I've been with Verizon for sometime now, but this is the last time I get stiffed by the company. Let's just say I had them suspend my line and I got charged my full bill for the two months I didn't use the phone. I would like to switch carriers, but I don't know how to do it Verizon released my number and my ESN isn't bad. I can remove my SIM card, but I'm wondering how I would be able to make the switch.

I'm not sure what advice you need... just walk into any of the stores of the carrier you intend to switch to and they'll set you up. If you intend on using the same phone all you will need is a sim from them, but you might not get 4G on some carriers. If you really don't want to go to a store you can activate new service on the websites as well but you might have to wait for them to ship you a sim.

thaunknownartist said:
Hello, I've been with Verizon for sometime now, but this is the last time I get stiffed by the company. Let's just say I had them suspend my line and I got charged my full bill for the two months I didn't use the phone. I would like to switch carriers, but I don't know how to do it Verizon released my number and my ESN isn't bad. I can remove my SIM card, but I'm wondering how I would be able to make the switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Verizon HTC one is locked to certain radio bands, so if you switch to say AT&T, you would only be able to make calls and get HSPA+.

Pixel XL IMEI issues with all major carriers

So Google seems to be having issues with replacement devices or new devices for that matter. I have had two replacements shipped to me both of which cannot be activated on ANY networks. Why? because the IMEI is not in carriers system. I have tried Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Net10 etc... Net10 is my company and they won't activate it because the computer says it can't be. Google has no damn clue what is going on they just keep telling me that it is unlocked and can be activated on any network, and they also said to tell the phone companies to ignore their computers( Yeah like that will happen) I had to argue with them for an hour before they escalated the case. Anyone else had this issue?

same thing happened to me with Verizon. they just activated the sim and then put it in the phone and it worked. this was after a Verizon engineer was on the phone with one of the store workers.

Jmaniac55 said:
I have had two replacements shipped to me both of which cannot be activated on ANY networks. Why? because the IMEI is not in carriers system. I have tried Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Net10 etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Usually this sort of thing can be an issue with CDMA carriers (Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular, etc.), yet Verizon's check can be bypassed, as previously noted. A replacement device on Verizon, or Net10 on Verizon, could be used with the previously-activated sim from the original phone, or by inputting another phone eligible for activation, such as the information from the original phone. I'm not sure why an IMEI would be needed to put the phone on T-Mobile or AT&T, but Google returns posts where T-Mobile customers have input nines instead of the IMEI. If Sprint will not to add it to their database, then that could be an issue with how their system works.

With Sprint I manually added the device to my account. I ended up putting in the IMEI and SIM card number (can't remember the term) into their site and was able to activate it that way.

alluringreality said:
Usually this sort of thing can be an issue with CDMA carriers (Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular, etc.), yet Verizon's check can be bypassed, as previously noted. A replacement device on Verizon, or Net10 on Verizon, could be used with the previously-activated sim from the original phone, or by inputting another phone eligible for activation, such as the information from the original phone. I'm not sure why an IMEI would be needed to put the phone on T-Mobile or AT&T, but Google returns posts where T-Mobile customers have input nines instead of the IMEI. If Sprint will not to add it to their database, then that could be an issue with how their system works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if you already have a previously activated Verizon sim card... It doesn't matter?

Stolen or lost phones. No surprise.

How to unlock att s9 to use with another carrier?

What is the proper procedure to unlock an att s9 to use with another carrier?
Thanks.

Just to clarify. This phone was purchased from Samsung directly with the new $150 discount for Att branded phones.

RossTeagan said:
So the phone is bought from samsung but lock on att?
Try the following to check if your phone is network locked be sure you really need to unlock it (otherwise, I don't think you need to unlock it).
1. Insert a GSM SIM card from another network (a non-AT&T SIM, liek Cricket ot T-Mobile)
2. Try placing a call
If your phone manages to connect and make the call with this other SIM card, then you won't need to unlock it, as it's already unlocked. And if the phone is locked, I recommend you check with AT&T, given that this phone is not tight to a contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the phone yet (2 more days,) but I did an extensive Google search, and it seems like this particular phone will be sim locked. It's paid off outright, no contract or anything, but there were several heavy discounts like $150 off msrp and another $150 off for trading in S6.
My Google search gave me two possible options -
1) Talk to ATT and ask to unlock,
2) Use an unlock site, like DeviceUnlock, pay 20-50 dollars for them to obtain and send an unlock code to you.
As for #1, I saw a post where a guy complained that talking to ATT and Samsung was useless to him in a similar situation - each company sent him to the other one to get it unlocked, so he got nowhere with this option.
Also, I saw a few posts that said that a locked phone may have to be activated on ATT first and used for up to 40 days before ATT will unlock it for you. What would happen with this Samsung bought phone though?
And for #2, I just don't know how this kind of business works - you send them IMEI and the locked carrier info, pay money, and a few days later, they send you an unlock code that you can enter yourself.
Is it safe? How does it work exactly? What if there's a problem because the IMEI is not actually registered on ATT because the phone was sold by Samsung?
I have many more questions, just because I don't know what I am talking about, but the bottom line is this. What should I do?
Thanks.

AS your phone is paid off and there is no contract on it, you should stick with your first option: ask att to unlock it but as you said you will need an activated phone, so you will need to activate the phone with att, however, you should go to them immediately and not wait for 40 days. While Samsung locked the phone, the actual company who controls the lock and who has authority of unlocking it att. So don't let them fool you to go search the code somewhere else.
Also, there is a law in the US that forces operators to unlock your phone if there are no debts or contract on your device. So keep that in mind.
Regarding third parties, they are a shortcut and you just have to provide them the devices IMEI and network lock. They, in turn, will look for the unlocking code for you. And if there are issues, as you said, I think you can ask for a refund (so if you decide to go for such a service, first make sure they have a money back guarantee).
TLDR Go with att, they should (have to) provide the unlock for you

Hi nabbed,
did you manage to unlock it?
what did you do in the end?

Giskardors said:
Hi nabbed,
did you manage to unlock it?
what did you do in the end?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called ATT, spoke to tech support. The tech said that since I had no history/account with ATT, they had to make one to verify that the phone IMEI was clean. He created a new account - name, address, phone, email, imei etc info. He created a support ticket (and gave me its number) for sim unlock. He said that I should receive an email within 48 hours that would either tell me that I cannot unlock or will come with the unlock code (if it is decided that I should be able to unlock.)
I tried using their default web service for getting an unlock https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/#/unlockstep1 but that thing doesn't work - the Next button cannot be clicked.
If unsuccessful, I am considering going and talking to a retail ATT store representative directly. They probably don't know much, but perhaps they can be more convincing on the phone with ATT.
Third option is trying one of the unlock websites.

So I had to do this with my S9, same kind of situation as you (I have T-Mobile service, received an AT&T locked device).
As you know, the web portal won't work. AT&T never entered your IMEI in their database, so as far as THEY are concerned, your phone doesn't exist.
Call tier 2/advanced tech support and have them create a case with the Device Unlock Team. GET A CONFIRMATION NUMBER. You should receive an email confirming that the case was made.
48-72 hours later, you SHOULD have an unlock code. Should. This is AT&T, and they don't know their ass from their elbow. It took me 2 weeks.
Device unlock services didn't work, as the IMEI has to be in AT&T's database for it to work correctly. They'll just (hopefully) refund your money when it fails.
Don't go into an AT&T store. As a former AT&T retail employee, I can guarantee you, those employees are dumber than a bag of wet hammers, and have no way of helping you with this, whatsoever. In addition, since you're not BUYING anything, they're not going to help too much even if they could.
Good luck. It will work for you eventually.

entropism said:
So I had to do this with my S9, same kind of situation as you (I have T-Mobile service, received an AT&T locked device).
As you know, the web portal won't work. AT&T never entered your IMEI in their database, so as far as THEY are concerned, your phone doesn't exist.
Call tier 2/advanced tech support and have them create a case with the Device Unlock Team. GET A CONFIRMATION NUMBER. You should receive an email confirming that the case was made.
48-72 hours later, you SHOULD have an unlock code. Should. This is AT&T, and they don't know their ass from their elbow. It took me 2 weeks.
Device unlock services didn't work, as the IMEI has to be in AT&T's database for it to work correctly. They'll just (hopefully) refund your money when it fails.
Don't go into an AT&T store. As a former AT&T retail employee, I can guarantee you, those employees are dumber than a bag of wet hammers, and have no way of helping you with this, whatsoever. In addition, since you're not BUYING anything, they're not going to help too much even if they could.
Good luck. It will work for you eventually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
The tech guy didn't say what kind of a support ticket he created. It may have been a general support ticket, or maybe he referred me to the unlock team directly, I don't know. He seemed like he understood perfectly what I needed. Anyway, the ticket format is like this - cm10230128_122673352, does that look right?
I have received an email confirmation that the call was made, but not that the case was created yet. The call ended at 5:30pm CDT on a Friday night, so maybe it would take until Monday to get a confirmation?

nabbed said:
Thanks.
The tech guy didn't say what kind of a support ticket he created. It may have been a general support ticket, or maybe he referred me to the unlock team directly, I don't know. He seemed like he understood perfectly what I needed. Anyway, the ticket format is like this - cm10230128_122673352, does that look right?
I have received an email confirmation that the call was made, but not that the case was created yet. The call ended at 5:30pm CDT on a Friday night, so maybe it would take until Monday to get a confirmation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it will take up to tuesday. That's the limit
Im going to the US for 2 weeks, I dont know if i'll be able to unlock it on time, but If I order it I'll get it on the 2nd week.
I really hope you can unlock it!
Keep us updated

Update:
Got the unlock code in an email. The instructions say "Please allow 24 hours upon receipt of this notification to complete the unlock process." Not sure what that means, gonna try to unlock tomorrow with a project fi sim.

Update2:
Phone unlocked fine with a Project FI sim card and connected to T-mobile.

We're on the same boat!
I'm also on Project Fi and I received my AT&T S9 today.
My IMEI was found in AT&T's database and I just submitted the unlock request.
Do you experience any issues when using S9 w/ Project Fi?

zenlifexxa said:
We're on the same boat!
I'm also on Project Fi and I received my AT&T S9 today.
My IMEI was found in AT&T's database and I just submitted the unlock request.
Do you experience any issues when using S9 w/ Project Fi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just used the Fi sim card to facilitate the unlock procedure (the S9 is not mine, it's for a friend, and I am just setting it up.) I just looked at sim status in the options to confirm that provider was T-Mobile. In my research, I read that using Project FI T-Mobile was no different from any other unlocked gsm phone using T-Mobile. You will lose all Project FI apps because they don't exist with non-Google phones. There will not be carrier switching between T-Mob, Sprint and US Cell, and there will not be wifi calling. But if your T-Mob service is already good, there shouldn't be a problem.
As as side note, my own FI service is kind of awful. Ever since Google introduced "preferred partner" feature, where a FI phone would connect not to the strongest signal carrier but rather to a particular carrier, in this case Sprint in my area, I have had really bad sound quality.
US Cellular has best towers in this area, with signal strength of -70-80 db or so, while Sprint has crappy towers with signal strength of less -100 db. Yet I am constantly connected to Sprint with crappy sound quality because they are the preferred partner here. I have to constantly to remind myself to manually switch to US Cell if I'm to make a lengthy phone call.
Good luck.

Question does this mean this was a ATT Pixel 6 Pro?

i am on cricket wireless and when i try to tun on hotpot it says you need a AT&T compatible plan for hotspot i am on cricket wireless with it, but it says AT&T

leo5111 said:
i am on cricket wireless and when i try to tun on hotpot it says you need a AT&T compatible plan for hotspot i am on cricket wireless with it, but it says AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the phone SIM unlocked &/or has the phone been fully paid off?

oem unlocking is greyed out so im not sure what it is

i bought it renewed off amazon

OEM Unlocking grayed out usually means this was a Verizon device. My P6P was advertised as being an AT&T model and I was able to unlock my bootloader. That means nothing however, so run the IMEI through a check website. That will tell you if the unit is AT&T or Verizon.
Cricket is owned by AT&T. The hotspot is only available to AT&T subscribers with the appropriate plan. Cricket, to the best of my knowledge, doesn't have any plans with hotspot, so you won't be able to use the feature.

not sure which imei site to try i tried like 3 of em and got conflicting results..um yes cricket does https://www.cricketwireless.com/support/plans-and-features/plans.html

leo5111 said:
um yes cricket does https://www.cricketwireless.com/support/plans-and-features/plans.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thus the qualifier, "to the best of my knowledge". Contact Cricket and ask why the hotspot isn't working.
As to the IMEI check, I usually use imeicheck.net. However, you can also look at the box and count the number of barcodes. If you have five barcodes on the side of the box you have a Verizon unit. Otherwise it is AT&T or T-Mobile.

imei check says its
Model Name:
G8V0U other than that nothing about Verizon/ATT/Tmobile

cricket gives some BS about we cant Guarantee comparability, if it isnt 1 of ours

leo5111 said:
imei check says its
Model Name:
G8V0U other than that nothing about Verizon/ATT/Tmobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to a quick Google search, yours is an AT&T model. So is mine, yet mine I could unlock while yours is locked. All I can think of here is that you put your SIM into the phone prior to first boot and AT&T locked down the phone.
As to Cricket blocking the hotspot, that is their right, unfair as it is.

so if its at&t how do i sim unlock it? well thats why want to root it to tether

For the record, I forgot that you purchased this device renewed. So it was the original purchaser and not you who dropped his SIM into the phone prior to first boot and booted the phone. I apologize for the accusation. Anyway, when he found out the device was locked down due to his booting the phone with the SIM in it, he returned the unit. It's either that or he did the shady thing and swapped his phone bought from AT&T with a new one purchased from Amazon that, based upon personal experience, can be unlocked.
Your problem isn't with the SIM but the bootloader. AT&T is just like Verizon in that they lock the bootloader. While you may have some luck contacting AT&T customer service, you would be better served returning the renewed phone to Amazon and purchasing a new one, one that you know hasn't been touched.

right now it says with cricket to tether need to get att plan if i switch to verizon with hotspot will that message still be there or is the carrier sending that with the sim card?

its not sim locked i dont think..its been on tmobile its now on cricket, so im saying if i go to visible wireless that allows hotspots as long as it will talk and text on verizon it will allow hotspotting or does sim lock allow to be on another network but hotspot does not work?

Carrier sends that with the SIM card, so if you switch SIM cards and your Verizon service includes hotspot the hotspot should be unlocked.