Does "Clean ESN" matter with newer phones

Search This thread

mrjkwik

Senior Member
May 11, 2006
135
12
Due to recent financial issues I may have to let go of my verizon service due to the expenses and get on a family members plan with ATT. This will mean I have the S5 and no way to use it. If I was to sell it would someone be able to use it on verizon still? I know in the past your phone would be flagged and it would no longer be allowed. I wasnt sure if that was still the case with verizons move to SIM cards.

Thanks.

One more question, which prepaid services would work? Any with LTE?
 
Last edited:

kprice8

Senior Member
Apr 23, 2014
771
259
Lansing MI
Due to recent financial issues I may have to let go of my verizon service due to the expenses and get on a family members plan with ATT. This will mean I have the S5 and no way to use it. If I was to sell it would someone be able to use it on verizon still? I know in the past your phone would be flagged and it would no longer be allowed. I wasnt sure if that was still the case with verizons move to SIM cards.

Thanks.

One more question, which prepaid services would work? Any with LTE?

Believe there to be a security feature active that you would have to look into before sale to make sure the new owner could use it....

Give this a read HERE.
 

detr0yt

Senior Member
Dec 8, 2011
231
69
if you have any older verizon phone.... activate that on your present line.... then that phone will not be "locked" with a bad esn....
 

mrjkwik

Senior Member
May 11, 2006
135
12
I did still have my GS3, so I just swapped my card in it. Made a call and sent a text. So I guess we'll see.
 

bsweetness

Senior Member
Mar 27, 2009
892
239
Not true. It is unlocked, but it does not accept ATT or TMo SIMs. Foreign SIMs work, but only in foreign countries.

Incorrect. The Verizon S5 accepts AT&T and T-Mobile SIMS just fine.

Back in the pre-LTE days, Verizon devices that had GSM capabilities were generally only usable on foreign GSM networks (AT&T and T-Mobile were locked out). That's no longer the case and hasn't been for a while now.
 

Cpudan80

Senior Member
Nov 9, 2012
102
18
Incorrect. The Verizon S5 accepts AT&T and T-Mobile SIMS just fine.

Back in the pre-LTE days, Verizon devices that had GSM capabilities were generally only usable on foreign GSM networks (AT&T and T-Mobile were locked out). That's no longer the case and hasn't been for a while now.

OK - well - maybe my VZW S5 is broken in some way, but it won't pick up any signal when I put an active TMobile 4G-LTE SIM in it. It did work fine outside of the US in Australia. I posted a picture of what happens with the TMobile SIM in some other thread. No amount of playing with the APNs / network order / etc. made the TMo SIM work.

EDIT: Here's the pic with a TMobile SIM inserted:

attachment.php


Even with no APNs you should be able to get signal...

-- Dan
 
Last edited:

bsweetness

Senior Member
Mar 27, 2009
892
239
OK - well - maybe my VZW S5 is broken in some way, but it won't pick up any signal when I put an active TMobile 4G-LTE SIM in it. It did work fine outside of the US in Australia. I posted a picture of what happens with the TMobile SIM in some other thread. No amount of playing with the APNs / network order / etc. made the TMo SIM work.

EDIT: Here's the pic with a TMobile SIM inserted:

attachment.php


Even with no APNs you should be able to get signal...

-- Dan

Here's my Verizon S5 on Verizon (for comparison's sake so you can see it is the same device):

attachment.php


And here's my Verizon S5 with an active T-Mobile SIM card inserted. It's picking up signal no problem, and that's without editing anything besides switching the phone to GSM/UMTS mode.

attachment.php
attachment.php


The Verizon S5 is unlocked and will work on AT&T and T-Mobile, just like essentially every other Verizon LTE device that has the appropriate GSM bands.
 

Attachments

  • 01.jpg
    01.jpg
    101.9 KB · Views: 1,544
  • 02.jpg
    02.jpg
    101.8 KB · Views: 1,547
  • 03.jpg
    03.jpg
    61.3 KB · Views: 1,547
Last edited:

Cpudan80

Senior Member
Nov 9, 2012
102
18
Here's my Verizon S5 on Verizon (for comparison's sake so you can see it is the same device):


And here's my Verizon S5 with an active T-Mobile SIM card inserted. It's picking up signal no problem, including HSPA data. And that's without editing anything besides switching the phone to GSM/UMTS mode.


The Verizon S5 is unlocked and will work on AT&T and T-Mobile, just like essentially every other Verizon LTE device that has the appropriate GSM bands.

How strange, how'd you get rid of the "This SIM is from an unknown source" notification?
 

bsweetness

Senior Member
Mar 27, 2009
892
239
How strange, how'd you get rid of the "This SIM is from an unknown source" notification?

Long press on the notification -> App Info -> Force stop. It has to be done every time the phone is restarted. I switch SIMs so often that I do it without thinking now as soon as the phone starts up. I can take another screenshot with the notification on the screen if needed. :)

I have to switch back and forth between Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T SIMs for work. I've done so for a couple years now, so it's something I have a lot of experience with regarding Verizon devices.
 

Cpudan80

Senior Member
Nov 9, 2012
102
18
Long press on the notification -> App Info -> Force stop. It has to be done every time the phone is restarted. I switch SIMs so often that I do it without thinking now as soon as the phone starts up. I can take another screenshot with the notification on the screen if needed. :)

I have to switch back and forth between Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T SIMs for work. I've done so for a couple years now, so it's something I have a lot of experience with regarding Verizon devices.

Yeah, I knew you could do the long press thing on each reboot. Wonder why mine won't hop onto TMo. By any chance did you put your TMo/ATT sim in *before* you ever put in a VZW SIM? My phone came with the VZW SIM in it and pre-activated to my account, maybe it is locked somehow?
 

bsweetness

Senior Member
Mar 27, 2009
892
239
As for the original question in this thread - yes, "clean ESN" definitely still matters (although it's technically now the IMEI rather than an ESN).

In fact, it matters even more now than it used to. Previously, if you were talking about a Verizon phone, it only mattered for people wanting to use the phone on Verizon. But now there is a shared IMEI blacklist that Verizon is a part of, so a phone with a blacklisted IMEI on Verizon may not work on any major U.S. carrier.

---------- Post added at 10:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------

Yeah, I knew you could do the long press thing on each reboot. Wonder why mine won't hop onto TMo. By any chance did you put your TMo/ATT sim in *before* you ever put in a VZW SIM? My phone came with the VZW SIM in it and pre-activated to my account, maybe it is locked somehow?

Nope. Activated it on Verizon first when it was brand new.

After starting the phone with the T-Mobile SIM inserted, did you make sure the phone was in Global or GSM/UMTS mode and then select T-Mobile under Settings -> More Networks -> Mobile Networks -> Network operators?
 
Last edited:

Cpudan80

Senior Member
Nov 9, 2012
102
18
As for the original question in this thread - yes, "clean ESN" definitely still matters (although it's technically now the IMEI rather than an ESN).

It used to be that it only mattered for people wanting to activate the phone on Verizon. But now there is a shared IMEI blacklist that Verizon is a part of, so a phone with a blacklisted IMEI on Verizon may not work on any major U.S. carrier.

---------- Post added at 10:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------



Nope. Activated it on Verizon first when it was brand new.

After starting the phone with the T-Mobile SIM inserted, did you make sure the phone was in Global or GSM/UMTS mode and then select T-Mobile under Settings -> More Networks -> Mobile Networks -> Network operators?

I dont recall it ever finding TMobile in the network operator list. I did change it to GSM. I'll have to try it again.
 

bsweetness

Senior Member
Mar 27, 2009
892
239
I dont recall it ever finding TMobile in the network operator list. I did change it to GSM. I'll have to try it again.

If the SIM is active, T-Mobile should show up there. It can take a few minutes to show up sometimes, but it should show up eventually. If it's not showing up, there's a problem with the SIM or with the phone. Since you said the phone worked fine in Australia with a foreign SIM, I'd be inclined to think the problem would probably be with the T-Mobile SIM.
 

mrkevo3000

Senior Member
Mar 26, 2010
394
68
Seattle
As for the original question in this thread - yes, "clean ESN" definitely still matters (although it's technically now the IMEI rather than an ESN).

In fact, it matters even more now than it used to. Previously, if you were talking about a Verizon phone, it only mattered for people wanting to use the phone on Verizon. But now there is a shared IMEI blacklist that Verizon is a part of, so a phone with a blacklisted IMEI on Verizon may not work on any major U.S. carrier.

---------- Post added at 10:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------



Nope. Activated it on Verizon first when it was brand new.

After starting the phone with the T-Mobile SIM inserted, did you make sure the phone was in Global or GSM/UMTS mode and then select T-Mobile under Settings -> More Networks -> Mobile Networks -> Network operators?

I have the same problem, Verizon S5 with bad esn I brought of Craigslist very cheap to use with Tmobile, but mines has a circle in the task bar. I think the imei is blocked because I can take the sim out and pop it into my tmobile note 2 and everything is fine.
 

_u2pop_

Senior Member
Jul 14, 2014
168
56
hey guys i got that exactly problem on my s5 verizon and i put a gsm of another carrier (viva) and show up that notification... for that signal work it (mobile data) with your SIM CARD you have to add your carrier APN in the settings>more networks>mobile network>access point names> and touch + and there will add your APN configuration and save it and done :) be sure you have your WI-FI OFF for show your 4G or H+ or Edge be in white color and enjoy it :)


the only issues i don't know how to remove the notification permanently :(
 

Top Liked Posts

  • There are no posts matching your filters.
  • 1
    or cancel your account then it will show as not being an active device.. of course if you have a contract you will have an etf to pay as with most carriers...

    Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium HD app
    1
    hey guys i got that exactly problem on my s5 verizon and i put a gsm of another carrier (viva) and show up that notification... for that signal work it (mobile data) with your SIM CARD you have to add your carrier APN in the settings>more networks>mobile network>access point names> and touch + and there will add your APN configuration and save it and done :) be sure you have your WI-FI OFF for show your 4G or H+ or Edge be in white color and enjoy it :)


    the only issues i don't know how to remove the notification permanently :(
    Use titanium backup to remove the setup wizard

    Sent from my Galaxy Note S5