nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Site Totals

3151 Users Online 5850781 Members 365754 Discussions 61914 Solutions

Samsung Galaxy S4 not working with international SIM card

anhalbert

Hi all,

I'm in Italy and I am trying to use a Vodafone SIM card with my Verizon-purchased Samsung Galaxy S4. I have been assured that my phone is Globally unlocked, but it refuses to recognize the SIM card, saying that it is a non-Verizon SIM and that it is from an unknown source. Then, I tried to change the global settings, and nothing has worked. Does anyone have any advice for international use? I really need access to my phone, since I am here for four months.

Thanks,

Annie

Comments

Verizon_Support

Hi Annie

Thanks for reaching out to us! I'm very sorry your having issues while traveling. I'm very jealous of your 4 month trip. Let's look into this with you. Was the device working properly before you left? Have you tried a different Sim card?

Please ensure the global services are active. To check: Menu>settings>more networks> Mobile network> Global Data Roaming and network mode set to global.

Please let me know if the issue persists.

JoeL_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

fannyslapper

Because Verizon isn't a GSM carrier, it's not as easy as switching out a SIM card to receive a different GSM carrier's service. I'm assuming that you're trying to use a Vodafone SIM to pay local rates. Verizon and Sprint are both CDMA carriers, which means that they use a computer database to activate their phones (giving them an iron grip over what phones they want to run on their network). GSM carriers use a SIM card to keep up with subscribers. Although 4G LTE capable Verizon and Sprint devices use SIM cards, it for the sole purpose to receive 4G LTE service (because "Long Term Evolution" is a GSM technology). So the only way you're going to be able to receive service is through Verizon's global roaming partners and paying the roaming rates :smileysad:. So if you want to be able to switch out SIMS whenever you travel, I would recommend switching to a GSM carrier, such as ATT or T-Mobile.

fannyslapper

Oh, and of course, another use of the SIM card on both Verizon and Sprint is to roam on international GSM networks (because most of the world uses GSM), in addition to using 4G LTE on the respected "home networks".

ronaldschwartz

Fannyslapper--you don't know what you're talking about. The Galaxy S4 is required by the FCC to be unlocked for international use. I used a French Sim Card in my S4 this past fall in Paris--it worked for phone and SMS but I could not get it to work for Data, though I was able to input the APN for my French Carrier, Lebara Mobile. The card worked in my unlocked Droid 2 Global for Phone and Data. Some people have had data issues with the Verizon version of the S4, others have not.

denverdo

Funny, the Verizon Wireless sales support people I've just been chatting with INSIST that you can't use the S4 or any other Verizon phones internationally with local SIM cards without paying extortion, oops, I mean Verizon Global Services.

ronaldschwartz

Does the Sim Card work at all, or does it think there is no card in the phone. I had a bad sim card, and the phone did not register it at all, but another one from the same company worked. Also, make sure that you have the latest version of Android 4.3 installed. Earlier versions did not allow you to change the APN (Access Point Name) for a non verizon card. Assuming all of those things, it should see the new card, even with an error message that there is a non-verizon card, which you can ignore. Go to a cell phone shop and see if you can get the APN for Vodafone in Italy and enter the information under Settings, Wireless Network. Also, try changing to GSM (although Global is the best setting) --I got that to work on 3G. All Galaxy S4s are unlocked for international use, and should have radios that work on all types of cell phones, CDMA GSM and LTE. Good Luck.

ahabion

ronaldschwartz, I have a question, my husband and I are going to france in a month. We are also using Lebara mobile. I just registered for a lebara account and stuck the lebara sim in my husband's samsung note 2. I went ahead and changed the apn to the lebara network, however, we're getting a "roaming network" notification. The notification states that we'd get charge significantly higher charges. I'm not sure if it's cause we're in the states and we can't connect to the lebara network or if it's b/c verizon has a death grip on the type of network his note 2 is on. I don't want to go to france and then be charged the roaming fees.

Did you get the roaming notification? Thanks for any help!! ^_^

SeattleAbroad

I'm in Rome and spent an hour this afternoon, 25 minutes of it with Verizon global support on the line, trying to get SIM cards from three different carriers to work on my galaxy S4. Verizon insisted my phone is unlocked, and we tried cards from two "preferred" carriers according to Verizon, Vodafone and Wind. We kept getting messages that the SIM was from an unknown source, and the clerk at the store was unable to get me connected. This is unacceptable for a phone I chose because it was "global ready." If the clerk or I was doing something wrong, the Verizon global support person should have been able to set us straight, but she pretty much gave up and said there was nothing more that could be done.

Verizon_Support

Hi SeattleAbroad,

Rome sounds wonderful! I know its important to have a device that works properly while traveling. We cannot guarantee service on another carriers network/sim. Let's see if we can troubleshoot to get this issue resolved. Was the device in global mode or gsm/umts when the foreign carrier sim card was inserted http://vz.to/1mSMY3S ?

Thanks,

PamelaF_VZW

Tweet us @vzwsupport

SeattleAbroad

The Verizon global support person told us to choose gsm/umts. We tried that with each carrier's SIM card, including the two carriers Verizon said were "preferred" in Italy.

Nancy

Verizon_Support

SeattleAbroad We know it's very important for you to have services to work while far from home. Based on your device type, services are already unlocked and ready for global use. Our global support team primarily helps with making sure your phone works with our services. Was there a reason you didn't want to activate our global value plan? Use this link in case you change your mind for more details. http://vz.to/1jRVdga

Sheritah_vzw

Follow us on Twitter

@VZWSupport

chemdragon13

To all I have found the solution AT LEAST FOR VODAFONE/FYVE PHONES:

Go to settings, More Networks, Mobile networks, Network Mode : SET TO GLOBAL: Access Point Names : CLICK +, name: VODAFONE, apn: WEB.VODAFONE.DE, server: EVENT.VODAFONE.DE, mmsc: HTTP://139.7.24.1/SERVLETS/MMS, multimedia message proxy : 139.7.29.17, mcc: 262, mnc:02, apn protocol: IPV4/IPV6, apn roaming protocol: IPV4/IPV6. NOW PRESS MENU BUTTON: SAVE: THEN SELECT NEW APN YOU JUST CREATED WAIT FOR THE NETWORK TO REGISTER AND TEST. THE ONLY ISSUE I FOUND IS WHEN SOMEONE TEXTS YOU YOU MUST COMPLETELY DELETE THAT MESSAGE AND MAKE A NEW MESSAGE IN ORDER TO REPLY

slewco

I have a Verizon Galaxy S5 and I am currently using it in the UK. I have voice, text and data. Purchased a Lebara SIM at a corner store and voice and text worked right away, but I had to look up the APN settings for Lebara before I could get data services up and running (UK geek squad had settings online).

JaminB

In Austria right now and it's pretty messed up that Verizon keeps these phones on lock to prevent people traveling overseas from accessing cheaper data rates than $25 for 100MB. That's a huge rip off and you guys know it. Greatly appreciate the disservice. Tried to use a sim card and swith to gsm and look and behold only the calling worked and not data. Give me a break been with the company for 13 years and you can't unlock the phone so it can be used properly. Wonderful service Verizon way to treat your customers

slewco

4G capable phones are not locked. Keep your phone on global, don't worry about GSM vs. CDMA. Calling and texting should always work with a different providers SIM, but asking Verizon why you can't get data services to work through another provider isn't going to get you anywhere because they don't know anything about the other service prover's access point names (APN). That is like calling Microsoft for tech support on a Mac. You can google and find these settings pretty easily for most any provider out there. On a Samsung go to 'Settings' > 'More Networks' > 'Mobile Networks' > 'Access Point Names' and add a new one with whatever you find out there for the given provider. If you've input things correctly you should have data through whatever provider's SIM you picked up.

JoeM94547

In Berlin, Germany I bought a blau.de starter pack with a SIM. I knew it wouldn't work right away after researching before my trip. So seeing the "SIM from unknown source" message didn't surprise me much. I found APN settings on http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Germany and used those. Then after reading a few more posts I set the Network mode to GSM/UMTS (Settings => Connections => More networks => Mobile networks => Network mode)

Almost immediately I got a text (in German) welcoming me to blau. I sent a test txt, and made a call to a German number and it all worked! At dinner I got HSPA+ connection speed (H+ in the status bar). It's not LTE but fast enough while traveling. I hope that in Munich there is LTE there, but after some time in the Oktoberfest beer hall it won't matter all that much.

Hope that helps!

CGooden

My daughter is in London and also could not get her phone to work with a sim card she purchased. We contacted Verizon many times, both on line and at a number of stores. Every time they told us the phone is unlocked and it must be a sim card issue. What they did not tell us is that there are some settings on the phone that needed to be changed.

My Daughters phone had the incorrect settings for the Network mode, Once this was found and changed her phone seems to work. To change the setting, From the home screen Menu Settings -> Connections -> More Networks -> Mobil Networks -> Network Mode should be set to Global. You may also want to insure mobil data is on and possible the Access Point Name (APN) may need to be changed.

I would have been nice if Verizon could of been more helpful and mentioned these settings on the phone. I am assuming that when we purchased the phones initially it was setup wrong to begin with. Or the setting may have been changed at some point.

Supercilious

This problem has been reported an infinite number of times. It is unfortunate that VZW tech people aren't astute enough to simply reply: Global mode must be enables (phones default to that when new), and the Access Point Name must be selected.

Child Item