Pixel 9a w/graphene. IMEI shows as network-locked?

largerightnavigator54

Issue: Cannot access mobile data, texting or calling service

USA-based Mint mobile is my carrier, which uses T-Mobile's infrastructure. Did some troubleshooting, resetting phone with and without SIM card, resetting network settings, checking for required apps and permissions, clearing caches. Not much info on what to do about "sim1 not allowed" besides contacting your carrier.

Mint customer support said the IMEI isn't blacklisted but shows up as carrier locked? I have another Pixel 9a with graphene installed that took a physical SIM the exact same way without any issues. All network settings and installed software looks similar between these devices.
Any replies are appreciated.

de0u

largerightnavigator54 Put the IMEI (or maybe the serial #, I forget) into Google's warranty-checker web page and see how it describes the device.

largerightnavigator54

de0u Sorry, can you find me the link? Can't find a page to put in the number. Google's warranty checker pages ask me to sign in to check warranty status but I have never had a google account. I bought the phones second hand off ebay. Thanks
Edit: update, typed the IMEI in to imeicheck.com and it showed "not found" across all metrics.

Johnnyloans

largerightnavigator54

A google account is required.

This is the link I got from entering: pixel phone, English, USA
https://store.google.com/repair?pli=1&hl=en-US

It is asking for IMEI.

Hope you don't mind me saving you the time @de0u

de0u

Johnnyloans A google account is required.

This is the link I got from entering: pixel phone, English, USA
https://store.google.com/repair?pli=1&hl=en-US

I believe that's what I was thinking of.

largerightnavigator54 Google's warranty checker pages ask me to sign in to check warranty status but I have never had a google account.

I realize that may not be what you would most like, but Google has information about the phone that may be relevant. In particular, if it was sold as carrier-locked their database will indicate that, and I don't think any other database will.

Johnnyloans

But I'm curious, how could it even be carrier-locked if I was able to install grapheneos? Doesn't stock android disable oem unlocking and rooting if it even detects that? Thanks for the help

Carrier locked is separate and not the same as bootloader locked. A person can get a carrier locked phone and request to have the bootloader be unlocked by the carrier.

We aren't aware of what happened before you obtained the phones.

largerightnavigator54 I bought the phones second hand off ebay.

Maybe they did accurately describe it as bootloader unlocked and failed to mention carrier locking. Slim chance maybe the support agent at Mint mobile is wrong.

I am unaware of what the google warranty page would say exactly if a phone was carrier locked/unlocked or bootloader locked/unlocked. Maybe it mentions 1 or none. If it's unlocked does it just say nothing--no warning?

largerightnavigator54

Johnnyloans Okay, made a dummy google account. Device is recognized by google, says it's under warranty until 2027.

de0u

largerightnavigator54 Device is recognized by google, says it's under warranty until 2027.

How exactly does it describe the device? Not the serial number, but what is everything it says about the model?

largerightnavigator54

de0u Thanks for the explanation. Added as a device in my account, it lists the correct model, correct chassis color and says (unlocked), with IMEI and warranty end date.

de0u

largerightnavigator54 If it says "(unlocked)" then I would naively think it should be unlockable. But if it's acting like it's carrier-locked then I guess it is. It might be interesting to try showing it SIM cards from various carriers to see if it takes any of them; if so, then contacting that carrier and asking for the device to be unlocked might work?

Developer-Dude

largerightnavigator54 have you tried updating it (on stock OS) yet?

largerightnavigator54

de0u I will swap the SIMs around with my other pixel and see what happens. They're both mint mobile but I haven't tried this just yet. But I'm curious, how could it even be carrier-locked if I was able to install grapheneos? Doesn't stock android disable oem unlocking and rooting if it even detects that? Thanks for the help

largerightnavigator54

Developer-Dude Did not update stock pixel OS before I installed graphene. Just booted to the home screen once to verify the phone worked.

de0u

largerightnavigator54 But I'm curious, how could it even be carrier-locked if I was able to install grapheneos?

I share your curiosity!

Developer-Dude

Oh, @largerightnavigator54 you have gotten GrapheneOS installed? But it says the phone is locked? Now that is strange.

largerightnavigator54

Johnnyloans

I am unaware of what the google warranty page would say exactly if a phone was carrier locked/unlocked or bootloader locked/unlocked. Maybe it mentions 1 or none. If it's unlocked does it just say nothing--no warning?

Indeed, no info popups or warnings, just states the device is unlocked. No other pages to check device specifics that I can find on google's support site. Is there any way to find what carrier the phone shipped with so I can call them and request an unlock? From what I have read, it can't be verizon because they will never do a remote OEM unlock for US customers(!) I am thinking of just calling other major carriers and asking them to search up the IMEI and unlock if they find it in their system. There's only 3 in the US that have towers right? T mobile, verizon, at&t?

de0u

largerightnavigator54 Is there any way to find what carrier the phone shipped with so I can call them and request an unlock?

I suspect that poking around with adb will reveal which carrier the phone is locked to. For example: https://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f898/samsung-a20-carrier-relock-problem-2696428-print/

largerightnavigator54

Update: tried a different (working) mint mobile nano SIM in the problem phone. Same issue, a silent notification showed up that said "sim1 not allowed" and I could not access texting, calling or data. The notification came from "phone services" and just disappeared when acknowledged, no error codes. The SIM I want to use in the problem phone works fine in my other pixel 9a with graphene installed.

largerightnavigator54

de0u Thanks for the suggestion, I got ADB running.
With the SIM I want to use in the phone, connected to my PC, USB debugging toggled on in dev options. Used the command:
adb shell getprop | grep 'gsm'

[gsm.current.phone-type]: [1,1]
[gsm.network.type]: [NR_SA,Unknown]
[gsm.operator.alpha]: [,]
[gsm.operator.iso-country]: [us,]
[gsm.operator.isroaming]: [false,false]
[gsm.operator.numeric]: [,]
[gsm.sim.operator.alpha]: [Mint,]
[gsm.sim.operator.iso-country]: [us,]
[gsm.sim.operator.numeric]: [310240,]
[gsm.sim.state]: [LOADED,NOT_READY]
[gsm.version.baseband]: [g5300t-251202-260127-B-14784800,g5300t-251202-260127-B-14784800]
[gsm.version.ril-impl]: [Samsung S.LSI Vendor RIL 5400 V2.3 Build 2025-09-13 00:47:55]

From what I can tell, my device is showing as unlocked, if gsm.operator.numeric doesn't have an mcc/mnc listed right?

de0u

largerightnavigator54 I nkt an expert on this, so my questions will be somewhat random.

What does the "bad" phone show when no SIM is present? How about the "good" phone?

largerightnavigator54

Update, tried the adb command on the other phone that works. here's what I got from that:
[gsm.current.phone-type]: [1,1]
[gsm.network.type]: [LTE,Unknown]
[gsm.operator.alpha]: [Mint,]
[gsm.operator.iso-country]: [us,]
[gsm.operator.isroaming]: [false,false]
[gsm.operator.numeric]: [310260,]
[gsm.sim.operator.alpha]: [Mint,]
[gsm.sim.operator.iso-country]: [us,]
[gsm.sim.operator.numeric]: [310240,]
[gsm.sim.state]: [LOADED,NOT_READY]
[gsm.version.baseband]: [g5300t-251202-260127-B-14784800,g5300t-251202-260127-B-14784800]
[gsm.version.ril-impl]: [Samsung S.LSI Vendor RIL 5400 V2.3 Build 2025-09-13 00:47:55]