Develop Bugs

Unlock question for my At&T S3?

I've had my S3 about 5 months, I bought it retail from ebay from a seller that didn't unlock it, it is still tied to AT&T. I use Straight Talk as my service as at&t or T-moblie will work with out unlocking them. I want to unlock my phone now and have a question.
Beings that the micro sim in my phone is straight talk and is working, how do I unlock my phone? from what I've read about unlocking, you need to have a NON-WORKING sim to be able to unlock it. Or is there a way to unlock it with out a sim in it?
thanks for your time.

You actually need a Sim that is not att, to unlock. You will need the unlock code from att or you can buy them on the internet. I was able to get my unlock code for my S2 from att. You have to have the phone on their service for at least 6 months, you call them say you are going out of the county for a few weeks, and bam!, they give you the unlock code.
Once you have the code, you need to put in an activated sim from another provider other than att, when you turn the phone on you'll be asked to enter unlock code. Enter the code, hit enter, bam unlocked.
This won't work with a sim that is not active.
So if you have a straight talk sim in, and have for six months, and its working, and its a i747, then I think you have a unlocked phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

just to clarify, you do NOT have to have AT&T for any given amount of time before you receive an unlock code.
i was an AT&T customer for all of 10 days and got my unlock code for my Galaxy S3. it is VERY dependent on the agent you speak to for asking for an unlock code.
anyways, since you are using Straight Talk, you should have an unlocked phone. best way to test is try to put a different SIM card in it and see what happens.

I was told my device was "ineligible" to be unlocked. AT&T sucks.
If you don't want to waste time talking to a rep that may or may not help you, use this method, it's easy and free: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2014982 (it's for the Note II but it works on the AT&T S3). You don't need a non-working sim for this method to work, but you won't know if it worked until you put in a non-working sim.
Also, you'll likely only get Edge network on T-Mobile unless you happen to be one of the lucky few in an areas where you can get 3G or H+.
But as posted in other threads, if you're going to call AT&T, call their International Support line: 1-800-335-4685 (found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1962453&page=16 )

skrambled said:
I was told my device was "ineligible" to be unlocked. AT&T sucks.
If you don't want to waste time talking to a rep that may or may not help you, use this method, it's easy and free: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2014982 (it's for the Note II but it works on the AT&T S3). You don't need a non-working sim for this method to work, but you won't know if it worked until you put in a non-working sim.
Also, you'll likely only get Edge network on T-Mobile unless you happen to be one of the lucky few in an areas where you can get 3G or H+.
But as posted in other threads, if you're going to call AT&T, call their International Support line: 1-800-335-4685 (found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1962453&page=16 )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the great info, I'll give these a try.

can an unlocked phone just swap sims from another carrier?

Actually this is a two part question.
1. I called sprint to see if i can get my phone unlocked so that I could test it on another carrier. At first they refused, then they said ok and gave me the MSL # for the phone. Is that all that is needed if i wanted to go to t-mobile or some other carrier and switch the phone to them? Can I unlock the phone myself if i have the MSL #?
2. if the phone were unlocked, and I had a sim card from another carrier, could i just swap sim cards and use the phone on the other carrier? Or does the phone have to be activated with the carrier first? I've got a friend with a note 4 from t-mobile and i was hoping i could just pop his sim card into my phone to test my phone out on t-mobiles network. I don't really want to sign up for service unless i know for sure the service is better.
Thanks

merkk said:
Actually this is a two part question.
1. I called sprint to see if i can get my phone unlocked so that I could test it on another carrier. At first they refused, then they said ok and gave me the MSL # for the phone. Is that all that is needed if i wanted to go to t-mobile or some other carrier and switch the phone to them? Can I unlock the phone myself if i have the MSL #?
2. if the phone were unlocked, and I had a sim card from another carrier, could i just swap sim cards and use the phone on the other carrier? Or does the phone have to be activated with the carrier first? I've got a friend with a note 4 from t-mobile and i was hoping i could just pop his sim card into my phone to test my phone out on t-mobiles network. I don't really want to sign up for service unless i know for sure the service is better.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What i know of the MSL code dosen't unlock phones, sprint lies. It just opens up a hidden menu. There's a forum on here that shows how to domestic unlock the Note 4. To answer your second question, yes if it's unlocked you can just put the sim card in and if you did the unlocking right it should get the signal from T-mobile.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app

arielovin said:
What i know of the MSL code dosen't unlock phones, sprint lies. It just opens up a hidden menu. There's a forum on here that shows how to domestic unlock the Note 4. To answer your second question, yes if it's unlocked you can just put the sim card in and if you did the unlocking right it should get the signal from T-mobile.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow so is sprint support completely incompetent or liars? They told me the MSL code was all that was needed to unlock the phone. and that i would NOT be able to just swap out the sim card to test it - i'd have to actually sign up for service with the other carrier and register/activate my phone under that plan

merkk said:
wow so is sprint support completely incompetent or liars? They told me the MSL code was all that was needed to unlock the phone. and that i would NOT be able to just swap out the sim card to test it - i'd have to actually sign up for service with the other carrier and register/activate my phone under that plan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're just liers. They don't want you going to another company. Heres the forum that shows how to domestic unlock
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3119322
[GUIDE] SIM Unlock Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop 5.0.x
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app

Unlocking Moto Z 2 Force - Tmobile

Hi Everyone,
I've seen some posts about unlocking this but I'm curious as to whether I can unlock a T-Mobile branded phone purchased outright that has never been activated.
What have you all found to be the easiest way to unlock it? I've already reached out to TM via FB to no avail.
Let me know what you guys think.
Thanks!

Bootloader unlock is done via Motorola. To unlock your device for all carriers you must actively use the phone for 7 days. If you can't unlock it yourself after 7 days using the builtin app, then go in to a store. They can call in and help get it unlocked, but only after you've used the phone for 7 days.

papadelogan said:
Bootloader unlock is done via Motorola. To unlock your device for all carriers you must actively use the phone for 7 days. If you can't unlock it yourself after 7 days using the builtin app, then go in to a store. They can call in and help get it unlocked, but only after you've used the phone for 7 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, that is my question.
The phone is brand new - no sim. I'm trying to get it to a prepaid wireless service and need it unlocked to do so. What you're saying is that I would need to activate it for 7 days for the bootloader to work, correct?
Tmobile themselves offer unlocking but only after 40 days of service which is a no go in my current situation.
Thanks again for any help. No other programs or apps out there that can unlock it more quickly without the amount of work?
You guys are awesome!

ponzpo said:
Ok, that is my question.
The phone is brand new - no sim. I'm trying to get it to a prepaid wireless service and need it unlocked to do so. What you're saying is that I would need to activate it for 7 days for the bootloader to work, correct?
Tmobile themselves offer unlocking but only after 40 days of service which is a no go in my current situation.
Thanks again for any help. No other programs or apps out there that can unlock it more quickly without the amount of work?
You guys are awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. You are matching the two things together. Let me be a little bit simpler about this. All use different paragraph so you don't get confused.
BOOTLOADER unlock can be done about 1 minute after you buy the phone. You contact Motorola directly. Search this forum and you'll get tons of information on it
CARRIER Unlocking a T-Mobile phone to be able to use with any carrier can be done after 7 Days of use on a T-Mobile plan. If they recently bumped it up to 40 and that's what customer service told you, then go with that. I've been with them for a few years now and only needed 7 days, but then I was in the store working with one of the sales people and they called in about it. I may have gotten special consideration given the amount of time my wife has had an account with T-Mobile, but I did a carrier unlock after only 7 days.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

I picked up a New tmo z2 force and started it with prepaid. The prepaid balance has to be at least 100$ and active for 14 days before they will unlock it.

noXcape said:
I picked up a New tmo z2 force and started it with prepaid. The prepaid balance has to be at least 100$ and active for 14 days before they will unlock it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that T-Mobile specific prepaid?
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

Yes. Tmo prepaid
Also that's what the tmo rep told me. I still have like 10 days to wait...so I'll report back when it's done
Decided to call and try my luck with another rep. They escalated the unlock for me and did it with the hour.
Unlock app says permanently unlocked now!

You don't need to have it 7 days or whatever. Buy the phone full price, insert the tmobile sim, boot up and carrier unlock right away with the unlock app. Bootloader unlock is with motorola. That's it.

First, you need to activate your phone with a T-Mobile SIM card (you don't need to possess the SIM card, you can even borrow one for a few minutes) and a non-T-Mobile SIM to check if the phone is network locked.
You can check by following these steps:
1. Insert the “non-accepted SIM card” on the phone (Please check if your new SIM Card is activated, if not contact your Mobile Operator in order to activate it).
2. Wait for the phone to load
3. Insert the SIM’s PIN code (4 digits), if asked.
4. Read the message your phone displays, if you need the unlock code or to unlock via the Device Unlock App.
Mod Edit
Based on the message you have, you can contact T-Mobile again and ask them to unlock. Or you can use a third party unlocking service.

RossTeagan said:
First, you need to activate your phone with a T-Mobile SIM card (you don't need to possess the SIM card, you can even borrow one for a few minutes) and a non-T-Mobile SIM to check if the phone is network locked.
You can check by following these steps:
1. Insert the “non-accepted SIM card” on the phone (Please check if your new SIM Card is activated, if not contact your Mobile Operator in order to activate it).
2. Wait for the phone to load
3. Insert the SIM’s PIN code (4 digits), if asked.
4. Read the message your phone displays, if you need the unlock code or to unlock via the Device Unlock App.
Mod Edit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This doesnt work.. It says unlock failed.. tried permanent and temporary. Tmobile says theres an unpaid balance but the phones imei is not lost or stolen. The way to request an unlock is the previous owner and the imei # has to make a request. ugh and theres some dude who says he can do it for a fee (clean the imei) im trying to use this on metro and cannot because of the whole tmobile unpaid balance bullcrap

Correct me if I'm wrong. No T-Mobile phone is eligible for unlock unless it's paid off in full and remained on the network for 45 days after. I've unlocked plenty of them after they were paid off and this was almost always the case.

I unlocked my bootloader right after getting my phone. It's not paid off, as I upgraded via JUMP.

sabrdawg said:
I unlocked my bootloader right after getting my phone. It's not paid off, as I upgraded via JUMP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thinking the OP is talking about carrier unlock.

Check what your IMEI's status is in the T-Mobile network with their service here: https://www.t-mobile.com/verifyIMEI.aspx
Note that if the result doesn't with "Congratulations..." you might not be able to unlock your phone.

20degrees said:
Thinking the OP is talking about carrier unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, got it. It's tricky when "unlock" has multiple meanings, lol! In that case, no, you can't carrier unlock until your phone is paid off

I posted a similar question before I realised there was a thread already on this topic. Can anybody confirm that if you buy a tmo version from Motorola, then what are the conditions for having it unlocked? Is it $100 credit balance (for me that would add $100 to the cost) or immediately on insertion of a TMO SIM or some other conditions? Does anybody have any experiences they can report? Thanks

I can tell you I just tried getting a tmobile variant unlocked (375 outright, I have AT&T) and had a buddy with a tmobile account make the purchase and put his active sim in it and they would not unlock it. Stated it had to be on tmobile network for 40 days. He called multiple times and argued it's already paid off but they wouldn't budge. So I returned it. Had to eat a 50 fee for returning it. I chalk it to a lesson learned.

I was going to buy the phone from the Motorola website for $500 so $375 is a good deal. The problem is while I have a tmobile SIM card on a prepaid account I don't live in the US and while I'm travelling there soon I won't be on the network for 40 days. so I guess it won't be unlockable while I'm there and certainly not once I'm gone.
I wonder what the unlocking Services online are like? Has anybody had any experiences to relate

lchiu7 said:
I was going to buy the phone from the Motorola website for $500 so $375 is a good deal. The problem is while I have a tmobile SIM card on a prepaid account I don't live in the US and while I'm travelling there soon I won't be on the network for 40 days. so I guess it won't be unlockable while I'm there and certainly not once I'm gone.
I wonder what the unlocking Services online are like? Has anybody had any experiences to relate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is also a temp unlock through the unlock app. Still fully sim unlocked but for only a short time. Then if you do come back to the US for 40+ days you can try for the permanent unlock.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using XDA Labs

OK _ just got off both a phone call and chat session with TMO support. Basically the phone has to be on their network for 2 billing cycles and then you can call them to unlock it. That applies even apparently to the $3/month plan. I do have somebody who could do that but they would have to send the phone to me and I am not sure you can do that with its LiOn battery inside.

Unlocked N910A Note 4 on Straight Talk

Hello there,
I was on AT&T....phone paid off and they gave me the UNLOCK code to use my phone with any carrier I want. Currently I am using Walmart's Straight Talk and I use t-mobile TOWERS in this area for cell phone connection. I think it is T-mobile.
I bought the T-mobile cell card from Straight Talk. Works perfect.
So - is the Unlock code the same thing as the BOOTLOADER being unlocked?
Can I now root my phone with Magisk or some other way?
Please tell me?
Sincerely,
LoriAnn

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.