Hello,
I recently bought a S5 in the netherlands (i live and use the phone in belgium). Started it up, everything works fine. I make one phonecall as required for the regionlock, works fine.
Then something strange happens, after the one phonecall required, i cant accept or make phonecalls anymore.
I get a message "your phone has been locked due to security reasons"
Now the weird thing is, if i use a simcard from another carrier, the phone just works fine, no locking whatsoever...
Called Samsung support, told the story, they tell me phone is region locked and i need to get a code, but the phone never asks me for a code nor can i put one in anywhere.
So i called my provider, they tell me the phone is blacklisted probably but they cant check that...
After some research i found out the phone is actualy from UK with an international firmware on it: G900FXXU1ANG2 (countrycode BTU)
Anyone have an idea how to get rid of this problem?
I dont want to root the phone just yet in case i have to exchange it for another one.
Would it help to get the countryspecific stock firmware installed for my country? (Belgium)
thanks a lot for the help
thale
You'd get better help if you gave us more details, notably verbatim error messages, rather than paraphrasing.
Your provider can certainly tell you if your phone is blacklisted since an IMEI blacklist is under their direct control. So ask them again to clarify that. Region locking is much more likely though. Samsung region locks phones to prevent grey market sales, which is exactly what you've tried to do. The region lock is released after you use the phone a short while with a provider in the original region, which sounds like the UK in your case. Region locking is also a type of blacklist, although that term is almost always used to refer to carrier IMEI blacklisting unless otherwise specified.
As you didn't make any preliminary calls in the UK, nor apparently did the previous owner (or vendor), the phone is now restricted. You could travel to the UK and use your phone there for a day to dissipate the region lock. Or a lot of people claim that a regular SIM unlock code, such as you can buy on Ebay or any number of other places will also remove the region lock (unconfirmed). Or you can root your phone and circumvent the region lock by editing the blocked regions in your customer.xml file.
There are lots of existing threads on this subject, as you would know if had you done a search. Refer to those for further elaboration or you can search my post history as I've posted in detail how to remove the region lock in previous posts.
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Thanks for the reply, this forum was my last resort since i didnt understand the problem.
I dont get any error messages at all.
provider A in S5 --> while calling i get the message phone blocked for security reason
provider A in S4 mini --> works perfectly
Provider B in S5 --> works perfectly
so i thought problems lies with faulty simcard, exchanged it but problem stays
when i call samsung they tell me its a provider problem
when i call my provider they say its a phone problem
in europe shouldnt matter realy where you buy your phone since there's free traffic of goods and services. I wonder if the webshop knows they are selling UK phones, ill talk to them about it tomorrow.
thanks again for the reply ill try to get the problem sorted, if that doesnt work at all, i guess ill just root it and fix the problem
kind regards,
thale
Humh, sounds weird.
Use the code *#7465625# (*#SIMLOCK#) to check for the lock status. On some devices this code needs root to launch.
thalekick said:
Thanks for the reply, this forum was my last resort since i didnt understand the problem.
I dont get any error messages at all.
provider A in S5 --> while calling i get the message phone blocked for security reason
provider A in S4 mini --> works perfectly
Provider B in S5 --> works perfectly
so i thought problems lies with faulty simcard, exchanged it but problem stays
when i call samsung they tell me its a provider problem
when i call my provider they say its a phone problem
in europe shouldnt matter realy where you buy your phone since there's free traffic of goods and services. I wonder if the webshop knows they are selling UK phones, ill talk to them about it tomorrow.
thanks again for the reply ill try to get the problem sorted, if that doesnt work at all, i guess ill just root it and fix the problem
kind regards,
thale
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I understood you correctly, your SIM card works properly in other phones. So your SIM card shouldn't be the issue. If your S5 is SIM unlocked (carrier unlocked), you could try someone else's SIM card in your S5 to rule out less common problems e.g. bent SIM socket.
And regardless, in your place, I'd open a support ticket with your provider. That should cover anything like a IMEI blacklist. All in all though it does sound like region locking. Which is Samsung blocking a phone from being used in a different region unless it has been first activated (i.e. used for a few calls) in the original region first. I wouldn't think that a region lock between two parts of Europe would be intentional, but it is still something to look into.
Without any explicit error messages, it is difficult to narrow down the cause. You might consider installing a logcat app to capture the system log which may have more information about the error.
Also try dialing *#06* and ensure that you have a valid IMEI (not all zeros)
And dial *#0011#. You should see a (IMEI) certificate "Pass"if at the end. If it says IMEI CERTI: FAIL or NA you may have a flash error or IMEI blacklist.
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Hello,
phone is an unlocked one, i used 2 different simcards from 2 different providers.
imei certificate passes so thats good!
im gonna make some phonecalls today and keep you all posted
kind regards
thale
Try to use Provider A with another sim card?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Had another talk with the helpdesk from the provider, they told me the phone is blacklisted but couldnt give me a reason why.
Im only blacklisted with provider A, if u use the phone with another simcard from another provider it works like a charm.
Ive had to send them my proof of purchase, and they will unblock the phone...
Havent had any feedback yet from the shop i bought it from, so maybe they can shine a new light on the whole deal!
Try
How about contacting the retailer? I think you'd better not root the phone or fix it by yourself.
So the matter goes like this -
I bought a GS 7 Edge (SM-G935F single SIM International unlocked variant) from Ebay India recently. Everything is OK with the phone except that it is unable to search and connect to any Indian mobile network. It shows "NO SERVICE" even when a SIM is inserted and do not search for networks anyhow. After some search I came to know that it is Middle East specific variant so no Indian SIM card is working in it. So I guess it is suffering from that infamous "Region Lock" issue. I know the "5-minute call in region/home network" solution but unfortunately it is impossible to me to go to middle east just for this.
Is there anyone out there who had/has this issue and got it solved anyhow (other than 5-minute call method).
Please anyone including our great forum modders and devs, I request you to help me out from this awkward situation.
I think you can just get a sim card (turkish for example) from ebay? that will cost you like 10$
Apologies if im wrong
When you insert an indian sim does it ask for a SIM unlock code?
If it doesnt then its not a region lock problem. Your phone has a defect and youshould either return it or get it checked at a service centre.
If it does, then just contact the samsung middle east through e-mail, they'll help you out with the PIN
No it does not ask for any code.
Some more questions, please can some one answer?
1. Can I flash the phone with an Asia Pacific (which is my region) stock ROM?
2. If the answer is yes and everything is successful then will it remove the region lock?
3. Does anyone know whether the region lock is a hardware or firmware based restriction?
Any help is highly appreciated.
Unfortunately nothing worked for me. I successfully flashed the phone with Indian Stock ROM but the problem persisted. As a last resort I rooted the phone and used the "Region Lock Away" app. But unfortunately it did not work either giving "Unexpected error occurred" message. Now I think I can't do anything about this other than shelling out money at a Samsung service center.
@samsung - I must say Samsung, you are not doing it right at all by region locking the devices. It is the most stupid and bad-for-business move from your part. I mean come on! A user buys your phone spending a lot then he/she must be free to use it anywhere and anyhow without any restrictions. Why on earth I spend more money buying a SIM card, you are selling phones or promoting regional network operators along with it. Disappointed as I am, I will no longer buy a Samsung phone in the future and will make sure no other in my family and circle buys one. Besides being a blogger and social media influencer I will do as much as I can to make people aware about this restrictive and monopolistic attitude of yours. You will have to pay for this.
I'm with u
i bought it from India, and back to Singapore...
cant use it alerady a week. and Singapore samsung saying they cant help. contact indian operator / samsung service centre.
Hi Folks,
I am switching from an iPhone to S8 and noticed this annoyance. I spent 3+ hours setting up my S8 and proceeded to insert my SIM. After which, it totally erased my phone! I googled around and found out that this is apparently a "security feature".
I'm wondering if there's a way to disable this "feature"? I would want an option to pop-in the local sim when I am traveling abroad.
Thanks for your help!
I believe this only happens under initial setup or after a factory reset. When you insert a different sim from now on it will not reset everything.
Link to info you found on Google? So need to stick sim on it before we boot up if we're switching from say iPhone to S8?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, definitely insert your sim before you do anything.
boomfunk said:
Yes, definitely insert your sim before you do anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After initial setup are you allowed to swap sim as you see fit? Have a iPhone I'm going to share duties with.
Did you have the Canadian version? I saw this in S7 that was sold in Costco. Due to the unified rom, the first sim you put in will wipe the phone and configure it to that network.
This happens because when the SIM card is inserted, its carrier is detected and the phone switches from a generic CSC to the CSC of that carrier. Changing the CSC on a Samsung phone always results in a factory reset.
It is one of the reasons that carrier employees are supposed to insert the SIM card into the phone before giving it to the customer in the store. For those who receive their phone by mail, unfortunately there is no warning.
A good rule of thumb for Samsung phones (and probably a good idea for all Android phones in general) is to always insert the SIM card before doing any setup of any sort.
Yes, I have the Candian version and I'm with Koodo. As some of you pointed out, the restart indeed locked my phone. I can pop in another sim no problem now, but the phone prompts me for an unlock code.
A warning for mail orders would have been nice. But, such is life.
I also had this beautiful experience. I have not tried another SIM and have to admit I'm very hesitant to now, until I figure out a good backup process, now that I'm root-less. Did you try a SIM from a whole other carrier?
Edit: Sorry, misread and confused with my own experience. Unlock code = because you tried another carrier, right? I picked up elsewhere that the phones lock themselves to the first carrier they pick up, so you now need to get an unlock code from your carrier.
Geebus, I can't say I don't find this a bit annoying, I bought an unlocked device to avoid things like that. That's what you get for not researching, I suppose. :silly:
Edit 2: To impart a bit of what I found for other readers (since there aren't many threads about it, from what I can tell):
- Snapdragon phones since the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge come Region Locked, not just carrier-locked. A region lock is to combat grey market reselling, but it's not so bad; just place a five-minute phone call in the region the phone was intended for, and that constraint is gone.
- Next, carrier SIM lock codes are not new, but I guess I was surprised to find that my direct-from-Samsung device will lock itself to the first carrier it attaches to. You can get an unlock code from the carrier (especially if you are leaving/moving, or the contract is over, for example), or via third-party service for around $30 USD or less.
If anyone has evidence or experience of the contrary, by all means let me know!
kachunkachunk said:
Next, carrier SIM lock codes are not new, but I guess I was surprised to find that my direct-from-Samsung device will lock itself to the first carrier it attaches to. You can get an unlock code from the carrier (especially if you are leaving/moving, or the contract is over, for example), or via third-party service for around $30 USD or less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct. It is done this way so that only one set of firmware is needed for the entire country, despite us having almost a dozen different carriers. It would be too much work for Samsung to have to tweak each new firmware update for each individual Canadian carrier, so they put them all into a single package.
All SM-G955W units use the same firmware and said firmware contains the CSC settings and 'bloatware' of every Canadian carrier. The pre-installed firmware does not install any carrier bloatware; those apps just sit in waiting, hidden in the firmware. Once a SIM card is inserted for the first time, the phone detects said SIM card's carrier, reboots into recovery and 'updates' by locking itself to that carrier and installing that carrier's bloatware. That change is written permanently into the phone's internals; from this point on, any time you factory reset it will go back to this state, with that carrier's firmware installed, even if you have subsequently unlocked the phone and have a different carrier's SIM card inserted.
When you see firmware downloads for a Samsung phone and each one is listed from a different carrier, that is actually irrelevant. The resulting firmware is identical and the phone will take whatever settings, CSC, and apps from within the firmware and install according to which carrier it was originally locked to (even if it is now unlocked).
Sevael said:
Once a SIM card is inserted for the first time, the phone detects said SIM card's carrier, reboots into recovery and 'updates' by locking itself to that carrier and installing that carrier's bloatware. That change is written permanently into the phone's internals; from this point on, any time you factory reset it will go back to this state, with that carrier's firmware installed, even if you have subsequently unlocked the phone and have a different carrier's SIM card inserted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does this affect a device that was a carrier device but flashed to the U1 firmware? Or, alternate question: I flashed 950U1, so if I need to factory reset, will it revert to Verizon's branding?
raduque said:
How does this affect a device that was a carrier device but flashed to the U1 firmware? Or, alternate question: I flashed 950U1, so if I need to factory reset, will it revert to Verizon's branding?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will factory reset to whatever the default is for the currently installed firmware.
Samsung phones from the US use a different firmware for each carrier. What was covered in this thread mostly applies to the Canadian firmware, which is just a singular firmware for all carriers throughout Canada.
Sevael said:
It will factory reset to whatever the default is for the currently installed firmware.
Samsung phones from the US use a different firmware for each carrier. What was covered in this thread mostly applies to the Canadian firmware, which is just a singular firmware for all carriers throughout Canada.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. It's nice to know Verizon won't be coming back on factory reset.
Maybe it's a carrier thing. I factory reset my devices when I first get them and don't put the SIM in until I get my Samsung and Google accounts set up the way I want them. For my Exynos S8+ I had it almost completely set up before I went to AT&T to get its SIM cut. Whenever you remove a SIM from a phone where its currently being used you'll always get a "SIM removed - restart required." But it's a normal restart not a reset.
kachunkachunk said:
I also had this beautiful experience. I have not tried another SIM and have to admit I'm very hesitant to now, until I figure out a good backup process, now that I'm root-less. Did you try a SIM from a whole other carrier?
Edit: Sorry, misread and confused with my own experience. Unlock code = because you tried another carrier, right? I picked up elsewhere that the phones lock themselves to the first carrier they pick up, so you now need to get an unlock code from your carrier.
Geebus, I can't say I don't find this a bit annoying, I bought an unlocked device to avoid things like that. That's what you get for not researching, I suppose. :silly:
Edit 2: To impart a bit of what I found for other readers (since there aren't many threads about it, from what I can tell):
- Snapdragon phones since the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge come Region Locked, not just carrier-locked. A region lock is to combat grey market reselling, but it's not so bad; just place a five-minute phone call in the region the phone was intended for, and that constraint is gone.
- Next, carrier SIM lock codes are not new, but I guess I was surprised to find that my direct-from-Samsung device will lock itself to the first carrier it attaches to. You can get an unlock code from the carrier (especially if you are leaving/moving, or the contract is over, for example), or via third-party service for around $30 USD or less.
If anyone has evidence or experience of the contrary, by all means let me know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you purchased unlocked from Samsung Canada they included the unlock code and IMEI with the shipping notice email. The phone locks to the first carrier then you put in the next SIM and use the unlock code from the shipping order. It didn't reset anything when I used a Rogers SIM to unlock from Virgin.
Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk
Fantastic, thanks for letting me know! It'll help others too I'm sure.
I remember my phone arriving before I got a notice, so I may need to do some digging. Can't quite find it just yet. : /
Edit: Ah, look for Tech Data, not Samsung.
Sevael said:
This is correct. It is done this way so that only one set of firmware is needed for the entire country, despite us having almost a dozen different carriers. It would be too much work for Samsung to have to tweak each new firmware update for each individual Canadian carrier, so they put them all into a single package.
All SM-G955W units use the same firmware and said firmware contains the CSC settings and 'bloatware' of every Canadian carrier. The pre-installed firmware does not install any carrier bloatware; those apps just sit in waiting, hidden in the firmware. Once a SIM card is inserted for the first time, the phone detects said SIM card's carrier, reboots into recovery and 'updates' by locking itself to that carrier and installing that carrier's bloatware. That change is written permanently into the phone's internals; from this point on, any time you factory reset it will go back to this state, with that carrier's firmware installed, even if you have subsequently unlocked the phone and have a different carrier's SIM card inserted.
When you see firmware downloads for a Samsung phone and each one is listed from a different carrier, that is actually irrelevant. The resulting firmware is identical and the phone will take whatever settings, CSC, and apps from within the firmware and install according to which carrier it was originally locked to (even if it is now unlocked).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any way to flash out the settings and apps from the original Sim/carrier?
I.e. im going from Rogers to Freedom mobile and have factory unlocked my phone with a code; can I now go from a rogers branded phone to a Freedom mobile branded phone or more preferably an unbranded version and still utilize all the functions of Freedom mobile such as Wi-Fi calling?
howellinmad said:
Is there any way to flash out the settings and apps from the original Sim/carrier?
I.e. im going from Rogers to Freedom mobile and have factory unlocked my phone with a code; can I now go from a rogers branded phone to a Freedom mobile branded phone or more preferably an unbranded version and still utilize all the functions of Freedom mobile such as Wi-Fi calling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the late reply. I didn't get an email notification about this post for some reason...
With root access, you would normally be able to remove these apps from the system partition of the phone, but on an unrooted Samsung device, the best you can do is to disable those apps. Once disabled, they are completely dormant and you can go about your business as if they aren't there. The bloatware from all Canadian carriers is baked into the firmware and on every one of our phones regardless, so it's not like you could truly get an "unbranded" Samsung phone in Canada. At best, these apps are hidden. They are not taking up space in the user partition, so it's not like deleting them would free up any usable space anyhow.
As for WiFi calling, my understanding is that carriers that support WiFi calling have to flag that IMEI to allow WiFi calling on their network. Furthermore, it seems that the carriers only initially flag their own phones (i.e. the ones you buy directly from that carrier) and refuse to add devices by customer request. I've read that some people have had luck calling their new carrier and asking for their ported phone to be enabled for WiFi calling, but it appears that the vast majority of people are denied. So I can't really say whether or not you will have any luck enabling WiFi calling after bringing a phone that was originally from a different carrier. If I had to wager, I would say that it wouldn't work as that seems to be the general consensus.
My "unlocked" Canadian SM-G955W Galaxy S8 is currently set on the FIDO network, since it was the first SIM I inserted into it.
I didn't mind too much about the bloatware: they're easy enough to disable.
I was a little irritated that the FIDO firmware disabled the "data" and "wireless hotspot" quick tiles, but read of a way using adb to make them available; but that needs to be done again after every firmware update.
But now, I'm pissed to discover that the FIDO firmware removed the option to do Bluetooth tethering. What? That's what brought me to this thread, searching for a way to have a truly unlocked phone.
So there really is no way to do this without rooting? What would happen if I flashed a US firmware? or UK?
Thanks!
You can change the csc to the unlocked variant xac, Dial *#243203855# in the dialer. But this will wipe your device.
Hey guys!
A friend of mine just bought a galaxy S8 in Portugal, and will soon move to Angola, and wants to use it there.
He's done the 5 minute local call, but after it, the device is still not accepting the Angola Sim card.
Any other options to remove it?
Thank you
brunomcf said:
Hey guys!
A friend of mine just bought a galaxy S8 in Portugal, and will soon move to Angola, and wants to use it there.
He's done the 5 minute local call, but after it, the device is still not accepting the Angola Sim card.
Any other options to remove it?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an S7 from China/SE Asia. It worked OK in the US on AT&T as it was, but I wanted a US (universal) firmware. Eventually I could flash a US universal, or leave the phone OS as it was.
To get the region to change to US, I had to flash the correct CSC package. It took me a few tries at finding the correct CSC, as the CSC had to match the version of the OS (version/number wise, not region wise).
For S8's I can't remember about the issue of minutes or when that criteria became included with the S8's system.