Phones & Devices Support Articles

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Symptoms The phone or tablet may be unable to make or receive calls, access data, send or receive text messages. May occur immediately after activation but may also happen after the device has worked appropriately for some time. May included error code messages 6, 34, 67 Diagnosis Sprint service may not be correctly set up on your device. Refreshing network settings on the device may resolve the issue. Solution From the phone dial pad, type ##72786# Accept warning that provisioning will be reset. Allow device to restart Allow device to go through hands-free activation If the device is still unable to make or receive calls, send/receive text messages or access data, please create a thread for assistance. For more information see: How do I activate a new phone?

Sprint makes it simple to swap your old phone for a new one. Before you get started, it's a good idea to back up device contacts and content. Make sure your new phone's battery is charged Ensure both your new phone and the old one are powered off Go to Sprint.com/activate from a laptop or desktop computer Sign in to My Sprint with an authorized username and password Select your device or number from the 'New device to activate' area. Back up your device content and contacts if necessary. click 'Continue' If your new phone is displayed, confirm it and continue. If the info displayed does not match your new phone, enter device identifier info: (DEC, HEX or IMEI). Review your plan choice and add-ons (this is a great time to add TEP if you don't already have it) Click Activate Power on, set up your new phone, make a test call, and check that data is active If you encounter an error message at any point during the activation you may be able to chat for assistance. When chat is available, you should see a 'CHAT' bubble on the right hand side of the window. Watch our short video on the activation process If you are having issues with your service after you activate, please see Activation Issues: Unable to make calls, send text or use data. If you are still unable to make calls, send texts or use data, you can create a message in our Problem Solvers forum where you can ask for help or chat with an agent at Sprint.com/chat

Question I just found a pop-up message on my phone saying that it was 'unlocked for UICC support' or something. I looked up the message on Google and people are saying that it can indicate a scam. What does this message mean? Am I being hacked? Answer You're not being scammed or hacked. The UICC is what we used to call a SIM card. It helps identify your phone to the network. You received this message because you paid off the phone and fulfilled your agreement with Sprint. As a result, Sprint has 'unlocked' your phone (also known as Domestic SIM Unlock or DSU) and has sent you a message to confirm. Sprint will automatically unlock active devices made after January, 2015 when the purchase agreement is fulfilled, contracts are complete, and all requirements for Unlocking have been met. Once a phone is unlocked, it may be used on some other carriers, even foreign carriers, if that network is compatible with the your phone's build. If you have completed your agreement and have not received the UICC unlock message, you may need to contact Care for assistance. Please see our Domestic SIM Unlock FAQ at the bottom of this article to ensure you meet all of the requirements before contacting Care. For more information, take a look at our Unlocking FAQ page.

Symptoms When sending a text message (SMS) to one particular contact, a user may receive the message: "Can't send message with CARD 1, error 107". Typically, this only happens with one contact, users can text and receive texts from any other number. Diagnosis The contact information on your device and/or Google account can become corrupted, causing an error when you attempt to send an SMS. Solution Delete the contact from your device/Google account, including address book, call and text history as well as any voicemails from that number on your device Restart your phone Add the Contact back in to your address book and test again You can attempt to text the phone number before you add back the contact, as well If the error continues, please let us know.

There are a number of features/services which are incompatible with the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular). If you wish to activate the Apple Watch with cellular service, you must disable them from the paired iPhone. HD Voice Selective Call Blocking by specific numbers from the Preferences page of Sprint.com Short codes starting with * or # RingBack Tones StarStar Me Google Voice with your existing Sprint number TTY (Teletypewriter) Service If you have disabled all of these features and are still unable to activate your Apple Watch Series 3, please create a post in the iPhone forum and an agent will assist you.

Symptoms Sprint Branded Voicemail App is missing from application drawer and home screen of an Android phone Diagnosis Sprint branded software may not be properly loaded on the phone Solution From the phone dial pad type: ##BRAND# ( ##27263#) confirm the action and allow the phone to restart. This process will trigger the re-installation of any Sprint branded apps to your device. As a result, some of the Sprint apps that you have chosen to uninstall previously will need to be uninstalled again.

Question Is Sprint going to allow Note 7 customers to upgrade to the Note 8 easily? Answer If you purchased a Note 7, we're making some adjustments so that you can upgrade to a Note 8. Starting Friday 8/25/17: If you purchased a Note 7 on installments, returned it and immediately started a new installment agreement on another device, you will be eligible to upgrade with giveback as soon as we have received 12 consecutive payments towards the new phone. Unfortunately, there's no way to pre-pay the 12 payments and accelerate this process without paying off the entire balance. Starting Saturday 8/26/17: If you leased a Note 7, returned it and immediately started a new lease on an alternate device (like an S7), you will be eligible to upgrade with giveback. If you purchased a Note 7 on a 2 yr agreement, returned it and immediately bought another subsidized device, you will be upgrade eligible to upgrade. You do NOT have to turn in your device in this scenario. Keep in mind: we no longer offer 2 yr agreements. You can upgrade on Sprint either with Sprint Flex Lease or full MSRP or you might be able to take advantage of the Samsung Exclusive Note 8 Offer to Note 7 buyers Scenarios where you might not qualify for an upgrade: If you leased a Note 7, returned it and swapped back to an older device you already owned, then later upgraded to a new device (such as the LG G6 or the Samsung S8), you will not be made eligible to upgrade now as you have upgraded to more recent technology than the Note 7. If you purchased a Note 7 on installments and did not return it until late in the year (say November or December) to purchase another device, you will need to wait until you've made the 12 consecutive payments mentioned above

Question Samsung is offering Note7 buyers up to $425 off the purchase of a Note8. How do I take advantage of that offer? Answer This is an offer directly from Samsung and does not apply to our Sprint pre-order promotions. This offer applies to customers who purchased Samsung Galaxy Note7 and registered that Note7 on Samsung.com prior to the recall If you had a Note7, you may have received an email with this $425 trade in offer This offer is ONLY being supported by Samsung (Not Sprint) for customers who pre-order their Galaxy Note8 through Samsung.com or through the Samsung Shop App Customers can find out if they eligible by going to this link: Samsung Exclusive Trade In Offer Samsung verifies eligibility by email address, so you will need to use the email address that you used to register your Note7 on Samsung.com to validate your eligibility Since this offer is NOT being made in cooperation with Sprint so there may be impacts to your account should you take advantage. The offer will require that you turn in whatever device you currently have to Samsung (Not Sprint) If your phone is currently on a lease or IB with Sprint, you would be subject to lease cancellation fees/accelerated device purchase fees when you turn that phone in to Samsung. The offer does not combine with any current Sprint promotion including 50% new lines or any upgrade offers you may receive

What is Rich Communications Suite (RCS) Rich Communications are a set of features that make Text/SMS messages behave and look a bit more like instant message or real time chat. You can request read confirmations, see when another person is typing, etc. How do I set up Enhanced Messaging? If you have a Samsung S8 or S8+, or Note 8, RCS may be waiting to install on your device. You'll be notified that Rich Communications Suite is ready to be installed when you see an icon in the status bar at the top of your phone. If you are not notified that RCS is ready to be installed you may be able to trigger the installation by opening your messaging app, clicking on the 3 button menu at the top right corner. Click Settings: Chat Settings: Toggle Enhanced Features on. Click on the notification to accept the installation. You'll be taken to the setup screen. Click "Start" to install the features. When installation is complete, you'll see a confirmation message flicker on the screen and receive a confirmation text. There is no further action necessary from you. RCS is installed and ready to be enabled. How can I tell if Rich Communication Suite is Enabled on my phone? Open the Messages app. Click on the three dots in the top right corner. Go to "Settings". Go to "Chat Settings". Check the toggle for "Rich Communication settings". How can I tell if my messages are using RCS features instead of MMS/SMS? The composition window should say "Enter Chat message" the "send" button should be green when using RCS. This window will say "Enter Message" and the "send" button would be orange with MMS/SMS. (similar to the blue/green on iOS for iMessage/SMS) I installed and enabled RCS. Who do I still see "enter message" and an orange "Send" button when I am messaging certain people? Both parties must have RCS or Enhanced Messaging capable devices with the feature enabled in order for all the features to work. If your messages window shows the SMS options ('Enter Message' and an orange "Send" button, it's likely that the other person doesn't have RCS enabled on their phone.

What is Sprint Magic Box? Sprint Magic Box is a wireless small cell that ca n improve LTE data coverage within buildings and even within a certain range outside. Does it help with voice coverage? No, Sprint Magic Box only improves LTE data signal (2.5 MGhz, Band 41). How do I get one? You'll need to qualify for Sprint Magic Box. There are several factors to take into consideration including (but not limited to) the Sprint network in your area and the device(s) you have. We've launched to a select group of customers, primarily businesses at this time. Consumer sign ups are coming soon. The really cool thing is, if you are visiting a business where a Magic Box is in operation, you get to benefit too! I filled out the signup information weeks ago but I didn't get one! Customers are not guaranteed a Magic Box, no matter what. Each request has to be evaluated for several factors that include things like the network in your area and the type of devices you have. We want to be sure that the Magic Box is the right solution for each situation where we install one. Do I need to have WiFI or Wired Internet Service to qualify? No! Magic Box is a small cell that doesn't require a wired or WiFi internet connection to work. All you need is an outlet and a good window, most likely with a line-of-site to a nearby cell tower. Magic Box will even help you decide which window in the building will provide the best signal strength beforehand (won't worry, we provide instructions and support too!). Will my phone work with Magic Box? Magic Box operates on LTE 2.5GHz frequency (Band 41), so only devices with this capability will work with it. Most newer smartphones will work but you'll need to check your device's specifications for LTE 2.5 GHz to be sure. What kind of an area will a Magic Box cover? Sprint Magic Box can improve LTE speeds in an area as large as 30,000 square feet indoors. It can help customers in adjacent buildings and even outside, up to 100 meters in the right conditions. This means that dozens of Sprint customers in a particular area can benefit from the improved coverage of one Magic Box. Every Sprint customer within the coverage area can benefit from the Magic Box, so there's no need or ability to secure it, as with WiFi or an Airave. Does Magic Box improve data signal for phones on other network providers? Since Magic Box is on a Sprint owned frequency; customers on other (non-Sprint) networks do not receive improved LTE signal. Will do I connct my phone to a Magic Box where one is available? No need to connect or set up your phone to work on a Magic Box. If you're within range, your phone will pick up and connect to the Magic Box as it would a regular cell tower. If I move, do I have to give the Magic Box back? Not necessarily. When you're ready to move, contact Magic Box support and verify that your new location is appropriate for a Magic Box. Magic Box does not work in areas where there is no Sprint coverage. Can I use WiFi calling through my Magic Box? No, Magic Box is only for LTE data. It does not improve voice signal and can't be used to connect to WiFi calling. How do I set up my Magic Box? Every Magic Box comes with a Quick Start Guide. You can also see the Magic Box Support Center for installation instructions and available video with step-by-step instructions. For more information, please visit our Magic Box Support center

This post is intended for reference for customers and Social Care agents for steps on updating the profile on an Apple iPhone device. Updating the profile will ensure that the proper programming information is saved into a device. *It will correct a missing or incorrect profile that may result voice, data and text issues. Steps: From the dial pad type in: ##873283# (##UPDATE#) and press call. A message should appear stating the update has been initiated. Once complete a new message should appear stating the update has either completed or failed. If the update fails, ensure the device is in Sprint Network coverage, power cycle the device and try again. *The update profile is not a fix-all and may not solve all problems. This step is intended to correct problems caused by missing or incorrect programming in the device. Please reach out to a Social Care team member if you problem continues.

Question My phone is lost, how do I find it with Android Device Manager? If I discover that someone has stolen it, is there a way to protect my information? Answer If you have enabled it, Android Device Manager makes it easy to locate, lock or erase a lost device. You can even have the device make a sound (great if it might be stuck between couch cushions). Check out Google's Support article for very good information, but here are some of the basics. Important! In order for Find My Device to work you must have: Your device linked to your Google account The device powered on Location services on and your device visible in Google Play Connected to a mobile data network or WiFi Find My Device turned on Find my Android: - Use your Google credentials to log into Android Device Manager - If you have more than one device, select the lost phone from the list on the left. A Google Map of your device's location will be displayed on the right. If the battery is dead, the phone has been turned off or is out of range of a data connection, Google may not return a location or may only return your device's last location, Once you have located your device, you may have some other options: Play a sound Lock your device, requiring your PIN or screen pattern to unlock. If you have not set a PIN you can do so here. You can also add a recovery number so a person who finds your phone could contact it, Erase all data. This will clear all the data on the phone. Only use this step if you believe the phone has been stolen or that you'll be unable to recover it. Once you've erased all data, Find My Device will not work for this device until you have found the phone and linked it to your Google account again, If you do not have a Google account already set up on the phone, you can only reset the screen lock by performing a Hardware Factory Reset to erase the phone. (A factory reset will result in the loss of all data stored on the device including 3rd party applications. *** If you are looking for the steps to find a missing iPhone or other Apple device, please see Apple's Find My iPhone page ***

The Partition Cache Wipe is a bit like deleting the cache and cookies on a PC or laptop. Cache files are tiny bits of information that can help some apps load a more quickly. Like clearing your cache and cookies on a computer, deleting these files doesn't hurt anything and you won't lose any personal information by doing so. Corrupt cache files can keep internet websites or apps on your phone from loading, they can cause your device to slow down or feel a bit warmer than normal. Clearing them may fix these issues. Many Android sites also suggest performing a partition cache wipe after a system update. Please follow the troubleshooting steps below: Turn off the device. Press and hold the Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key at the same time. When the phone powers on, the Android System Recovery screen appears approx. 30 seconds later. Release all of the keys. Press the Volume down key to highlight "wipe cache partition." Press the Power key to select. Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and press the Power key to select. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted. Press the Power key to restart the device. This works a bit differently on the Galaxy S8: instead of the Home button, you'll hold down the Bixby button, Volume Up and Power buttons at the same time. The rest of the process is the same.

Question I need to turn off the Reactivation lock on my Samsung. The instructions I have say to disable the reactivation lock by following: "settings>lock screen and security>find my mobile>reactivation lock". The problem is that there is no "find my phone" option/setting. What I need now is: a. directions on how to disable the reactivation lock b. How do I set my phone so I can use "find my phone"? Answer Samsung removed Reactivation Lock from it's security features when Google created and launched Android Device Manager so you won't see the setting on an S6 or S7 anymore. It was never included in the S8. Android Device Manager makes it easy to locate, lock or unlock an Android phone linked to a Google account. Log in to your Google account and go to Android Device Manager Android Device Manager. You should see every device currently linked to your Google account and a map pointing out the device's current location. This article provides some basic information but if you go to Android Device Manager it's pretty self explanatory. If you do not have a Google account already set up on the phone, you can only reset the screen lock by performing a Hardware Factory Reset to erase the phone. (A factory reset will result in the loss of all data stored on the device including 3rd party applications. If you are looking for the steps to disable reactivation lock for Apple, please see this article: http://sprint.co/2lUG0mp

Question Please tell me how to disable Bixby. Answer You have 2 options 1) Press the home screen for several seconds. Then swipe left side and tap the toggle to turn off Bixby. 2)Go to Settings. Tap on Applications. Select All Applications. Browse and tap on Bixby application. Select the Disable option, a new message will pop up saying “Disabling built-in apps, may cause errors in other apps” so, tap Disable

Symptoms The toggle for Hot Spot is nowhere to be found in Settings. A buddy of mine has an S8+ and I confirmed that his phone shows it. He actually has a couple options that I'm missing (e.g. Wi-Fi Calling), but the only one I really care about is Hot Spot. Diagnosis Sprint branded apps may not properly load at initial installation and provisioning. As a result, certain apps including Hot Spot and WiFi calling may be missing. Solution From the device phone dialer, tap ##BRAND# The device may ask to confirm reset. Please tap OK or confirm. Your device will restart at least one time and walk through over the air activation. This process will reload the Sprint app package as well as network settings. No personal data should be affected. This should restore missing hot spot and WiFi Calling toggles. Be advised: this process may restore some applications to your home screen that you had previously removed. It's safe to delete the icons again once the reset has completed