Have you forgotten your phone’s PIN code and your mobile has blocked itself after three unsuccessful attempts? You can easily unlock it with the PUK. If you know where to find it…
Smartphones all have two protection systems to avoid being used by unauthorized persons. The first protects access to the device itself, more specifically to its essential functions (settings and applications) and can take several forms: a password combining numbers and letters, a purely numeric code (PIN code, for Personal Identification Number or personal identification number in French), a diagram connecting dots on a grid, a fingerprint or even a facial recognition device. It is not provided by the manufacturer: it is up to the user to define it himself during the first configuration. The second only protects access to the SIM card (Subscriber Identification Module, or subscriber identification module, in French) and therefore to the telephony functions. It has only one form: a PIN code, made up of four digits. And it is linked to the operator that corresponds to the SIM or eSIM card, and to the associated plan. When using the card for the first time, you must use the generic PIN code provided by the operator (often 0000, 1111 or 1234) and modify it immediately to define a more personal series of numbers. It is possible to disable checking for this code when the phone is switched on, but this is not recommended. Because if the smartphone is lost or stolen, anyone can use it to call…
So, except when this code is disabled, you have to manually enter this PIN code at least every time you turn on the phone. Only then, it happens that we make a mistake by typing it a little too quickly or even that we forget it purely and simply – when we have not completely turned off the phone for weeks or months, for example. And there, there can be a big problem. Because after three unsuccessful attempts with a bad PIN code, the phone freezes. And to unlock it, you have to use another special code: the PUK.
What is a PUK code?
PUK is the acronym for Personal Unblocking/Unlocking Key Where PIN Unblocking/Unlocking Key, depending on the version, which can be translated as “personal identification number unlocking key”. It is also sometimes found – rarely – under the name CPD, for personal unlocking key. In practice, it is a numeric code generally composed of eight digits – sometimes less -, of the form 12345678. As its name suggests, it is an emergency code to unlock a locked phone. . More precisely, it unlocks the SIM card inserted in the device (or a “virtual” card in eSIM format) after three incorrect entries of the associated PIN code (see above). We can consider it as a second chance – the last… – offered to the clumsy and dazed.
Each SIM card thus has a specific PUK code – which cannot be used with another SIM card. Unlike the PIN code, you cannot change the PUK code associated with a SIM card: it is the telephone operator (Orange, Bouygues, Telecom, Free Mobile, SFR, etc.) that assigns it once and for all. And, here again, you must not make a mistake when you grab it to unlock a phone: because after ten to ten incorrect attempts – the number decays depending on the operator – the SIM card is completely locked… The SIM card becomes definitively unusable and it must be renewed with the mobile operator, which incurs replacement costs (generally 10 euros). And of course, as long as the SIM card is not unlocked with its PIN code or its PUK code, it is impossible to make or receive calls and SMS.
Where can I find the PUK code?
We have said it: a PUK code cannot be invented and personalized. It is the telephone operator that associates a specific one with each SIM card (or eSIM) that it markets. And, of course, he provides it to each of his customers! In principle, the PUK code associated with a SIM card is indicated in two places: on the contract and on the SIM card holder. You must therefore find it the main document that your operator sent you when you subscribed to the package, a document which also includes the telephone line number and the instructions for activating the SIM card. You should also find the PUK code on the plastic support that surrounds the SIM card – the credit card format card in which the SIM card in mini, micro or nano SIM format is pre-cut. A good tip: never throw away this support after cutting your SIM card! And just as carefully keep the document sent by your operator: you never know…
in micro or mini format. If you no longer have access to these documents, there are fortunately other solutions for recovering the PUK code and allowing you (finally!) to unlock the SIM card.
If you have lost or thrown away the contract for your plan or the support for your SIM card, you still have one last way to recover the PUK code to unlock your phone: contact your operator, the only one who knows the code associated with your SIM card. (or eSIM).
► The best solution is to go through your customer area, on the operator’s site from another mobile or a computer connected to the Internet. Get the username and password associated with your account and log in. Of course, each operator having its own logic, you will not find the PUK code systematically in the same place.
PUK code at Orange or Sosh
Access your Orange or Sosh customer area
At Orange or Sosh, it is very easy to retrieve your PUK code. Connect to your customer area via the link above, enter your mobile line number and your password to access your account: the associated PUK code is displayed immediately!
PUK code at Free Mobile
Access your Free customer area
At Free Mobile, go to the section My information, then in My PUK codeand click Click here to get your PUK code to receive it immediately by email, to the address you have associated with your account.
PUK code at Bouygues Telecom
Access your Bouygues Telecom customer area
At Bouygues Telecom, go to the section My mobilethen click the button Emergencies and troubleshooting. In the section A problem with your SIM (or eSIM) card?then click Manage my SIM card (or eSIM). On the next page, click PUK code. The PUK code associated with your SIM card is displayed directly on the site after a few seconds.
PUK code at SFR and RED
Access your SFR or RED customer area
At SFR or RED by SFR, go to the section Offer and Mobilethen in Mobile, and finally in Emergencies & troubleshooting. Click on Retrieve your PUK code. The code is immediately displayed on the screen.
► You can also find the PUK code of your SIM card using the app specific to your operator. Alas, as it is generally installed on the mobile which is precisely blocked, this method is less practical than others… But you can always install it on another device (telephone or tablet) and connect to your account with your username and password. Again, the way to find the code varies from one app and from one operator to another. At SFR, for example, once connected in the application, you have to go to the section Mobile supportthen in FAQsand select Unblock your SIM card to see the PUK code displayed.
► Alternatively, call your operator’s customer service by phone, using a landline or another mobile phone. Obviously, to avoid fraud – especially in the event of theft of the phone – a control is necessary. And the method varies by carrier. At Orange, for example, it is done with a confidential code appearing on the invoice of the mobile to be unlocked. The procedure is carried out via a voice robot: you must call the service at 0 800 100 740to input telephone number of the SIM card to be unlocked, select the option Get your PUK code and enter the four digits of the confidential code to retrieve the PUK code, which is given orally.
Here are the helpline numbers of the main mobile operators in France.
- Orange and Sosh
0 800 100 740 (fixed)
740 (mobile) - Bouygues Telecom
1064 (landline and mobile) - free mobile
3244 (fixed and mobile) - SFR and RED
06 1000 1963 (landline)
963 (mobile)
- Auchan Telecom
0 969 360 200 (fixed)
200 (mobile) - Bazile Telecom
04 42 12 64 63 - Cdiscount Mobile
09 69 36 02 00 - CIC-Mobile
0 969 360 200 (fixed)
675,200 (mobile) - Budget Club
0811 14 77 14 (landline) - Serenity Club
0805 14 77 14 (landline) - Coriolis Telecom
09 69 32 10 40 - Credit Mutuel Mobile
0 969 360 200 (fixed)
675,200 (mobile) - Mobile Post
09 70 80 86 60 - Lebara Mobile
01 72 28 23 23 (landline)
2323 (mobile) - LeFrenchMobile
01 74 95 95 00 (landline) - LycaMobile
01 77 72 23 22 (landline) - NRJ-Mobile
09 69 36 02 00 - Pricetel
No number - Reglo Mobile
0970 806 970 (landline)
728 (mobile) - Simplus
01 80 80 44 44 (landline
2029 (mobile) - Syma-Mobile
08 00 94 39 03 (landline)
243 (mobile) - Vectone Mobile
07 59 99 97 40 (landline)
740 (mobile)
► Last solution, valid only with certain operators: go to a dedicated shop and ask for the assistance of a salesperson-advisor. Here again, you will have to show your credentials by presenting at least one piece of identification and bringing the blocked phone so that it can be unlocked on site.
Once you have found or retrieved the PUK code associated with your SIM card, you must enter it, but also redefine a new PIN code to unlock your phone. The procedure may vary slightly depending on the model of your mobile, its operating system and the language used, but it remains very simple in all cases.
► In general, after three incorrect entries of the PIN code, a message indicating This SIM card is currently locked, Enter PUK code, PUK code, PUK or an equivalent formula is displayed on the mobile screen.
► In the field Unlock code, PUK Where PUK code which then appears, enter the PUK code associated with your SIM card and confirm if requested.
► Once the PUK code has been entered, define a new PIN code in the appropriate field and confirm it with a second entry in the adjoining field. Remember to write it down in a safe place – not on the phone!
► The SIM card is unlocked and you finally have access to the telephony functions.
Sometimes it happens that the SIM card is blocked but no error message is displayed on the phone screen. It is then impossible to enter the PUK code directly to unlock it. There is still an ultimate solution to force entering the code, using a key sequence that works on all models, regardless of brand.
► On the blocked device, display the numeric keypad to dial a phone number. Sometimes you have to go through the emergency call mode, which is always available.
► Once the numeric keypad is displayed, type the following key sequence: **05*KKKKKKKK*PPPP*PPPP#, replacing KKKKKKKKK with your PUK code and PPPP with the new PIN code you want to assign to your SIM card. For example, if the PUK code is 12345678 and the PIN code is 9090, type **05*12345678*9090*9090#. There is nothing to validate, everything is done in a single sequence that starts with ** and ends with #.