topic Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge in Get Support

Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

imm1304 — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:53:22 GMT

Hello everyone!

Samsung is giving unlock codes for free for the S7's:

Start a live chat session from Samsung's Contact Us page: http://www.samsung.com/ca/info/contactus.html?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000170
Inform the rep that you would like to unlock you S7 or S7 edge and provide the IMEI & Carrier info
In a few (2+) days, you will get the unlock code via email.

Hope this helps. I am not sure if they would give unlock codes for free for other Samsung phones.

If anyone wants to try their luck with other models, please post an update here.

EDIT: Confirmed to be working only for S7, S7 Edge, Galaxy Grand Prime. Not other models.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

7789849803 — Thu, 05 May 2016 04:53:22 GMT

@imm1304 Whoa, what?! The carriers cannot be okay with this!

Do you know why Samsung is making this happen? Do you have any context or background story to share with us?

As you know, usually Samsung (or any other manufacturer), will want nothing to do with the unlocking process, not even for a fee. This is likely an effort to cede all control to the carriers to unlock whatever devices they like, at whatever fee they like.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

imm1304 — Thu, 05 May 2016 05:40:02 GMT

Hi @7789849803,

I am not sure why Samsung is doing this. I wish I knew more to share with you.

A friend told me that it was on RFD and tested it and got confirmation email. So it IS working.. at least until a wise carrier decides to fight over it.

Here is the reference thread: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/samsung-galaxy-s7-unlock-code-free-1975883/

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

7789849803 — Thu, 05 May 2016 14:24:26 GMT

Thanks again @imm1304! Hopefully others will be able to test to see if the code works for any other Samsung devices (like the S6).

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

Griff — Thu, 05 May 2016 18:13:25 GMT

@7789849803
Unlock codes are IMEI specific, using a code meant for an S7 on an S6 wouldn't work, using a code meant for one S7 on another S7 wouldn't work

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

NDesai — Thu, 05 May 2016 18:17:45 GMT

@7789849803 nope, it's only for s7. They say that s7 is the one that is built in a way where Samsung itself can provide unlock code. They won't unlock any other devices.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

7789849803 — Thu, 05 May 2016 18:31:20 GMT

Good to know, thanks @NDesai!

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

imm1304 — Thu, 05 May 2016 19:12:23 GMT

Hello @Griff!

I am sure @7789849803 is very tech savvy and knows all that stuff. 🙂

He just meant to inquire if Samsung is offering free unlock codes for other models such as S6, S5, S4 etc etc.

So it looks like S7 and S7 edge are for sure getting free unlock codes. There was also a mention of the Grand prime phones getting free unlock codes.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

7789849803 — Thu, 05 May 2016 21:12:55 GMT

@imm1304 If Samsung cannot provide unlock codes at all for non-S7 devices, then they can't provide them for free either, right?

Previous to @NDesai's post, I wasn't aware that S7 is the first series of phones from Samsung where they can themselves provide unlock codes.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

imm1304 — Thu, 05 May 2016 21:39:32 GMT

I think Samsung are capable of providing unlock codes to all devices they made. They must be making up for something they did for the S7's.

This is just me speculating but I read that Samsung chose to provide these unlock codes for free because some error on their part resulted in a huge batch of the S7 devices not getting unlocked using codes that people normally pay to purchase. Normally the unlock service providers subscribe to a database.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

7789849803 — Thu, 05 May 2016 21:53:44 GMT

@imm1304 Interesting. I always thought the 3rd party unlock code providers were using underhanded means to obtain the unlock codes. If they've been obtaining them from the manufacturer the whole time, then that is very bewildering to me.

I don't know - I feel cellular carriers and phone manufacturers make strange bedfellows. I wish more people would buy their devices unlocked straight from the manufacturer. Which is one of several reasons to love PM - they let you use any device, as long as its unlocked. Plus, they don't sell their own devices.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

imm1304 — Thu, 05 May 2016 22:34:01 GMT

You are also right @7789849803. There are underhanded ways of calculating the unlock codes as well. But, I learned as a long term Sony phone user, that there is such a thing as Sony unlock code database that other companies subscribe to. I am sure Samsung has an equivalent. This would be the sure way of getting correct codes from the source.. used by the reputable unlocking services.

Interestingly, I had unlocked several Samsung devices myself by reading out a hex file from the phone following instructions on the XDA developers forum.. that was 5-6 years ago. I think they made unlocking harder since then.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

7789849803 — Thu, 05 May 2016 23:17:55 GMT

@imm1304 I used the same hex dump reading technique to unlock an HTC device (I think it was the Evo) years ago. Based simply on price considerations, I suspect that the vast majority of the unlocking companies are not subscribing to any official database. Samsung and other large conglomerates would surely not deal with small time vendors who charge $10-$30 for unlocking a device. I suspect these providers are largely using a computational mechanism to generate (find) these unlock codes themselves.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

Griff — Fri, 06 May 2016 00:27:05 GMT

There is a slight difference in the way the locking with the S7 works versus the prior models of Samsung phones. The S7 comes unlocked in box and then locks to the first sim card inserted, it reformats and deletes the information so if you set up the phone and then put in your SIM card it's time wasted.

I'm not sure how that connects exaclty to Samsung being able to unlock the device themselves but prior to that when Samsung phones were carrier locked it was done prior to activation.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

7789849803 — Fri, 06 May 2016 01:17:13 GMT

@Griff Thanks for chiming in. I do recall reading about this new setup in S7 before.

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

lordcody420 — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 23:21:18 GMT

this is not true in the US i dont know about canada though

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

homer — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 19:27:16 GMT

It seems this method no longer works anymore. Samsung has fixed it...

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

kav2001c — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 20:21:10 GMT

Samsung has always had ability to unlock any device.

They choose not to do so.

The recent devices had an auto lock feature.

If you bought it unlocked from Samsung store, then inserted certain carrier SIM card the phone will lock itself to that carrier.

So Samsung was forced to offer unlock codes to clients.

This deal still works but just be smart about it.

Don't tell them you bought a locked phone on a 2 year term from a carrier.

Tell them you bought an unlock device and not it is no longer unlocked.

(They even warn you about this on retail packaging, go check out the J1 at your local Costco store to see what I mean)

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

imm1304 — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 20:25:35 GMT

Thanks for the clarification @kav2001c

Re: Free unlock codes for Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 edge

homer — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 20:24:52 GMT

You are right @kav2001c. However, people on RFD have reported not receiving the code after many days, even the online rep said the code would be sent to them...

So I ordered a code from eBay... Time is valuable. Hopefully it would work.