Let me just start off by saying I have tried everything (free) under the sun to unlock my S3 (I9300). I have learnt more in the last 2 days about my phone than I have in the past 2 years of owning it. From rooting and trying unlock apps to downgrading and trying the service mode glitch, I've tried it. It is more of a quest at this point. I would have paid to unlock it by now if it wasn't for my stubbornness.
From what I understand, since I am on version 4.3 and have EFS v2 (with no EFS v1 backup), there is no way to network unlock my phone without getting an unlock code from my network or a website, both of which require payment.
I can understand how the network is able to get an unlock code but what I don't understand is how various websites can 'calculate' unlock codes for my device, especially without the device at hand.
In theory, why can't I calculate the unlock codes myself? If I can, how?
No, codes aren't calculated -they come from a database that you can't access. Give up and buy a code.
BPate said:
I can understand how the network is able to get an unlock code but what I don't understand is how various websites can 'calculate' unlock codes for my device, especially without the device at hand.
In theory, why can't I calculate the unlock codes myself? If I can, how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually have the codes that Vodafone provides free of charge with it's Network unlocking tool, unfortunately these codes don't work and they have yet to give me a reason why. The only thing I can hope for is a way to flash back to efs v1 but so far as I know it's impossible.
Related
How many attempts are you allowed
Can I find this on my phone
If at max can I reset
My phone is rooted and I ran unlock app the code wouldn't unlock phone
Do I use unfreeze code then try unlock code again
Any help would be much appreciated
Have trolled through the forums point me to a link
Cheers
If you are rooted, use Galaxy_S Unlock from the market.
[root] SGS2 SIM unlock code finder
Or you can use Chainfire's unlock code apk.
I have and the code won't unlock from O2
That is why I'm asking if you only get so many chances
Three normally
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
jerig said:
My phone is rooted and I ran unlock app the code wouldn't unlock phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a noob who's trying to understand as much as possible before actually doing anything to their new toy.
Reading other threads on this subject suggests that NONE of the routes to unlock documented on this forum (whether via an app or manually using odia's method) will work UNLESS you have hardware version 1.2.
You can find your hardware version by typing *#2222# into the dialler.
My phone is H/W version 1.4 - does this mean there's no way I can unlock it right now without buying an unlock code off the carrier?
Any way to check this on the phone and can it be reset to zero?
jerig said:
Any way to check this on the phone and can it be reset to zero?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm curious to know what hardware version you have. Just type *#2222# into the dialler & report back what you see on the screen.
READ FTA HW VERSION
FTA HW VERSION : REV1.4
Hope this helps
Ive also given phone to a "SHOP" to have it unlocked
they couldn't get it unlocked either - this was going to be at a cost £20 - obviously i didnt have to pay
So im pretty sure that more than 3 attempts have been made to unlock phone - all i want to know is can you reset the "attempt counter"
jerig said:
Ive also given phone to a "SHOP" to have it unlocked
they couldn't get it unlocked either - this was going to be at a cost £20 - obviously i didnt have to pay
So im pretty sure that more than 3 attempts have been made to unlock phone - all i want to know is can you reset the "attempt counter"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There'll be an unfreeze code you can enter for that but if the methods used here can't find the unlock code, then they almost certainly can't find the unfreeze code either. For H/W v. 1.4, I believe Samsung have salted the encryption of the unlock & unfreeze codes stored in nv_data.bin, so any attempt at unlock based on odia's method will fail.
Hopefully one of the more experienced members will come along soon and help us noob's out, even if it's only to confirm that there's no way of unlocking our phones without paying the carrier for the code.
Phone unlocked :- ran app got unfreeze code put that in shut down phone removed battery(dont think this is necessary) restarted phone then put in unlock code SUCCESS phone now unlocked and all appears to be well.
Just going to thank author of post
MODS ok to close Thread I'm sorted
Thanks to all
jerig, Which app? worked for you on HW v 1.4?
trying to unlock from Orange, galaxy s2 sim unlock just says
"could not get SIM unlock code "
and it is definately locked
still interested to hear your reply, but ive done mine now.
used
Galaxy_S Unlock.apk
need internet connection!
used
step 1. backed up efs
step 2. change lock bytes
phone rebooted after about 1 minute
keypad
*#simlock#
Networl Lock
[OFF]
yes ! YES! YESSSSS! giffgaff sim up and running
hey, im reading quite a few mixed responses here
Can you please confirm/answer 2 things:
1) I have HW 1.4. Will i have any problems unlocking the phone?
2) What are the tools i need and exact steps i need to unlock it
Thanks to anyone that helps
gyro11 said:
hey, im reading quite a few mixed responses here
Can you please confirm/answer 2 things:
1) I have HW 1.4. Will i have any problems unlocking the phone?
2) What are the tools i need and exact steps i need to unlock it
Thanks to anyone that helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I unlocked mine which is 1.4 using the method i stated in the ppost above yours.
just googled Galaxy_S Unlock.apk downloaded it on my pc, put it onto sd card, installed it on phone and ran as described.
was locked to orange, now isnt.
I also have HW 1.4 and it didn't work with galaxy_S unlock. I have done the stepts..the phone reboots..but still locked on O2
Any sugestions? thank you
alfonzobonzo said:
still interested to hear your reply, but ive done mine now.
used
Galaxy_S Unlock.apk
need internet connection!
used
step 1. backed up efs
step 2. change lock bytes
phone rebooted after about 1 minute
keypad
*#simlock#
Networl Lock
[OFF]
yes ! YES! YESSSSS! giffgaff sim up and running
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This worked for me too and I had tried every other method going. my phone was locked to orange and was rev 1.4
I also have HW 1.4.
But I'm not confidence with Helroz method.
I've heard that is different from IMEI method, and I prefer to do it like "buying imei unlock method"
So, is there any option to get unlock code for HW 1.4 ? May be unfreze also ?
I will put manually when the SGS2 asks for it.
So, is there any option to get unlock code for HW 1.4 ?
I have a factory locked S3, but my provider gives out the unlocking code for free. I put in a sim from another provider, got asked for the code, entered it and it worked.
I then rooted the phone.
However, after a few days I wanted to remove root and reflashed stock firmware with Odin. I searched out the proper file here at xda and flashed it. I then got an error about messaging stopped everytime I booted and searched some more. The solution was to flash with Odin again, but check upgrade bootloader. After that the phone works fine and everything is in place like it was new.
But, my phone has been locked again and my code does not work anymore. I have called my provider (leaving out the root and flashingpart) and they say that if the unlock is not working I must send it to them so they can unlock it.
So I have these questions:
1. Having done what I have done, will TriangleAway + reflashing stock with Odin remove every trace of my "tampering"?
2. What can they do to the phone that I cannot do myself with som advice from xda?
3. How many attempts are there of entering the unlock code? It still asks for a code. I do not get any message about too many tries. But I have must have punched the code more than three times...
I have read that people get their IMEI changed when reflashing, but mine is still original. I can not understand why the operator lock has come back.
Please help!
1) I believe so yes (not sure, I'm new to this forum just what I've read)
2) They can block the IMEI if the phone was lost/stolen
3) I am not sure with Samsung/Android phones but when I was unlocking my mums Nokia C3 it only allowed me to enter a code three times before displaying an error message.
It is not stolen or lost. I have bought it from my operator myself. I talked to them today and there is no block on this phone. It does work with my operators sim, but no other sims.
My question was that they can do to unlock ut that I cannot do myself?
jadajada said:
It is not stolen or lost. I have bought it from my operator myself. I talked to them today and there is no block on this phone. It does work with my operators sim, but no other sims.
My question was that they can do to unlock ut that I cannot do myself?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything, they are your carrier.
None of us can generate unlock codes for the phone, they can get the unlock codes and make sure it's 100% unlocked
UrbanDesigns said:
Everything, they are your carrier.
None of us can generate unlock codes for the phone, they can get the unlock codes and make sure it's 100% unlocked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the Voodoo sim unlock app ? You'll need root access though. the app has also been removed from the Play Store
The dev's site, you can download and sideload the app from here:
http://project-voodoo.org/android-apps
TheLegendaryJay said:
What about the Voodoo sim unlock app ? You'll need root access though. the app has also been removed from the Play Store
The dev's site, you can download and sideload the app from here:
http://project-voodoo.org/android-apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not an unlock code though it's just temporary. A factory unlock is permanent (or so it should be)
UrbanDesigns said:
Everything, they are your carrier.
None of us can generate unlock codes for the phone, they can get the unlock codes and make sure it's 100% unlocked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spoke to my carrier and they said that there was only one valid code for my IMEI, and that does not work anymore. It did work once, but after reflashing the firmware with Odin, the lock came back and now the code does not work.
Perhaps they just replace the phone with a swap unit? Therefore I ask again, will TriangleAway and reflashing stock remove all traces of rooting/tampering? If not I will get the phone back and be forced to pay for the service as well.
+1 for this problem.
I unlocked mine with the voodoo unlocker and was fine for a couple of months. Flashed a newer version of cm10 and was asked to enter Sim unlock code. This time I got the pin from my carrier but with that number it says Sim unlock unsuccessful.
Anyone else had this problem? Anyone know of a solution?
At the moment I just have a fancy mp3 player/camera :silly:
Voodoo sim doesn't work properly with then latest firmwarea but theres a new app 'Galaxsim-unlock' that I can recommend. Your'llshare find it over in the themes and apps section
jadajada said:
I have a factory locked S3, but my provider gives out the unlocking code for free. I put in a sim from another provider, got asked for the code, entered it and it worked.
I then rooted the phone.
However, after a few days I wanted to remove root and reflashed stock firmware with Odin. I searched out the proper file here at xda and flashed it. I then got an error about messaging stopped everytime I booted and searched some more. The solution was to flash with Odin again, but check upgrade bootloader. After that the phone works fine and everything is in place like it was new.
But, my phone has been locked again and my code does not work anymore. I have called my provider (leaving out the root and flashingpart) and they say that if the unlock is not working I must send it to them so they can unlock it.
So I have these questions:
1. Having done what I have done, will TriangleAway + reflashing stock with Odin remove every trace of my "tampering"?
2. What can they do to the phone that I cannot do myself with som advice from xda?
3. How many attempts are there of entering the unlock code? It still asks for a code. I do not get any message about too many tries. But I have must have punched the code more than three times...
I have read that people get their IMEI changed when reflashing, but mine is still original. I can not understand why the operator lock has come back.
Please help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try to use Valhalla ( Voodoo has disappeared from the Play Store ) :
http://donmacsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012_06_01_archive.html?m=1
I've managed to get mine back to unlocked.
I was on cm10 and then when flashing a newer version the lock came back. I was originally using voodoo sim unlock but that wouldnt work this time so rang my carrier and got an official code which would not work either.
Flashed back to stock using odin making sure to use the network branded ROM i was originally on and not just a stock ROM, then enter the code the carrier gave me and this time it worked!
Guessing you must be running a stock carrier branded ROM for the code to register properly and unlock.
Hope this works for anyone else!
I bought a sgh-t399n at a garage sale recently and quickly rooted the phone and installed TWRP Recovery and CM12 on it. I called Metro and T-Mobile ( After flashing their firmware) for the unlock code but of course they refused to give it to me. So i tried 2 or 3 different unlock by IMEI websites as well as every single unlock app and software I could find while running logcat. The best lead I've gotten was the S.G.S. Unlock Tool app. It says it found the code but the results are null. In the logcat the system denies permission saying that the app was sending request as -2 when it was 0 and that it needed "android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL" to accsess the info. Now I'm not a Dev by any definition of the term, nor am I any kind of hacker but I have learned a good bit from these forums over the last couple of years and my gut tells me this can be done with a little patients and some help from the good folks at XDA. Any imput on the subject is greatly appreciated.
You won't be able to unlock on CM12, have to have the stock firmware and OS installed.
yeah install stock system and any code should work without issue
If you unlock on stock system and then flash cyanogen, will it be fine?
-Tofu- said:
If you unlock on stock system and then flash cyanogen, will it be fine?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
es0tericcha0s said:
Yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The unlock code must be hidden on one of the partitions of the device it's self though right? Possibly in the EFS partion? Also how would i change thepermissions of an app to allow in to interact acroo all users?
Whether or not the code is in EFS, you still can't unlock on CM.
No I understand that. It is currently on the T-Mobile stock T399 firmware flashed with odin but still could not get an unlock code . Also i would like to learn to unlock these phones for future devices.
So it is not requesting an unlock code when you have a non T-Mobile SIM card installed? How odd... It should. If not, either it's already unlocked, or something else is going on. Have you tried both the Metro and Tmo firmware? Only the newest T-Mobile and Metro phones are not supported by unlocking via code as they use the Unlock app. As far as unlocking yourself, your best bet would be to get an unlock box like z3x or Octopus if you plan on doing a lot of them. If it's just 1 every year or 2, then it wouldn't make sense. Some phones have ways to unlock via root and hacks, but not all and it is becoming less common now as more manufacturers are making the ways to unlock more difficult either via encryption or other means.
The unlock companies I tried were unable to get a code by imei. Therefore I was never able to put in a real code. I've looked in to the z3x but it is way outta my price range as I am only a novice tinker. I just figured since the code must be in the programing of the phone somewhere then it was just a matter of locating the partition and file in which it was hidden and then decoding it. Is it possible to change an apps or users permissions? If so how?
rkey1000 said:
The unlock companies I tried were unable to get a code by imei. Therefore I was never able to put in a real code. I've looked in to the z3x but it is way outta my price range as I am only a novice tinker. I just figured since the code must be in the programing of the phone somewhere then it was just a matter of locating the partition and file in which it was hidden and then decoding it. Is it possible to change an apps or users permissions? If so how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the app Root explorer allows you to change permissions on items.
It does, but nothing Root Explorer can do will help you find an unlock code, unfortunately. If the phone does not ask for a code when inserting another carrier's SIM, then that's the issue that would need to be resolved before anything else.
Sorry if I've been unclear. The phone dose ask for a code when a sim from a different carrier is put in but after trying 3 unlock by IMEI companies none of them were able to generate a code by IMEI. As for the permissions issue, I have an app that claims to find the codes but only says "null" in the results column. After going through the log cat it says the app is running as user 0 but is requesting info as user -2 and that it needs the permission " INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS_FULL" to show the info. So i was hoping to learn how i grant said app that permission and see if it would show the code?
solidus636 said:
yeah install stock system and any code should work without issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you paste a link to the stock system?
Could anyone PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me a working unlock code for my metro pcs phone email me [email protected] or [email protected] thank you.
Running into the same problem only im on a non rooted system. I need a solution to get the codes needed to unlock it from T-mobile and need them without running hardware as all i have is hardware from the old days. Software would be a choice if anyone knows of anything reliable. Services I am also willing to pay for if cheap and working.
Why does each of us have to pay to unlock their phone model from a network when only one of us could unlock and then help others ?
Thats why I think we need to understand how phone unlocking works. I've searched and could not find any tutorial. I suggest this to be general advice and not any specific device.
So questions:
When I insert the unlock code into an android device, what files or partitions are modified ? Then could we not clone that and share the image with other users ?
It doesn't work like that. Each IMEI gets its own code by the carriers. It's not even an Android thing as all software come to the carrier unlocked and the carrier then adds in its own stuff excluding then lock codes.
We all know that each phone has its own IMEI. But to be more clear in byte-code language, we need to understand, how does the phone itself know "am I a locked phone or an unlocked one ?" Or in other words, do those who own websites to unlock code break the algorithm themselves or do they buy it from producers ?
Actually some have discovered that it's mmcblk0p6 in their case that changes when applying the unlock code, and using tools such as "string -n 8" to read that partition. But we need to uncover more than that, we don't know the partition name that need to be changed in other cases.
Usually it will automatically unlock after 180 days, but I am wondering if it can be done faster?
what exactly are you trying to unlock? the SIM unlock i think has to be requested through the carrier or possibly a business that specifically does those but i cant recommend any or the use of those services. bootloader unlock on the tmobile variant(which should be the exact same device, the tmobile variant has the metro apps installed but disabled" was already available in the first security patch...... but i ran the Nord debloat script from another oneplus thread before ever attempting the bootloader unlock the first time so i cant verify whether thats even needed to get the oem unlock option available or not. maybe someone else can comment on that
my device is MetroPCS, hasn't been 180 days and anyone should be able to unlock the bootloader on these carrier devices. and as stated above, sim unlock and bootloader unlock are two different things. you will not be able to force a sim unlock, and the bootloader unlock will not expedite the process either.
pay off your device or search the forums for someone who might just be able to help you, if you fall within their guidelines.
dmtec said:
my device is MetroPCS, hasn't been 180 days and anyone should be able to unlock the bootloader on these carrier devices. and as stated above, sim unlock and bootloader unlock are two different things. you will not be able to force a sim unlock, and the bootloader unlock will not expedite the process either.
pay off your device or search the forums for someone who might just be able to help you, if you fall within their guidelines.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just received token. Can I update the system before unlock bootloader?
update: bootloader unlocked after system update.
AmazingZ said:
I just received token. Can I update the system before unlock bootloader?
update: bootloader unlocked after system update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes and take a full backup while u r pulling ur boot image to root
What's the procedure to sim unlock I am currently in India and can't use local sim any help will be appreciated
only way i know of right now is to use the carrier app or possibly pay a 3rd party that does sim unlocks and i honestly dont know any i could recommend. If anyone 3lse has found a way to do this it would b nice to know