Is my phone ulocked or what?

[Prime2515103]

The question is: If I stick a SIM card from TracFone in my T-Mobile Galaxy Note 3 and it boots up normally, and I can make calls, does that mean the phone is unlocked?

The details...

So I left T-Mobile (for now) and I have spent the last two weeks trying to get my phone unlocked. Earlier this morning I went to the T-Mobile store and had the girl call in (again) to re-email me the unlock code and instructions. They said they emailed it and it should be there when I get home. When I got home there was no email. The girl wrote the unlock code down for me, but I have no instructions from them.

I went online and looked around for instructions on how to unlock it and found several different versions. All of them said that I need to insert a SIM card from another carrier into the phone, and when it boots it will ask for a code.

Well, I inserted a card from a working TracFone, the phone booted normally (it didn't ask for a code) and I am able to make phone calls on it. Does that mean the phone is unlocked?

The thing is, I bought the phone from T-Mobile and have been using it with T-Mobile since I bought it. It was definitely never unlocked by me.

Would T-Mobile sell me an unlocked phone? Would they have already unlocked it when I canceled the service? Is it just that TracFone uses other carrier's networks and I might still be on a T-Mobile network and that's why it works? Is there a way to tell what network I am on? I looked under "About Phone->Status->SIM Status" and under Mobile Network Type it says "EDGE." Is that the mobile carrier? I thought Edge used other's networks as well but what do I know.

I'm really confused and T-Mobile's customer support is a joke to say the least (the girl at the store was very helpful, the people at the other end of the phone are idiots apparently).

Thanks

 

[Kazukian]

What network do you want to use?

 

[Prime2515103]

I don't want to use a network, I want the phone to be unlocked when I sell it.

 

[Prime2515103]

I just looked up that "EDGE" network and it is not the name of a service provider (I think I was thinking of Boost mobile or something). It turns out it is a sort of a "2.5G" type network. So nevermind on that. lol

 

[Oyeve]

I just looked up that "EDGE" network and it is not the name of a service provider (I think I was thinking of Boost mobile or something). It turns out it is a sort of a "2.5G" type network. So nevermind on that. lol

EDGE is ATT 2.5g. TMO uses this in slower network areas and usually by default until you enter TMO APN settings. Many phones are unlocked these days. I use TMO sims in verizon branded phones all the time and can make calls just by popping in a sim. Getting 4G and LTE and SMS and MMS requires some APN settings. If your phone can take APN settings just google them and enter them.

 

[Prime2515103]

EDGE is ATT 2.5g. TMO uses this in slower network areas and usually by default until you enter TMO APN settings. Many phones are unlocked these days. I use TMO sims in verizon branded phones all the time and can make calls just by popping in a sim. Getting 4G and LTE and SMS and MMS requires some APN settings. If your phone can take APN settings just google them and enter them.

I guess it is, indeed, unlocked then. With the now defunct T-Mobile SIM it says unknown network, and with the TracFone SIM it says EDGE and I'm not in a roaming area.

All that trouble and they didn't have the ability to tell if the phone was unlocked. Cripes...

 

[Raduque]

Tracfone uses AT&T or T-Mobile networks in different markets. You would need an AT&T or AT&T MVNO sim to know for sure.

I don't believe the Note 3 was an unlocked device by default. AT&T for sure locks every one of their phones tighter than Fort Knox. Verizon is required to make their LTE phones unlocked due to their contract for the spectrum - if they could get away with it, they would be 100% locked too.