Unlock Samsung Phones

Revision as of 11:14, 20 December 2016 by Kipkis (Kipkis | contribs) (importing article from wikihow)

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Do you travel a lot and want to be able to use your phone in other countries? Are you tired of your current carrier and want to switch to a new one before your contract is up? Unlocking your Samsung phone allows you to use SIM cards from other carriers and connect to their network. You may be able to unlock your phone by talking to your carrier, but chances are if your contract isn't up they won't let you. If that's the case, then you'll have to result to unlocking it through a third-party or manually unlocking it if you have the right model. See Step 1 below to learn how.

Steps

Contacting Your Carrier

  1. Call your carrier and ask about their unlock policy. Most carriers will unlock your phone after a certain amount of time has passed or after your contract has expired. If your contract is still in place, they may require you to pay an early termination fee in order to unlock the phone.
    • You may be able to get an unlock early if you explain that you need an unlocked phone to use overseas for business.
  2. Contact the carrier you plan to switch to. Many carriers are happy to unlock a phone if you are coming from one of their rivals. Call the carrier that you want to switch to and see if you can work out a deal in which they unlock your phone for you.
    • Make sure the carrier you are switching to uses the same network type that your phone supports. The two major network types are GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) and CDMA (Sprint and Verizon).
  3. Search for codes for your Samsung phone. As phones get older, generic unlock codes are often provided by the manufacturer. Search the internet for your phone model to see if codes are available. You will most likely not be able to find codes for newer models.

Using a Paid Unlocking Service

  1. Get your phone's IMEI/MEID number. This unique identifier number is required when you order unlock codes. Open the dialer and use the keypad to dial *#06#. A screen will appear with the 15 digit code.
    • Copy the code down so you can easily retrieve it later.
  2. Find a reputable unlocking service. There are a staggering number of companies online that claim to be able to unlock your phone for a fee. Since you're paying good money to get your phone unlocked, make sure that the service you choose is well-reviewed and offers a solid guarantee.
  3. Request a code. You will be asked to provide your IMEI/MEID number, along with contact and payment information. The amount you will have to pay depends on the model you are unlocking and the speed of code retrieval.
    • It may take a few days for a code to be retrieved, as many of these companies rely on contacts within the carriers.
    • When entering your phone's information while requesting a code, be sure that everything is 100% accurate so that you receive a code that works for your device.
  4. Insert your new SIM card. Once you receive your unlock code, power off your phone and remove your old carrier's SIM card. Then, insert the new one for the carrier you are switching to. SIM card slots are typically located behind the battery or on the side of the device.
    • See Switch-SIM-Cards for more instructions on finding and removing the SIM card.
  5. Power on your phone. You will be prompted to enter the unlock code in order to connect to the phone network. Enter in the code you received from the unlocking service.
    • You may need to be in the coverage range of the new network in order to get prompted to enter the code. This varies from device to device.
  6. Verify that you are connected. If the code has been entered correctly, you should see your phone connect to the new mobile network. If you cannot connect to your new network, ensure that you are within coverage range, and then contact the carrier to see if the phone was properly unlocked.

Manually Unlocking a Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2

  1. Make sure your phone is up to date. Your phone must be running Android 4.1.1 or later in order for this method to work. You can check your device's version by opening Settings, and then scrolling to the bottom and selecting About Device. Your version will be listed under the Android Version heading.
    • To update your phone, open the Settings and then scroll down to About Device. In the next menu, select System Updates and then Check for Updates. Your phone will search for any available updates and if it finds any they will be downloaded and installed.
    • This will not work on devices that have a custom ROM installed.
  2. Open the dialer. You will need to enter a code in the dialer to open the Service menu. Once the dialer is open, enter the following code:
    *#197328640#
  3. Select "[1] UMTS". After you enter the code, the phone will automatically open the ServiceMode menu. From here, select "[1] UMTS".
    • Tap the menu selection on your screen to select it. If you select the incorrect option, press the Menu button on your phone and select Back.
  4. Open the Debug menu. In the UTMS menu, select "[1] DEBUG SCREEN". In the Debug menu, select "[8] PHONE CONTROL". In the Phone Control menu, select [6] NETWORK LOCK.
  5. Select "[3] Perso SHA256 Off". After you select this option, wait about 30 seconds. Press the Menu button and select Back. Choose "[4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ".
  6. Wait and reboot. Once you have selected "[4] NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ", wait about one minute and then reboot your phone. You won't receive any confirmation that the process worked, so you'll need to test the phone by putting a SIM card in from another carrier. If you are not prompted to enter an unlock code, then the process worked.[1]
    • If this method does not work for your phone, you will need to either contact your carrier about unlocking or pay an unlocking service to retrieve a code.

Manually Unlocking a Samsung Galaxy S4

  1. Make sure your phone is compatible with the method. This method will only work for Galaxy S4s on AT&T and T-Mobile. It must be done on a stock phone; custom ROMs will not work.
    • This method will most likely not work for CDMA phones, such as Sprint and Verizon phones.
  2. Open the dialer. You will need to enter a code in the dialer to open the Service menu. Once the dialer is open, enter the following code:
    *#27663368378#
  3. Select "[1] UMTS". After you enter the code, the phone will automatically open the ServiceMode menu. From here, select "[1] UMTS".
    • Tap the menu selection on your screen to select it. If you select the incorrect option, press the Menu button on your phone and select Back.
    • The Service Mode menu is a diagnostic menu for your phone, and is very powerful. Only make changes to settings specified in this guide. Changing any other settings may result in your phone becoming inoperable.
  4. Open the Debug menu. In the UTMS menu, select "[1] DEBUG SCREEN". In the Debug menu, select "[6] PHONE CONTROL". In the Phone Control menu, select "[6] NETWORK LOCK".
  5. Select "[3] Perso SHA256 Off". When you select this option, you should receive the following displayed on your screen:
    SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[1]
    SHA256_OFF => SHA256_ON
  6. Tap the first line. Select "SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[1] "with your finger. The phone should display:
    MENU NOT EXIST
    PRESS BACK KEY
    • In order to continue, press the menu button on your phone and select Back.
  7. Make sure that the settings changed correctly. When you back up, the message from Step 4 should now be displayed as:
    SHA256_ENABLED_FLAG[0]
    SHA256_OFF => Not Change
  8. Return to the UMTS menu. Press the menu button and select Back four times until you are back in the UMTS Main Menu. Select "[6] COMMON" and then select "[6] NV REBUILD". The following message should be displayed:
    Golden-Backup exist
    You can Restore Cal/NV
  9. Restore the backup. In the NV REBUILD menu, select "[4] Restore Back-up". The phone will automatically reboot. Your phone is now unlocked. Insert the SIM card from your new carrier; if you aren't prompted for an unlock code then the process worked. Verify that you can connect to the network.[2]
    • If this method does not work for your phone, you will need to either contact your carrier about unlocking or pay an unlocking service to retrieve a code.

Sources and Citations

https://www.unlockscodes.com/