Database Users

[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.

[Q] Unlocking a s5 that's still activated with sprint?

I just bought a galaxy s5 off craigslist and verified the imei # on swappa.com and it said it was ready to activate. But it turns out it's still on someone's account. I don't think it's stolen cause the guy at sprint said the last name on the account was the same as the person that sold it to me. It didn't have a SIM card in it so I couldn't tell it was still activated.
So is there anyway I can still unlock it and use it with verizon cause the girl I bought it from keeps acting like she is getting it removed but the account is in her grandmothers name and she is really sick

Neil_615 said:
I just bought a galaxy s5 off craigslist and verified the imei # on swappa.com and it said it was ready to activate. But it turns out it's still on someone's account. I don't think it's stolen cause the guy at sprint said the last name on the account was the same as the person that sold it to me. It didn't have a SIM card in it so I couldn't tell it was still activated.
So is there anyway I can still unlock it and use it with verizon cause the girl I bought it from keeps acting like she is getting it removed but the account is in her grandmothers name and she is really sick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A Sprint S5 will not work on Verizon, so even if you could unlock it while it's still activated on a Sprint account, it wouldn't do you any good.
Unless the person you bought it from is willing to refund your money, you're stuck with a phone you can't use.

bsweetness said:
A Sprint S5 will not work on Verizon, so even if you could unlock it while it's still activated on a Sprint account, it wouldn't do you any good.
Unless the person you bought it from is willing to refund your money, you're stuck with a phone you can't use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn. We'll is there anything I can do to make it able to be activated on any network so I can sell it and hopefully get my money back? Other than just selling for parts witch I might end up having to do anyway

well she deactivated the phone and I got the MSL code from sprint and Verizon says they can activate it if I got it flashed to Verizon's software but now the problem is version dosent flash phones

Neil_615 said:
well she deactivated the phone and I got the MSL code from sprint and Verizon says they can activate it if I got it flashed to Verizon's software but now the problem is version dosent flash phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would also need the IMEI number to be entered into Verizon's system in order to access their CDMA network, and Verizon does not add non-Verizon phones to their system for that.
If she deactivated the phone, I would just sell it.

I have a similar problem with my galaxy S5 from sprint. I was told from 2 different sprint call center people that with the MSL code (which I already got) the phone can be used with another domestic company and also international.
From that point I started an account with T Mobile, but when I inserted the SIM card into my phone it doesnt recognize it and obiusly have no signal.
Ive tried different methods to get the phone into the GSM frecuency, even accesing to the Hidden Menu and choosing ONLY GSM FREC, tried to add an APN, and now I'm thinking to install a g900t ROM to make it work...
If anyone here can help me out with this or refer me to a thread that could help, I will appreciate that

[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.

Unlocked Carrier Compatibility: Sprint?

Can the unlocked variant of the Zenfone AR be used on Sprint? I'm getting mixed messages throughout the internet either saying 'no' or 'not all frequencies' but not going into any details.

I have spoken with several Sprint agents and even brought it into a shop--they all give generic answers--"If (after using it on Verizon) you used it on Boost Mobile you can NEVER use it on Sprint.", and "It isn't compatible..."
I had accidentally told him I used it on Boost (pre-paid vs Sprint's post-paid), when in fact I had not, but had used it on Tracfone, so I know it's at least partly compatible with someone.
Two separate Sprint agents over the phone told me that "Asus is considered a 'foreign non-compatible' phone, and nothing can be done about it. There is no Asus phone in use on the Sprint network." Really, I think they should start with me and let mine be the first one, but okay, nevertheless, what a nuisance.
I asked google, who returned something along the lines of "Quora says "second level agents can reprogram the IMEI with tools that first level agents cannot access.", however I'm done trying at this point.
EDIT: But here's a riot--I put my T-mobile nano sim in it, and even though it says "Not a Verizon sim card." it is working 100%.

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?