topic Re: New- sim card unlock code? in Get Support

New- sim card unlock code?

jexinc — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 23:36:51 GMT

Hello, my online activation process has finished but when I tried putting in my sim card it is looking for a simcard activation number...what is this?!! Please help @CS_Agent

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

ShawnC13 — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:39:01 GMT

@jexinc wrote:
Hello, my online activation process has finished but when I tried putting in my sim card it is looking for a simcard activation number...what is this?!! Please help @CS_Agent

Is this a new account? Is your phone unlocked from your previous provider?

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

smp99 — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:41:04 GMT

Hi @jexinc

Looks like your phone may be locked to your old service provider. If so, you will need to ask them for an unlock code. It is free and they have to give it to you as per new laws that went into effect last Dec.

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

wmleung — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:52:07 GMT

Like others have said, I believe your phone was from another carrier and was not unlocked (or not properly unlocked).

Good luck.

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

Effort — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:58:32 GMT

Be sure not to guess the unlock password or at least not 10 times. You can brick your sim card and render it unusable.

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

jexinc — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:08:26 GMT

whoops its actually looking for a 'SIM network unlock PIN'. i did call my previous phone carrier and received the unlock code for the phone but when i put it in it wasn't correct.... what is a SIM network unlock pin? @CS_Agent

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

jexinc — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:08:30 GMT

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

cappaj — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:09:39 GMT

@Effort wrote:
Be sure not to guess the unlock password or at least not 10 times. You can brick your sim card and render it unusable.

Might depend on the device - I did the wrong unlock code too many times (I think it was three) - and then I had to get the "master unlock" code from Samsung. I think it's if you do the "master unlock" code wrong 10 times, that's when your phone gets locked up completely (but I could be wrong about that...).

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

popping — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:13:20 GMT

@jexinc

As other replies, your phone is locked to your old provider.

Big 3 will unlock youe phone without any service with them just by calling.

Re: New- sim card unlock code?

cappaj — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:13:43 GMT

@jexinc wrote:
whoops its actually looking for a 'SIM network unlock PIN'. i did call my previous phone carrier and received the unlock code for the phone but when i put it in it wasn't correct.... what is a SIM network unlock pin? @CS_Agent

Are you on a Samsung? That's the message I received, and the unlock code from my previous provider is what it wanted.

If you enter the wrong code too many times though, you'll get "SIM network PIN blocked. Enter SIM network PUK." If you reach that point, you need to get the "master unlock" code from Samsung - and then you can go back to "SIM network unlock PIN" to enter the unlock code.

(It gets real confusing, because the words "PIN" and "unlock code" and "PUK" get thrown around a lot in these messages and it always feels like each word ends up meaning one of the other words.)

I posted about my eventual solution here, if it helps:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Getting-Started/New-Account-Require-SIM-network-PUK/m-p/253615/highlight/true#M44741