Smartphones are getting manufactured at a rate faster than ever before. As technology makes giant leaps and puts them into pocket-sized devices, it starts to reflect in its cost. These days, smartphones are getting more expensive every day to the point that you may have to spend upwards of USD 1,000 to get a newly released flagship.
In this environment, buying the latest smartphone is not economically viable for all of us. Neither does it make sense to pay an unreasonable amount of money for a phone every 1-2 years. Hence, buying a refurbished phone or buying a second-hand phone is an efficient decision for most of us.
If you’re one of such people, you may have come across a strange error that goes like “Phone Not Allowed MM#6 Error.” Today, we’re going to understand what causes this error and how to fix it.
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What is the Phone not allowed MM#6 error?
The MM#6 error shows up when you attempt to call or message with a locked phone. It mostly comes up in second-hand devices or refurbished phones. With a phone like that, there is a strong possibility that your phone is still tethered to another carrier.
In some cases, it also means that your SIM is not compatible with your phone. Hence, your priority should be to test your phone and ensure that you can receive and make calls, messages with your current SIM and carrier.
Ways to fix Fix MM#6 Errors On Smartphones
In total, there are five ways to fix this error. However, note that the solution for the MM#6 error is different depending on your carrier and your device. Hence, we advise you not to be discouraged if the first method doesn’t work for you. We will list down five ways and try going through all of them if the first one doesn’t work for you.
These are the methods to fix Phone not allowed MM#6 error:
- Contact your network operator
- Check your operations menu
- Re-insert your SIM card
- Automate your network selection
- Update your device
Keep reading to know further details about all of the methods mentioned above.
Contact your network operator
It may seem obvious and ridiculous, but one of the fastest ways to get rid of the error can be contacting your network operator. It doesn’t work every time, but you still have an excellent chance to get it fixed, so you may as well give it a shot once.
Simply contact your network’s customer care number and explain to them the issue you’re facing. They may ask for details such as your contact number, phone model, IMEI number, etc. With this information, they may be able to unlock your phone on their end or at least guide you further.
In case you do not find any success with the previous method, open your phone app. Once done, dial *#78# in the dial pad menu. It will take you to the operations menu of your device. In many cases, it disengages the selected carrier and unlocks your device. Restart the device once so that your phone boots up with the new configuration and gives you full access.
However, this method will not work for everyone. The reason behind it is that every carrier does not share the same number. Many carriers go by different numbers, and you can try to get that information from the customer service representative or a friend who has the same operator as yours.
Re-insert your SIM card
If the above-listed methods do not work, you can try re-inserting your SIM card. As simple as it may sound, it does work because sometimes your phone incorrectly detects your SIM card and doesn’t let you call or message using it.
Follow these simple instructions to safely re-insert your SIM card:
Step-1: Switch your phone off.
Step-2: Open the SIM card tray with a pin. Most companies give a sim ejector pin within the retail box; use it by gently inserting and pressing it until the SIM tray pops out. Ensure that you do not ram it in carelessly and accidentally damage your SIM tray.
Step-3: Carefully take your SIM out and wait for a couple of minutes.
Step-4: Re-insert the SIM in the tray and put the tray back in your device.
Step-5: Long press the power button and wait for your phone to boot up.
Step-6: Once your phone is booted up, wait for 5 minutes and try making a call or sending a text message.
Automate your network selection
There’s a significant possibility that you may be facing this issue because of a wrong network selection. An incorrect network selection or a weak network selection can lead to this issue and significantly drain your phone’s battery life. You can even perform this method for your devices, where you are having connectivity issues with a working carrier and SIM.
To automate network selection, follow the steps given below:
Step-1: Go to the setting menu of your device. You can look for it in your app tray and go there directly from the notification panel of android devices.
Step-2: Click on Connections/SIM Card And Mobile Networks/Data Usage. This option tray is available in different names under different android skins, so choose accordingly.
Step-3: Click on “Mobile Networks”
Step-4: Select your preferred SIM card option and choose “Select automatically.”
Step-5: Once done, restart your device. Wait for 5 minutes after your device boots up and try calling/messaging.
Update your device
The MM#6 error often comes up due to a corrupted/obsolete version of your operating system. An outdated OS version is more vulnerable to mobile viruses and not compatible with a new SIM/mobile network. So, if your device is a bit old, you should update its software right away. Here’s how to check and update your software version –
Step-1: Click on settings from your app tray or notification panel.
Step-2: Scroll to the end of the list and click on the “About Phone” option.
Step-3: Check your software version and select the option that lets your phone search for updates.
Step-4: In case there’s an update available for your device, download it right away.
Step-5: Once downloaded, ensure that your phone has more than 30% battery and install the update.
Step-6: Wait for your device to install the update and reboot automatically.
Step-7: Check if your issue is resolved.
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