Smartphone prices seem to shoot up year after year, and thankfully, you can pay for these devices using several payment options, one of which is by a monthly contract when buying from network carriers. These contracts ease the purchase of these expensive toys, but if you for some reason need to use your phone with a different carrier from the one you are contracted to, issues will arise.
Do not confuse this for sim card locked, which is caused by entering a wrong sim pin repeatedly. The next section will spell out the difference between these two sim card locks, and the subsequent parts will show you the best methods of how to unlock a locked SIM card.
Part 2: How to Unlock A Locked SIM Card
Part 1: Which Situation Are You In?
The SIM card has locked. Please power cycle the device and if the problem persists contact Customer I bought new iPhone8 plus and then I changed the SIM to my new phone it said the SIM has locked please power cycle the phone. I have no idea how to post here. I keep getting the message, 'The SIM card has locked. Please power cycle the device and if the problem persists contact Customer Service.' I have a Galaxy S7. I probably restarted the phone 20+ times yesterday and today might match. For information about International/Domestic Unlocks for your device, see Sprint's Device Unlocking Policy and FAQs. Need a Sprint SIM Card? Contact your local store(s) before going to ensure they have a compatible card in stock. The Sprint.com Bring Your Own Phone page now also has a way to order a card directly as well.
Unlocking your Sprint mobile phone will allow you to use your device on another mobile provider's network. To use the phone with another provider, you must first unlock the phone, and then insert the SIM card of the new network. You can obtain the unlock code from Sprint for free. The description of SIM Unlock Sprint & Boost Mobile With this app you can unlock your mobile cell phone by code, and use any SIM card in your device and use any network provider. This unlocking process doesn't require cables, software, or any technical knowledge.
Check the following situations to decide which methods should you use to unlock SIM card. You may need to know how to unlock a locked SIM card or how to unlock network locked SIM card. Go through all the cases first before you seek for the solutions.
A. SIM Card Locked:
Some people like to use the sim card security feature known as a SIM PIN. You must enter this pin to use your phone, as it prevents unauthorized use of your sim card. If you enter a wrong sim pin three times, your sim card will be locked, and to unlock your sim, you need a pin unlock key (PUK). You can get this from your carrier.
B. Network Locked SIM Card:
Your contract with your network carrier means that the smartphone will only be work with their sim card, at least during the period of your contract. With this, your phone is locked to their network, and no other sim card should work on your phone.
To use another network on your phone, when you travel or simply wish to switch carriers for whatever reason, you will need to unlock the sim card. This is not necessarily a complex operation and should go smoothly if you follow the guides contained in this short article.
Is Your Phone Already Unlocked:
You already know now that to unlock sim card, you will need a PUK. If you receive a PUK from your carrier, do take caution while entering this key. If you have a phone that you are not sure if it is network unlocked or not, then the fast way to check is by trying a different SIM card in it.
Part 2: How to Unlock A Locked SIM Card
1. How to Unlock SIM Card Manually?
You can easily unlock sim cards manually, if they are not network unlocked, by following the straightforward steps listed below:
Call your wireless carrier’s customer service number. Make sure you have your account’s password handy because they will need you to confirm this before giving you a PUK.
Turn on your phone. On booting, you will be prompted ‘SIM locked’ or to ‘Enter PUK.’ Follow the prompt and input the PUK code sent by your carrier. Press OK.
Enter a new PIN code (usually four to eight digits) and press OK.
Verify your new PIN code by typing it in again when you see the prompt. Press OK once again, and your SIM becomes unlocked.
2. How to Unlock Network Locked SIM Card?
I know you might be thinking the networked unlocked sim cards are probably impossible to unlock, but that is far from true, thanks to tools such as DoctorSIM. Unlocking network locked sim cards is obviously delicate, so you should not use any random method you come across, DoctorSIM has been tested on many models and found to work correctly.
Features of DoctorSIM
The industry leaders trust this tool. If these big players use Doctorsim, then you definitely have nothing to worry about.
They offer free 24/7 technical support for various issues. You can contact them via their live chat, email, or their special AI system.
Lowest price guarantee. If you find a cheaper network unlock tool offering the same services, this company will match that price.
Only an email address and a stable internet connection are needed. You need no special tools or tech knowledge to use this software.
Legal and safe way to unlock sim card.
Follow the steps below to unlock your SIM card:
On the web browser of another device or computer, open www.doctorsim.com.
Select or type in the brand of your device.
Check your email after a few minutes, and you will find that doctorsim has sent you your SIM network unlock pin and proper step-by-step instructions for using this pin.
Follow the steps you received and input this unlocking pin on your phone.
Part 3: Get Help from Your Carrier to Unlock Network Locked SIM Card
On the contract you have with your carrier, some criteria are highlighted, which you must meet for them to unlock your device from their network. You can reach out to your carrier to see if you have met these criteria. If you have, then they will terminate the contract, but note that most carriers charge a certain termination fee, if you have not met the criteria. The most common requirements include the following:
You must pay for your smartphone fully.
The device must be up to 3 to 6 months old (depending on the specific carrier).
Follow these steps below:
Power off your phone.
Insert the new carrier’s SIM card.
Boot your device.
When prompted for a sim network unlock pin, type in the code your network carrier gave you.
Bonus: Unlock Any Screen Locks on Android Devices
If your Android device is locked by PIN, passcode, pattern, fingerprint or facelock, iMyFone Lockwiper (Android) can help you right now. It takes only minutes to remove the screen lock from your device and it won’t lead to any data loss. It can also help with the Google account lock when you forgot your account information.
Features of iMyFone LockWiper (Android)
Unlock any screen locks on Android device without knowing the password.
Remove Google account FRP lock without password with ease.
Have total control of your device and enjoy the whole functions and services.
It’s easy to use with friendly simple interface.
We always point out repeatedly, that unlocking sim card is a risky operation, so you need the best and most stable tools for this. All the methods contained in this article have been tested with many models and brands of Android devices and have been found to work correctly. Follow the guides highlighted in this article, because if you miss one step or fail to carry one out properly, you risk losing your device or violating your contract terms.
If you want to unlock sim card, after following this guide, boot your phone. If you are not asked to enter the sim network unlock PIN, you are in luck because your phone has been successfully sim unlocked!
It has never been easier to unlock a Sprint cell phone or Sprint tablet. The carrier is even doing its part to make it easy to unlock a phone by actually notifying a person when their phone is ready to be unlocked. If that’s not enough, models of phones released after February 2015 will unlock on their own once the phone becomes eligible.
That being said, if a person does not want to wait or wants to try their hand at unlocking a phone or a tablet, they will first need to know if their device is eligible, the information needed to unlock the phone, the steps needed to unlock the phone for international use, and the steps needed to unlock the phone for military use.
A Few Things to Take into Consideration before Unlocking a Sprint Phone
Before a person gets too giddy about the idea of unlocking a phone, they should know that activating a Sprint device on a different network is not always as easy as one might think. Both Sprint and Verizon are CDMA carriers. So one would think that since they use the same technology, Sprint phones would be easy to activate on a Verizon service. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Not every Sprint phone was designed to be compatible with Verizon services. First, a person needs to look at their phone's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) to check for compatibility.
Most Sprint phones should work on T-Mobile or AT&T networks. This is because these companies use a GSM network that can be used by LTE capable phones or the iPhone. Some of the phones sold by Sprint are designed to be global or universal phones. These have a space for SIM card and also have CDMA/GSM capability.
But there still catch. Just because the phone is labeled global and just because the phone functions on the GSM service does not mean that all of the phone's features are going to work. A person may not be able to make or receive phone calls or to make or receive texts without CDMA. This is the case even if the phone has the ability to access LTE.
Basically, the model of phone a person has is going to determine how successful they are going to be at unlocking it.
How to Unlock a Sprint Phone
Once it is determined that a Sprint phone not only can be unlocked but that it can be used on the network intended, a person will need to make sure of a few things about the phone itself. First and foremost, the phone can’t be stolen. If it has been reported to law enforcement as stolen or if the phone has been connected with any criminal or terrorist activity, that’s the end of the game. It cannot be unlocked.
Next, a person needs to look at the service plan they purchased when they got the phone. If a service plan was purchased that allowed an individual to subsidize the phone, they are going to have to live out the life of that plan. Before Sprint will allow a person to unlock the phone, their contract should be fully paid up and they should have no outstanding fees and no outstanding bills.
Sim Card Locked Sprint Iphone X
Some people get their phone through Sprint using installment plans. If a person has financed their phone using something like Sprint Easy Pay, Sprint Lease, or IPhone Forever, they will need to have paid off the phone in its entirety. There should be no payments left for the device.
In a similar vein, the account that that a person has with Sprint should be in good standing. Sprint requires that the phone has been active on a Sprint plan for at least 50 days before they will allow it to be unlocked.
Sim Card Has Locked Sprint
How To Unlock a Sprint Phone by IMEI
You can also use the tool below to unlock your Sprint phone using the IMEI code through our partner, DoctorSIM.
What Is Needed to Request a Sprint Phone Unlock?
Start by contacting a Sprint Customer Care representative. Talk to them about domestic unlocking or Sprint Worldwide Care if the intention is to unlock a phone internationally or if it is for a military unlock.
The first thing they are going to ask you for is the account number that is connected to the phone that will be unlocked. The account holder’s name will also be needed. The password for the account or the last four digits of the social security number of the account holder will be needed as well.
Next, a person will be asked to provide the IMEI or the MEID for the device. This is usually found under the battery cover. On some phones it can be found by dialing *#06#. The phone number of the device will be requested. Deployment papers will be asked for if the unlock is for military deployment.
Unlock a Phone for International Travel as a Civilian or Military Personnel
If a person is looking to travel internationally either as a civilian or as military personnel, it’s a little easier to get a phone unlocked for use overseas. A person simply needs to show that they are a Sprint customer who is the owner of the account or they are authorized to make adjustments. The phone needs to be active on a Sprint account, and it should have been used for at least 90 days. All of the payments must be up-to-date. A person could not have unlocked another phone or device within the last 12 months.
It is good to note that just because a phone is unlocked internationally does not mean that it is unlocked domestically. A person will need to request a second unlock if they choose to use their device with a US carrier.
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