It has been almost two years since Samsung launched its Galaxy Note 8. If you are still holding onto the handset and are waiting for the Galaxy Note 10 or maybe even the Galaxy Note 11, there is still some time to go, and in the meantime, if you’d like to unlock the SIM on your handset, now might be a good time as any to do so.
In this guide, we will show you the different options that you can choose if you want to unlock the SIM on your Galaxy Note 8 with DoctorSIM or other services. A couple are paid methods of unlocking your handset, but there will also be a free option, so check them out and see which will suit your needs the best.
If you want to save yourself some money, know that your carrier is more than happy to assist you with unlocking the SIM on your handset. There is a catch though, and that is you will need to meet several criteria in order to qualify for a SIM unlock code. The upside is that this is a completely free method, so if you meet the requirements, you can unlock your phone for free.
To qualify for a free SIM unlock:
- The device needs to have been paid off in full. If you’re on a payment plan, then you might be out of luck.
- You will need to have owned the device for at least 60-90 days.
- You also need to be in good standing with your carrier, which usually means that you have no outstanding debts or unpaid bills.
Assuming you have met those requirements, follow the steps below to get the SIM unlock code from your carrier for free:
- Launch the Phone app on your Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- Dial *#06#. This will pull up your phone’s IMEI number which you will need to provide to your carrier.
- Write the IMEI number down somewhere easily accessible, like a piece of paper or notebook
- Call your carrier’s customer service hotline and request for your SIM unlock code
- You will then be asked to provide the service rep with your Samsung Galaxy Note 8’s IMEI number
- If you qualify, you will need to wait 2-5 days for your SIM unlock code which should arrive in your email that’s linked to your carrier account.
- Once you’ve received your code, you can swap out the current SIM card for another SIM.
- If you do, you will be prompted to enter the SIM unlock code.
- Enter it and your phone should now be unlocked and free to use with any carrier or any SIM card.
Buy a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 SIM unlock code
We know that not everyone might qualify to get a SIM unlock code from their carrier for free, and if you don’t, do not despair because there are paid options that you can check out that will let you unlock the SIM on your Galaxy Note 8 handset.
- Launch the Phone app on your Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- Dial *#06#. This will pull up your phone’s IMEI number which you will need to provide to your carrier.
- Write the IMEI number down somewhere easily accessible, like a piece of paper or notebook
- Visit DoctorSIM’s website.
- Select your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 model and the carrier you bought the phone from.
- Enter your device’s IMEI number.
- Enter your payment and contact information to complete the checkout process.
- Upon successfully making payment, you should receive the SIM unlock code for your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in less than an hour.
- Once you’ve received your code, you are now free to swap out the current SIM card for another SIM.
- You will be prompted to enter the SIM unlock code. Enter it and your phone should now be unlocked.
SIM Unlock the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The method we mentioned above will work on carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. For those who bought their phones through T-Mobile, the method will be slightly different due to T-Mobile choosing to use an app to handle the SIM unlock process, but other than that, the overall process is still very straightforward and simple.
- Launch the Phone app on your Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- Dial *#06#. This will pull up your phone’s IMEI number which you will need to provide to your carrier.
- Write the IMEI number down somewhere easily accessible, like a piece of paper or notebook
- Visit DoctorSIM’s T-Mobile page and enter Samsung Galaxy Note 8’s IMEI number
- Enter your payment and contact information to complete the checkout process.
- Once you have successfully made payment, you should receive the SIM unlock code for your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in the next 1-3 days.
- Once you’ve received your code, enter it into the T-Mobile Device Unlock app to unlock your phone’s SIM
- Tap Continue > Permanent Unlock to SIM unlock your Galaxy Note 8
- Your device will need to be rebooted in order to complete the process
- You should now be able to swap out the current SIM card for another SIM.
Unlocking your phone’s SIM essentially gives you the ability to use any SIM card from any carrier with your handset. It is understandable that carriers would want to lock you into their network, but if you’d like the ability to easily switch between carriers, especially if you’re overseas and want to use a local carrier’s SIM, then the methods above should help you with that.
Via Phandroid