Help*Essential seems to be locked but it isn't (Sprint?) - Essential Phone Questions & Answers

I purchased an Essential phone on eBay.
Excited to use my new phone;
I tried to insert my sim card
(I use Walmart Family Mobile which is under T-MOBILE)
and I get a screen saying
"SIM NETWORK UNLOCK PIN"
So confused I look up the IMEI to see if it is unlocked or not
It says CLEAN
other things it said:
"Error message: device is available"
"Device FED description: FED is in the past. Financial eligibility on the device has been met"
"Blacklist status: CLEAN(failed deactivation)"
"Activation status: device is inactive"
"Currently active: no"
Device FED met: YES
SPCS: YES
I tried rebooting the phone a few times. I tried going through settings but when I tried to select "automatically detect network" and turn it off, it goes to a black screen and the settings app crashes.
So I went into the recovery mode just to see and it says
PRODUCT NAME - MATA
VARIANT - SPRINT
BOOTLOADER VERSION - MATA-34cc3f5
BASEBAND VERSION - 2.0.c.4-M2.0.10
SERIAL NUMBER: *BUNCH OF THINGS*
SECURE BOOT - yes
DEVICE STATE: LOCKED
I have tried contacting Sprint they said they can't unlock with the account. The eBay seller has yet to get back to me and I'm frustrated. I tried contacting family movie and no one there knows a lick about anything other than how to read a script. I checked online with Family Mobile and T-MOBILE and both websites, after entering IMEI, I shouldn't have any problem and to sign up for a contract with them today! But talking on the phone family mobile said it is impossible to switch a Sprint phone over to them because you can't switch a Sprint phone to be used on T-Mobile. Which I know is baloney....
I just wanna use my phone with my same number and stuff... Idk why this is so difficult.
This may be a stupid question but I'm definitely stupid and uneducated in this department and would love some advice/assistance...
Please and thanks

I'd keep pursuing Sprint. Did they confirm it's SIM unlocked? If they said it can't be unlocked as is, then it suggests it's SIM locked. Only Sprint can unlock it but there is a thread about unlocking it yourself.
The phone may need to be reactivated on the seller's Sprint account and then unlocked. But Sprint has a time period a phone needs to be activated before they'll unlock it. That may complicate things more.

Contact the eBay seller since he/she locked it and therefore know the code, or, contact Sprint to unlock it, it is a relatively straightforward solution nowadays, service providers don't hold people and phones hostage like they used to.

Related

T-mobile is a bit odd...

So I bought my HD2 2 weeks after they came out. Shortly after I tried buying an unlock code for my phone because t-mobiles service in my area is kind of come and go. Unfortunatly I have one of the 35777 Phones so after 4 attempts with 4 different sites failing at getting a code, I tried emailing tmobile to see if they would give me a code as they already told me they dont have service in my area. They told me to fax them a copy of my invoice proving I paid full price for the thing, so I did. About a week later they got back to me and said that due to the fact that I bought it from a site that was not one of their approved retailers I couldnt get an unlock code. So about a week and a half ago I went to a tmobile store and got the darn thing setup anyways. I get some service in this area, just not much. Now about 3 days ago, I get an email from t-mobile that looks like this:
T-Mobile Sim Unlock Request
Sim Unlock Reference: *******
IMEI: 35777*********
Unlock Code: ********
Thank you for taking the time to contact T-Mobile. Below you will see the Instructions for unlocking your HTC device.
1. Insert the foreign SIM card
2. Power on the device and the display should read "Please input unlock code"
3. Enter the unlock code and the device should display "Phone is unlocked."
4. Allow the phone to scan the network (or manually click on the antenna icon to do this)
It is very important that the instructions and SIM unlock code are entered correctly as listed. If you receive an error message while performing the instructions do not make any further attempts to unlock the handset. Please be aware that if an excessive amount of incorrect attempts are made, the phone will be permanently locked. You will need to verify the IMEI by pressing *#06# and contact Customer Care for support.
Thank You,
Sim Unlock Department
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
I kind of find this a bit odd. They tell me I cant get the number, then about a month later they randomly mail it to me anyway.
sounds kind of odd... have you always had tmobile or did you just sign up to purchase the hd2?
Neither, I had at&t before, Wanted to buy it and unlock it to use with at&t but in the process realized at&t's service is a bit of a ripoff. Atleast it is with standard plans. Wanted to try and use my hd2 with a gophone card but it doesnt seem to want to work.

Bought Second hand phone - sim network unlock pin?

Hi,
I just purchased an as new unlocked note 4 from someone on gumtree, they have been posting for years so don't think i have a dodgy phone, i sent my brother to pick the phone up from their home while i was working and he said they unlocked the password while he was there.
But i have just tried a couple of sims and i get the message " sim network unlock pin"
I have tried to contact the person but he works away off shore and don't know when he will get back or reply.
Is there a way to get by this and get my sim working?.......i was planning on rooting the phone anyway.
Thanks for any replies!
You will need to get the unlock code because it's locked to a particular network.
You can usually tell which network it's locked to because it has bloatware from that network installed.
Also in the settings on "about phone" tab it should give you some letters at the end of the firmware version which will tell you what network.
Mine was locked to O2 and I used this guy.
Gave me code in a few hours.
jh787 said:
You will need to get the unlock code because it's locked to a particular network.
You can usually tell which network it's locked to because it has bloatware from that network installed.
Also in the settings on "about phone" tab it should give you some letters at the end of the firmware version which will tell you what network.
Mine was locked to O2 and I used this guy.
Gave me code in a few hours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, There does not seem to be any bloatware installed from any network....the phone does look like a bought unlocked phone. Maybe the owner has put a sim lock on the phone himself?
download the Samsung Info app from Play Store, it should tell you eveything you need to know(root wont unlock network)and no way the seller put a network lock, in terms of unlocking you'll need the code. Some service providers supply them at no fee and some at a fee, alternatively you have a plethora of online options usually at a small cost to provide code, gl.

[Q] Obtained MSL unlock code from Sprint- still unable to unlock.

Hi guys,
I'm starting a new topic because the only information I could find was from 1 or 2 years ago, before Sprint started giving unlock codes after Feb. 2015.
I recently ported my number to T-Mobile and was unable to unlock my device before my service was severed. Now I am stuck in a rut and cannot get service on EITHER network.
After running around all day, trying to get Sprint stores to help, calling customer service, etc... I was finally able to chat with a Customer Service rep, pay my ETF balance (it had not been posted yet, I asked to pay early). After that, the rep gave me the 6 digit unlock code. I tried punching in *#0011# but I cannot access a menu, it just flashes
MENU NOT EXIST
PRESS BACK KEY
CURRENT COMMAND IS 1111
After that it just displays "No service".
The phone did not acknowledge the T-Mobile SIM at all. I did a network restore code (I forget the dial code) and now it says Invalid SIM Card- so, it knows the card is there.
I cannot get it to a point where it asks for the MSL number.
Can anyone please help? I'm tearing my hair out here.
Thanks,
-Tory
If anyone is going through this same problem, please see this thread and my experience doing this manually, starting with post 1456.
Don't despair! It's a huge pain to go through this if you're only a recreational Android user (like me), but it can be done if you do your homework and follow the steps slowly.
Thanks be to the board, and the people on it.

Sim Unlock Sprint Galaxy S5 for use on the AT&T Network?

Hello everybody, sorry if this has been asked I tried searching everywhere and have come up with nothing that has been helpful to me. I am new here so if I'm posting in the wrong place I'll be happy to remove this.
I will try to provide you with every detail but my main problem is this: I have obtained an unlock code I received directly from Sprint for a Galaxy S5 I received from a friend. The friend made sure the device and his account met their qualifications, and he received a six digit "MSL Code" that he was told is the unlock code.
I have been told by Sprint, AT&T, countless YouTube videos and forums that the sequence for unlocking this phone is as simple as 1.) Entering a foreign sim into your device. 2.) When you turn the device on you will be prompted to enter the sim unlock code. 3.) Enter the unlock code and your device will be unlocked.
Of course it's turned out to be way less simple than that. My most obvious problem is with step #2. I am never prompted to enter the sim unlock code and instead only receive the message "Invalid Sim card."
Okay here is a back story if you want more details: I am on a family plan with AT&T right now that I believe is a good deal and would not like to switch carriers, although AT&T hires some of the biggest idiots I've ever encountered to work in their retail stores and tech support. I have been tempted to switch to Sprint because throughout all of this they have been the only ones to give me straightforward information and any help at all so far.
The Galaxy S5 in my possession meets all of Sprint's requirements to be unlocked and the previous owner received the unlock code directly from Sprint. It should be good to go.
I went to AT&T retail store with the locked device and unlock code for assistance and to make sure the process would go smooth and easy. The first time I was told it's impossible to sim unlock a phone and all I can do is sell the phone on eBay. I called tech support after this and they told me my problem was that I was using the AT&T sim card from my old HTC One, that SIM Card would be incompatible with the Samsung, so therefore I am receiving an "Invalid Sim card" error. The second time I went in I requested a sim card for a Samsung Galaxy S5 because AT&T tech support told me the SIM card in my HTC will not work. The dude grabbed an empty SIM card and gave it to me without asking me for my information or anything about my account and when I asked him about this he told me that it's not necessary, "SIM cards don't have any memory or carry any information on them for the phone to read other than what service the phone is supposed to use". I honestly don't know much about cell phone technology but I knew this was bull**** but he was no further help after I told him I think he might be wrong about that. I called AT&T tech support and they told me that guy was an idiot and to go back to them and request another SIM card.
I don't want to go back into that stupid store until I'm absolutely sure what the **** I need to do to get this stupid phone to work with my AT&T account. Please educate me on how this process works and what the correct steps I need to take are. Thanks a million times in advance for whatever help you can give me, and again let me know if this is being asked in the wrong place I'm still new here.

Unlock Asus ZenFone V V520KL (Verizon model) for another carrier?

So I would like to use this Verizon phone with my carrier in Canada.
Simple version: I don't want to root it and I don't care about custom roms. I simply want to use the phone in Canada with another carrier. Is it possible?
Long version:
I got the phone (as a gift from my boss who didn't know what to do with it). Looked it up and found a thread on this forum pointing to this page on the Asus website (it's the not exact same model number, but there's no support page available for 520KL). I downloaded the official "Unlock Device App: Unlock boot loader" under the "Other" category and copied it to the phone and tried to run the apk installation. It gave me an error similar to "An application with the same name is already installed". I tried to look in the application list but couldn't find it to execute it. In any case, I then borrowed a SIM card from Bell Canada from the corporation I work for, and the phone had a notification "This is not a Verizon Wireless SIM card". I then updated the phone firmware (via wifi), and rebooted, and after a few seconds the error message disappeared, and behold I could make and receive calls. I'm not certain if this Bell card was special unlocked for roaming or something (being a corporate one).
In any case my personal phone is better, but I thought it would be a nice replacement for my father's one so I gave it to him. His old phone SIM format was not the same size, so I told him to go to a kiosk of his phone carrier (Telus Mobility) and ask the clerk for a SIM on his account that fit the phone. The clerk looked at the phone and said no, this cannot work, you have to call Verizon to unlock it. My father then called Verizon and they said they can't do that because it could be a stolen phone (it isn't) and that my corporation would have to call them to receive a code (?) to prove ownership. So now I'm a bit mixed up. Was the Telus clerk wrong and the phone would have worked if he just had insisted to get a SIM made, or are they both right and the phone IMEI is locked in a database somewhere and Telus won't be able to create a new SIM for it until my corporation really call them to transfers ownership?

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