PUK
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Telecom
| Stands for | PIN Unblocking Key |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
PUK stands for PIN Unblocking Key, a telecom abbreviation.
Eight-digit code used to unlock a SIM card after the SIM PIN has been entered incorrectly three times. Carriers provide it through their websites, apps, customer service or the card holder the SIM came in.
Example: The phone says "SIM blocked", so log into your account to find the PUK.
Usage notes
After ten incorrect PUK attempts, the SIM is permanently disabled and must be replaced. The PUK is sometimes called the Personal Unblocking Key. Scammers sometimes pose as carriers to ask for a PUK; customers should only obtain it from official sources. The SIM PIN itself is optional and distinct from the phone's screen-lock passcode.
Related abbreviations
More telecom abbreviations
- PAYG – Pay as you go
- PBX – Private branch exchange
- PON – Passive optical network
- POTS – Plain old telephone service
- PSTN – Public switched telephone network
- PTT – Push-to-talk
- QAM – Quadrature amplitude modulation
- RAN – Radio access network
- RCS – Rich Communication Services
- RF – Radio frequency
- RFID – Radio-frequency identification
- RJ11 – Registered Jack 11