yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] wolfu11:
On Oreo look in apps/show system you'll see Sprint OMA-DM, Sprint OMA-DM provider and Sprint hidden menu.

on Nougat rooted using file explorer you can find some sprint stuff in systems apps and system priv-apps i beleve it's com.oma something like that.

Edit also if you didn't reset your network properly after factory resetting your phone you will see sprint at bootup.

Example I'm on verizon and Wiped my phone and then flashed to complete stock firmware listed here in both a and b slots then updated to oreo beta but i noticed whenever i booted up my phone on the lock screen it said "no sim" for a few secounds followed by "sprint" for a brief second then it switched to Verizon. I wound up resetting the network and also the settings in #*#*4636*#*# and now it doesn't check for sprint on boot up...... ymmv but that has been the case for a few on here.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Jahdiel2011:
I extracted the whole system folder using

adb pull sdcard/system

and I started to open the db files as txt looking for a way to understand how the relocking could have been achieved and in my search I found a couple of UICC references to Sprint I did not want to mess up the phone since I only wanted to return it.

if you run these you will see the whole packages list

adb shell

pm packages list

On my unlocked unit purchased directly from Essential I have the following packages installed:

OMADMClient_Sprint_DataService

OMADMClient_Sprint_PhoneDataService

OMADMClient_Sprint_SystemDataService

I am not happy to have a specific carrier access for my unlocked phone.

I was going to decompile those apks to see what's inside. If I were you I would look into those apks.

---------- Post added at 04:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:29 PM ----------

There is more:

I found these apks

Sprint OMA-DM

Sprint OMA-DM provider

Sprint support menu

Vzw OMA Trigger
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] zswielder:
I noticed those as well yesterday. They had system access, so I turned off their system access, but the issue continued. I wonder what would happen if we root the phone and completely remove those, and then reset network setting.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] DrvLikHell:
To add to what others have already said about Sprint packages and Sprint apps being buried in every phone, you are wrong about there being no Sprint variant. If you boot a Sprint phone into the bootloader, it says VARIANT - SPRINT. If you boot a non-Sprint phone into the bootloader it says VARIANT - USOPEN. So, there is quite obviously, by the phones own words, a Sprint variant, period. Also, my phone came already locked to Sprint. It came in the box, sealed in cellophane, never opened, locked to Sprint. Same with my friends' phone.

As for how the phone can be relocked without a Sprint sim in it, there are two locks, a domestic carrier unlock, DCU, and an international carrier unlock, ICU. The DCU can be switched by Sprint if there is a Sprint sim in the phone. This has even happened to USOPEN varients. The ICU is different and separate. The phone can be temporarily unlocked for international sims, and in such a temporary state it likely operates on a timer. That is the only explanation as to why the phone can be relocked without a Sprint sim in it. There is wording in some of Sprints documentation to support a temporary ICU. If the phone is kept on Sprint for 50 days then both unlocks are supposed to be permanent. I will see about that in 30 days.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kbonnel:
I have a 3rd essential variant, which just lists no variant after Variant. (e.g. VARIANT - ) just blank. I asked essential about this, but they never responded. It was a phone I purchased from the Sprint store, and was unlocked right out of the gate.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] NaterTots:
That must be one of the early Sprint versions that came without Sim lock out of the box
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
That is not correct.

There is a Sprint Variant.

It is defined in the low level boot.

When looking at the phone screen in fastboot flashing mode it specifically says it's a Sprint Variant.

There is a firmware difference and it is in an area we can't modify.

---------- Post added at 10:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 AM ----------

The international unlock is only temporary unless you have been on the network 50 days.

Then it can become permanent.

You don't need to be connected to Sprint for the lock to happen after 30 days.

There is a countdown in firmware.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] wolfu11:
I just installed Lineage and none of those apps are there so it's something Essential baked into their roms.

Also when my phone boots up I don't get the no sim no service upon boot up any longer it just goes no sim then straight to Verizon.

Since Lineage is so stable and the Oreo is so sporadic I am just going to stay on a custom ROM.

Maybe my phone will stay unlocked lol.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] zswielder:
Are you saying your phone was locked before you installed lineage? Then, after you installed lineage, you could use it on Verizon?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] wolfu11:
no sorry it was unlocked prior to installing lineage but I want to keep it that way.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Do you guys think it wud work changing the imei to one that's eligible to be unlocked...unlock and then change it back?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] DrvLikHell:
You're gonna want to delete or reword your post... XDA doesn't go for any imei stuff like that. Besides, the answer is definitely no anyways.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
i only asked, ive done it before and xda wont have a say so if i do or not:p the proper method is posyed in op but why isnt there any headways, cud some get me a partition list for this device
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] DrvLikHell:
I meant since changing imei numbers is illegal, XDA doesn't allow any discussion of illegal things, including and especially changing of imei numbers, so if you don't reword or delete your post, they will do it for you if and when they see it. Besides, that has nothing to do with the sim lock.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Well I meant change it to a unlocked Sprint essential phone's imei then try and unlock it and then change it back to the original imei
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] zswielder:
I'm no expert, but I don't think it works that way. For the phone to be unlocked, Sprint will need to send an unlock command. Changing your phone's IMEI to an already unlocked phone will not trigger their system to send an unlock command for your phone (I don't think). Even if you ask them to send an unlock command using the spoofed IMEI #, they will just tell you that the phone is already unlocked. In addition, even if they could resend an unlocked code, it will just go to the original phone, not yours, because the unlock command will go through the original phone's line, not yours.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
what about an imei number thats eligable to unlock but isn't currently active...

---------- Post added at 05:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:15 PM ----------

[MENTION=4248655]whymoo[/MENTION] i have an idea, someone with an locked phone could go into dev/block/platform/soc/by-name with root explorer and take screen shots of the date when partitons was last modified, then have it unlocked and then go back in and see which partitons date has changed....that way it norrows it down to where the change has been written to
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] zswielder:
I don't think it'll work either, but why don't you try and report back?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
i don't have one currently looking for a deal on one..figured i cud get a head start.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] zswielder:
A deal on one? What do you mean? If you are expecting someone else to give you an IMEI number that fits that condition, it certain won't work. For Sprint to send an unlock command, the phone needs to be active on their line. They'll need the owner of the original phone to be re-activated on the line for them to unlock it. You won't be able to put your phone on their line, so your phone will not receive an unlock command. That's my understanding anyway.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
a deal on an essential phone....oh i don't need some elses imei number theres different method to it then that.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kbonnel:
I originally posted this in the Slickdeals Sprint thread, but figured it might make more sense here.

I don't think we have run into this scenario yet, but I am curious how a Sprint variant ph-1 can be unlocked in the future when the phone is sold too a new user, but the owner never requested an unlock while they had it for however long (but assume longer than the 50 required days). Will Sprint unlock a phone for a new owner for a qualified phone (per the 50 days), and how would they do it if the new owner wants to use it on a different carrier and is not currently a Sprint customer. I wonder if there is a generated code to be entered to unlock it like some previous phones. I know the new owner could request the seller do it first, just playing devil's advocate.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lavin40:
Well I'm a new owner of a Sprint ph-1 and Sprint won't unlocked it for me mainly cause I don't have and account with them, so I can't even talk to their tech support to even request a phone unlock. I had to contact the previous owner to put in the request and even she was told it will be unlock in 2 weeks which that was a week ago. Moral is Sprint got some god awful unlocking policy
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kbonnel:
Do you also use Sprint? Definitely keep us updated if they unlock it and how you do it if you don't have Sprint as a provider.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lavin40:
I don't use Sprint cause their service in my area is horrible so I been trying the one I'm with which is basically TMO but my can't read the sim I get a invalid sim notification and the phone saying it's network lock but I'll let you how things go
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kbonnel:
Thanks.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Why don't you do a nvram backup like in op and then do it again after URS has been unlocked...then compare both files and see what changed..
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lavin40:
I would but I'm a noob and don't know how to do one
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
[MENTION=4733399]lavin40[/MENTION] need backed up nv-data from at least one locked and one unlocked sprint phone, here is how you can back it up.

1. Open the dialer and input the secret code *#*#3424#*#*

2. On this screen enter 000000 and tap confirm (very great for us that essential left the default msl value).

3. On this screen check the diagnostic mode and close the app.

4. Download and extract the nv-data reader on a PC http://phonegeek.us/NV-items_reader_writer.rar

5. Connect your phone, in device manager, a new Qualcomm device should appear.

6. Run the program, in the top bar: select the com port (it should be shown in device manager), check both of the boxes in the top bar, and click connect.

7. Now in the top bar click read, if the log says "Log message: > SPC is correct. Phone unlocked" you have done everything correctly so far. (The unlocked part has nothing to do with the SIM lock status)

8. Under "Range (Dec):" enter 0 to 07300 and click read (07233 seems to be the last useful value but a little buffer is good)

9. Save the file with any name you like and send me a private message with it.[/QUOTE]
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kbonnel:
[/QUOTE]

FYI, I wonder if the ability to use the *#*#3424#*#* was removed in the latest Oreo beta, as it does nothing on my phone.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Caltinpla:
FYI, I wonder if the ability to use the *#*#3424#*#* was removed in the latest Oreo beta, as it does nothing on my phone.[/QUOTE]

Mine works fine running Oreo beta 2.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] emowing:
I think *#*#3424#*#* only works if you use a sprint sim.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kbonnel:
I guess that might be a good reason why it doesn't work on my phone.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] hypnz:
Anyone can clarify this;
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Caltinpla:
I can't speak for everyone but I'm with Sprint.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Jonathanlc2005:
i actually have both the unlocked one and a sprint version. is there a way to copy the entire thing
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
you could backup and the nv data on the unlock phone and then restore it to the sprint phone.(but of course after you've backed up ur orignal nv date from ur sprint phone. ur imei would get messed up but to bypass that you can convert the imei of your unlocked phone into hex (google an online calculater) and search the results with notepad++ and replace the hex with the hex imei from your sprint device and the restore the unlocked nv data to your sprint nv data...confusing i know but it should work. get back to me if you have any questions
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] avd:
I think we need an unlocked Sprint phone, not an openus
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Jonathanlc2005:
Way above my league so I won't touch the IMEI coding. Thank you
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
i agree but we can't seem to get someone to do it...best way would be to backup and then unlock and then backup the nv data again and look at all to see what hex file changed..its that simple but yet so hard to get someone to do it...
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] zswielder:
You could just buy an unlocked version of Essential from a store of your choice (Amazon?), do whatever you need to do, and then return it...
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
if i could afford that i wont be talking about it here...:p
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] zswielder:
You get your money back when you return lol
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] slikerhael:
I'm trying to get the nv-data off of my sprint essential phone thats "unlocked" from the early batch that came unlocked from the factory. However Im stuck at getting the phone to connect to nv data tools. I went through and enabled Diagnostics in the menu but my device manager doesn't show a qualcomm device when I plug in my phone, and I don't know which COM port to pick to retrieve the nv data.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] DrvLikHell:
The problem is that most of us are still waiting for the 50 days to end so we can get our phones unlocked. And the people who've gotten their phones unlocked already don't give a crap about this thread so they never see our request.

One of my phones has the DCU, but not the ICU, so that's not good enough. My 50 will be up at the end of the month, but I think the OPs 50 will be up sooner than that.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Did u try installing drivers from here https://www.essential.com/developer/current-builds ....also set phone to charge only mode and then try...btw thanks for the effort
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Do you have a backup of ur current nv data? With notepad++ program there's a feature that you then can can compare both files it it will show you the differences
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] slikerhael:
That did it! thanks for that. I've had to borrow my buddies pc for this because I run Arch on all of mine. I really hope this leads to something. If I can get my other essential unlocked that would be ideal. My unlocked one is slightly damaged, few scratches on the screen and the usb falls right out of the port. Now it does say Device locked in the UICC menu, however I've been able to use my roommates verizon SIM and it connects to the network, makes calls and receives text messages. My other one says invalid SIM.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
if i were you i do a complete backup of your nv data using qpts qualcomm program https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=24459283995310392 not just form range 0 to 07300 that way we forsure can say if the unlock is in the nv data
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] DrvLikHell:
You mean using the procedure outlined by the OP?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Well the program s a little different...it's a better program to do it....install it and if you have questions dm me and I'll let you know
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Potential unlock

[MENTION=572191]Jonathanlc2005[/MENTION] I might have a way for you... Here's a quote from a Dev of simunlock of the Moto x Sprint phone ". Then I realized that upon erasing the baseband cache (modemst1/modemst2 partitions), that all NV-ITEMS were reset to their factory defaults. BINGO! This means that the baseband cache partitions MUST store the encrypted contents of NVRAM!#"

This explains why Sprint varients relock themselves after inserting the Sprint sim...the Sprint sim actives Sprint dm when booted wipes the cache when configuring the prl etc.....

So theoretically if we could get the modemst1 and modemst2 partitions from a unlocked phone and write them to this phone it shud work since they will copy over the cached unlock data needed..this all can be done with TWRP file manager.....

First backup efs with TWRP...then for safe measures navigate with file manager to /dev/block/etc/etc/by-name/ modemst1 and modemst2 copy them to SD card...and then the same way copy the unlocked modemst1 and modemst2 files from a different phone to the same place....and reboot..of course without a Sprint sim inserted....

There's a 85%chance you'll end up with a 0 imei but that should be able to be easily written back to the file using dfs or qpst program...so you'll want to remember you imei before you try...and if it doesn't work just restore ur efs backup.....

Last but not least.... I'm not at fault if you wreck your device....do it at ur own risk.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] hypnz:
Can anyone upload both bins from unlocked and locked devices?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] bibbin:
I have an Essential (Sprint variant) using T-Mobile SIM. Paid it off prior to activation on Sprint. Once delivered, immediately removed Sprint SIM and inserted T-Mo SIM. Got the "Invalid SIM" notice. Did some research and found that activation on Sprint's network was required for it to be unlocked. Activated it on a Sprint line and kept trying the UICC option in settings. After about three days, it registered as unlocked. I immediately removed the Sprint SIM and inserted the T-Mobile one. It worked. I then, called Sprint and swapped another phone on the line.

After reading all the hor.ror stories about Sprint relocking these devices, I have never re-activated it on Sprint. Currently, the device and all online IMEI checkers indicates it is again locked to Sprint. Despite those things, I am still getting great service with the T-Mobile SIM. What gives? I'm so leary of making any changes right now. I have an update waiting to be installed, but have held off for fear it might cause my service to stop. Is it safe to unlock bootloader, flash a ROM, install tweaks etc.

Any help is appreciated. Also, if there's a need for any logs from the device, tell me what to do and I'm all in
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
It is still technically locked to Sprint until day 51 on a Sprint plan, even if paid off.

Unlocking the BL and root will have no effect on that.

Apparently the counter in the firmware will leave it unlocked domestically but ICU will only be temp.

I'm keeping mine active on Sprint until day 51.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Tech_Savvy:
Nah it'll stay unlocked until u insert a Sprint sim...only then will it relock....ota and unlocking bootloader and roming or rooting will not change it.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Jonathanlc2005:
im just going to do it the old fashioned way. thanks
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] mclanecxantia:
Sending it back

Well, I think I am sending it back to the seller in USA.

I have a mobile here that is sim locked to sprint and cannot use it as a telephone

In my german networks because it says the “invalid sim”.

Sprint service people said they will unlock it. But it is not working.

I doubt they can unlock it if it is not in the sprint carrier used with the sprint card.

I resign and send it back to USA,

I have never seen such a stupid thing.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lavin40:
Their whole unlocking policy is stupid and a real inconvenience for people who like this phone and want to use it
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] avd:
FIFY
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
How so?

If you are on Sprint, it's a non-issue.

If you bought it to sell, then you have an issue.

I bought mine to keep. I'll wait the 51 days.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lavin40:
I'm not on Sprint and their service in my area is horrible so they are not a good choice for me
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Ascertion:
I recommend opening the free line promo and just using your essential for 50 days on that. Otherwise it'll stay locked to Sprint, unfortunately. It sucks but for $180 or so it's a small price to pay for such a good spec'd device.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
Yes, but the conditions for unlock from Sprint are very clear. "50 days on an account in good standing" before they will unlock.

So anyone complaining about the phone being locked has not read the terms or is trying to not honor the terms.

I would love to be able to unlock my phone and move it, but I can't for 50 days.

I'm now 25 in and 25 to go.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] avd:
So... Why did you buy it from Sprint?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lavin40:
Didn't buy it from Sprint I got it off of swappa
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] avd:
Oh, you got scammed. Don't blame Sprint!
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lavin40:
One bruh I didn't get scammed the seller is going to get the phone unlocked I just didn't want to wait and two I never blamed Sprint I just said that their unlocking policy is garbage and if you look at it they forcing people to sign up for there service cause they are losing customers. But I never said Sprint was at fault
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
They are giving away a phone with the expectation that you keep their service.

They are not forcing anyone to sign up for their service.

The phone is an enticement and you must keep the service for 50 days to be able to move the phone and unlock it.

That makes the phone $180 + $100 for two months service which is still only a bit above 50% of the $499 retail.

For a discounted phone on Verizon they make you keep the service for 18 months to get the discount because they only credit you back monthly.

As a person that bought one of the Essential phones from Sprint; I knew full well the requirements to get the phone unlocked. If I wanted an unlock Essential immediately, buying from Amazon or Essential was an option, but it would have cost $499.