HELP! Entered wrong IMEI # for another phone, how do I change it now that phone # is active

[lifebuilder]

My father gave me his old cell to use. The apple phone box had the IMEI #, (which we thought was the original box for the phone), which I used to set up my phone etc. Unfortuatnely, when I try to activate the phone, apple says the SIM card installed is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy.

So, either the IMEI is wrong and it's for another active cell phone (his or my mom's) or do I need to unlock this phone? He had only reset it to it's factory settings. Any help is appreciated!!

[angeliquem]

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@lifebuilder wrote:

My father gave me his old cell to use. The apple phone box had the IMEI #, (which we thought was the original box for the phone), which I used to set up my phone etc. Unfortuatnely, when I try to activate the phone, apple says the SIM card installed is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy.

So, either the IMEI is wrong and it's for another active cell phone (his or my mom's) or do I need to unlock this phone? He had only reset it to it's factory settings. Any help is appreciated!!

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Hi,

Were you able to ask your dad about his old provider and unlock the phone you're using? 

[computergeek541]

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@RocketMan wrote:

The issue is something else... Phone is probably locked like others are suggesting.

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Not probably - it absolutely is locked.  The phone screen message/iTunes activation service message flat-out says that.

[RocketMan]

PM, or any other provider, doesn't limit your use to a single phone.  Once you have an activated sim, you can put it in any device you want.  I've used 3 phones so far just by swapping the sim into the new phone.

The issue is something else... Phone is probably locked like others are suggesting.

[CalgaryBen]

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@lifebuilder wrote:

My father gave me his old cell to use.

do I need to unlock this phone?

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As many folks have mentioned, IMEI is irrelevant for activation on PM.

Since you received the phone from your father, he probably knows what carrier it was on, and if he still has an active account with that carrier, perhaps he can assist with the free unlock process, since he can contact them. Technically you can also get the phone unlocked by the carrier without an account, but YMMV depending on the carrier/rep you deal with... I often find it easier to just pay $1-3 on eBay to get someone to unlock it for me, once I've determined the carrier (saves time having to wait on hold, etc.)

Either way, you will need the IMEI for unlocking. With older iPhones (4s and older), you can find this on the SIM tray (but it's not always reliable since the tray may have gotten swapped with another phone). With newer iPhones (5+), the IMEI can be found on the back of the phone itself. As others have mentioned, dialing *#06# will also show the IMEI -- you mentioned not being able to do this, but you don't need an activated phone for this. Remove the SIM card completely, then go to the phone dialer and enter *#06#.

While you've got the SIM removed, you can also see the last carrier it was configured for -- Settings --> General --> About --> Carrier. This will actually show the carrier profile loaded, but can generally point you in the right direction for getting it unlocked.

Good luck!

[computergeek541]

I'm confused by this thread. If my memory is correct, entering IMEI is not part of the activation process.  Public Mobile doesn't need to know the IMEI ahead of time, nor the customer even have to go through this step. The part of the website that asks for your phone's IMEI number doesn't have to be used as it is optional. It is only there to help with checking compability (although it's not always accurate), and to check to see if the phone's IMEI is clean.

By any chance, did you use the IMEI for number portability reasons?  If you did, you need to contact the Public Mobile moderators as your number transfer (if you requested one) will failed if you used the wrong IMEI.  In any event, IMEI isn't absolutely required for transfering a phone number from another provider.  This whole situation with an incorrect IMEI being copied from a a box is an example why customers really should just be using only the account number to transfer phone numbers from other carriers, at least most of the time.

Either way, an iPhone device telling you that carrier not supported by activation policy, this 100% means that your phone is locked to another carrier.  You will not be able to use it until you first get it unlocked by the original carrier.

[sulagok]

Most likely, the phone is still locked and just need to unlock it. Determine first, the network it is locked to, then try and contact the provider. May be tricky if you're not an account holder with them, but guess what, I've unlocked phone with almost all the network providers there is without having account with them, just phone call or chat will do the trick.

[Gonzo]

@lifebuilder

All that you need to clarify is whether or not your SIM has been activated. Put it into another phone (preferably one you know works on PM already) and see if it works. If it doesn’t, your PM account/activation needs help. If it does, the iPhone you were originally putting it into haa a problem, most likely being locked to another carrier.

The beauty of unlocked, prepaid service is that you can switch the SIM to any unlocked phone that works on the network. You never have to update your SIM or account with the phone’s IMEI.

So: try your SIM in another phone and please pass on the result. 

Edit: And for the record, while it’s irritating to have entered the wrong IMEI, if it doesn’t affect anything, it’s probably not a loose end to worry about... as long as everything is working.

[Dunkman]

There is no way that you can change IME in self service portal.  I just checked.

I agree with above, IME is not a big issue.  I changed phones and did not need to reenterr new IME. 

[angeliquem]

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@lifebuilder wrote:

Thank you for your reply. However, the problem still is that I entered the wrong IMEI number and don't know who to change it so that the phone's IMEI is the one I want to use with the PM SIM.

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My point is, it doesn’t actually matter what IMEI you input in. The SIM should work in any unlocked phone regardless of the IMEI number you registered with. That’s why the actual problem is that the phone you want to use is locked and it needs to be unlocked. If you noticed when you were activating, the IMEI was not starred, meaning it wasn’t necessary to enter to activate the SIM card.

[lifebuilder]

Thank you for your reply. However, the problem still is that I entered the wrong IMEI number and don't know who to change it so that the phone's IMEI is the one I want to use with the PM SIM.

[angeliquem]

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@lifebuilder wrote:

Thank you for your quick reply!! I just confirmed, the IMEI I inputted is not the one associated to my phone (i used wrong phone box)...how do I input the correct one. grr.

I couldn't Dial *#06# on the phone bc it was not an active phone. Was not set up.

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So you were able to activate a Public Mobile SIM card and get a working number?

Perhaps try that Public Mobile SIM card in a phone that you know is unlocked.

I think the problem here is really the phone you're trying to use. It's locked and you need to get it unlocked by the previous carrier. It's free to get a phone unlocked now under the law.

[lifebuilder]

Thank you for your quick reply!! I just confirmed, the IMEI I inputted is not the one associated to my phone (i used wrong phone box)...how do I input the correct one. grr.

I couldn't Dial *#06# on the phone bc it was not an active phone. Was not set up.

[Gonzo]

Hmm, I don’t know. Is your PM account activated? Since this is a prepaid service, and you can switch SIMs into different phones without a problem, I wonder if it’s a big issue. Can you test the SIM in another phone?

If nothing is working, you may have to contact the @CS_Agent on this one. The only other thread with someone who put in the wrong imei involved a port, and they had to contact PM.

[lifebuilder]

Thank you for your quick reply!! I just confirmed, the IMEI I inputted is not the one associated to my phone (i used wrong phone box)...how do I input the correct one. grr.

I couldn't Dial *#06# on the phone bc it was not an active phone. Was not set up.

[srlawren]

@lifebuilder sounds like the phone is locked to another provider and you need to get it unlocked.

[angeliquem]

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@lifebuilder wrote:

My father gave me his old cell to use. The apple phone box had the IMEI #, (which we thought was the original box for the phone), which I used to set up my phone etc. Unfortuatnely, when I try to activate the phone, apple says the SIM card installed is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy.

So, either the IMEI is wrong and it's for another active cell phone (his or my mom's) or do I need to unlock this phone? He had only reset it to it's factory settings. Any help is appreciated!!

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It seems like the phone you are using is locked to another carrier.

Ask what provider he was with and perhaps try to contact that provider to unlock that phone.

Check the real IMEI by dialing *#06# and it should show up on the screen.

You can then input that number in the Public Mobile checker.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-started

[Gonzo]

Dial *#06# on the phone. The number displayed is the phone’s IMEI.

If the phone is locked to a previous carrier, it’s now free to unlock it, at least.