[Q] International travel questions - Sprint Samsung Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshoot

Hey guys,
I tried searching on the topic but I'm hoping for more information specific to this phone.
I'm traveling to Germany in September. This will be my first time out of the country. I just called Sprint and requested for the phone to be unlocked for international travel. Since I've had the GS4 less than 90 days, I'm told this process will take a few days.
My questions are:
Now that my phone is unlocked, I can use international/locally bought micro-SIM cards, correct?
If I use these SIMs, will I still be subject to Sprint's high usage billing or will it operate entirely independently of Sprint's service?
If I flash a ROM, should I stick to the TW-based variants to ensure international capability? Or is it safer to leave the phone entirely stock until my trip is over?
If you have any tips and tricks for traveling (best SIM card, how to save money, the ROM you used while traveling, best apps for using minimal data, etc.) please do so! I appreciate your advice, everybody.
Thanks
-Tory

Edit:
D'oh! Thought I was in the Q&A forum. Mods, please move.
-Tory

mynameistory said:
Edit:
D'oh! Thought I was in the Q&A forum. Mods, please move.
-Tory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you lucky and your unlocking will go through without issues that some of us here are having then you should be able to use any non-US sim cards while outside the US. You will be subject to those carriers charges only. Just don't forget to turn off CDMA roaming and switch the phone to GMS/UMTS mode.
I cannot comment on the ROMs though.

I'm currently delpoyed with the military. Had my gs4 remotely unlocked and I now use a rebelphone sim card for my local area. Just turn your phone to gsm and I turn off data because its not included in my rebel phone package. Should be all good to go once u get that done.
Oh and I use blue kabans ROM
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

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Possible to use US sim?
obender said:
If you lucky and your unlocking will go through without issues that some of us here are having then you should be able to use any non-US sim cards while outside the US. You will be subject to those carriers charges only. Just don't forget to turn off CDMA roaming and switch the phone to GMS/UMTS mode.
I cannot comment on the ROMs though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it possible to use a US sim card from another carrier in the US to check that the phone has successfully been unlocked before traveling? Sprint's told me that they unlocked my phone, but I want to be absolutely sure before I step on a plane in two weeks. I also have an update procedure to unlock the phone - I'd like to do that here in the US before I leave so that if there's any problem, I can work them in advance.

Thanks for moving Kenny!
Kate, from what I've been reading, under no circumstances will Sprint allow the phone to connect to a US GSM network using a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM card. I think this is analogous to "unlocking" the phone from its carrier, which carriers do not tolerate.
Buck, I will look at rebel phone among others. It seems data will be expensive, no matter what SIM card I choose. I expect things like Facebook updates and photo uploads should wait until I connect to wireless at hostels or my friend's place.

kate98 said:
Is it possible to use a US sim card from another carrier in the US to check that the phone has successfully been unlocked before traveling? Sprint's told me that they unlocked my phone, but I want to be absolutely sure before I step on a plane in two weeks. I also have an update procedure to unlock the phone - I'd like to do that here in the US before I leave so that if there's any problem, I can work them in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same boat as you are, from what I could gather from forums and Sprint itself, the answer is NO, you cannot verify that you phone was unlock while here in the US with _ANY_ SIM card.

obender said:
I'm in the same boat as you are, from what I could gather from forums and Sprint itself, the answer is NO, you cannot verify that you phone was unlock while here in the US with _ANY_ SIM card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey obender, when you use international SIM cards, you lose your phone number for one they provide, correct?

mynameistory said:
Hey obender, when you use international SIM cards, you lose your phone number for one they provide, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's correct.

And does the phone need to be rooted? It sounds like maybe not for voice, probably for data? I will want both when we go to Spain in a few months. I don't have the phone yet but plan to pick one up this week - love my S3 but I can't use it internationally, and I don't think I can go back to my Photon for the trip.

RhinoDoc said:
And does the phone need to be rooted? It sounds like maybe not for voice, probably for data? I will want both when we go to Spain in a few months. I don't have the phone yet but plan to pick one up this week - love my S3 but I can't use it internationally, and I don't think I can go back to my Photon for the trip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People report issues with data but according to sprint once it is unlocked it should work just fine both gsm voice and data, no rooting should be needed.

You can verify your UICC(sim) slot is unlocked by sticking in any "non-Sprint" sim card... if you get an error saying "Invalid Sim" then it's not unlocked... if you see no error.. you are probably unlocked. You can further verify this by going into About Device > Status and seeing if it's reading the ICCID of your new sim card.
You can test this with domestic sims too(ATT/Tmo etc).. though you will not get service due to Samsung blocking them. But yes.. the phone will read the ATT/Tmo ICCID if unlocked.

autoprime said:
You can verify your UICC(sim) slot is unlocked by sticking in any "non-Sprint" sim card... if you get an error saying "Invalid Sim" then it's not unlocked... if you see no error.. you are probably unlocked. You can further verify this by going into About Device > Status and seeing if it's reading the ICCID of your new sim card.
You can test this with domestic sims too(ATT/Tmo etc).. though you will not get service due to Samsung blocking them. But yes.. the phone will read the ATT/Tmo ICCID if unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to sprint what you just said is not true. It should show "invalid SIM" all the time while you are in US no matter if you unlocked or not.

obender said:
According to sprint what you just said is not true. It should show "invalid SIM" all the time while you are in US no matter if you unlocked or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I got my sprint s4 unlocked by sprint for international use. I've got a europe orange sim, and when I put it in the phone, I don't get any error msg. (BTW, when I leave the phone without any sim card, it shows some small icon on top saying I'm missing a sim, also it won't let me go into network settings..) is it how it's suppose to be when Sprint unlock the phone for 3rd party sim (international) card? meaning If the phone was "unlocked" i would have get some error msg. saying the device "Can't access" the sim card etc.?
Thanks!

wolf1_o said:
Hi,
I got my sprint s4 unlocked by sprint for international use. I've got a europe orange sim, and when I put it in the phone, I don't get any error msg. (BTW, when I leave the phone without any sim card, it shows some small icon on top saying I'm missing a sim, also it won't let me go into network settings..) is it how it's suppose to be when Sprint unlock the phone for 3rd party sim (international) card? meaning If the phone was "unlocked" i would have get some error msg. saying the device "Can't access" the sim card etc.?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The error message would be the same small icon but it would just say "Invalid SIM", but this is just on my phone that was supposedly unlocked by Sprint, I cannot confirm that it actually works with non US SIM card since I haven't had a chance yet to travel outside the US. Your phone can be unlocked as well or not, you, unfortunately, have no way of telling this until you travel outside the US and try it.

obender said:
The error message would be the same small icon but it would just say "Invalid SIM", but this is just on my phone that was supposedly unlocked by Sprint, I cannot confirm that it actually works with non US SIM card since I haven't had a chance yet to travel outside the US. Your phone can be unlocked as well or not, you, unfortunately, have no way of telling this until you travel outside the US and try it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, If it says invalid sim after you put international card in it's definitely not unlocked. Me and me friend got the phone on the same day and called sprint about 100 time to get the phones working. After sprint told me and my buddy that phones are unlocked, we put it German sim card in and it said invalid sim, but sprint said it will change when you go to Germany. So i didn't believe them and called them another 100 times till about mid June I talked to some supervisor and she said that phone is unlocked. So I put it my German sim back in and it sent me an SMS about the rates of that German service in USA. After that my friend called those assholes another 100 times and they assured him that it will definitely work even though it says invalid SIM. Long story shor... we get there and he is screwed for 3 weeks. Even more so, he was willing to pay $10 per minute to roam in Germany with Sprint... NO SIGNAL ANYWHERE... AND my data did not work with different sim card. only calls and sms. Later i found out that it could be fixed by going to a local branch and downloading something but it was too late. SO Sprint sucks.

Here's the email I got upon requesting the unlock:
Hello Torrance,
This email is intended to confirm that Sprint has successfully processed the unlock request for your Samsung Galaxy s4 Device.* In order for the unlock to be completed, the device has to be connected to the CDMA Network or Wi-Fi connection for the update to finalize.
*Once the update has been completed, please follow the steps below to unlock the device after you have the third party SIM:
*Turn off device > Insert 3rd party SIM > go to Settings > More (tab) > System Update > UICC unlock.* You will receive the update and it should change to GSM Mode.* *
*Phone number: XXX-XXX-XXXX
*If you have any additional questions comments or concerns please contact Sprint World Wide care 24/7 at 888-226-7212
*Thank you,
Ayesha J.
Sprint eCare

tarasator said:
Alright, If it says invalid sim after you put international card in it's definitely not unlocked. Me and me friend got the phone on the same day and called sprint about 100 time to get the phones working. After sprint told me and my buddy that phones are unlocked, we put it German sim card in and it said invalid sim, but sprint said it will change when you go to Germany. So i didn't believe them and called them another 100 times till about mid June I talked to some supervisor and she said that phone is unlocked. So I put it my German sim back in and it sent me an SMS about the rates of that German service in USA. After that my friend called those assholes another 100 times and they assured him that it will definitely work even though it says invalid SIM. Long story shor... we get there and he is screwed for 3 weeks. Even more so, he was willing to pay $10 per minute to roam in Germany with Sprint... NO SIGNAL ANYWHERE... AND my data did not work with different sim card. only calls and sms. Later i found out that it could be fixed by going to a local branch and downloading something but it was too late. SO Sprint sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version of the firmware are you running, is it the latest OTA MF9?
---------- Post added at 02:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:29 AM ----------
tarasator said:
Later i found out that it could be fixed by going to a local branch and downloading something but it was too late. SO Sprint sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you be more specific?

obender said:
According to sprint what you just said is not true. It should show "invalid SIM" all the time while you are in US no matter if you unlocked or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint doesnt know what theyre talking about half the time. that is incorrect info.
no matter what sim you put in... if its PROPERLY unlocked... then you wont see a "invalid sim error". even att/tmobile.
if you put a sim in and it says "invalid sim" then the OTA sim unlock was not properly done and despite saying unlocked in sprints system.. it's really not.
I have both a sprint gs4 and sprint htc one. it's exactly the same on both.

Related

[Q] Unlocking phone without using another carrier's SIM Card

Hi guys
I purchased a t-mobile mytouch 4g outright last week (no contract). When I contacted t-mobile about getting the phone unlocked, they were happy to provide me with an unlock code. The only problem for me is that unlocking the phone requires using a SIM card from other phone provider, something which I dont have access to atm. Is there any way for me to unlock the phone without having to use a SIM card from another provider. Buying a SIM card isnt cheap (eg $25 for AT&T SIM card), and I would like to get the phone unlocked before I head overseas (in case the unlock code doesn't actually work, I won't be able to return the phone to t-mobile without having some difficulties.
The only way you would be able to do that, that I know of would be to root it and do the s off procedure. I think that also will do the sim unlock for you too. Read over the method that uses gfree and visionary. I think it talks a little about the sim unlock and when in the process it occurs.
Maybe you could just go to att and ask them if they have a sim card you can pop in to complete the process.
borrow one if possible, or do the root method. Worked perfectly fine for me doing that method
First of all to correct True if you go that path you van manually do it via Radio S=OFF, since you have the code why go though all of that? Just do as Osu said and barrow any GSM based carriers SIM. This is another example of Android fail as WinMo has simlock.exe as toolkit for this very reason to unlock it without SIM card.
Sent from my HTC Glacier
Is this a new process for unlocks from T-Mobile, that you need to have another provider's SIM card? If I recall correctly (dubious) from getting an unlock code for an MDA and an SDAseveral years ago they would just email you the unlock code and you would enter it into the phone.
Related question if I may: Does T-Mobile still give unlock codes to people who purchased a subsidized smartphone (in particular the MyTouch 4G)? I am considering buying three to replace aging original iPhones and a major reason for me sticking with T-Mobile over the years is their unlock policy. Just want to make sure it's not significantly different for smartphones.
Thanks ... Mike
wenglish said:
Is this a new process for unlocks from T-Mobile, that you need to have another provider's SIM card? If I recall correctly (dubious) from getting an unlock code for an MDA and an SDAseveral years ago they would just email you the unlock code and you would enter it into the phone.
Related question if I may: Does T-Mobile still give unlock codes to people who purchased a subsidized smartphone (in particular the MyTouch 4G)? I am considering buying three to replace aging original iPhones and a major reason for me sticking with T-Mobile over the years is their unlock policy. Just want to make sure it's not significantly different for smartphones.
Thanks ... Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is their unlock policy?
tmobile's unlock policy is 1 unlock code every 90 days.
If the phone is taken on a contract, I believe the unlock policy is that it can only be done after 90 days. I bought the phone without a contract outright, which is why I was able to get the unlock code within a week (although I had to call them up and argue a little).
With regards to the unlocking itself, from what I understand if the phone is not rooted (I don't wanna do it yet as I'd rather keep the warranty for the time being, at least while Im still in the US), then the only way it can be unlocked is with another carrier's SIM card because that is the only way that you get prompted to enter the code. I have a code available for my phone, it's just getting the damn card so I can actually unlock it.
btw Im currently in a country with no contacts who are with AT&T, so getting their SIM card is easier said than done. It costs 25 bucks to purchase a AT&T SIM, something I would rather not do to get the unlocking procedure done. From what I've experienced At&T is the only major provider aside from t-mobile which still uses SIM cards, and Boost mobile/Sprint cards won't work with regards to unlocking because they use a completely different type of network, so the phone can't even detect their SIM card (I tried a Boost SIM and it didn't work)
wenglish said:
Is this a new process for unlocks from T-Mobile, that you need to have another provider's SIM card? If I recall correctly (dubious) from getting an unlock code for an MDA and an SDAseveral years ago they would just email you the unlock code and you would enter it into the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just recently unlocked some of my older T-Mo phones to sell them more easily. They will provide you unlocks for a retail price phone in one week, or a contract subsidized phone in 90 days. You can even request unlocks for phones you no longer use (like my T-Mo Dash I found in a box in the garage).
To "complete" the unlock process you must insert a non-TMo SIM card and the device will prompt you for the code. After entering the code, the phone is unlocked and will remain that way. Borrow a friend's SIM, it's what I ended up doing. Alternatively, if you are just wanting to unlock to resell the phone later, the code is "always valid" for that phone's IMEI and you can just provide the next owner with the code.
Off-topic posts removed...please don't post if you have nothing helpful to say.
holdup said:
With regards to the unlocking itself, from what I understand if the phone is not rooted (I don't wanna do it yet as I'd rather keep the warranty for the time being, at least while Im still in the US), then the only way it can be unlocked is with another carrier's SIM card because that is the only way that you get prompted to enter the code. I have a code available for my phone, it's just getting the damn card so I can actually unlock it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can unlock without rooting using gfree, if getting a SIM is truly an issue just to complete the process. See the gfree thread.
gfree usage:
gfree [-h|-?|--help] [-v|--version] [-s|--secu_flag on|off]
-h | -? | --help: display this message
-v | --version: display program version
-s | --secu_flag on|off: turn secu_flag on or off
-c | --cid <CID>: set the CID to the 8-char long CID
-S | --sim_unlock: remove the SIMLOCK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just run gfree only with -S and that should do the trick and leave the phone still S-ON and unrooted.
What happens if you boot your phone without SIM card? Maybe you can unlock then?
I'm unlocked so can't check that myself
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
mr.tenuki said:
What happens if you boot your phone without SIM card? Maybe you can unlock then?
I'm unlocked so can't check that myself
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Last time I did this it functioned normally aside from no cell service. WiFi and everything else worked fine. No unlock prompts.
Holdup & Genocaust you are right. I found the unlock email from T-Mobile when I last did this in 2007, and yes, you do need to insert a foreign SIM.
holdup, not sure what you mean about only being able to use an AT&T SIM. I know for a fact you can use any UK-based SIM (T-Mobile, O2, Orange, Vodafone, even Tesco). You might look on fleaBay or Craigslist to see if anyone near wherever you are at has one for sale. It doesn't need to have credit on it as far as I recall.
I know that any international gsm Sim will work, but part of the problem is I won't have one until I leave the country, and if the code by some chance doesn't work getting it exchanged or refunded. The At&t sim im referring to is a US sim, not Uk (might have been some confusion there), which t mobile assured me would work. I don't want to buy a sim online right now because I don't have a fixed address for more than a few days at a time (currently doing a tour of the Us).
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
You could just go to the AT&T store, and do one of the following:
1. Flat out ask them if they could let you borrow an AT&T SIM so you can unlock the phone. BTW, the SIM they lend you does not have to be activated for this to work. It just needs to have a different network ID in it, which it will, because it will either be blank or it will be AT&T's; and in either case it wont match the TMobile network id.
2. Tell the AT&T store rep that you are wanting to bring-in your mytouch into their network (you'll buy service), but that you first want to see how it would behave in their network... And so, could they let you borrow a SIM to "test drive" it in their network... tell them you heard the phone has a radio that is compatible with their 3G frequency and that you want to verify that...
BTW, there is another way to access the unlock screen. It's just that the easiest way to trigger that software is to insert a SIM with a different network ID. Call tmobile or HTC and they may give you the other process. I have done this in the past for other handsets...
holdup said:
I know that any international gsm Sim will work, but part of the problem is I won't have one until I leave the country, and if the code by some chance doesn't work getting it exchanged or refunded. The At&t sim im referring to is a US sim, not Uk (might have been some confusion there), which t mobile assured me would work. I don't want to buy a sim online right now because I don't have a fixed address for more than a few days at a time (currently doing a tour of the Us).
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It only takes 5 minutes. You don't have any friends or coworkers with a GSM SIM you could borrow? That's how I used to do it for my old dumb phones.
i know it takes 5 mins, but if you bothered to read my post you would read that Im in a foreign country with no contacts, currently working in a hospital. Virtually all doctors I work with have an Iphone or some CDMA phone, haven't come across anyone with AT&T.
Anyway, got the phone unlocked, just went to an AT&T store n pretended to be interested in buying a SIM, then used a sim card they provided to unlock, thanks to everyone for their help

What is that "UICC Unlock" menu item?

It is in the software update are? What does it relate to in S4?
General info in UICC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UICC
It deals with the GSM SIM card.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
cellfreak said:
It deals with the GSM SIM card.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you be more specific?
sim card
Sprint rep said you can lock your sim. So it cant be used by someone else.
---------- Post added at 12:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 AM ----------
The UICC are Sprint cards they are not like the AT&T SIM cards. But they both can have PIN locks put on them to keep your data on them a little safer.
cellfreak said:
Sprint rep said you can lock your sim. So it cant be used by someone else.
---------- Post added at 12:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 AM ----------
The UICC are Sprint cards they are not like the AT&T SIM cards. But they both can have PIN locks put on them to keep your data on them a little safer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for info
any info on how to lock it??
alexd51 said:
any info on how to lock it??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
the menu item is to unlock the uicc slot for international sims OTA... thats how we originally unlocked the S4, by using an meid that was unlocked already, hitting that menu option, and going back to our meid.......
Almost Not Quite
HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a Galaxy Note 3 which did not have any SIM card, I simply went into the local sprint store and they gave me a UICC SIM free of charge. Then after a little time with tech support on the line figuring out that they had incorrectly linked my new SIM to the old account and correctly linking it to the proper account for the Note 3 my LTE was up and running. Although I have heard as well that some locations they do run short on the SIM cards but keep calling some local stores and one can definitely be found at least from my prior experience.
On a less contradictory note, excellent explanation of the UICC SIM card usage in regards to accessing LTE
HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really inaccurate. You can switch the UICC SIM buddy. Even when you're doing the swap yourself over sprint.com you'll get a pop up alerting you the device uses a sim and if you want to use the original one that came with device or use another. Hope no one bought a sim less device on ebay and read this, you probably gave them a heart attack..
Also when the Note 4 and Note Edge where having signal problems many service centers were swapping out the SIM cards. I don't know why your brother was giving such runaround, a new sim would had his device up and running with lte. Sounds like your sprint store is ran by reps who know nothing.
Sent from my SM-N915P using XDA Free mobile app
AndroiBoi420 said:
I bought a Galaxy Note 3 which did not have any SIM card, I simply went into the local sprint store and they gave me a UICC SIM free of charge. Then after a little time with tech support on the line figuring out that they had incorrectly linked my new SIM to the old account and correctly linking it to the proper account for the Note 3 my LTE was up and running. Although I have heard as well that some locations they do run short on the SIM cards but keep calling some local stores and one can definitely be found at least from my prior experience.
On a less contradictory note, excellent explanation of the UICC SIM card usage in regards to accessing LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RayTrue04 said:
This is really inaccurate. You can switch the UICC SIM buddy. Even when you're doing the swap yourself over sprint.com you'll get a pop up alerting you the device uses a sim and if you want to use the original one that came with device or use another. Hope no one bought a sim less device on ebay and read this, you probably gave them a heart attack..
Also when the Note 4 and Note Edge where having signal problems many service centers were swapping out the SIM cards. I don't know why your brother was giving such runaround, a new sim would had his device up and running with lte. Sounds like your sprint store is ran by reps who know nothing.
Sent from my SM-N915P using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AndroiBoi420 Now-a-days it depends on the device. If the carrier has a blank SIM, most phones 'now' will allow you to put it in. My brother's cases were back when LTE for sprint was just then becoming a 'thing'.
As for RayTrue04... I'm sorry, but that's completely accurate... you CAN NOT take the SIM card out of, say, a Galaxy S6 and put it into a Galaxy Note 5... It WILL, NOT, WORK. I've tried it, plenty of other people have tried it. IT. DOES. NOT. WORK. The SIMs are LOCKED to ONE device and ONLY that device. You CAN however, go off and get a BLANK SIM card and shove them in and they will work.
But in any case, my posting was about why locking the SIM card does absolutely nothing, because nothing personally identifiable is stored on them. So, if you sold the phone on eBay, and left the SIM in it, you're 100% fine, because the only thing that SIM card has on it, is the HEX key that allows the device to be identified by the network. But taking that SIM card out with hopes of just shoving it into your 'next device' will not work, and will just leave you frustrated and upset when you try everything you can to get it working. Every device that uses this type of SIM, has to have its OWN card, NOT some other device's card. Replacing it with a blank one is perfectly viable. But it just depends on your device, and if they have any around in stock to just throw at you anyway. Most sales/service reps are generally nice and will just give you the card if that's the case. But I do know of some who do everything 'by the book' and will charge you for the SIM AND its activation because that is what they are technically 'supposed to do'.
HikariNoKitsune said:
As for RayTrue04... I'm sorry, but that's completely accurate... you CAN NOT take the SIM card out of, say, a Galaxy S6 and put it into a Galaxy Note 5... It WILL, NOT, WORK. I've tried it, plenty of other people have tried it. IT. DOES. NOT. WORK. The SIMs are LOCKED to ONE device and ONLY that device. You CAN however, go off and get a BLANK SIM card and shove them in and they will work.
But in any case, my posting was about why locking the SIM card does absolutely nothing, because nothing personally identifiable is stored on them. So, if you sold the phone on eBay, and left the SIM in it, you're 100% fine, because the only thing that SIM card has on it, is the HEX key that allows the device to be identified by the network. But taking that SIM card out with hopes of just shoving it into your 'next device' will not work, and will just leave you frustrated and upset when you try everything you can to get it working. Every device that uses this type of SIM, has to have its OWN card, NOT some other device's card. Replacing it with a blank one is perfectly viable. But it just depends on your device, and if they have any around in stock to just throw at you anyway. Most sales/service reps are generally nice and will just give you the card if that's the case. But I do know of some who do everything 'by the book' and will charge you for the SIM AND its activation because that is what they are technically 'supposed to do'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2937387
I've also successfully activated an LG G2's SIM on my Note Edge. They're not locked to one device. It just needs to be a Sprint registered SIM and deactivated at the moment of activating whatever device you plan on using. One thing is though, not all SIM cards are interchangeable with certain devices.
Sent from my SM-N915P using XDA Free mobile app
HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So after reading all the answers, best thing to do is ask Sprint b4 buying one off ebay
Thank you!!! This was most helpful & very well stated/Explained!!! Good job?
Just a bit more info on sim swapping, some sim swaps are compatable and some are not...if you swap a sim just call in to tech support for your provider and have your IMEI(essentially vin number of your phone) updated in there systems to avoid any confusion in provisioning or features, a common issue is inibility to access data on your device.
Sim cards are free of charge to replace through some providers such as AT&T.
Just a tid bit of info from your friendly neighborhood tier 3 tech support agent.
Uicc unlock??
HikariNoKitsune said:
Wow.. this is sort of an old thread for google to be leading me to.. but uh... i think everyone here has a total missunderstanding of Sprint's SIM cards... They're UICC... Which, I guess some people on here already can see that it is. But, what they don't seem to understand, is that this style of SIM card does NOT contain ANY personal information about you... there is NO NEED TO LOCK IT... because its ALREADY LOCKED... UICC SIM cards, are simply there to give you access to LTE, nothing more, nothing less. They have a 'personalized code' that is linked to your device, and will ONLY work on that device. You CAN NOT take the SIM card, and put it into another device, even if its the same exact model, and expect it to work. They are locked to your device PERMANENTLY. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can however, unlock your DEVICE to work with other SIM cards. So yes, you CAN put an AT&T SIM card into the phone, and have it work, but ONLY if your DEVICE is unlocked by the carrier and thus be allowed to access other networks. Though, I'm pretty sure you have to get a UICC SIM from them, which unless things have changed within the last few years, I hear is kind of difficult to get from GSM carriers.
So, to answer Alex's question: you do not need to lock it, for it is already locked permanently to your device. There is no personal information stored on the UICC SIM card, so there is nothing to be gained by someone who somehow gains physical access to the SIM card. Not only will it simply just not work unless they are using the physical linked device, but there is no information to be retrieved from it what so ever. Your phone number is not saved on it, text messages aren't saved on it, contacts aren't saved on it, email addresses are not saved on it. It is basically just a 'security chip' to allow Sprint and other UICC SIM card using carriers to make sure only authentic devices are allowed to use their LTE networks.
This can also be demonstrated by people who have bought sprint phones off of ebay and people don't include the UICC SIM card that came with the device. They most likely wont ever be able to use LTE on that device unless they somehow convince the people at a sprint store to trade the device in for one with a UICC SIM, or on more rarer cases: have them contact someone who can order a replacement and be able to 'link' it to the device. My brother has had this happen twice to him. He'd buy a phone off of Ebay, and it wont have the SIM. not thinking it was a big deal, he just tried to activate it via the Sprint website, and with one, it simply wouldn't activate, and the other just wouldnt' get LTE. He had to take it into the store, and they luckily were willing to exchange the device for one with a UICC SIM, and for the one that just wouldnt' connect to LTE, they managed to have a blank one in the store and they had to ship the phone and the SIM off to some place to have them 'linked'. Its a hard coded issue, not simply a software issue...
SO, bottom line: Don't worry about 'locking' the UICC SIMs.... they wont really 'lock', because they already are, and there is no real reason/gain to do so anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i asked sprint for an unlock. They said they granted the unlock for iphone6 an galaxy gs6. Gs6 says uicc now able to accept international sim, but when said sim put in nothing happens.
Thank you for the DETAILED answer to help those of us who do not understand a lot of the technological terms that most products come with nowadays and makes it difficult for regular people without a college degree to comprehend and even some like me who have an extensive college degree (but just wasn't my thing)! (A lot of regular people THINK they are knowledgable that really are not and then they get mad when the language isn't down to their level because it then becomes even MORE difficult for them to understand the technical product they want all their friends to think that they "know all about".)
For all the tl;dr out there...
UICC Sim Unlock is an option provided to unlock the sim slot for use outside of the US and is only prevalent on Sprint devices (and its prepaid subsidiaries) to provide LTE service while using a Sprint account.
Older UICC Sim Cards are only tied to the device they are activated with and are not usually to be swapped between phones. They carry only your access to the LTE network and do not hold any account or phone information. Newer UICC cards can be passed across devices for the same purpose if the new device is linked to the same account the sim was activated on from the original device. In most cases the sim is actually blank and only calls to the tower to allow LTE service because its more convenient than activating/reactivating a sim.
Selecting UICC Unlock sends a request to Sprint to unlock the sim slot for use with GSM carriers outside of the US, providing you have properly closed the associated account and paid off the phone (or else your still SOL) and cannot be used to grant access to US based GSM carriers because Sprint locked the sim slot and the phones capabilities out of the US GSM band spectrum. That is unless you search hard enough on XDA on how to do it properly, which since LP is hit or miss and nobody seems to have simple enough answers like "yes" or "no" to the questions about Baseband version (in the latest GSM unlock attempts anyway).
Still tl;dr for you? Basically its an almost useless security feature to stop you from jumping ship from Sprint service to their competitors. Unless your moving outside of North America or sending your (ELIGIBLE!) device across seas, don't worry about it because it is of no use to you
Yet you can take your sim out and use it on a Nexus 6
This is illegal, companies are no longer allowed to lock the sim to their own devices. Thus the unlock messages everyone is getting on their devices.

[Q] Can this phone be used overseas (with local SIM)?

I currently have a photon, and one great convenience of the phone is that when I travel I just buy a local SIM and pop it in. But Sprint has been making that more difficult. The Photon Q didn't even have a removeable SIM, and I've read that the Sprint version of the HTC One needs to be unlocked by Sprint, and it's a nuisance to get them to do that. (and they don't always succeed with the first try, and...)
Does anyone know the status of this phone with regards to using a local SIM overseas?
you have to have sprint unlock it and it depends on some "qualifications" from them based on who you talk to and what your account looks like. The sim card used in the gs4 is so we can have lte.(just a reminder, wont need this over seas) but essentially you should be able to pull it off as long as you plan for it.
So theoretically it should work. But it didn't for me.
- Before leaving the US, I called sprint and asked them to unlock the phone
- They said they would
- I got an email saying the phone was unlocked
- I called sprint, asked "Is there a way for me to confirm it's unlocked?". They said no, trust the email.
- I traveled to Hungary.
- Got a Tmobile SIM. Inserted, got "Invalid SIM" message
- Called Sprint tech support- they were completely unhelpful. Blamed T-Mobile
- Went to Vodafone and tried a SIM here (the agent even pulled a 2nd out of his personal phone). Neither worked, I just got the "Invalid SIM" message
- Called sprint again. Unhelpful. Blamed the foreign SIMs
- Friend arrived in Hungary w/ an unlocked iphone. The Hungarian T-Mobile SIM worked instantly.
- Called sprint again- still blamed the foriegn SIMs. "It shows as unlocked on my screen!"
By the way, I was able to hit the "UICC Unlock" in my phone's settings. Didn't help.
So- I'm a sample size of 1- but don't count on it working. Bring a backup phone if you've got one, and/or be prepared to buy a burner.
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Consigliere2 said:
So theoretically it should work. But it didn't for me.
- Before leaving the US, I called sprint and asked them to unlock the phone
- They said they would
- I got an email saying the phone was unlocked
- I called sprint, asked "Is there a way for me to confirm it's unlocked?". They said no, trust the email.
- I traveled to Hungary.
- Got a Tmobile SIM. Inserted, got "Invalid SIM" message
- Called Sprint tech support- they were completely unhelpful. Blamed T-Mobile
- Went to Vodafone and tried a SIM here (the agent even pulled a 2nd out of his personal phone). Neither worked, I just got the "Invalid SIM" message
- Called sprint again. Unhelpful. Blamed the foreign SIMs
- Friend arrived in Hungary w/ an unlocked iphone. The Hungarian T-Mobile SIM worked instantly.
- Called sprint again- still blamed the foriegn SIMs. "It shows as unlocked on my screen!"
By the way, I was able to hit the "UICC Unlock" in my phone's settings. Didn't help.
So- I'm a sample size of 1- but don't count on it working. Bring a backup phone if you've got one, and/or be prepared to buy a burner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bummer...
Just to confirm, you hit the "UICC Unlock" when you were in the US? or when you were overseas?
jj14 said:
Bummer...
Just to confirm, you hit the "UICC Unlock" when you were in the US? or when you were overseas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both.
I ended up giving the SIM to my friend. When I got back in the states, and the phone had connected back to Sprint's network, I figured I would give the SIM another try just in case I had somehow missed the OTA unlock.
Still no luck.
Consigliere2 said:
Both.
I ended up giving the SIM to my friend. When I got back in the states, and the phone had connected back to Sprint's network, I figured I would give the SIM another try just in case I had somehow missed the OTA unlock.
Still no luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you rooted? I ask because if so I would be curious to see your /carrier/properties.db file. I think there's a line in there that says your lock status. I am pretty sure mine is unlocked, and under SDM/SESSION_TYPE it says CI_DC but people with locked phones said theirs has CI_SIM_LOCK.
When did you get the unlock done? Supposedly there was an "old" tool and a "new" tool to unlock the phones internally at Sprint. Many people said that unlocks performed with the old tool didn't work, but when they had them unlock it again with the new tool it worked.
Now, the real problem seems to be adding the proper APNs for an international SIM. The menu item isn't there, but you can get into it with a trick. However, when you try to add a new APN everything is greyed out.

[SOLVED] Total Wireless (Verizon MVNO) - New Phone / Same SIM

I am switching from my old Nexus 6 to a brand new Moto G5 Plus. I am with the carrier Total Wireless which is a Verizon MVNO. Their cellular service and pricing is excellent. Their CSRs are low functioning. What I want to know is if I can just pop out the SIM from my old phone and put it into my new one without any issues. They both take the same size SIM and they're both compatible with Verizon. I won't have to buy a new SIM card or anything like that, will I? I ask because a CSR told me that the SIM cannot be removed and is part of the phone so I would have to buy a new one. Yeah...I know. It was painful. I just left the chat. Thanks in advance for the help!
adamshumpisxxx said:
I am switching from my old Nexus 6 to a brand new Moto G5 Plus. I am with the carrier Total Wireless which is a Verizon MVNO. Their cellular service and pricing is excellent. Their CSRs are low functioning. What I want to know is if I can just pop out the SIM from my old phone and put it into my new one without any issues. They both take the same size SIM and they're both compatible with Verizon. I won't have to buy a new SIM card or anything like that, will I? I ask because a CSR told me that the SIM cannot be removed and is part of the phone so I would have to buy a new one. Yeah...I know. It was painful. I just left the chat. Thanks in advance for the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as sim is not locked then you should be able to put it in the g5+, log in to your total wireless account on WiFi and input your IMEI or MEID (which ever is longer) into your account for that SIM, and boom your rocking. You might not even have to do all that sometimes popping the SIM in just works.
redman321 said:
As long as sim is not locked then you should be able to put it in the g5+, log in to your total wireless account on WiFi and input your IMEI or MEID (which ever is longer) into your account for that SIM, and boom your rocking. You might not even have to do all that sometimes popping the SIM in just works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, cool. Thanks! Do you have experience with this? I ask because I have not seen anywhere on the website where I can edit the existing IMEI in my account. All I see is their Compatibility Checker.
Sorry I just assumed, not helpful I know that's just how it's been for me with other. Carriers. Sorry about to bad answer. Sounds like they must lock the SIM to the phone.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/4zzx47/total_wireless_sim_swapping_and_tethering/
According to that you can just pop in the Card though.
Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance
redman321 said:
Sorry I just assumed, not helpful I know that's just how it's been for me with other. Carriers. Sorry about to bad answer. Sounds like they must lock the SIM to the phone.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NoContract/comments/4zzx47/total_wireless_sim_swapping_and_tethering/
According to that you can just pop in the Card though.
Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I do appreciate the effort! That's more than I could find. When my new Moto G5 Plus comes in I'll pop my existing SIM in and go from there. I figure if it doesn't work I'll just play stupid, tell them my phone was working then all of a sudden it isn't and make them fix it. Worst comes to worst, I have to buy a new SIM for a dollar or whatever. Thanks again! I'll report back here with the conclusion
I bought a new unlocked phone for Total Wireless but it used a different SIM size. Once I put the new sim card in the new phone, I logged into my Total Wireless account online, clicked the upgrade to new device and went through the steps. Once I completed that I powered up the new device and it worked.
Hope this helps in some way.
dmeeks72 said:
I bought a new unlocked phone for Total Wireless but it used a different SIM size. Once I put the new sim card in the new phone, I logged into my Total Wireless account online, clicked the upgrade to new device and went through the steps. Once I completed that I powered up the new device and it worked.
Hope this helps in some way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see "upgrade to new device" anywhere listed on the site. Can you direct me more specifically? Thanks.
adamshumpisxxx said:
I don't see "upgrade to new device" anywhere listed on the site. Can you direct me more specifically? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Log into your account. It should be at the account options screen. If not, click on link to the left.
Once that comes up, click on view details. It should list your phone. Over to the right it should give you the option to upgrade the device.
If it doesn't then something is most likely wrong with the account and you'll need to get in touch with Customer Service.
dmeeks72 said:
Log into your account. It should be at the account options screen. If not, click on link to the left.
Once that comes up, click on view details. It should list your phone. Over to the right it should give you the option to upgrade the device.
If it doesn't then something is most likely wrong with the account and you'll need to get in touch with Customer Service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post a screenshot or something? Nothing you're saying is even remotely on this site. Are we talking about the same company?! Also, I just got a hold of them and now they are demanding I buy a new SIM card because apparently I can't transfer service to a new phone. That makes ZERO sense. Do you have to be UNDER a certain IQ to work for this company or what?!
So the verdict is in. With Total Wireless you CAN pop out the SIM from your old phone and put it into your new one BUT...there is an issue. The old phone's IMEI stays associated with the SIM you just put into your new phone. That will never be an issue should you just put the phone into the "old phone drawer" but it MAY become an issue if you sell or give away your phone to be used with Verizon or another Verizon MVNO. From what I gather, that IMEI will show as in use and not allow another user to register it with a new SIM. Will it matter if you go with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc...? I'm unsure but from what I gather, I doubt it. The really dumb part about this whole thing is Total Wireless's unwillingness to just unregister the old IMEI from your current SIM and register a new one. From speaking to a Verizon representative this is totally possible but Total Wireless refuses to do it. Instead they demand you buy a new SIM card. I assume this is from complete ignorance as their CSRs are almost completely inept. It's the best "bang for your buck" company to go with when you want / need Verizon service but if you need help...may the force be with you. Put it this way...They didn't even know what an APN was and insisted it was only a single word long (not even the right word).
I have two Moto G5 Plus's that I bought from Best Buy on the same day at the same time. I checked both IMEIs about 2 months ago to see if they were compatible both where. Now that my auto for ATT Gophone got turned off in time bought the CDMA sim kit. I went online to activate. Total Wireless said one is compatible and one is not. I called customer support and talked to a supervisor still got same thing. Was told if the phone wasnt activated on VZW then it would be unable to work. I told her both have been on ATT since day one. WTF! So looks like I am staying with ATT.

LG V20 LS997 successfully unlocked with Oreo update

I finally unlocked my LG V20 LS997 (Sprint version). There is no trick.
I bought my LG V20 LS997 from ebay and the seller claimed it is unlocked. I called Sprint and they also told me the phone is unlocked domestically and internationally.
However when I put non-Sprint sim card, I always got invalid sim card icon in the status bar and cannot get the phone work. Many people had the same issues.
Some people can unlock it and work but after update to Oreo, the phone will be locked again.
I found place in Sprint community talking about the unlocked LG V20 but still getting invalid sim card. I read through all the articles one by one. And I found that there are basically three steps:
1) Update PRL;
2) Update Profile;
3) Unlock UICC;
I can do the first two without any problem. But I never succeeded in step 3. So in Sprint community, I sent Em_Will_I_Am (please remember this guy, he is really good and can help you out) a private message telling him my IMEI, ICCD(sim card) and what problem I had. He will check if the phone is unlocked in the system or not first and make sure the phone can be unlocked by Sprint standard (fully paid, not stole phone, no unpaid charge etc.). Since my phone is in good standing and can be unlocked. He first re-locked my phone and I had to restart my phone using ##72786# to reset network settings. After that he unlocked my phone. After I do ##72786# again and wait for my phone is hand-free activated and wait for several minutes. I did
1) Update PRL;
2) Update Profile;
3) Unlock UICC;
What I got was something like 'Your phone is unlocked to any UICC that supported by the phone.'
Then I removed my sprint sim card and into a H2O wireless (AT&T MVNO) sim card. It works! You have to manually configure the APN in order to get data working. Since this is Sprint version V20, it only support 3G in at&t network. But at least I can have voice and 3G data from other vendor. I tried rebooting my V20 and factory resetting my V20. All of these operations have no impact on accepting the non-Sprint sim card. It looks to me is really unlocked now. My LG V20 was update to Oreo OTA one week back. so it is on the latest version of android now.
Thanks a lot to Em_Will_I_Am. When he relocks and unlocks your phone, he basically sends out a signal and your phone will pop up and say 'Updating profile' and then 'Profile update is completed'. During the whole process, Em_Will_I_Am will send you private message to tell you what he did and what you need to do.
My LG V20 was still in Sprint network and was active. I don't know if you don't have your phone actively on Sprint network will that work. But I would suggest to send private message to Em_Will_I_Am and seek his help. He may be able to help.
How can I get in contact with him
How can I get contact with him?
I need help too. Bought V20 phone off ebay and it worked great for about 4 months with Straight Talk and Cricket and then it got the Oreo update and now it gives me the invalid SIM message. I never used it on Sprint but it was a Sprint phone. Any help would be appreciated or if you can pass along the way for me to contact the person that helped you that would be great.
dreorlando said:
How can I get in contact with him
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please go to Sprint Community website. Register a user if you don't have. Then you will be able to find user Em_Will_I_Am and ask him for help.
pscook said:
I need help too. Bought V20 phone off ebay and it worked great for about 4 months with Straight Talk and Cricket and then it got the Oreo update and now it gives me the invalid SIM message. I never used it on Sprint but it was a Sprint phone. Any help would be appreciated or if you can pass along the way for me to contact the person that helped you that would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please go to Sprint Community website. Register a user if you don't have. Then you will be able to find user Em_Will_I_Am and ask him for help.
i need more ppl conrfirming this
V20 Invalid SIM
pscook said:
I need help too. Bought V20 phone off ebay and it worked great for about 4 months with Straight Talk and Cricket and then it got the Oreo update and now it gives me the invalid SIM message. I never used it on Sprint but it was a Sprint phone. Any help would be appreciated or if you can pass along the way for me to contact the person that helped you that would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to contact Em_Will_I_Am and they helped me out. I think an unlock code was sent again. I also did a couple of things that I think finally allowed the unlock code to come through. I went into developer mode and turned on Enable OEM unlock and then powered off. Then I powered back on while holding the power button and volume down. When the menu came up I chose Wipe Cache Partition. Then when I rebooted it came up and recognized the SIM again and so far all is good. Thanks again to Em_Will_I_Am on the Sprint community forums for all the help.
i paid for a unlock via ebay after he was finish unlocking my phone i inserted my sim. sginal kept droping every few seconds. so i cleared the network settings via phone dialer couple of times, same issue everytime so i just fk it and just updated to oreo now its still unlocked and signal don't drop!!!
Greetings.
I can confirm this. The Sprint assistant knows exactly how to solve the issue in just a few steps. Had the same problem associated to the phone locked since Oreo update and he helped me in a matter of few steps. Create the Sprint account and message him. He'll give you the support.
How long did it take for you to get the support?
Sprint sim card
So the sprint agent Em_I_will asked me for a sprint sim card and i don't have one. Can someone help me out here?
My phone has been unlocked
zhuhuilin said:
I finally unlocked my LG V20 LS997 (Sprint version). There is no trick.
I bought my LG V20 LS997 from ebay and the seller claimed it is unlocked. I called Sprint and they also told me the phone is unlocked domestically and internationally.
However when I put non-Sprint sim card, I always got invalid sim card icon in the status bar and cannot get the phone work. Many people had the same issues.
Some people can unlock it and work but after update to Oreo, the phone will be locked again.
I found place in Sprint community talking about the unlocked LG V20 but still getting invalid sim card. I read through all the articles one by one. And I found that there are basically three steps:
1) Update PRL;
2) Update Profile;
3) Unlock UICC;
I can do the first two without any problem. But I never succeeded in step 3. So in Sprint community, I sent Em_Will_I_Am (please remember this guy, he is really good and can help you out) a private message telling him my IMEI, ICCD(sim card) and what problem I had. He will check if the phone is unlocked in the system or not first and make sure the phone can be unlocked by Sprint standard (fully paid, not stole phone, no unpaid charge etc.). Since my phone is in good standing and can be unlocked. He first re-locked my phone and I had to restart my phone using ##72786# to reset network settings. After that he unlocked my phone. After I do ##72786# again and wait for my phone is hand-free activated and wait for several minutes. I did
1) Update PRL;
2) Update Profile;
3) Unlock UICC;
What I got was something like 'Your phone is unlocked to any UICC that supported by the phone.'
Then I removed my sprint sim card and into a H2O wireless (AT&T MVNO) sim card. It works! You have to manually configure the APN in order to get data working. Since this is Sprint version V20, it only support 3G in at&t network. But at least I can have voice and 3G data from other vendor. I tried rebooting my V20 and factory resetting my V20. All of these operations have no impact on accepting the non-Sprint sim card. It looks to me is really unlocked now. My LG V20 was update to Oreo OTA one week back. so it is on the latest version of android now.
Thanks a lot to Em_Will_I_Am. When he relocks and unlocks your phone, he basically sends out a signal and your phone will pop up and say 'Updating profile' and then 'Profile update is completed'. During the whole process, Em_Will_I_Am will send you private message to tell you what he did and what you need to do.
My LG V20 was still in Sprint network and was active. I don't know if you don't have your phone actively on Sprint network will that work. But I would suggest to send private message to Em_Will_I_Am and seek his help. He may be able to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm this. The Sprint assistant knows exactly how to solve the issue in just a few steps. Had the same problem associated to the phone locked since Oreo update and he helped me in a matter of few steps. Create the Sprint account and message him. He'll give you the support.
elixir92 said:
So the sprint agent Em_I_will asked me for a sprint sim card and i don't have one. Can someone help me out here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assumed I would need a Sprint sim to do this, so I just bought a new Sprint sim card off of ebay for a couple dollars. Then you will be able to give the sim information to Em_Will_I_Am
He'll put you on the list if your phone is able to be unlocked (ie. not blacklisted, not listed as stolen etc) and soon you'll be unlocked.
I'm so thankful to have found this thread and so thankful to Em_I_will for all his help. Amazingly helpful person.
hgib said:
I assumed I would need a Sprint sim to do this, so I just bought a new Sprint sim card off of ebay for a couple dollars. Then you will be able to give the sim information to Em_Will_I_Am
He'll put you on the list if your phone is able to be unlocked (ie. not blacklisted, not listed as stolen etc) and soon you'll be unlocked.
I'm so thankful to have found this thread and so thankful to Em_I_will for all his help. Amazingly helpful person.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem; Em_Will_I_Am told me that I would be on the waiting list from last week and still no answer.
Could you please tell me more or less what time it took you to complete the unlocking process?
xian2786 said:
I have the same problem; Em_Will_I_Am told me that I would be on the waiting list from last week and still no answer.
Could you please tell me more or less what time it took you to complete the unlocking process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I waited just over a week. Keep in mind, they are done in the order they are received and I'm sure the first priority is dealing with customers actually staying with Sprint
Just keep your phone powered up so that you're ready when your time comes.
hgib said:
I waited just over a week. Keep in mind, they are done in the order they are received and I'm sure the first priority is dealing with customers actually staying with Sprint
Just keep your phone powered up so that you're ready when your time comes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, then I'll keep waiting.
I can do these remotely but unfortunately not free
hec2k said:
I can do these remotely but unfortunately not free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but the Sprint Community Manager (Em_Will_I_Am) solved my issue and now my phone it's unlocked for free.
hec2k said:
I can do these remotely but unfortunately not free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how much will it cost?

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