Hi,
I have a Galaxy S5 which is region locked to the Americas. I'm trying to use it in other region, but when inserting non-USA SIM it asks me for a PIN code to unlock.
I have stumbled acrosst his site (with another one that offers the same service):
---.fastgsm.com/en/page/how-to-unlock-samsung-via-imei-s5230-star-s5620-monte-galaxy-tab-s3370
replace --- with www
Do you think it is safe? What other alternatives I have rather than going to the USA and making a five minutes call?
Sounds like SIM-Lock rather than Region Lock. - Both are different and I think you may have confused them
SIM-Lock means it is locked to a carrier, region lock would show no signal and no service etc until you had bypassed it by making that 5minute phone call
radicalisto said:
Sounds like SIM-Lock rather than Region Lock. - Both are different and I think you may have confused them
SIM-Lock means it is locked to a carrier, region lock would show no signal and no service etc until you had bypassed it by making that 5minute phone call
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's SIM unlocked. I get message saying to insert "SIM network unlock PIN" which is region-lock, according to search in google.
European Model: This product should be activated with a SIM card issued from a mobile operator within Europe. (as defined EU/EEA, Switzerland and the following Non-EEA countries Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M), Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia and Vatican City.) To use SIM cards from other regions, a cumulative call over five minutes must first be made with the SIM card from European operators.
I'm having the same problem with the SM-G900H from America. I'm in Singapore now. Is it possible to use a USA-sim to unlock the phone WITHIN Singapore?
timweri said:
I'm having the same problem with the SM-G900H from America. I'm in Singapore now. Is it possible to use a USA-sim to unlock the phone WITHIN Singapore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure, I would try this with roaming but I guess the system is smarter and will check for location.
I ended up buying an unlock code from Cellunlocker.net. They are very fast and responsive, and the code did the work for me.
etaiso said:
I'm not sure, I would try this with roaming but I guess the system is smarter and will check for location.
I ended up buying an unlock code from Cellunlocker.net. They are very fast and responsive, and the code did the work for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. I think you're lucky...
I purchased a code from them but it doesn't work. I asked them and got this:
Hi
We do not unlock region locks. We only unlock the network.
This was written in red font on our website while placing your order:
All SAMSUNG devices manufactured after the date of JULY 2013 and Samsung devices running on Android version is Android 4.4 (KITKAT) are subject to REGION LOCKING
If your phone has been used previously with the original carrier, this will not apply to you. However, if your device is BRAND NEW, your must activate it with the original carrier.
If your Samsung device becomes Region locked, you will not be able to fully factory Unlock your Samsung devices so it can be used internationally. Even the correct code will not work anymore.
*All USA and European Carriers ARE subject to Region Locking
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally ignored this as on their website, above this part says:
PLEASE READ THIS DISCLAIMER: If you have a Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, Note 2, Note 3 or your Android version is Android 4.4 (KITKAT)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any other site that can really unlock a region lock?
Try this:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1...e-at-t-t-mobile-metropcs-rogers-bell-etc_tech
Try this
timweri said:
I'm not sure. I think you're lucky...
I purchased a code from them but it doesn't work. I asked them and got this:
I totally ignored this as on their website, above this part says:
Is there any other site that can really unlock a region lock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I selected the "Phone freeze + network unlock" from their menu. They provided 4 different codes, and when first used the network unlock code it didn't work, but I then entered the freeze code and it did the job.
cellunlocker.net:
Dosn't provide codes for Region Lock only for decives that open for Region Lock & Close for network lock !
*All Canadian Carriers are NOT subject to Region Locking
*All USA and European Carriers ARE subject to Region Locking
*There will be absolutely no refunds, if your device is Region Locked and an Unlock code is provided for your Samsung Device.
*If you are not sure please contact us first before placing your order
http://www.cellunlocker.net/samsung-unlock.php
Only fastgsm.com help to unloack SIM lock + region lock ...
etaiso said:
I have a Galaxy S5 which is region locked to the Americas. I'm trying to use it in other region, but when inserting non-USA SIM it asks me for a PIN code to unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung region locks to make it difficult to do exactly what you are trying to do. Reliable information on the topic is difficult to come by as it doesn't affect most of us.. hence most of us have little direct experience with region locking. And those affected frequently make assumptions and guesses but seldom study the issue methodically.
Some very knowledgeable people say that a normal SIM unlock will likely remove the region unlock as well. So that may be the best option for many. The question of whether using an Americas SIM, e.g. a prepaid SIM for example outside of the America's will release the region lock? The question gets raised from time to time but I have yet to see an authorative answer.. so the only thing that we can say is that it would probably work.
Lastly, one can, with root, directly examine and modify the region lock blacklist. So it is easily circumvented if you root your phone. I can vouch for the later. The other suggestions should work as well, but were not tested myself.
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what about the people who already bought the phone and came back to their own country.?
it s too late for me to use a sim based in the purchase country. my phone has no sim lock, when i put the sim and try to call someone it says "not registered on network". I wonder is this because region lock or a different problem?
i would appreciate any kind of help.
I suppose you could try flashing firmware from your region and change your CSC. Worth trying since you don't have much choice.
russ18uk said:
I suppose you could try flashing firmware from your region and change your CSC. Worth trying since you don't have much choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the advice but my phone is G900H and G900FQ is the phone available in my region
i will try to change CSC when i get my phone back. It is in samsung service now. They are trying to fix it but no luck so far
My friend use .fastgsm.com to unloack SIM lock + region lock ...
I wounder if there is a way with root to unloack it ?
for some reson no one in XDA didn't give a solution to the problem...
anyone know another web to unlock SIM lock + region lock for non-rooted?
what about root deviecs?
Region lock on the 900A
I am looking to buy the galaxy s5 for use in several Sub-saharan African countries. I already have an old ATT sim with me and I will probably be ordering the 900A in/from the US and i want to make sure that the region-lock is not an issue. Will i be able to region unlock with an ATT sim card while in Africa or do i need to have someone make the 5min call for me while the phone is in the US? and is this call meant to be to or from the s5? Also, can the american s5 models be bought already sim-unlocked? (meaning only the region lock is left)?
Thanks!
timweri said:
I'm having the same problem with the SM-G900H from America. I'm in Singapore now. Is it possible to use a USA-sim to unlock the phone WITHIN Singapore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are u sure that u have g900H? cauze the specific model is unlocked for all regions/countries
http://swappa.com/specs/samsung-galaxy-s-5-g900h
Galaxy Note 4 European locked
I have note 4 which is region locked, I have tried most of all the online unlock services, but they ether do not unlock region lock or they did not find my IMEI in the database.
the region lock away app will not work cause it only for not 3
I emailed Samsung support and they just say you cannot unlock
and I cannot go to Europe to make five or ten minute call to activate and come back
so the only question now which have been asked before, if using a European sim card outside Europe and make a roaming call will solve it or not?
I hope that someone can try it and let us know it will be very much helpful
Similar problem in Alpha
I face a similar problem with my Samsung Alpha....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-alpha/help/region-lock-issue-help-required-t3044934
Can someone give me a lead on how to proceed with directly examining and modifying the region lock blacklist.
I have my device rooted.
Also, I read somewhere that installing a stock ROM from different Region, will not help with Region Unlocking.
Can some members please clarify and guide a way forward.
Thanks !!
hi,
is there a way to check if my n9005 is region locked without inserting a sim card from a different region?
the phone is from Italy and was already updated to 4.4.2
10x
Da-Don said:
hi,
is there a way to check if my n9005 is region locked without inserting a sim card from a different region?
the phone is from Italy and was already updated to 4.4.2
10x
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As it is a European model it is definitely region locked, for a list of countries without region lock have a look here
hmmm 10x for the info.
my device was used in italy for a while but the guy that sold it to me did a factory reset, does that mean the region lock is back on (i read somewhere that samsung claims that the region lock is disabled after few minutes of use in the original region)
can someone confirm this?
All European models are Region Locked. There are no exceptions.
ShadowLea said:
All European models are Region Locked. There are no exceptions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10x but will the lock still be enabled after using it with a local sim on original region and then doing a factory reset?
I bought galaxy s5 from saudiarabia
Now I want use this in India
Then how to unlock regional lock
firoo said:
I bought galaxy s5 from saudiarabia
Now I want use this in India
Then how to unlock regional lock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The purpose of the region lock is to stop you from doing exactly that.
It would have been nice if you had tried searching for the answer in existing threads before posting. The answer wouldn't have been hard to find. A SIM unlock code should remove the region lock as well. Purchasing a foreign SIM from the original region and placing some calls with it would probably work (untested by me). Or root your phone and manually edit the blacklist in customer.xml.
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Hi! first poster here.
I've just got this phone wich was recently unlocked from TELCEL MEX carrier. The weird thing here is that the phone work flawlessly with any domestic carrier sim cards, but not with my US T-Mobile sim card.
I've test this T-mobile sim card with other unlocked phones (Galaxy S4 i9500 and Alcatel Pop) here in México without problem, but in the S4 above mentioned asks for sim unlock code.
The cell phone is SGH-I337M with KitKat 4.4.2. and firmware CSC code TCE
Thank you very much in advance!
This may be relevant or not.
My previous phone was an HTC Desire S on O2UK.
O2UK give you a free unlock on all contract phones after 6 months and send a code by email to you.
Any time I tried changing sims to a different carrier it asked for the unlock code, except when it was Tesco Mobile UK.
It may be that the original carrier requires you to input the unlock code for anything other than certain providers.
I tried to get an unlock code for my I9505 LTE but they said it was factory unlocked so can't speak about the phone specifically but with the Desire S, also on O2UK, had a similar issue.
I've got the pin code
Thanks for your input, sure it's relevant.
I have the unlock code for the T-mobile sim card, but of course it's not recognized by the phone (or sim card?)
In the other phones tested the process was straight forward, just inserted sim, boot up and voilá.
Went to the Telcel's service center but the person there confirmed that it's unlocked.
I'ven reading about a "Regional Lock" of some Samsung devices, but i realy can tell if this the case.
Anybody else having this kind of issue?
Region locking I don't believe has anything to do with this. When the phone was unlocked, the region locking should also have been removed.