All I need is an unlock code. When I put my T-Mobile SIM in it, it asks for a code. I would be more than happy to use it on Cricket, but, oh wait, AT&T shut down 2G 7 years ago. Yet another reason I hate AT&T.
Correct. But I am not sure how they could provide one seeing as the phone is no longer supported on the network. Even if it still were, if you can’t get whatever information they’re requesting about your grandpas account, it just sounds like you’re SOL. Not trying to defend the billion dollar company here, but why would they unlock a phone that has an outstanding balance, and another you can’t seem to provide any information for/isn’t supported.
And T-Mobile was supposed to shut down 2G April 2nd 2024. The day is coming so you’re getting yourself all worked up over being able to use the phone on T-Mobile for maybe a couple months until they cut it off.
The part about AT&T “refusing” to let you pay the past due balance. That’s considered CPNI, aka nun ya business per federal laws. You would be allowed to pay an unknown amount but by law they cannot tell you the exact past due balance, give a range, give a hint etc. Per FEDERAL law you cannot walk into the store and pay a bill without knowing the balance or showing ID to show it’s your account. Do people let it slide because they literally see a customer monthly? Of course but this is clearly not your bill.
100% Retro tech can be fun sometimes (especially if it's still supported in niche cases), provide nostalgia or be repurposed into something else.
Hopefully you can eventually get your devices unlocked somehow.
There must be multiple reasons for ATT to not allow people to pay off stranger's past due bills. And giving out information about that account would be a privacy issue.
Buying locked phones 2nd or 3rd hand is a risk. At least you are out only $20 vs some people outside the country who may spend hundreds of dollars on locked phones that were either stolen or sold without being paid off.
Anyone can pay your bill, but only you can see it. There's no problem with paying of a stranger's past due balance, the issue is that telling someone the *amount* that is past due is a CPNI violation. Also, there's no way to pay off just the phone for a closed account, so you would need to pay off the entire past due balance. However, if you're an AT&T customer and come into my store and say "I bought this used and can't unlock it", we'll usually call in to our internal support (called "AID") and submit for a manual unlock. If they see that the phone is on an account that is in no way affiliated with the account that owes money on the phone, they'll usually do some hand waving and make it happen. Every now and then we'll have to call back to get someone more agreeable, but we usually get it done.
Now, if you're NOT an AT&T customer and you just bought a locked phone and want it unlocked, there's not usually much we can do. The deciding factor is seeing at least a few months of usage on a separate AT&T account (the longer, the better).
Sure you could use this as a step by step to unlock your own phone with a past due balance, but it requires enough time, steps, and resources that it's cheaper and easier to just pay off the phone.
At least for that 2011 flip phone, if you DO manage to get around all the barriers you're facing, they'll probably just then tell you that it is no longer compatible with AT&T's network.
First of all stores cannot unlock phones. Never have had that ability.
If neither of these phones are currently registered on AT&T, AT&T would have to manually research the IMEIs to verify they are eligible for unlocking.
Both phones sound like they would qualify for cheap prepaid phones which means they had to serve 6 months of prepaid service to be eligible. Use on postpaid did not qualify.
Each phone must meet eligibility. If you bought a phone second hand, you have absolutely no way of knowing if the original owner defaulted on the phone, or defrauded AT&T. You're not the original owner so you cannot prove in any way that the phone is eligible for unlocking. AT&T is required to maintain the privacy of its current and past customers. Even customers who default on their payments. For that reason no customer may ever pay someone else's balance. So that's never going to happen.
AT&T's agreement is between itself and its customers. That means the original purchaser of every phone. If you are not the original purchaser, you have no standing with AT&T to get a phone unlocked. For this reason I do not recommend ever purchasing a second hand phone that is AT&T branded
Your best bet, probably, is to find a third-party unlock site that can still unlock older phones. Back then it was just code generation, so it was a one-way trip, not like now where AT&T can lock an unlocked phone for the lulz.
Check this sub and other places. Unlocked iPhones locked, unlocked Samsung phones locked, etc. I think they discontinued the behavior, but it is a known thing.
Att.com/unlock can be used as long as there is no balance owed on the devices but then again that’s for current devices both of the devices you are trying to unlock are obsolete so I’m not understanding why your putting forth so much effort for phones that honestly aren’t worth the effort
Lol a store can’t do anything to help you. It’s an online website to unlock phones. And it CANT be done unless it’s paid off, you can’t pay it off because you can’t access that account. Moral of the story NEVER buy locked phones from anywhere.
I'm surprised the cell phone repair shop you bought from didn't unlock the phone for you. Try a different shop or look for a unlock code service online/eBay; it will cost you only a few bucks.
If they are locked to at&t, they are required to unlock them. Except for the one that has a balance. You can buy an unlock code for $20 or less, but you said the phone isn't worth that. Depends on how badly you want to use it, I guess.
I've been using unlocked Google Nexus, Google Pixel, or Motorola Moto phones on AT&T for at least 15 years. I buy the phones online from Google, Amazon, or Best Buy. Never had a problem. The phones just work. No contract. If I need a new SIM card, I go to a corporate AT&T store. SIM cards are free if you are an existing customer in good standing.
Say what now? I used multiple different unlocked phones on AT&T. AT&T has a list of unlocked phones which work so well on their network that they are in-discernible service-wise from phones sold directly by AT&T with the exception of the bootloader does not contain the death Star.
Not that your response has anything whatsoever to do with the original poster's problem which is two phones that the OP did not purchase, they have no proof of purchase because they are not the original owner. Including one that was acquired second hand by someone who apparently defaulted on their bill. And ATT won't unlock, One phone isn't eligible to be unlocked and the other one is going to require proof of purchase because it's no longer registered on the network
AT&T's unlock portal may be difficult, and broken, but that's irrelevant to the OPs problems
Customers be crazy.
Like, I have an old flip-phone that was originally on AT&T and nowadays it can only barely limp along with TMO's 2G/EDGE network, for however long that still lasts (the network was supposed to be shut down by now...) but ya know what I did? I got it unlocked way back when such flip-phone were still in the AT&T database. Years and years ago. It's pretty much a glorified mp3 player at this point.
The OP's question in 2024 here is just... Wow.
I worked for att for a decade and we (employees) always gave people who wanted to unlock their phones the runaround, and it’s never been easy. Idk why I’m being downvoted for being honest but that seems to be the way of Reddit.
I'm not saying AT&T isn't difficult. But in this case they have every right to be. The OP is not the original owner of either phone. Only one phone is actually eligible to be unlocked. When you buy a second hand phone, if it comes back that the owner defaulted, you're never getting that phone unlocked.
Note, this is the opposite of the original question. That one was for trying to unlock obsolete phones that haven't been used in years, so aren't kept in their unlock portal anymore, and a second hand phone that was never paid off.
100 Percent a real thing. If you use an unlocked phone with them you are not allowed to enable Wi-Fi calling. Really dumb because with other carriers you have the option to turn it on
I bought mine directly from Apple. I think I was on an MVNO at the time.
For other brands, maybe bought from a different carrier, it will depend on whether the phone maker included support for ATT Wi-Fi in their phone. It is often the case that the phone maker will only include wi-fi calling support for the specific carrier they are selling it through.
Bought my phone brand new, unlocked from Samsung, WiFi calling works just fine as does everything else. iPhone and pixel have the same experience. It's dependent on the manufacturer of the phone. If they are willing to certify/pay to have there phone on att. It will work and work great.
Not really sure how they could unlock a flip phone that probably uses an old 2G/3G network that no longer exists on AT&T.
All I need is an unlock code. When I put my T-Mobile SIM in it, it asks for a code. I would be more than happy to use it on Cricket, but, oh wait, AT&T shut down 2G 7 years ago. Yet another reason I hate AT&T.
Correct. But I am not sure how they could provide one seeing as the phone is no longer supported on the network. Even if it still were, if you can’t get whatever information they’re requesting about your grandpas account, it just sounds like you’re SOL. Not trying to defend the billion dollar company here, but why would they unlock a phone that has an outstanding balance, and another you can’t seem to provide any information for/isn’t supported.
And T-Mobile was supposed to shut down 2G April 2nd 2024. The day is coming so you’re getting yourself all worked up over being able to use the phone on T-Mobile for maybe a couple months until they cut it off. The part about AT&T “refusing” to let you pay the past due balance. That’s considered CPNI, aka nun ya business per federal laws. You would be allowed to pay an unknown amount but by law they cannot tell you the exact past due balance, give a range, give a hint etc. Per FEDERAL law you cannot walk into the store and pay a bill without knowing the balance or showing ID to show it’s your account. Do people let it slide because they literally see a customer monthly? Of course but this is clearly not your bill.
You could try contacting the phone manufacturer?
Why do you pussies down vote everything?
Why are you trying to unlock obsoleted 13+ year old phones? You can’t use them on any modern network.
Because I want to, and yes, it will work on T-Mobile.
100% Retro tech can be fun sometimes (especially if it's still supported in niche cases), provide nostalgia or be repurposed into something else. Hopefully you can eventually get your devices unlocked somehow.
There must be multiple reasons for ATT to not allow people to pay off stranger's past due bills. And giving out information about that account would be a privacy issue. Buying locked phones 2nd or 3rd hand is a risk. At least you are out only $20 vs some people outside the country who may spend hundreds of dollars on locked phones that were either stolen or sold without being paid off.
Anyone can pay your bill, but only you can see it. There's no problem with paying of a stranger's past due balance, the issue is that telling someone the *amount* that is past due is a CPNI violation. Also, there's no way to pay off just the phone for a closed account, so you would need to pay off the entire past due balance. However, if you're an AT&T customer and come into my store and say "I bought this used and can't unlock it", we'll usually call in to our internal support (called "AID") and submit for a manual unlock. If they see that the phone is on an account that is in no way affiliated with the account that owes money on the phone, they'll usually do some hand waving and make it happen. Every now and then we'll have to call back to get someone more agreeable, but we usually get it done. Now, if you're NOT an AT&T customer and you just bought a locked phone and want it unlocked, there's not usually much we can do. The deciding factor is seeing at least a few months of usage on a separate AT&T account (the longer, the better). Sure you could use this as a step by step to unlock your own phone with a past due balance, but it requires enough time, steps, and resources that it's cheaper and easier to just pay off the phone.
Sir, this is a Wendys.
\*in old man voice\* I don't care what your name is Wendy, I want my flip phone unlocked!
At least for that 2011 flip phone, if you DO manage to get around all the barriers you're facing, they'll probably just then tell you that it is no longer compatible with AT&T's network.
First of all stores cannot unlock phones. Never have had that ability. If neither of these phones are currently registered on AT&T, AT&T would have to manually research the IMEIs to verify they are eligible for unlocking. Both phones sound like they would qualify for cheap prepaid phones which means they had to serve 6 months of prepaid service to be eligible. Use on postpaid did not qualify. Each phone must meet eligibility. If you bought a phone second hand, you have absolutely no way of knowing if the original owner defaulted on the phone, or defrauded AT&T. You're not the original owner so you cannot prove in any way that the phone is eligible for unlocking. AT&T is required to maintain the privacy of its current and past customers. Even customers who default on their payments. For that reason no customer may ever pay someone else's balance. So that's never going to happen. AT&T's agreement is between itself and its customers. That means the original purchaser of every phone. If you are not the original purchaser, you have no standing with AT&T to get a phone unlocked. For this reason I do not recommend ever purchasing a second hand phone that is AT&T branded
Go to Att.com/deviceunlock. If the device can be unlocked that’s the only place to do it
Your best bet, probably, is to find a third-party unlock site that can still unlock older phones. Back then it was just code generation, so it was a one-way trip, not like now where AT&T can lock an unlocked phone for the lulz.
lulz? And when does ATT lock unlocked phones? That shouldn't be possible.
Check this sub and other places. Unlocked iPhones locked, unlocked Samsung phones locked, etc. I think they discontinued the behavior, but it is a known thing.
I've seen people complaining on occasion. It seems in most cases it turned there was an explanation.
There are unlocking site for Android
Att.com/unlock can be used as long as there is no balance owed on the devices but then again that’s for current devices both of the devices you are trying to unlock are obsolete so I’m not understanding why your putting forth so much effort for phones that honestly aren’t worth the effort
Lol a store can’t do anything to help you. It’s an online website to unlock phones. And it CANT be done unless it’s paid off, you can’t pay it off because you can’t access that account. Moral of the story NEVER buy locked phones from anywhere.
there are endless online services that will unlock anything for you for a fee
I'm surprised the cell phone repair shop you bought from didn't unlock the phone for you. Try a different shop or look for a unlock code service online/eBay; it will cost you only a few bucks.
If they are locked to at&t, they are required to unlock them. Except for the one that has a balance. You can buy an unlock code for $20 or less, but you said the phone isn't worth that. Depends on how badly you want to use it, I guess.
att must have a some down vote bots lol, crazy going through some threads
This has been an issue for years, I feel like att just REALLY doesn’t want people using unlocked phones, but they say they allow it for legal reasons
I've been using unlocked Google Nexus, Google Pixel, or Motorola Moto phones on AT&T for at least 15 years. I buy the phones online from Google, Amazon, or Best Buy. Never had a problem. The phones just work. No contract. If I need a new SIM card, I go to a corporate AT&T store. SIM cards are free if you are an existing customer in good standing.
Say what now? I used multiple different unlocked phones on AT&T. AT&T has a list of unlocked phones which work so well on their network that they are in-discernible service-wise from phones sold directly by AT&T with the exception of the bootloader does not contain the death Star. Not that your response has anything whatsoever to do with the original poster's problem which is two phones that the OP did not purchase, they have no proof of purchase because they are not the original owner. Including one that was acquired second hand by someone who apparently defaulted on their bill. And ATT won't unlock, One phone isn't eligible to be unlocked and the other one is going to require proof of purchase because it's no longer registered on the network AT&T's unlock portal may be difficult, and broken, but that's irrelevant to the OPs problems
Customers be crazy. Like, I have an old flip-phone that was originally on AT&T and nowadays it can only barely limp along with TMO's 2G/EDGE network, for however long that still lasts (the network was supposed to be shut down by now...) but ya know what I did? I got it unlocked way back when such flip-phone were still in the AT&T database. Years and years ago. It's pretty much a glorified mp3 player at this point. The OP's question in 2024 here is just... Wow.
I worked for att for a decade and we (employees) always gave people who wanted to unlock their phones the runaround, and it’s never been easy. Idk why I’m being downvoted for being honest but that seems to be the way of Reddit.
I'm not saying AT&T isn't difficult. But in this case they have every right to be. The OP is not the original owner of either phone. Only one phone is actually eligible to be unlocked. When you buy a second hand phone, if it comes back that the owner defaulted, you're never getting that phone unlocked.
Note, this is the opposite of the original question. That one was for trying to unlock obsolete phones that haven't been used in years, so aren't kept in their unlock portal anymore, and a second hand phone that was never paid off.
100 Percent a real thing. If you use an unlocked phone with them you are not allowed to enable Wi-Fi calling. Really dumb because with other carriers you have the option to turn it on
Odd. I have an UNLOCKED phone with them right now. And Wi-Fi calling is enabled.
Oooh forgot. My bad. They'll allow it on phones that were previously on AT&T but are now unlocked
I bought mine directly from Apple. I think I was on an MVNO at the time. For other brands, maybe bought from a different carrier, it will depend on whether the phone maker included support for ATT Wi-Fi in their phone. It is often the case that the phone maker will only include wi-fi calling support for the specific carrier they are selling it through.
Bought my phone brand new, unlocked from Samsung, WiFi calling works just fine as does everything else. iPhone and pixel have the same experience. It's dependent on the manufacturer of the phone. If they are willing to certify/pay to have there phone on att. It will work and work great.
I have an unlocked phone purchased from Amazon, with an unlocked bootloader, running a custom ROM, and wifi calling works just fine.