Unlocking an EE phone

[LordWazzock]

Hi, I'm trying to unlock an old EE phone of mine so my son can use it with a Smarty pay monthly SIM. I've been through the guide and got the unlock code from EE. When I put the Smarty SIM in the EE locked Samsung Galaxy S10, it comes up with the following message 'SIM Network PIN blocked, enter SIM Network PUK. What is not clear, is who do I get the PUK from? I've got one from Smarty, that didn't work. My own EE puk doesn't work. I bought the phone from Ebay, does it need the PUK from the original owner? If so, how the heck do I get that? It really shouldn't be this difficult to unlock a phone these days. I don't seem to be able to get help by calling 150 either- I just get directed to a guide which doesn't help.

Any help to put an end to the increasingly wasted hours I'm spending on this would be much appreciated. 

[XRaySpeX]

When it's asking for a PUK, it wants the PUK from the network that the inserted SIM belongs to. PUKs are for unblocking SIMs, not phones.

[Northerner]

Hi @LordWazzock 

Here:

https://help.smarty.co.uk/en/articles/1159752-getting-and-using-a-puk-code

I am surprised the Samsung S10 was locked. Did you buy from a reputable seller. 

Thanks 

[LordWazzock · Accepted solution]

I did eventually get through to the technical department and a very helpful gentleman advised me to try the first 4 numbers of the 16 digit unlock code that I'd received from EE. This didn't immediately work so we tried the last 4 numbers. After turning off and on again, the phone was unlocked. Thanks for the replies folks. Sorted in the end.

[Katie_B]

Thanks for coming back and letting us know @LordWazzock. 

It's great to hear this is now resolved. 

Katie