Techno12345

Q: Do unlocked Iphones from UK work in Russia?

Hi,

I have recently sold my old unlocked Iphone 4s to someone in Russia. I have not had any problems using this previously on a sim only contract in the UK after a previous contract it was purchased under came to an end.

They have advised they are getting the 'SIM not valid' error (the sim card that you currently have installed in this iphone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned to the activation server....) when they try to insert a SIM for a Russian network.

Any ideas how to troubleshoot this? is an iphone set up in the UK capable of working in Russia?

can the handset lock itself again?

thanks!

iPhone 4S

Posted on Aug 15, 2015 6:42 AM

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Q: Do unlocked Iphones from UK work in Russia?

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  • by wegras,

    wegras wegras Aug 15, 2015 6:55 AM in response to Techno12345
    Level 6 (15,184 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 15, 2015 6:55 AM in response to Techno12345

    In theory a UK iPhone should work in Russia on an Apple Authorised network on 3G

    However the message suggests the iPhone is locked to a carrier ,probably UK ,

    If that is the case it will not be unlocked whilst in Russia by a UK carrier

    Was the iPhone locked to a UK Carrier

  • by Phil0124,

    Phil0124 Phil0124 Aug 15, 2015 7:03 AM in response to Techno12345
    Level 7 (27,681 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 15, 2015 7:03 AM in response to Techno12345

    Technically there's no reason an unlocked iPhone from the U.K. would not work in Russia.

    However, the error points to it being locked to a particular carrier.

     

    How did you get it unlocked?

     

    If it was unlocked by the original carrier ti should not re-lock.

  • by Techno12345,

    Techno12345 Techno12345 Aug 15, 2015 9:15 AM in response to wegras
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 15, 2015 9:15 AM in response to wegras

    Thanks for your reply. It was on a contract with a UK carrier (cant remember which now) but was unlocked so I could use it with a giffgaff sim, after which I had no problems. Now someone else is using it in Russia with another SIM, it gets this error message - SIM not valid.

    As I cant remember which carrier I had the contract with, is there any way of checking if the handset is 'locked' for some reason? (However I don't understand this as if it wasn't unlocked it wouldn't work with a giff gadff SIM?) and any way of having it unlocked in the UK without the handset?

    thanks again

  • by wegras,

    wegras wegras Aug 15, 2015 9:19 AM in response to Techno12345
    Level 6 (15,184 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 15, 2015 9:19 AM in response to Techno12345

    You say you had it unlocked, by whom ?

  • by Techno12345,

    Techno12345 Techno12345 Aug 15, 2015 9:25 AM in response to wegras
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 15, 2015 9:25 AM in response to wegras

    I got the reference /PAK code? from the provider at the time, think it was vodaphone - im trying to find out.

  • by wegras,

    wegras wegras Aug 15, 2015 9:33 AM in response to Techno12345
    Level 6 (15,184 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 15, 2015 9:33 AM in response to Techno12345

    That isn't an unlock ,it is the Porting Authorisation Code  (PAC) which simply allows your new carrier to take your telephone number to your new carrier

    The carrier unlock is applied at purchase only allowing the iPhone to be used on the sellers network and only they can release it

    This is how it works

    How to unlock your iPhone for use with another carrier - Apple Support

    Vodafone will only unlock an iPhone if it is active on their UK network with a Contract customer or PAYG

    An iPhone in Russia is not going to be unlocked by them

    You may have to refund ,especially considering where it is

  • by Techno12345,

    Techno12345 Techno12345 Aug 15, 2015 9:46 AM in response to wegras
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 15, 2015 9:46 AM in response to wegras

    ok thanks for the quick reply. what I don't understand is that the iphone was used on a different network in the uk to the one the contract was for and so in order for it to work, wouldn't it have had to have been unlocked to do this? how could it have been used on 2 different UK networks if it hadn't been unlocked?

    will it have to have the last sim installed in it, in order for me to try and get it unlocked by the last carrier? no other way?

    sorry, but as you can tell, I am a newbie to this type of situation..

  • by wegras,

    wegras wegras Aug 15, 2015 10:20 AM in response to Techno12345
    Level 6 (15,184 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 15, 2015 10:20 AM in response to Techno12345

    Only if you did unlock correctly (not something you would forget ) and that wouldn't explain the issue in Russia

    or is was hacked by an online or back street phone mechanic and when restored that would remove the hack and lock it back to Vodafone

    call AppleCare and they may tell you the true status of it's lock state  called Carrier lock

     

    United Kingdom

    0800 107 6285


    then you will know if the iPhone is locked or it is a Russian scam being tried

  • by Techno12345,

    Techno12345 Techno12345 Aug 15, 2015 10:26 AM in response to wegras
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 15, 2015 10:26 AM in response to wegras

    thanks a million - I will do

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Aug 15, 2015 10:41 AM in response to Techno12345
    Level 8 (36,306 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 15, 2015 10:41 AM in response to Techno12345

    The iPhone may not have been unlocked and may have originally been on an O2 contract (or on an O2 MVNO network).

     

    giffgaff is a MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that uses O2's network, so a giffgaff SIM card would have worked (as you said it did) even if the iPhone was still locked to O2:

     

    "A giffgaff sim will work in an unlocked, sim free or o2 locked phone"

    Re: Does GiffGaff work on O2 locked phones? - The giffgaff ...

  • by Techno12345,

    Techno12345 Techno12345 Aug 16, 2015 6:18 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 16, 2015 6:18 AM in response to Jonathan UK

    Thanks Jonathan - ive just discovered that it exactly whats happened!

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Aug 16, 2015 6:24 AM in response to Techno12345
    Level 8 (36,306 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 16, 2015 6:24 AM in response to Techno12345

    You're most welcome - I'm sorry it wasn't the solution you were hoping for