How to tell if my phone is unlocked for any carrier WITHOUT using another carrier sim

troach76

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Ok I am new to the HTC Vivid and android but have plenty of computer experience. I searched but could not find an answer to a question of How to tell if my phone is unlocked for any carrier WITHOUT using another carrier sim card to test with?

Is there a cryptic message or number in one of the boot screens that will tell me, or am I going to have to find another carrier sim other then mine to test with?
 

troach76

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I have purchased a AT&T HTC Vivid for a very good price from someone at work that had just finished his contract and got a new phone. The thing is 100% of everyone I know is AT&T so I know of no way to test with out actually buying an account and trying it. I would like to know if the phone is unlocked before I spend the money on a sim that may not work with it. The co-worker I bought it from knows nothing about getting it unlocked or even if it was when the contract was up so no help there. This is the first android phone I have had.
 

Lanhoj

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I'd recommend going to your carrier's store & tell them the situation asking to pop in a SIM for a few minutes in-store.

That's what I did with a Canadian carrier.
 

troach76

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Well I don;t have a real carrier, I have been go phone for a long time and am wanting to switch to straight talk. The thing is I want to make sure the phone is unlocked because I want to buy the unlocked any gsm phone $45 a month package. This way any time I want to upgrade to a better phone it would be easy as long as it's an unlocked gsm phone. I could then re sell my old one as unlocked, I just wish there is a way to tell or am I going to have to go to an AT&T store and see if they would check it for me? I hate dealing with the local store, they suck!

Here is another question:
Does anyone on here have a preference for any of the unlocking web sites that are honest enough to actually give me a good unlock code and not be a rip off?
 

troach76

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ok when i go to the menu location for the APN'sI have a locked AT&T PTA APN that can not be erased. Does that tell me that the phone needs to have the unlock code entered if I use a non AT&T sim card?
 

OperationA7X

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It's best if you get the phone unlocked so the SIM can change the APN.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Android Central Forums
 

troach76

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Ok, here's an update. I got my Straight Talk sim and put it in and everything works! I was never asked for an unlock code. I still think it's locked cause Straight Talk says there sims are AT&T compatible. So I am still not sure if it needs unlocked and I don't want to waste the $10 to $15 for an unlock if I don't need to. I guess I will have to find someone using T-Mobile or some other carrier to test it. I would like to make sure it's unlocked so that later when I learn more about Android I can start rooting and custom stuff for it.
 

OperationA7X

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You don't need to carrier unlock for mods, you just need to unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery. And there's a free way to carrier unlock the phone, but it requires S-OFF. I can help you with the link if you're interested. For me, personally, there's no reason to S-OFF unless I want to make flashing Custom ROMs easier by allowing the zip to flash the kernel and antennas itself. But no, unless that SIM had an unlock script for the Vivid (which I doubt from Wal-Mart), your phone (and more than likely the SIM as well) is still locked. Now, if you want to mod your phone, I'm more than happy to oblige. Just private message me and we'll talk more. :)

Sent from my HTC Vivid WCX using Android Central Forums
 

London21

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You don't need to carrier unlock for mods, you just need to unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery. And there's a free way to carrier unlock the phone, but it requires S-OFF. I can help you with the link if you're interested. For me, personally, there's no reason to S-OFF unless I want to make flashing Custom ROMs easier by allowing the zip to flash the kernel and antennas itself. But no, unless that SIM had an unlock script for the Vivid (which I doubt from Wal-Mart), your phone (and more than likely the SIM as well) is still locked. Now, if you want to mod your phone, I'm more than happy to oblige. Just private message me and we'll talk more. :)

Sent from my HTC Vivid WCX using Android Central Forums


Hi I'm having that sort of problem now and I was wondering could you help me out ..?
 

Sandi Bartlett

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I have a metro pcs samsung galaxy 4g the original I have tmoble now but I couldn't get a good phone. I want to use the android but it tell me the sim is invalid. Can I change the settings to allow it. I hve read the forum and went to settings,wireless, but I could not find an apn so what do I do to chang I or can I not
 

OperationA7X

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I have a metro pcs samsung galaxy 4g the original I have tmoble now but I couldn't get a good phone. I want to use the android but it tell me the sim is invalid. Can I change the settings to allow it. I hve read the forum and went to settings,wireless, but I could not find an apn so what do I do to chang I or can I not

You might have to unlock it from the store first.

Sent from my HTC Vivid WCX using Android Central Forums
 

OperationA7X

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Jul 6, 2012
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I'm guessing on my phone, if I unlocked it, I can actually change it.

Sent from my HTC Vivid WCX using Android Central Forums
 

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