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ASE84 Author

Level 1

47 points

''Sim Not Valid'' on activation screen! PLEASE HELP

I have purchased the iPhone 6 64GB Silver from Verizon Wireless. I purchased it on November 18th 2014 and i was able to use the phone under the Verizon Network for 2 days I asked Verizon as ALWAYS to have to Unlocked because i was leaving the country in business trip for a week and therefor i wanted to use my iPhone with the Vodafone Network as i have always done this with the previous iPhone's under Verizon network. When i had my iPhone 5 & iPhone 5S i have called Verizon to have it unlocked and therefor they have done it, but now with the new iPhone 6 they tell me that its a 4G Phone and its already unlocked sir, there is nothing they can do to unlock it any further but in reality the iPhone 6 its Lock to Verizon Wireless Network, according to Apple, and Vodafone they both say that its Locked to Verizon Wireless, that's what it shows in their system. Now i have called Verizon and asked them again to unlock my iPhone which they insist and tell me the same thing over and over even their Manager and Global Team Support including the Supervisors they all say the same thing that the iPhone is Unlocked!!!! Now i have contacted Apple again this time Apple said that it is locked to Verizon is what they see on their computer that this IME#354409063763754 is showing Locked to Verizon once again and again and AGAIN! so who is lying here Apple or Verizon?!? Interesting! one of the Apple costumer care could not believe my story after speaking to 5 different one from Apple and 38 different from Verizon, and there for she decided to call Verizon and find out why aren't they unlocking my device. now, after being on the phone 3 way me Apple care and Verizon for 15min Verizon hangs up the phone on Apples face and tells me I can Not Believe they hang up on my face! interesting huh? Well Apple care then said ill transfer you to Seignior Adviser for further help there is nothing that she could do, but transfer me to much higher grade in helping the costumers. Now the Seignior Adviser couldn't believe that i had to go through all this and said I'm here to help and i will help, i said sure you will, will see how much you can. Then he tries and tries and in the end NOTHING! since he couldn't do anything he said let me transfer you to much higher which is their Consumer Relations. Now they couldn't believe that i had to go through all this and that they have never heard such story that this had happen to anyone before, there for he was going to help me resolve my issue. Now they have contacted Verizon and Verizon keeps saying the same thing mean while on the Apple system it still shows Locked to Verizon Wireless.

Now what they Verizon and Apple did to try and resolve this issue is Connecting my iPhone 6 to iTunes and have it Factory Restore! ok! so i did as i was told,

now after 30 min of restoring the iPhone to factory settings im back to Activation Screen from beginning.

1. Choose Language - English

2. Choose Region - United States

3. Choose Wi-Fi

4. Sim Not Valid!

there is no other options, either go back or retry, and none has worked. I have done the Restore 5 times with and with out sim card and still same error,

With out the sim card, after choose the Wi-Fi, it says Sim Required, there is no other options only go back and retry.

I put the sim back in and its still says the same

<Back

SIM NOT VALID

The SIM card that you currently have installed in this iPhone s from a carrier that is not Supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone. Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more information.

Try Again

Now i cant even go to my home screen what do i do? PLEASE HEP!

I really need to get this iPhone 6 to work, I need help please someone help, they both companies have lied to me Verizon and Apple, and they both not doing a **** thing about it, its been almost 2 months and i haven't been able to enjoy my iPhone, they have got my hard earned $$$$ and they don't send me a new device to have it replaced, I have requested a NEW one since i have paid for new and they Sorry we cant under their Policy and my 14 money back is expired, well its expired because of them not me. they keep on pushing and putting me to wait here and there so time went out and me still without a working device yet they have got my money $$$ 😢

I really need Help Please any suggestions?

I thank you all very much from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read and respond to my need.

THANK YOU ALL

iPhone 6 64GB Silver

Setting - General - About:

Version> 8.1.2 (12B440)

Model> MG642LL/A

Serial Number> DN*********5MH

IMEI> ***********

MEID> 35440906376375

Modem Firmware> 1.04.00

iPhone 6, iOS 8.1.2, null

Posted on Jan 7, 2015 12:05 AM

Top-ranking reply

Ethmoid

Level 6

11,482 points

Posted on Jan 7, 2015 1:29 AM

If you purchase a phone from Verizon, then if you are in the US, then you can only ever use this phone in the US on Verizon and no other operator because Verizon is a CDMA carrier and in the US, then it is locked to Verizon and if in the US, then you need to have a contract with Verizon to be able to use the phone.

However, the Verizon phone does have a GSM sim card tray and this is unlocked and intended for international travel, so that you can use local sim cards in your phone whilst travelling and no incur international roaming charges.

The problem may be that if you are in the US and you are trying to insert a sim card into the phone to activate it that is a GSM sim card, then this will not work because in the US you will only be able to use the Verizon phone on the Verizon CDMA network and no other. If you put a sim card in, this will be local sim cards that are intended to be used whilst travelling.

Also, don't post personal information on this forum - it is a user to user technical support forum and you are NOT talking to Apple here.

View in context

183 replies

Jan 12, 2015 7:22 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

"Well, it's 33% correct 😉. You can use a Verizon phone on AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, but not on Sprint, because Sprint is a CDMA carrier. The others are GSM carriers."

This is because Sprint is locking it out, not Verizon locking it in. 😀

Jan 12, 2015 7:37 AM in response to frommilton

True, but from the point of view of the phone owner it's a distinction without a difference.

rider95

Level 1

0 points

Jan 19, 2015 10:08 AM in response to NKAL2004

when will this problem be solved?It means that someone buys a verizon iphone 6 from U.S. in the hope that it is unlocked and then restores to find that it becomes locked.

Jan 19, 2015 10:11 AM in response to rider95

There is no problem to solve. Verizon phones since the iPhone 5 are ALL unlocked permanently for use on GSM networks. They will always be unlocked, even if they are restored.

rider95

Level 1

0 points

Jan 19, 2015 10:54 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Then why ASE84 and NKAL2004 facing problems activating?Something seems fishy.

deggie

Level 10

167,327 points

Jan 19, 2015 10:58 AM in response to rider95

They are having an issue that is unrelated to the phone being locked otherwise they would receive a differently worded message regarding the sim not being valid on this device as it is locked to a different carrier and further advising them it is not a hardware error.

If they are attempting to use a SIM that is cut down, or one from a non-supported iPhone carrier they could receive that message. If it is the latter they will need to manually modify the the APN.

rider95

Level 1

0 points

Jan 19, 2015 6:15 PM in response to deggie

They are having an issue which says that request your carrier to unlock this iPhone.

Jan 19, 2015 6:18 PM in response to rider95

The CDMA side is locked to Verizon. The GSM is not, and legally cannot be locked to Verizon. The fact that inserting a Verizon SIM does not fix it is the proof that the phone has a hardware problem, or has been jailbroken.

deggie

Level 10

167,327 points

Jan 19, 2015 6:41 PM in response to rider95

Not, they said they had a problem that said SIM NOT VALID. They said it several times and never quoted the longer message that occurs when the phone is locked.

Jan 19, 2015 6:45 PM in response to deggie

The OP did quote the whole message, although it's hard to find with all of the surrounding verbiage:

SIM NOT VALID

deggie

Level 10

167,327 points

Jan 19, 2015 6:46 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Thanks, must have been a bit impatient. I think your jailbreak or hardware guess is the right answer.

rider95

Level 1

0 points

Jan 19, 2015 7:30 PM in response to deggie

Maybe,the verizon sim they are using has been unactivated by verizon.

NKAL2004

Level 1

10 points

Jan 20, 2015 1:32 PM in response to rider95

After finally getting through with Apple Senior Care Advisers and Verizon Senior Technical Support Group. The iPhone 6 for Verizon Wireless is GSM 4G/LTE and it is not locked to their network. 2nd Thing you don't need a Verizon SIM card to activate these phones, it works with any GSM SIM card. The issue with "SIM not Valid" is a faulty SIM tray in the iPhone. If the phone was locked to Carrier then you would get error message "SIM not supported under carrier policy". Also you cannot exchanged a US purchased iPhone outside of the US. The iPhone 6 for Verizon Wireless works with AT&T and T-Mobile SIM cards but not with Sprint because Sprint does not allow it. This is the same for iPhone 5, 5c, 5S and 6 Plus on the Verizon Wireless Network.

Jan 29, 2015 1:25 PM in response to ASE84

I Have has the same problen i have spoken to tier 3 support in verizon wireless, global support executive relations and apple care senior advisors they tell me the iphone is locked for non verizon carriers outside of the country verizon says because of the firmware thats what it says on their screens, i have tried to use the cellphone 128 gb grey iphone 6 with 12 carriers outside of the us and all say invalid sim three of these carriers work in the bands supported on the phone , yet the verizon sim works perfectly and picks up the signal of the local carrier i wish to use! Apple and verizon are abusive and confusing it looks like i am out of 1000 dollars someone suggested flashing firmware but i cant figure out how to do that other than that i have tried all other troubleshooting steps

sst33483

Level 1

0 points

Feb 13, 2015 11:15 AM in response to ASE84

I have the same problem with my iPhone 6, brand new brought from Verizon. This whole discussion above kind of went off track with the phone being used in another country. Verizon has replaced the sim card, Apple has replaced the phone twice and it been set to factory reset too many times, with and without apps. Still just about everyday I get a message "Activation Required".Next screen says:

SIM NOT VALID

.I've also worked with a Senior Adviser and still problem not solved!!!

''Sim Not Valid'' on activation screen! *PLEASE HELP*