I have a T-mobile Unlimited Web+ 400 free messages and the issues is this plan is paid for by my company and I cannot change the plan, currently data works on my HD2 with Android.. I want to know if the data will work on a rooted myTouch 4g without changing to Android data plan? Can anyone explain this to me??
If I understand things correctly -- and I may not -- a GSM carrier's "plan" is tied to the SIM card.
With that assumption, you can move the SIM card from the HD2 to the MT4G without T-Mobile's involvement. Whatever agreements you have with T-Mobile will remain in force, assuming the phone is capabile of providing those services. You could also go the other way, and move the SIM to a lower end "feature phone" and be limited to text only, as such a phone doesn't have Data capability. But you or your company would be paying on the same plan.
If you are switching SIMs for any reason -- for instance, keeping the HD2 as a personal phone, then T-Mobile would have to provision the new SIM. Using this scenario, they might recommend moving the HD2's SIM into the MT4G for use as your business phone, and putting the MT4G's SIM into the HD2 and provisioning it with a personal plan.
Rooting and using a custom ROM have no bearing on your carrier plan. Unless you need to return the phone for some reason, in which case restoring stock software is advised.
Thank you
jggimi said:
If I understand things correctly -- and I may not -- a GSM carrier's "plan" is tied to the SIM card.
With that assumption, you can move the SIM card from the HD2 to the MT4G without T-Mobile's involvement. Whatever agreements you have with T-Mobile will remain in force, assuming the phone is capabile of providing those services. You could also go the other way, and move the SIM to a lower end "feature phone" and be limited to text only, as such a phone doesn't have Data capability. But you or your company would be paying on the same plan.
If you are switching SIMs for any reason -- for instance, keeping the HD2 as a personal phone, then T-Mobile would have to provision the new SIM. Using this scenario, they might recommend moving the HD2's SIM into the MT4G for use as your business phone, and putting the MT4G's SIM into the HD2 and provisioning it with a personal plan.
Rooting and using a custom ROM have no bearing on your carrier plan. Unless you need to return the phone for some reason, in which case restoring stock software is advised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the quick reply.. My main issue is, T-mobile has different data plans for different category of phones, I currently use an HD2 like I told and the data works.. But when I tried using the same SIM in Android it did not work.. I was wondering how T-mobile will know what type of phone I am using...
I don't know how data works on HD2 (on Android).. I totally agree with your explanation, as I am not going to buy a myTouch 4G on contract from T-mobile, I am going to buy it off Craigslist so there will be no T-mobile involvement.. I called up T-mobile to check if I can change my data plan but they said I can't as only my Company can do that.. I cannot ask my company to change the data plan as that is out of the question..
I know its really a strange situation I am in, I am getting a my phone bill paid by my company and I have a data plan so I wanted to know if I can really make good use of it..
Thanks once again...
Hmmm. If the SIM from the Windows phone does not work for you in the Android phone, then there must be more to provisioning of "Data" than the SIM alone -- but moving the SIM should work fine for voice, sms, and mms (which don't use "data" services).
As I suggested, I might have been wrong.
the difference in data plans is nothing more than a marketing scheme. all you have to do is put the sim card from the HD2 into the mt4g and enjoy it, there's nothing else to it. That's the nice thing about using sim cards, no need to call the carrier to activate different phones, just pop your working sim into any phone(as long as it's unlocked or from the same carrier).
erickdj said:
the difference in data plans is nothing more than a marketing scheme. all you have to do is put the sim card from the HD2 into the mt4g and enjoy it, there's nothing else to it. That's the nice thing about using sim cards, no need to call the carrier to activate different phones, just pop your working sim into any phone(as long as it's unlocked or from the same carrier).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But anush.isaac has already reported that the SIM did not work in the Android phone. Hmmm.... he also said he is =going= to purchase. So I do not know what Android phone he tested the SIM in. If it was another carrier's locked phone, then that would be the reason for a failure.
jggimi said:
But anush.isaac has already reported that the SIM did not work in the Android phone. Hmmm.... he also said he is =going= to purchase. So I do not know what Android phone he tested the SIM in. If it was another carrier's locked phone, then that would be the reason for a failure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually, I can report, having come from a blackberry with a blackberry data plan, that it DID take a call to t-mobile to get switched to an android data plan before my internet would fully work on my new (then) g2. Currently loving the mt4g, though. and t-mobile never charged me any extra for the switch, it was just a matter of making things right in their system to get it working.
jmwils3 said:
actually, I can report, having come from a blackberry with a blackberry data plan, that it DID take a call to t-mobile to get switched to an android data plan before my internet would fully work on my new (then) g2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats because blackberries have a different internet plan that uses blackberry's own servers as part of the APN. If he's coming from any other phone, his current internet plan should work
cybereclipse said:
Thats because blackberries have a different internet plan that uses blackberry's own servers as part of the APN. If he's coming from any other phone, his current internet plan should work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, sorry for confusing things, then. My bad.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
erickdj said:
the difference in data plans is nothing more than a marketing scheme. all you have to do is put the sim card from the HD2 into the mt4g and enjoy it, there's nothing else to it. That's the nice thing about using sim cards, no need to call the carrier to activate different phones, just pop your working sim into any phone(as long as it's unlocked or from the same carrier).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jmwils3 said:
actually, I can report, having come from a blackberry with a blackberry data plan, that it DID take a call to t-mobile to get switched to an android data plan before my internet would fully work on my new (then) g2. Currently loving the mt4g, though. and t-mobile never charged me any extra for the switch, it was just a matter of making things right in their system to get it working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi all,
Thank you very much for the much needed insight... I first apologize for confusing many... Let me tell you the updates..
* I have a data plan called T-mobile Smartphone Unlimited+ 400 free msgs
* I called a T-mobile rep and asked him if I can go to the Android plan, but as I explained earlier I don't have the permissions/authority to change plans as its under my company name and he said he will need to talk to my company's internal phone services (which I don't want to happen..)
* The T-mobile rep also told my plan will work only on Windows based Smart phones that T-mobile offers..
* Currently my data(Internet/Browsing) works with my HD2 running on Android (maybe because it still sees it as a Windows device).
* The phone I tested my SIM was the Vibrant, and the Vibrant's data did not work with my SIM.
My question now, I just Observed, mt APN says TelKila, and I do not know if this has something to do with accessing the network, with my HD2 both APNs TelKila and epc.tmobile.com work.. Let me know your thoughts on this one...
anush.isaac said:
Hi all,
Thank you very much for the much needed insight... I first apologize for confusing many... Let me tell you the updates..
* I have a data plan called T-mobile Smartphone Unlimited+ 400 free msgs
* I called a T-mobile rep and asked him if I can go to the Android plan, but as I explained earlier I don't have the permissions/authority to change plans as its under my company name and he said he will need to talk to my company's internal phone services (which I don't want to happen..)
* The T-mobile rep also told my plan will work only on Windows based Smart phones that T-mobile offers..
* Currently my data(Internet/Browsing) works with my HD2 running on Android (maybe because it still sees it as a Windows device).
* The phone I tested my SIM was the Vibrant, and the Vibrant's data did not work with my SIM.
My question now, I just Observed, mt APN says TelKila, and I do not know if this has something to do with accessing the network, with my HD2 both APNs TelKila and epc.tmobile.com work.. Let me know your thoughts on this one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There shouldn't be a reason why it wouldn't work. Was that vibrant you tried also a t-mobile phone or was it from a different carrier? Why not go to a t-mobile store and try your sim card on one of their demo mt4g's? That's about the only way to know for sure. I used the same sim card I had on my G1 for two years on my mt4g as soon as I took it out of the box and it worked fine.
erickdj said:
There shouldn't be a reason why it wouldn't work. Was that vibrant you tried also a t-mobile phone or was it from a different carrier? Why not go to a t-mobile store and try your sim card on one of their demo mt4g's? That's about the only way to know for sure. I used the same sim card I had on my G1 for two years on my mt4g as soon as I took it out of the box and it worked fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the Vibrant is for T-mobile only.. When I called T-mobile they said that my current data plan only works for Windows based devices and if i want to use an Android Device I will have to change my data plan to an Android data plan that they have. Somehow T-mobile are able to find out what device I am using and they are able to filter my data service. Since I cannot change my current data plan I am stuck to using a Windows device!! BUMMER!!
If there is any workaround I will be more than happy to do it, so I can make data working on my Android phone...
I'm a T-Mobile employee (RSA), and I can confirm that the type of data plan (known as the SOC) matters. They're actually working to change that (the new "4G" SOCs work for everything except blackberry). What this also means is that if you were on a legacy/promo SOC and you change platforms, you may lose that promo/legacy rate (a good chat with customer service might help, but all the guys in the store can do is call customer service for you). I don't really know any more details as to how it works on the back end, but that's the end result.
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.
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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.
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!
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.