Cant make receive calls/texts - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Recently bought a second hand S3 on the UK three network and used a unlock code as on t-mobile/orange. It was working fine but recently it stopped sending and receiving calls and texts. Data usage is fine. Not sure when this happened as mainly use it for data as have a works phone. Can remember doing a software update (think to jelly bean) recently but couldn't say whether its started after that. Have used my cut down sim in the wifes S3 and it works okay and put her sim in miner and that has same issue. When I try to call it immediately ends call and texts just fail. Have tried setting to network manually both 2g and 3g and auto, sometimes it say cant register and other times it does but when call ends it then seems to change to another available network. Started to think the imei may have been blocked but wouldn't expect data to work. Anyway rang t-mobile and they said everything looks okay their end and the imei is not black listed but not sure how they could tell that. Said the issue must be with my phone. Have emailed samsung to see what they say but not to hopeful with it being a second hand phone. The bars on the signal seem okay too.
Anybody got any idea's on what to try or do as its currently an expensive data only device. :crying:
Have already tried a factory reset.

hardyp said:
Recently bought a second hand S3 on the UK three network and used a unlock code as on t-mobile/orange. It was working fine but recently it stopped sending and receiving calls and texts. Data usage is fine. Not sure when this happened as mainly use it for data as have a works phone. Can remember doing a software update (think to jelly bean) recently but couldn't say whether its started after that. Have used my cut down sim in the wifes S3 and it works okay and put her sim in miner and that has same issue. When I try to call it immediately ends call and texts just fail. Have tried setting to network manually both 2g and 3g and auto, sometimes it say cant register and other times it does but when call ends it then seems to change to another available network. Started to think the imei may have been blocked but wouldn't expect data to work. Anyway rang t-mobile and they said everything looks okay their end and the imei is not black listed but not sure how they could tell that. Said the issue must be with my phone. Have emailed samsung to see what they say but not to hopeful with it being a second hand phone. The bars on the signal seem okay too.
Anybody got any idea's on what to try or do as its currently an expensive data only device. :crying:
Have already tried a factory reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's not your imei number. Did you have a backup of your efs folder?
Throwing out of the window from my flying Ferrari killer S3 driven by a proud omega team member

Chris_84 said:
If it's not your imei number. Did you have a backup of your efs folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't have a backup of anything, why? One thing I have noticed is that the sim card doesn't click into the slot. compared it against the wife s3 and the sim card doesn't go as far down as if something is blocking it. Tried my sim in the wifes s3 only putting it in the same distance and it worked fine. Anyway just in case I took some of the plastic off the bottom right up to the metal chip so it would sit in the right place not being all the way down but it still does not work. Whilst having the sim in the wifes phone I diverted all calls to my works mobile and when back in my s3 its shows as calls being diverted so it must be working up to a point. Not sure whats wrong with the sim card slot, the mechanism which you push to insert and release seems to be broken so not sure if this is the cause or just a knock on effect from taking the sim card in and out alot
.
Can the sim card slot/mechanism be replaced/fixed easily?

Related

[Q] GSM Call/Text issues

Hey, I posted this over at AVForums and didnt get a response and thought that you guys over here are probablt better informed. Below is a quote of the thread I started:
Well to start off, i'll tell you I am on the one plan with 3 and have a brand new sim free htc evo 3d.
Ive had the phone for about 2 weeks and it has worked perfectly ever since I got it. About 4 days ago, I noticed that texts were taking hours to come through. I then noticed that calls were never coming through and going straight to voicemail. Called 3, they blamed the phone but made sure call diverts were off anyway.
Calls were still going straight to voicemail but occasionally when phoning my number, I would get the dial tone but my phone wasnt ringing. I then put my misus t-mobile sim into my phone but I was getting the exact same problem, no calls were coming through. Couldnt put my sim into my misus phone as its sim locked.
I called 3 again, they said it must be the phone. I phone Amazon, they say phone HTC. HTC couldnt help so Amazon agreed to replace the phone. I now have old and new phone in possession. Using my old phone earlier today, I could no longer send text messages but I could receive them ok. The occasional call was coming through but most werent.
Ive now just set up the replacement phone. Everything was working fine for the first 5 minutes but now I cant send texts and calls arent coming through again.
Logically thinking, it surely cant be the phone and must be the sim card, but then again, my misus t-mobile sim showed the same problems in my phone which suggests it is the phone!
Im obviously going to phone 3 tomorrow but I want to be prepared for my argument. If it does end up being the sim, how can I explain to Amazon that I have opened the replacement phone but now need to send it back because there was nothing wrong with my phone in the first place. Surely they would be entitled to charge me or something for doing that?
Hope it all makes sense and I look forward to your responses!
EDIT: Forgot to mention that data is working fine. my 3g connection did drop at work the other day for no apparent reason, but calls and texts were working fine during this period, I guess its more when connected to 3g. There is no gsm only mode to test the phone either!
EDIT 2: Sometimes when calling my phone, I get the dial tone but my phone doesnt ring. However when the screen is on and the phone is out of standby, my phone receives calls fine! It does sometimes goes straight to voicemail but its just so confusing! I just did a test there, phone in standby, called it from my landline. I get the dial tone, but the phone doesnt ring. Whilst im still calling it, I wake my phone and it starts ringing! What the hell is going on!!!
Just a quick update and really hoping someone can offer some input!
I am at work just now, about 5 miles from my home address. So far today, my phone has been working fine at work. I visted the 3 store just round the corner from here, told him my story and he sadi it must be the handset due to the same issue with a t-mobile sim. I did mention the 3/t-mobile network sharing agreement and how they could be connecting to the same masts but he was adamant that no such thing exists. He also argued that the auction for the old analogue spectrum was for additional 3g capacity and not 4g. I did argue with him but he was clueless!
Anyways.... My phone worked fine in the shop so he said test with another sim card and if the problem persists, they would change the sim card. Ive came back to work and again, everything works well. I tried a vodafone sim card and again, all is ok!
When I think about it, my phone has pretty much worked fine when at work apart from not being able to connect to 3g the other day. This leads we to believe that there was be something wrong with my local mast at home, but if this was the case, why has it not been widely reported? Then again, the T-Mobile sim didnt work in my phone when at home, but worked fine in my misus htc desire. I have noticed that she is connected to 't-mobile orange' for 3g when its usually just 't-mobile'. Is it that her phone recognises a problem so switches to an orange mast?
This is doing my head in!
Thanks
EDIT: Sorry for posting in the wrong thread, I did wonder if I goty it right but clearly I didnt!
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A

Receiving/Making Calls without a SIM or WIFI!!!

OK this is my first post and it's a weird one. I've always known phones to be useless without a SIM card except for emergency calls. Well today I purchased an S4 on Craigslist. As I was bringing it home, it started to ring. I didn't answer it and shortly after I received a text. There was no SIM in it so I thought it was weird but left it alone.
When I got home, I did a factory reset, put in my old SIM card and activated it to my number. Everything went well - received texts normally, emails worked great, called my husband's phone and worked great until I looked at his phone and saw that the number that popped up wasn't mine, it was the old number. Tried calling my phone with his and went straight to vmail.
Seems like everything activated correctly except for the phone function. Called Verizon and the rep thought it was odd as well since texts went through, but could not figure it out. The rep said the phone is probably tampered with, but I've never heard of anything that could make phone calls without a SIM or wifi.
I reactivated my old phone and left the S4 with no SIM and it's still able to make/receive phone calls!! Weird!
All IMEI numbers match, physical and in About Phone even on box. Phone is not rooted according to Root checker.
Please someone tell me what this is so I can just can undo it and activate my number to the new phone.
Thanks

Receiving/Making Phone Calls w/out SIM or WIFI!!!

OK this is my first post and it's a weird one. I've always known phones to be useless without a SIM card except for emergency calls. Well today I purchased an S4 on Craigslist. As I was bringing it home, it started to ring. I didn't answer it and shortly after I received a text. There was no SIM in it so I thought it was weird but left it alone.
When I got home, I did a factory reset, put in my old SIM card and activated it to my number. Everything went well - received texts normally, emails worked great, called my husband's phone and worked great until I looked at his phone and saw that the number that popped up wasn't mine, it was the old number. Tried calling my phone with his and went straight to vmail.
Seems like everything activated correctly except for the phone function. Called Verizon and the rep thought it was odd as well since texts went through, but could not figure it out. The rep said the phone is probably tampered with, but I've never heard of anything that could make phone calls without a SIM or wifi.*I reactivated my old phone and left the S4 with no SIM and it's still able to make/receive phone calls!! Weird!
All IMEI numbers match, physical and in About Phone even on box. Phone is not rooted according to Root checker.
Please someone tell me what this is so I can just can undo it and activate my number to the new phone.Thanks
Maybe Verizon or an emergency service was trying to call you... They don't need a sim for that.
The old phone issue is normal every time they port a number or switch a number they [email protected]#$ it up I've had it happen a couple times it on their end not yours
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
The Sim is only for LTE service, you use built in CDMA radios for calling.
I honestly don't know about the number issue, take it to a corporate Verizon store (the private stores only care about sales not customer service) to have them properly activate it.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Sounds like the phone is set to nv-only mode. The vzw s4 is fully operational in this mode but it won't pull your phone info from the sim card.
This is the mode we put the phone in when flashing to carriers like page plus, selectel, etc.
If you want, you can PM me the meid of the device and/or the phone number the calls are being placed with. I'll check to see if it's an active page plus account.

i527 Mega Blacklisted and now

I have the AT&T Galaxy Mega i527 I got the phone a little over a month ago and had it unlocked and running on T Mobile perfectly well a few days ago it stopped working so after calling Samsung and making a few more calls I'm being told im Blacklisted, so after paying The Unlock Pro's to fix this im getting full Data at over 10MBPS at all time and as far as I can tell my Text work but Calling Out/Receiving Calls has major issues! when it does(rarely does) call out it will take forever to start ringing and most of the time it will drop the call..please help!!
banks2878 said:
I have the AT&T Galaxy Mega i527 I got the phone a little over a month ago and had it unlocked and running on T Mobile perfectly well a few days ago it stopped working so after calling Samsung and making a few more calls I'm being told im Blacklisted, so after paying The Unlock Pro's to fix this im getting full Data at over 10MBPS at all time and as far as I can tell my Text work but Calling Out/Receiving Calls has major issues! when it does(rarely does) call out it will take forever to start ringing and most of the time it will drop the call..please help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your getting full data you can use various apps to make and receive calls and text like mo+ or grooveip to name a few. I believe you need a google number to use the aforementioned. There are some that provide a number for you like talkatone.
cakegetter said:
If your getting full data you can use various apps to make and receive calls and text like mo+ or grooveip to name a few. I believe you need a google number to use the aforementioned. There are some that provide a number for you like talkatone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those will all stop working as of mid-May. Google will be disabling external VoIP functions then.
Another alternative is skype. I pay 2.99 a month for unlimited calling in the US, you can also receive calls from landlines through skype. I think that service is like $7 a month. Hopefully this will help with your problem.
Can you check on http://www.t-mobile.com/verifyIMEI.aspx ?
banks2878 said:
I have the AT&T Galaxy Mega i527 I got the phone a little over a month ago and had it unlocked and running on T Mobile perfectly well a few days ago it stopped working so after calling Samsung and making a few more calls I'm being told im Blacklisted, so after paying The Unlock Pro's to fix this im getting full Data at over 10MBPS at all time and as far as I can tell my Text work but Calling Out/Receiving Calls has major issues! when it does(rarely does) call out it will take forever to start ringing and most of the time it will drop the call..please help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google for checkesnfree, can verify if phones are blacklisted there.
Possible 1)
Dial *#0011# with your sim card inside. Look for something called "IMEI CERT". If it says "Fail" (or not listed at all) then the problem is "The Unlock Pro's" have buggered your NVM. And without a proper backup of your original NVM, nothing to do.
Possible 2)
Flash the stock modem for your Mega (newest version only) and kernel only. Wipe data/factory reset, then reapply your APN settings. Make sure to do a manual select on the network.
Possible 3)
Dial *#06#, write down your IMEI, then pull your battery out and look at the sticker on back and see if the IMEI on the sticker matches. If it doesn't then they have altered your IMEI (which is illegal by the way), and put your IMEI to one that is in use by another phone.
thanks for all the reply's!!! do you guys kno where I could download the modem for this phone?? I had to download an re-install the modem on my Unlocked AT&T S3 I747 I had on Metro
just to give a update im still having the calling out/receiving calls problem , the company I paid 60 to fix the IMEI refuses to even respond to my e-mails.. I jus find it weird im still getting full data at all times and the phone has the 4G LTE sign at the top right of the screen until I go to make a call then it jus goes to a regular 4G sign with no LTE. also I've noticed the calling out/receiving calls feature works fine depending where im at like for instance I went to the hash bash in Ann Arbor the other day and everything was working fine.. im thinking im going to just send the phone to Joe The Android Rooter and see if he has luck getting it figured out. I'm jus sick of this thing being a money pitt..
SaHiLzZ said:
Can you check on http://www.t-mobile.com/verifyIMEI.aspx ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. That was helpful thread in your promoted link.

Mobile network not available

Hi folks,
This is my first post so if I've done anything wrong please let me know. I think I'm experiencing quite a unique issue.
I have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Maguro) phone on O2-UK.
I'll try and summarise my issue
Currently I cannot make calls or send messages but can use 3g on the device.
When I put my girlfriends EE sim into the phone I can make calls and send texts
When I went to France with my O2 sim I could make calls and send texts
When I put my O2 sim into another device I can make calls and send texts
Whenever I try to make a call it states 'mobile network is unavailable' and when I try to connect to O2-UK in settings it states 'cannot connect at this time. please try again later'. The phone states emergency calls only but on the status bar it looks like it has a network connection and 3g can be used.
I've tried phoning O2 to setup the APN settings
It all started when I upgraded to CM12.1 from CM11. Although I have tried downgrading to the previous version and I am still having the same issue. I've tried wiping everything on the phone numerous times.
Is there anything else I can try, something I can wipe or a setting I can change?
Any help would be much appreciated!
If I can't sort it I'll grudgingly have to buy a new phone which is annoying because it only seems to have an issue with O2 in the UK
I had this when I upgraded from cm11 to cm13, all I did was turn on airplane mode for 10 seconds and switch it back on.
I wish it was that easy for me!
It seems that my phone has been blocked on my network (O2) since updating. Is there any way that an IMEI number can be involuntary changed during a root and installation of ROMs/radios?
I know this may be a very stupid question but my provider seems to think the IMEI number is strange, even though I purchased the phone from them in November 2011.
When I phone O2 their system says my IMEI number is different from when I type in *#06#.
Has anyone experienced this?
wattereus said:
I wish it was that easy for me!
It seems that my phone has been blocked on my network (O2) since updating. Is there any way that an IMEI number can be involuntary changed during a root and installation of ROMs/radios?
I know this may be a very stupid question but my provider seems to think the IMEI number is strange, even though I purchased the phone from them in November 2011.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, you stated that the card worked in other phones right? I am pretty sure you stated that other cards also worked so to be honest, this is something you have to phone them up seriously about.
Yes when I put my girlfriends EE sim into the phone it works fone. Also when I was in France my sim card worked fine, I'm guessing because it was using other networks.
It gets even stranger, when I type *#06# into my phone I get an IMEI number. I used an online website to check the status of the IMEI number and it stated that my Samsung Galaxy Nexus (which I've owned from new) is actually an iPhone....
wattereus said:
It gets even stranger, when I type *#06# into my phone I get an IMEI number. I used an online website to check the status of the IMEI number and it stated that my Samsung Galaxy Nexus (which I've owned from new) is actually an iPhone....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think we just found the source of our (well technically, your problem) problem. Now, do you have a nandroid backup or something that you are willing to restore to? I will look online for how to restore the imei.

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