UnlockBase

TL;DR

1. Google is collecting data about you through your phone.
2. Phishing comes in so many forms.
3. Never trust your password to anyone, not even your phone.
4. Use Password Managers.
5. Change your passwords regularly.
6. Add an extra layer of lock to your phone.
7. Clean your browsers more often (than your house).
8. Don’t just click “OK” or “I agree” absentmindedly.
9. Employ 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) for all withdrawals (and on all your online accounts).
10. Check the fidelity of your Social Media accounts.
11. Create A Guest Wifi Network.
12. Install a Firewall on your computer or on your home network.
13. Use a VPN to hide your ass.
14. Avoid using public Wi-Fi.
15. Install manufacturer updates when needed.
16. Be careful with the apps you install.

When we think about privacy in the digital world, we all suddenly feel anxious. Are we truly safe from privacy invasion? Are our phones especially equipped to keep our bank details, emails, phone numbers, etc free from hackers and digital thieves?

We’ve heard enough stories from people who lost their money because of email phishing and of those whose private videos got exposed and never got their peace again. It’s adding up to the anxiety people are burdened with nowadays, even after the extraordinary layer of security technology has to offer.

Mobile phones in particular, is one of the most vulnerable gadgets that is prone to hacker attacks. It gets especially hotter nowadays, since more and more people are using their mobile phones to buy things online, and even purchase products right off the shelves at Walmart.

Although mobile phones have become the best boon for humankind, it could also be the source of our greatest bane. With all the threats that’s going on around us, what can you do or what do you need to know to keep yourself safe when using your phone?

Well, let’s delve deeper and discover what you should know and what you can do to protect your privacy and essentially, your life.

1. Google is collecting data about you through your phone.

Did you know that you are being stalked by Google? Google knows almost everything about you. It can predict with absolute accuracy what you want to buy, what you want to search about, and even tell you where you’ve been last.

Google’s AI helps them know what ads to suggest based on your search behavior. And on your phone, there’s a default Google app that lets them know your location so they can suggest the best restaurants, places to visit, and report accurate temperature.

Ever since GPS, it was possible for anyone to follow us around or stalk without us knowing, and of course, this is a government initiative through NASA. Your mobile phone picks up signal from your mobile phone service provider towers and they can predict with almost perfect accuracy where you are at the moment just by using that data alone.

By default, Android and iOS users have GPS trackers enabled, but there’s no need to sulk, you can disable these location trackers just as easily. Here’s how to stop your phone from logging your location:

To Disable location reporting on Android:

1. Go to Settings
2. Location
3. Google Location Settings
4. Switch slider off on both Location Reporting and Location History
5. Delete Location History
6. Repeat process on each Google Account on your device.

Note that by disabling these services you are essentially limiting Google on suggesting information that may be of help to you. Nonetheless, you can leave Location Reporting on when you think you need it. You can also block Google from seeing your location through the help of a VPN app for Android devices from services like ExpressVPN. This not only blocks Google, but also your ISP from seeing your location.

To Disable location reporting in iOS:

1. Go to Settings
2. Privacy
3. Location Services
4. Swipe slider off on all apps or select apps you want it disabled (e.g Google Maps)
5. System Services
6. Deny location data from features you want to disable it

Note that with iOS you can’t erase the location history, so you have to log on to a web browser for you to do that. Choose the days you want to delete location history and you’re done.

2. Phishing comes in so many forms.

Bet you’ve probably seen how phishing emails look like, and hopefully it wasn’t successful on whatever its scheming to do. Email phishing disguises itself as a trustworthy organization aiming to gather important information from people who aren’t suspecting. They can disguise to be your bank, a famous brand, Google, and even your phone’s manufacturer!

Even Facebook has had this incident and a lot of accounts in so many countries had been infected. If you suspect your computer or your phone had been infected or hacked through Facebook or any other website, you can run a malware scan and immediately log out from the internet.

Unfortunately, hackers and phishers evolve fast and they are extremely creative. Nonetheless, it’s easy to outsmart them if you know how they really do it. Now, take a look at these examples:

• Pop-up offering quick fixes for your mobile problems. They can show you a result of a quick device scan and will ask you to download or install a malware that is potentially dangerous to your computer and/or the data in it.

• Email disguised to be your bank account asking for more account information. Your bank already has your account number, so there’s no way they’d ask that from you via email. Also, legitimate companies will not ask you to send your personal information through email or text.

• A Facebook message from a friend with a link. Facebook hackers have made it to your friends’ inbox and if your friend unsuspectingly clicks on that link, all the person on their friends list will receive the message as well. This links will slow your computer down or install extensions on your browsers that can gather login information. You wouldn’t notice they installed anything but when you login to your bank, email, or work-related sites using the infected browser, it will send the information to the hacker’s server.

• Emails disguised as customer complaint. High-level executives are the target of “customer complaint” phishers. They can even come up with an official-looking subpoena to make it look legitimate. More often, they are going to ask you to click a link where you will be asked to install a software so you can proceed. They can sometimes also clone your email login page where you will unsuspectingly enter your email login information to proceed.

• Emails disguised as a shipping carrier asking for your personal information. Key here is not to provide your address or any information about you if you can’t confirm you have an order with them. Most carriers don’t really need to confirm shipping information because it is done by their vendor or the company where you purchase your goods from. If you are not expecting any order delivery, better to erase it right away.

• Clone emails. As the term itself defines, this type of phishing clones or copies the exact email sent to you by a legitimate entity (e.g bank) and they also use an email address that looks like that of your bank. If you receive an email regarding a matter that your bank already had informed you with before, please don’t click any link. Instead investigate and verify the email by searching about it. You’re probably not the first to receive that email and the public have already been alerted about it.

• Email from an unknown company about a freebie or a voucher you can claim by clicking a link. Well, it is easy to bait someone using their emotion, but remember, if the offer is too good to be true, it probably is.

• Unsecured website login page. If you are routed to a page where you have to enter login information like username, email, pin, or passwords, always remember to check its security. Websites which as HTTPS and has a lock icon before the web address is safe and secure for you to enter your credentials. If on the other hand, it is only an HTTP or there’s no lock icon, you should be concerned. Also, you can check the website’s security certificate when you click on the lock icon. This helps you know how your data is protected.

Remember that phishing doesn’t only use one medium of communication. It can disguise itself as an unsuspecting text message from your daughter about your credit card information, or it can be through a call. When you receive a phone call from a company XYZ and they are asking personal information about you (including your birthday) that’s already one form of phishing.

There are other ways to prevent phishing and we’ll go through them in the next sections.

3. Never trust your password to anyone, not even your phone.

As mentioned earlier, hackers and phishers have created ingenious ways to install extensions on your browsers with a single click. These extensions are triggered by certain websites, especially those where you enter login information. Although it would be easier for you to keep your passwords saved or “remembered” by your browser, it would be unsafe for you to do that.

Google Chrome, for example, isn’t a secure place to store your passwords. Anyone with access to your browser can keep your login credentials and save it for their own use. Although the hacker has to have physical access to your computer for them to steal your login information, you surely don’t want them to discover something you want to hide or keep for yourself.

Your phone’s browsers are also flawed the same. You can keep your social media logins to yourself if you allow people to use your phone or borrow it. You can stay unsuspecting but better be safe than sorry.

4. Use Password Managers.

If you have way too many passwords for you to remember, you can install a password manager like Lastpass. You need only one master password for the software login and you can keep all of your passwords in there safe and sound.

You can set a two-way authentication as well, so that when you login using a computer, you will need to authenticate it using your phone or another gadget of your choice. There are a lot of free password managers out there, so go get one now!

5. Change your passwords regularly.

Talking about passwords, it is necessary that you change your passwords on a regular basis, especially for those which concern your privacy and your banking logins. Even Apple Pay has its own flaws, so never trust yourself enough to keep these passwords and PIN’s just the same for more than 6 months.

It is advisable that you change your credit card pins on a regular basis to protect yourself from card skimming. If on the other hand, you use your phone to purchase, you need to make sure that your phone is locked enough that when someone steals it, it would be practically useless.

Jailbreaking a phone is something that even a grade-school kid can do nowadays, so to help protect yourself from this kind of disaster, you need to add an extra layer of lock to your phone which we will discuss next.

6. Add an extra layer of lock to your phone.

Adding an extra layer of lock or security to your phone is going to help you not only secure your phone’s private data but it also prevents other people from using your information illegally.

There are a lot of free App Locks you can download from Google Play. With an extra lock installed you can lock certain apps and programs using a 6-digit PIN code and a simple toggle and voila, your Facebook, Gmail, or banking app is safe with another line of security.

Mobile phone manufacturers understand this necessity that’s why they always pack your devices with biometrics such as iris scanner, Face ID, fingerprint scanner, etc. However, no technology is perfect and there are still flaws in the system.

In an iPhone X, for example, your identical twin brother (if you have) can open your phone without any problem. In China, a lot of people had been in an uproar against Apple lately due to its racism in producing iPhone X.

A woman had discovered that her son can unlock her iPhone X and when she got to the store, she was told that there was a problem with the camera. She later discovered that everyone else can actually unlock her phone using their face with no problem and so was every other iPhone X in the store!

This major flaw had been denied by iPhone and of course, they denied the accusation of being racist. This had happened a month later iPhone X was released in the market.

7. Clean your browsers more often (than your house)

Cleaning your browser is as important as cleaning your house. You have to erase your browsing history once in a while if you want to keep your devices safe from hackers.

Although there is a need for any hacker to have physical access to the device (e.g mobile phone), once someone breaks into your computer, they can look at the browser history and use the available data to steal information from you.

It’s easy to clean your browser. If you are using Chrome on your phone:

1. Go to Chrome app
2. Tap More History
3. Tap Clear browsing data
4. Go to Browsing history
5. Uncheck any other boxes you don’t want to delete.
6. Tap Clear data

Clean your browser often and save yourself from dirty trouble in the future.

8. Don’t just click “OK”or “I agree” absentmindedly.

We all know that apps do ask “permissions” to access certain programs on your phone like your contacts, calendar, photos, messaging, notes, etc. By default, all of these programs have their boxes ticked, it’s up to you to uncheck the box next to the program you don’t want the app to have access with.

Limiting the app’s access isn’t going to affect the performance of the app, although there will be features that are to be compromised. Nonetheless, if you don’t want your Facebook, Messenger, Twitter or any other app for that matter have access to data that you think should stay private like Contacts, you can opt out and still be able to use them.

If you want to limit permissions on some apps, here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to Settings
2. Apps
3. Device
4. Tap the Gear icon
5. App permissions
6. Toggle slider ON or OFF on apps you want to limit access

In the same way, does some websites ask for permissions. If you have seen websites asking permission to “give you a notification about latest updates” or even asking to “enable cookies“, you better read what exactly they want from you.

By default, you shouldn’t allow them to do just that, and in fact, Google already penalizes websites who don’t let you opt out from these “permissions“. What these “cookies” do is to observe your behaviour when in the internet so they know what ads to suggest.

Amazon does this and so does other e-commerce websites. Google also does this, however, to a much healthier extent. When the information gathered by these cookies are given to the wrong hands, you’ll be spammed and the next thing you know, you’ll have annoying pop-ups every now and then.

If you are using Chrome on your computer, here’s how you change permission on all sites you will visit:

1. On you computer, left click on Chrome
2. Hover your mouse on the top right, click More (it looks like 3 bullets in a line)
3. Click Settings
4. Scroll down and click Advanced at the bottom
5. Under “Privacy and Security” click on Content Settings
6. Change the permission you want to update.

If you are using Android or iOS on your gadget, here’s how you get there:

1. Open Chrome
2. On the top right, click More  (it looks like 3 bullets in a line)
3. Hit Settings
4. Under Advanced, tap Content Settings (iOS) or Site Settings (Android)
5. Tap on the permission you wish to change.
6. Please follow “Recommended” advise from Google Chrome but ideally, you would want the following to be on the corresponding mode:

• Cookies – Removing some cookies may mean that you will be logged out from some websites)
• Camera – Should be on “Always Ask” mode
• Location – “Ask before accessing”
• Microphone – “Ask before accessing”
• Notifications – “Ask before sending”
• Flash – “Ask first”
• Pop-up’s– “Blocked”

For more information regarding Chrome browser settings, you can visit Chrome Support or you can go here for the full tutorial on their support site.

9. Employ 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) for all withdrawals (and on all your online accounts)

One way to also add another level of security to your bank accounts, Paypal, etc. you can add a 2-factor Authentication for all withdrawals. What this do is to provide you a notification on your phone (you bring daily), to authenticate and allow the withdrawal or any transaction.

This will help you to validate and deny the transaction that’s at hand. This keeps your money safe because the hacker has to have a physical access of your phone in order to do the last half of their job.

You can add 2FA on Paypal, WordPress, Evernote, Lastpass, Dropbox, Slack, Amazon, WhatsApp, and on your social media accounts. Google Authenticator is one of the commonly used 2FA apps and it supports a hostful of websites and apps that you want to have extra security. Thankfully, there’s a Google Authenticator app for both Android and Apple.

It’s fairly easy to get the app working. Once downloaded, install the app on your phone and sync your phone and tablet. For a full tutorial on how it’s done on Android or iOS, you can go here.

Apple also has 2-step authentication verification procedures that will notify you of any iCloud access or any app access on your iPhone or Mac. If you want to enable it, here’s how:

On iOS:

1. Go to Settings
2. Sign in on iCloud
3. Tap arrow on Apple ID
4. Tap Password and Security
5. Tap Turn ON Two-factor Authentication

On macOS:

1. Go to System Preferences
2. Sign in on iCloud
3. Click Account details
4. Click Security
5. Click Turn ON Two-Factor Authentication

Microsoft is also on the same league, and it will add more security on your OneDrive, Skype, Xbox Live, etc. If you want to enable 2FA on your, you can look at this tutorial from Microsoft Support for guidance.

Google also has a 2FA capability and they have enabled email alerts by default so you can receive an email about new browser logins. If there’s a login on a new or unrecognized device, Google will let you know about it via email.

10. Check the fidelity of your Social Media accounts.

Your social media accounts are surely going to be a headache once hacked. People can steal your identity or use your private information to blackmail you. But as mentioned earlier, you can enable 2FA on each of your social media accounts to keep them protected.

For mobile-only app or service which do not have 2FA capability, you can enable login verification. Also, if you have logged in any of your social media account on another gadget, you need to remove or “forget” your password on those devices. With SnapChat, you can do this remotely using login verification. You can also generate a Recovery Key or Code for when your mobile device is stolen to protect your social media accounts.

On the other hand, Facebook also have created a way for their users to know whether their account has been hacked. If you haven’t tried this trick yet, here’s how:

1. Go to Settings
2. Click Security and Login
3. Click Where You’re Logged Into
4. You will see your login history’s dates, places, and device used
5. If it wasn’t you, click “Not You”
6. Click Secure Account
7. Click Get Started and Facebook will walk you through the rest of the steps. It includes changing your current password.

If your Facebook account have been hacked you will see suspicious logins that you have not initiated. In order to prevent this from happening again in the future, you need to:

1. Turn log in alerts.
2. Update your password often.
3. Enable 2FA
4. Choose 3 to 5 friends to contact if your account is locked out.
5. Be vigilant with friend requests.
6. Don’t click suspicious links.
7. Don’t believe any emails about changing your password or about your account being hacked. You need to login to Facebook first to confirm this because you will receive a notification from them if it is indeed true. It’s a no-no to update your password outside of the Facebook app or web page itself because Facebook will never ask you to do that.

The same rule applies to every other social media account you have. Never assume your account is safe unless you did the extra mile of checking it. The information they can get from your Facebook or other social media accounts is enough to steal your peace and ruin your life.

11. Create A Guest Wifi Network

The struggle of having a connected home is keeping everything safe from thieves. If you have a connected home network, you don’t want anyone else to see or even remotely access your computer or gadget.

This is also one reason why, it is advised that you have a “Guest” Wifi network, so if your friends want to connect to your home Wifi when you hang out, they can do so without compromising your security.

If you have a connected home, it is important to keep all the access only to your trusted gadgets. Letting in an unauthorized mobile phone or laptop to your main Wifi network is dangerous because that means they can access your router’s login page and change the settings.

Whereas if they are connected to the guest network, they will not be able to access your router’s page. Thus, a guest network strengthens your network’s security.

They can get the IP addresses of your home’s main server where you store and share access to your important documents and data. Giving them access to your main Wifi is equal to giving them access to all of your house’s connected devices.

How do you create a Guest Network?

By default, most routers nowadays is already broadcasting a guest network and the main network using unique individual passwords.  The guest Wifi network usually has a “-guest” suffix in the end.  If you want to customize it, which is recommended, you need to know how to access the router’s setup page.

First, know your router’s brand name. The router is the device that transmits the internet connection coming from your modem into wireless signals. It’s practically the source of your Wifi connection.

There are also times when your modem and router is just one box, but if you aren’t sure which is which, you can ask your internet service provider to walk you through.

If you now know your router’s brand name, you can then search how to open it’s setup page, in most cases, all you need is your router’s IP address.

1. Open browser.
2. Enter your Router’s IP address.
3. Enter router’s login information (username and password)
4. Once logged in, look for the keywords Network, Guest Network, or Guest Access and click on it, or
5. Click on “Allow Guest Access”
6. Enter your preferred Wifi name on the SSID box.
7. Enter your preferred Wifi password for your Guest network.
8. Click OK or Finish.

And voila! Your guest network is already setup. If you can’t access your router’s setup page, you might need help from your internet service provider (ISP) or you can call the router’s manufacturer to walk you through.

There are a lot of high-tech routers nowadays and the router that came from your ISP is probably outdated and don’t have the guest network functionality. It is highly recommended you update it to the model that’s best for your family’s needs for wireless connectivity.

12. Install a Firewall on your computer or on your home network.

A firewall is one integral component to a home network. If you are using a cloud server in your home, you want that protected with a Firewall. A firewall can be a physical device or a software you can install.

Your router is one good example of a firewall. When you are connected to the modem, you will be given a public IP address and that is the perfect ingredient towards a hacking disaster. If you are using a public IP address you are like going to a war without an armor and of course, and we don’t want that.

To fully arm yourself, you need a firewall or a device or a software between you and the cruel world of the internet. Instead of using a public IP address, you want to use a private IP address.

The modem gives you a public IP address while the router in the other hand gives you a private IP address. With a router in between your device and the modem, hackers will not be able to get on your network and access your device.

It would be an extra challenge for them to hack your network because they will have to be connected to your private home network first before they can get in and start doing their business.

That being said, it takes your WiFi password for them to be able to steal information. With a well-secured router in your home, your network has better security.

Now, on the other hand, a Firewall could also be a software. You can install a software on your device to prevent it from getting viruses or malwares that can potentially harm the data that’s stored in your computer. These malwares can also be used to steal information from you and even shut your computer down.

If you want the best security for your home network and your devices, you need to have a strong Firewall.

13. Use a VPN to hide your ass.

A VPN or a Virtual Private Network is a medium or a service that serves two purposes:

1. To remotely connect to your company/home computer
2. To safely hide all of the data you transmit over the internet.

The security that VPN offers is best if you want to transmit or access private information over the internet. A VPN encrypts all the information that you use over the internet, so that you browsing history, downloads, etc will not be visible to your internet service provider.

If you are travelling or always on the go, you won’t fear the security threat of using a public WiFi because you can login to your VPN and open your emails securely without feeling like anyone is sniffing on you. Now, you can use the internet and no one will know what you accessed, downloaded, or seen because your internet service provider will not be able to take records of them.

You can hide your ass or your IP address and essentially be able to download via BitTorrent and save yourself from copyright infringement litigation. Just be sure to use a VPN that doesn’t have Europe, US, or Canada as their exit points where these activities are considered illegal.

You can also install a VPN on your mobile gadgets, so if you like the convenience of opening your email or your work CRM‘s using your phone or tablet, you can freely do so securely!

Although it used to be mainly for corporate use, a VPN is also a wonderful add on to your home network because of the security offers. The process is pretty straightforward as downloading an app (mobile) or a software (computer) to make it work.

Next, sign up for the service, you can choose between a paid and a free service, although the latter will probably sacrifice a little privacy from your end as they will feed you with ads according to your browsing behaviour, which is somehow a contradiction of the purpose it serves.

After signing up, be sure to read the EULA (End User License Agreement) because not all VPNs are created equal and you might be compromising an essential feature due to this trifling negligence. There are thousands of VPN service providers and choosing one can get overwhelming, but the top thing to consider is the reason why you are using it.

If security is one of the things you are most concerned of, then getting a VPN should be at the top of your list.

14. Avoid using public Wi-Fi.

As mentioned in the previous item, connecting to a public WiFi is a big no-no when you are trying to open your emails and even your social media accounts because this could potential put your privacy at risk.

If you are always on-the-go or can’t afford the cost of your postpaid service provider you can always have a VPN installed so you can keep yourself secured while on a public WiFi. You can’t expect for the speed to be fast though, as VPN connection uses a lot of data on encrypting your searches and may result to lower speeds.

Also, being on public WiFi means you are trusting the owner whatever information they get from your internet browsing data. If you have trust issues, don’t get yourself on a public WiFi.

Another alternative is to bring an unlocked portable WiFi hotspot which allows you to insert and use any sim from every country all over the globe. With your WiFi hotspot, you don’t need to connect to an unsecured public WiFi plus you can connect multiple devices and surf simultaneously on all these devices.

15. Install manufacturer updates when needed.

Alright, this is one thing that is pretty much done by your phone or computer automatically, however it’s not always like that. For instance, your gadget is probably going to ask your permission to install any updates where you can do later.

Every persistent hacker out there will always find a hole out of every software update and this is why manufacturers continue to produce update even after their flagship is out of the stores. Apple has been consistent in giving software updates for their phones however, Android manufacturers had been notoriously called out because they seem to stop giving updates after a new phone is launched. That doesn’t essentially mean Android is less secure than Apple, but the assurance of a consistent software update even after 2 years of purchase should be a part of your buying conditions.

16. Be careful with the apps you install.

Never ever download an app that is outside the official App Store or Google Play and that means you should only install apps from these places.

As mentioned in the earlier segment, apps ask permissions to get access to your mobile’s data, if you absentmindedly allow these apps to access anything they want to have access to, you just got yourself in to trouble.

The apps you download outside of the official Android and Apple stores are not tested by the software developers for security and they could potentially harm the data on your mobile by installing malwares or stealing vital information from it such as your contacts and calendar. It can even hack your email.

Stay away from sketchy app stores which offer apps you don’t see on the official app stores.

Takeaway

That was a whole lot of information about getting yourself safe in the internet both on mobile and on a computer, but the most important thing there is to remember is to always be vigilant and suspicious of everything you do online.

Be suspicious about the link, be very careful when you download, be vigilant when you grant app permissions, and be wary of suspicious websites. As the golden rule of thumb says, you’re better safe than sorry.

If you are a #Millennial you have certainly witnessed the mobile evolution right before your eyes. Childhood days were the start of a booming mobile technology and we’ve seen how the Teletubbies antenna was used by Nokia to help our parents’ phones get a signal to send a text message.

You’ve also probably knocked some of your toes  with the same Nokia phone when you dropped it on the floor. It’s hilarious these phones are so heavy that they dent the floor instead of breaking or getting scratches.

It’s also funny to think that despite how Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony changed their shapes, colors, and technology, Apple stayed the same and just changed sizes! There were other minor changes of course, but nothing drastic really changed for Apple on the outside.

So much about that, let’s go through the 9 most epic mobile phones of your childhood you wished still looked cool ten years later.

1. Nokia 5110 (1998)

We all know Nokia 5110 was one of the sturdiest phones ever created. You could throw it to someone’s face and get them injured. That’s how big, chunky, and sturdy they are! Nonetheless, we all love the colors which, as mentioned earlier, made them really looked like they are the Teletubbies.

Not to mention the love-hate relationship we had with the antenna.

This phone will always be part of every #millennials childhood because of its playful colors and replaceable casing. I’m sure you’ve had at least two Nokia 5110 casing on its entire lifetime. Changing those casings were like dressing up a doll!

And oh, the nostalgic monophonic Nokia Tune! And oh, the nostalgic monophonic Nokia Tune!
 

 
Buying yourself a phone on that era probably cost a fortune, because just like now, mobile phones continue to be a sign of social status and sophistication. Oh what fun would it be to unlock your Nokia 5110 now and use it for a show?

It’s going to be a #NokiaNostalgia !

2. Nokia 3310 (2000)

Every single millennial kid out there would agree Nokia is part of their childhood. In fact, we can say that Nokia once ruled the mobile world because at a particular point, they were able to sell over 126 million units worldwide!

We’re talking about a time when only the first world countries had convenient access to the internet and when mobile phones were only called Nokia – the golden millennia 2000. Of course, there were other phone manufacturers, but Nokia trumped them all worldwide.

Motorola, Blackberry, and HTC already existed at this time. Technically speaking, Motorola started the mobile phone technology but at that time, it was Nokia who was killing it (even in third-world countries).

Snake was one of the most popular (if not the only) mobile phone game at the time. I can only imagine the frustration of a game over when your Snake ate its own self!

It was also this time that the phones had customizable names and welcome messages (which you probably changed every time you get a new inspiring quote from your teacher).

Nokia also made it more fun when they allowed users to edit the ringtone and make it sound like your favorite love song – Right here waiting, Two Less Lonely People, etc. Agh, there were so many things you can do if you loved music and if you loved playing around.

And of course, we would miss the time when we never actually run out of battery even for 2 days! I’d gladly unlock my Nokia 3310 any time of the day, only if it is still a cool option as a backup phone when I’m travelling!

3.  Blackberry 6200 (2003)

If you didn’t knew, Blackberry had been rocking the mobile industry ever since it started. And since then, they didn’t appeal to the wider audience but to those who are in the business niche.

It’s a rather small niche but they were successful in ruling it. Just like the saying, “it doesn’t matter if your the best, it matters if you’re the first,” (I’m sure I heard that somewhere).

Speaking of being first, it is also the first to have an email-centric approach, so yeah, you’re Mom and Dad probably spent a fortune to have the convenience of a Blackberry.

It’s funny because Blackberry made the impossible possible, quite literally, in putting a full QWERTY keyboard, which you only see on your lengthy computer keyboard at home.

Nonetheless, this made Blackberry stand out from the crowd of mobile phones which are fighting for a generic market.

4. Motorola i730 (2004)

2004 was the year of the flip phones. You surely can’t miss the glossy looking Motorola i730 flip phone. It has the push-to-talk feature that lets you play with friends as if they were walkie-talkies from the future! (Did you even knew about that back then?)

This phone was also the real thing because it had a true GPS functionality. You can’t get lost with this while travelling can you?

This feature makes this phone the ultimate travel companion since Qualcomm said they developed and tested the GPS assisted tech to locate the user within feet from their actual location (mindblown).

Qualcomm really made stalking easier for the government or any other entity for that matter. Just great.

Anyways, getting stalked can be done in just a matter of seconds nowadays. You can’t deny the fact that you’ve stalked at least one person’s social media account (aight?).

After all, isn’t that what it’s made for?

5. LG Chocolate (2006)

This phone will literally make you want to lick it to bits. LG Chocolate really looked like a chocolate bar with a keypad and a screen. How did you manage to not bite it when you’re craving for a chocolate?

I’ve mentioned chocolate three times in a single paragraph, but it just doesn’t stop there. (I swear I’m going to try my best to help you curb the craving)

The LG Choc***** came in different flavors, err, colors. In the US there are four different colors which are: (1) Light Green for Mint Choc, (2) White for  White Choc, (3) Pink for Strawberry Choc, and (4) Red for Cherry Choc.

Hmm, yummy.

6. Motorola RAZR v3 (2006)

Motorola RAZR v3 is one of the phones which are truly to die for during 2006. I can guarantee you that’s without exaggeration because this particular Motorola is looking so lovely and sleek- it totally slayed all the other flip phones during its time.

It was an excellent trendsetter and it came in so many colors and designs, that you’d sulk in a Motorola store for days because of confusion. (I’d totally ship one right now)

This flip phone was thin and lightweight, however, this meant this phone is going to break once you drop it. This started the era of classy phone cases to keep the phone from scratching or at least give an extra layer of protection.

This year was truly fun and amusing for mobile phones because you can get neon-colored leather covers and pastel colored cases. Remember how it looked so cool to flip open your phone when someone calls?

However, this was also the era when phones became so fragile and break so easily. On the lighter note, this year became the best year for Apple and it changed the mobile history since then.

7. iPhone 3G (2007)

There’s a saying that if iPhone divided the history of mobile; Before iPhone and After iPhone.

Being a teenager during the time iPhone was born gave every millennial the capability to tell the history of iPhone since 3G up to iPhone X, simply because you were there and you experienced every single change firsthand. And mind you every millennial knows the accurate reason why it’s called an iPhone.

So why? It’s not my Phone, it’s not your phone either. It’s iPhone. Duhh.

Ever since the iPhone 3G, companies like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Blackberry, had to up their game as well. First of all, the design of the iPhone looked like it came from 50 years after compared to all the other phones which existed at that time.

Although, the price of an iPhone is arguably more expensive compared to other phones, it made Apple a symbol of sophistication and even wealth! And still, over a decade later not everyone can afford a flagship iPhone.

Steve Jobs really did a good job at making our teenage years extra cool because of the iPhone, the iPod, and the iPad.

8. Samsung BlackJack II (2007)

2007 was really a bad year for Samsung, especially for the Samsung BlackJack II. This was supposed to be an awesome year of cellphone designs but here comes Apple raking all the attention.

Samsung tried to make this a good comeback with the BlackJack II. It had everything a teenager would be looking for a phone;  a GPS, a huge battery, bigger screen, bigger memory and an SD card slot, a high- resolution camera, a full QWERTY keyboard, a music player, and BLUETOOTH. (Who doesn’t love bluetooth on 2007?)

It also had this sophisticated Blackberry look with a spinning jog wheel which was a huge plus at that time. Remember when you hated the 4-sided Ok and navigation button because it sounded on every click?

IMO, this phone would’ve been a huge hit had the iPhone 3G released a year later, but I guess Samsung’s timing wasn’t that good. Nonetheless, it continues to be iPhone’s closest competitor.

9. HTC Hero (2009)

This is HTC’s third shot at making phones, and well, HTC Hero didn’t disappoint. This phone is so peculiar because you don’t normally see a phone with a chin (curved bottom). It adds a lot of novelty and it’s obviously making people curious.

It was a good fit for an average hand and who wouldn’t like how convenient it was to your fingers to press those buttons at the lower part of the phone? We were used to always adjust our hand and fingers to the phone, but this time HTC figured out how the phone can also adjust to how our fingers and hands are made.

It also had an awesome trackball to avoid the disappointment of Android fans.

It had the back, home, and search buttons conveniently at the curved edge for your chubby hands to easily access. For the industrial design alone, HTC already won the hearts of all Android fans.

There you have it folks. If you have that #Millennial vibe in you why don’t you sport your old phones and have fun with it? For sure, it’s going to create a lot of fun and nostalgic conversations among your friends. It is also cool to show off your childhood gadgets once in a while, so why don’t you give this a go?

By the way, if you plan on making your phones fully operational with a different network, you can have it SIM unlocked. It’s super affordable and convenient, and of course, it’s going to bring new exciting memories.

Have fun will yah?

UnlockBase offers you 3 different easy, safe, and convenient ways to unlock your Blackberry phone. You can even get your code in an instant! There’s no need to be a geek because all you need to know are the following.

1. Unlock Your Phone Using “IMEI + MEP”  or  “IMEI + PRD” – Simply find your Blackberry’s IMEI and MEP and/or PRD number for us to calculate the unlock code. The IMEI is your phone’s serial number. On the other hand, the MEP and PRD are specific codes about your Blackberry that will help us determine the correct unlock code for your phone. You can get the MEP or PRD of your device and get the sim unlock code in an instant.

2. Unlock Your Phone Through Direct Cable Unlock – If you find the first two processes confusing, you can also choose to unlock your Blackberry through our Cable Unlock Software. Through our Cable Unlock Software, you will be able to unlock your phone with a little help from your computer. It’s a simple plug and play process and you can just easily enter the License Number we’ll give you to allow the unlock to push through.

3. Order a Permanent SIM Unlock Code – We supply Blackberry unlock codes for 217 Blackberry cell phone models. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old Blackberry, or one of the latest releases, with UnlockBase you will find a solution to successfully unlock your Blackberry, fast. There’s no need to send us your phone, just provide us the Serial Number (IMEI) of your phone and we will promptly deliver your unlock code.

1. Unlocking Your Phone Through “IMEI +MEP” or “IMEI + PRD”

Simply find 2 important details of your phone:

1. IMEI
2. MEP/PRD

Either you unlock through MEP or PRD, it’ll be the same of the same price and unlock process. The matter between choosing which service to use will depend on which data is more conveniently accessible for you.

4 Ways To Find IMEI:

1. Dial Screen: Dial *#06#
2. Go To Settings -> About -> General -> Hardware -> IMEI
3. Under Battery Housing : Turn off Phone -> Remove back cover carefully -> Remove Battery
4. On Original Phone Box : If you have the phone’s original box, you will see the IMEI on the back side.

2 Ways To Find MEP

1. Cable Method

With the cable method, you will have to download a file in our website which is the Blackberry MEP reader. This is exclusively from UnlockBase and the download process is super easy. It will also instruct you to add Blackberry drivers on your computer if necessary.

1. Simply go to: http://www.unlockbase.com/download/blackberry-mep-reader-software-by-cable.zip. Since this is obviously a zip file your computer will be automatically downloading this or you’d have to click allow to download it.
2. Install the Blackberry Driver. While installing the driver, let’s tweak a phone settings on your phone to allow the software to read it.
3. On your phone, go to Options > Media Card > Memory Card or just type Memory or Storage on search bar
4. Uncheck Media Card Support, Mass Storage Mode Support, and Auto Enable Mass Storage.
5. Save all Settings and exit.
6. If there’s a password, temporarily disable them for a more seamless process.
7. Go to Options > Security Options > General Settings or simply type Password on search bar.
8. Uncheck Enable. Save Settings and exit.
9. Open Blackberry MEP Reader on your computer.
10. Connect Blackberry phone to your computer via a USB cable (the cable that originally came with it).
11. Click Read Phone.
12. Your MEP should be there in a minute or two.

It’s pretty easy. You simply download a software, install Blackberry drivers, temporarily disable added password on your Blackberry and storage, and then connect it via a cable to your computer.

Take note that our software is designed only to read the MEP of your Blackberry and the purpose it serves for. No data from your phone other than that will be taken. Nonetheless, if you don’t have a cable or if you are using a Linux or Mac, you can use the next available method.

2. Keypad Method

This method lets you get the MEP code using your keypad. You will have to take note of a few codes during the process, so it will be helpful if you have pen and paper handy. However, this doesn’t work on all models.

1. Go to phone’s Main screen.
2. Access Help Me Menu: Press Alt + H (caps) at the same time – 1. Pearl & Sure-type phone: Press and Hold Alt + type E, A, C, E; 2. Storm phone: Hold the Back Arrow + Tap screen’s Top Left, Top Right, Top Left and Top Right.
3. You will see the image illustrated above.
4. On your computer or any other device go to this page: https://www.unlockbase.com/widget/blackberry-escreen-keygen.php.
5. Type the details it’s asking for: PIN, App Version, and Uptime. Follow everything including the decimals.
6. Click Generate Key. Wait while it generates the key.
7. Type the key on your phone. You won’t see it appearing on the screen, so just type the letters once. If you are typing numbers hold the Alt key. If you are going to close the screen the uptime may change and you may need to restart the process again.
8. You will then see the Engineering Screen Contents.
9. Go to OS Engineering Screens. Note: we are not changing any setting on your phone, we are simply navigating through its systems to get the MEP code.
10. Go to Device Information.
11. Scroll down to MEP-XXXXX-XXX  – (X are of course replaced by digits)
12. Take note of your MEP and send it over to us along with the IMEI.

How To Find The PRD

If you find that finding the MEP is a lot more thorough than you expect, you can also choose to unlock your Blackberry via IMEI+ PRD. Do note that we recommend the IMEI+MEP method because there are instances where the PRD is not consistent on some Blackberry devices.

Here’s how to find the PRD on any Blackberry Phone:

1. Turn off phone.
2. Unload the Battery.
3. Look for PRD on the battery housing.
4. There’s your PRD code, please send it to us together with your Blackberry’s IMEI (Serial Number).

Once you have this information, you can now proceed on ordering your Unlock Code for Blackberry phone from UnlockBase. Before we go on how to do that, let’s explore one more way, you can have your phone unlocked without the need to enter any unlock code – Cable Unlock Software.

2. Unlock Your Phone Via Cable Unlock Software

The Cable Unlock Software is an exclusive unlock software offered by UnlockBase. Before you download the software, please check if your Blackberry is one of our supported models for this unlock process.

Do take note that before ordering the Cable Unlock Software on our website, you should have the original cable that came with your Blackberry phone (or an equivalent if it works).

Here’s a complete guide on how to unlock your Blackberry phone via the Cable Unlock Software/ Direct Unlock Process.

1. Find your phone’s model number here – https://www.unlockbase.com/cable-unlock/blackberry/8520/
2. Click on Order Now.
3. Enter your email address to receive your License.
4. Click on Proceed to Checkout Now.
5. You will receive an email from UnlockBase and it will contain the link from where you can download the Cable Unlock Software (it’s unique for each customer) and all the instructions to guide you all the way.
6. Download the software.
7. Right click on the icon and run as administrator.
8. On the LICENSE box, please paste the License Number we have given you via email.
9. Click APPLY.
10. Wait for LICENSE INFO details to load.
11. Click on NEXT-TUTORIAL. You will see this on the lowest portion of the box.
12. You will now see a new screen which has instructions. Please follow as stated.
13. Connect USB Cable To Phone and PC.
14. Phone can be with or without battery
15. Install Blackberry USB drivers.
16. Click on NEXT-DIRECT UNLOCK.
17. Wait for it to load.
18. Once the unlock is done you will see a message at the bottom that says: Blackberry Blackberry (model number) UNLOCK—– END!
19. This means that your phone is now successfully unlocked!

3. Get Your Permanent Sim Unlock Code

Your unlock code will be your key to having freedom over your choice of carrier. With UnlockBase, you can get your code in an instant and this one time process guarantees a permanent SIM unlock for your Blackberry phone. If you’re ready to purchase your code, please follow these steps:

1. Log on to Unlockbase.com
2. Click Unlock
3. Choose Blackberry
4. Choose Your Phone’s Model Number
5. Enter IMEI, Country, and Carrier information
6. Accept Terms and Conditions, and click Proceed to Checkout.

Before you can proceed on entering the code, we will be sending you our Eligibility Requirements page and you have to tick on the checkboxes if you already did all the pre-unlock requirements (which we will discuss later) and if you agree on all that’s stated therein.

This is our guarantee that should the unlikely event that your phone will not be successfully unlocked using our code, we will provide you a refund. It is your protection and our guarantee.

Once you submit this back to us, it means you confirm your order and we will then send you the corresponding unlock code/s.

1. Turn off phone
2. Carefully remove back cover and battery
3. Insert a non-accepted SIM card
4. Go to Settings
5. Go to Security and Privacy
6. Go to SIM card
7. Tap Unlock Network
8. Enter Network Unlock Code (You will see how many attempts there are left to enter unlock code)
9. Tap OK
10. You should see “Network Code Entered Successfully“
11. Congratulations! Your Blackberry phone is now successfully SIM unlocked!

Here’s a sample video on how to enter unlock code for Blackberry Q10:

Eligibility Requirements vary per phone model and manufacturer, so if you are unlocking two different Blackberry phones they will each have a unique unlock process and pre-unlock requirements. Please follow the added instructions diligently.

There are four common requirements on all phones (manufacturers). These are also just a few of the major reasons why our unlock codes don’t work.

4 Instances That The Unlock Code Doesn’t Work

1. When Your Phone Is Running A Custom OS

If your phone is running a custom OS it means that it is not using the original/stock ROM or operating system that Blackberry had officially installed in it.

If you are not the first owner of the phone, you can check this via the Settings.

Although Blackberry developed its own software, there are certain models which are running on Android.  So, if your Blackberry is running Android, you need to check whether it is still using the stock Android OS or not. A few of the most common custom Android ROM/ OS developers are Cyanogen, XDA, etc.

2. When Your  Phone Is Hardlocked

If your phone is hardlocked, it means that you have zero unlock attempts. It is probably because you have entered the unlock code wrong too many times or the last owner of the phone did.

Unfortunately, we cannot unlock hardlocked phones using an unlock key. Before you confirm your order, you will be given an instruction on how to check the remaining unlock attempts on your phone (it varies per Blackberry model). Please diligently do so.

3. When Your Phone Has A Mobile Device Unlock App Installed

The Mobile Device Unlock App is pre-installed on all T-Mobile and MetroPCS phones. So if your Blackberry is from any of these two mobility providers, please check if this app is already installed.

If you unfortunately, mislooked this app and confirmed your order for an unlock code, then it will not be unlocked. We will not be able to provide you a refund for this, though.

4. When Your Phone Is Blacklisted

A Blacklisted phone is a phone that is either reported lost or stolen by the owner or by the mobility/telco service provider. Your service provider will put your phone on a blacklist if the device is under a postpaid contract and was not paid in full or if there’s an unpaid balance.

If that’s the case, you will not be able to use your phone to any network. A Blacklisted phone cannot be used with any carrier in your country.

Although, we can safely assume we can unlock a Blacklisted phone, you will not be able to use it as a phone anyway, so why unlock it?

Why Choose UnlockBase

UnlockBase is an expert in this industry. We have over eight thousand reviews from customers all over the world and we have an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars! Let me give you a few reasons why our customers love us:

✔ 24/7 Email and Chat Support

✔ Easy and convenient unlock process

✔ Fast turnaround times

✔ Match competitor pricing

✔ Secure Payment systems

✔ Money-back guarantee!

Contact Us

If you have any questions or if you need help with unlocking your phone, don’t hesitate to send us a message. We’re ready to cater you anytime of the day!

If you still haven’t gotten yourself a new phone or if you are looking for a cheap steal, then MetroPCS has got something for you. ZTE Avid 4 is out in MetroPCS and just like its brothers in the ZTE family, it is mid-ranged price and a perfect budget phone for anyone who wants value for money more than fancy brands or flagships.

The phone comes at a bargain price of $39USD (*after all discount and rebates) without contract and you can easily pick one from any MetroPCS stores near you. If this phone doesn’t convince you enough or if you are looking for more options you can take a look at these MetroPCS Phones of 2017 Under $100USD.

You’ll be amazed how far your one hundred bucks is going to get you, but for now, let’s take a look at what ZTE Avid 4 has got to offer by comparing it to other phones in the budget phone department.

Build

ZTE Avid 4 isn’t a show-stopper type because it doesn’t have a glossy glass front and back cover, but what it boasts instead is a big 5” screen with an FWVGA display. It does look like a mini ZTE Blade Z Max, standing at 6”, which you can get at a meager *$99 (after all discount and rebate offers).

It is 4G LTE enabled which runs perfectly on the fast MetroPCS network. The biggest caveat on this specific model is that it comes only in one color – BLACK. On the other hand, if you are fan of headsets, this phone will not disappoint you because it has a 3.5mm headphone jack sitting at the top.

Software Interface

Unlike most mid-range phones, this ZTE Avid 4 doesn’t have any fingerprint sensors for security so you’ll have to stick with the basic password or pin to lock your phone.

The ZTE Avid 4 also has a clean and spacious dock that gives you the basic apps and features like most Android devices. It’s running on Ice Cream Sandwich and it has 1.1GHz Quad Core Processor, so you can consider that it is fast, interactive, and smooth when using multiple apps at the same time.

The phone’s Settings is organized just like any stock Android. It has 32GB ROM and 2GB RAM which gives a pretty decent amount of storage for all your pictures and a seamless music and video streaming, and mobile gaming. The internal memory is unfortunately not expandable via MicroSD Card but only up to 32GB.

The phone is also pretty straightforward to use – that is if you are used to using Android.

Camera and Battery Life

The battery life in the ZTE Avid 4 is pretty disappointing because it only has an average of 9 hours talk time from its 2520mAh battery. And compared to the ZTE Blade Z Max it does come almost half the battery life because it has a whopping 4080mAh and can handle up to 31 hours of talk time.

You can use its USB port to charge it or in transferring data from your phone to your computer or vise versa.

This phone isn’t really the best in the mid-range camera department but it prides a few features that you might also like. It has a 5MP autofocus main camera. You can take videos in Panorama mode and you can also take photos while recording a video at the same time.

Other than this, the camera on this one is pretty average and wouldn’t stand out in the tight mid-range or budget phone competition. It is not even on par with other ZTE released mid-range phones. However, considering the price, it surely is a bang for the buck.

Takeaway

The ZTE Avid 4 wouldn’t really stand out compared to its other ZTE brothers nor to other mid-range phones out there. Nonetheless, considering its specs and features, we can safely assume that it does more for its price tag.

Want to Unlock Your ZTE Avid 4?

An unlocked ZTE Avid 4 phone is a good gift for yourself or for a friend. It could serve as your budget back up phone or you can give it to someone who is using a different network or maybe living in a different country.

UnlockBase can unlock your ZTE Avid 4 phone in a fast, easy, and convenient way. You wouldn’t have to break the bank or send your phone over to get it unlocked. If you’re ready to unlock your ZTE Avid 4 now, you can go here.

If you have questions or if you need help you can also contact our chat and email support team who are online 24/7 to cater your needs.

It’s super easy to unlock your Huawei phone. Below are 4 easy steps you need to follow.

1. Find Your Phone IMEI

Your IMEI will be used for us to calculate the unlock code. An unlock code is uniquely assigned to its corresponding IMEI and can’t be used with other IMEI.

• Dial *#06#
• Settings > About Phone > Status > Serial Number > IMEI

2. Order An Unlock Code

Your unlock code will be your key to having freedom over your choice of carrier. With UnlockBase you can get your code with a breeze, just follow the instructions and fill in the necessary information.

1. Go to UnlockBase.com
2. Click Unlock
3. Choose Huawei
4. Choose your Phone’s Model Number
5. Enter IMEI and necessary information
6. Accept Terms and Conditions, and click Proceed to Checkout.

3. Confirm Your Order

Before you confirm your order you will have to check you follow our Eligibility Requirements. This ensures that you will receive a refund in the event that your phone was not successfully unlocked. These are set of pre-unlock guidelines to ensure your phone will be unlocked successfully.

4. Unlock Your Phone

If you have already received your unlock code/s, please follow this process:

1. Insert a non-accepted SIM card
2. Wait for phone to prompt “SIM Network Unlock PIN”
3. Enter the corresponding Unlock Code you received from us
4. Hit “OK“
5. Your phone is now successfully unlocked!

4 Instances That The Unlock Code Doesn’t Work

1. When Your Phone Is Running A Custom OS
2. When Your  Phone Is Hardlocked
3. When Your Phone Has A Mobile Device Unlock App Installed
4. When Your Phone Is Blacklisted

Why Choose UnlockBase

✔ 24/7 Email and Chat Support

✔ Easy and convenient unlock process

✔ Fast turnaround times

✔ Match competitor pricing

✔ Secure Payment systems

✔ Money-back guarantee!

Unlocking your HTC phone? Don’t know where to start or what to do? Well, you’ve reached the right place. Here at UnlockBase we will provide you the unlocking service you need and walk you through the process of doing it.

We’ve been in this business ever since 2004, and we are sure we have enough backbone to help you successfully SIM unlock your phone permanently. If you’re ready for the ride here’s what you need to know.

What Do I Need To Get My HTC Unlocked?

Here are the requirements to get your HTC unlocked. However, if your phone is from T-Mobile and MetroPCS you won’t need an unlock code because there’s an entirely different unlock process for them.

You can check out our article The Official Android Mobile Device Unlock App.

1. IMEI (Clean) (Dial *#06#; Go to Settings > About > Phone Identity)
2. Locked-to Carrier
3. Non-accepted SIM card
4. SIM Unlock Code (except for T-Mobile and MetroPCS)

Here’s how you find the IMEI on an HTC:

All three of these requirements are readily available for you. If you don’t know your phone’s locked-to carrier because you got it online or it is second-hand, you can check the back cover of your phone and look for a logo of a carrier.

How Do I Get An Unlock Code?

Here at UnlockBase, we’ve created an easy, step-by-step process that lets you order for a code with a breeze. Here’s how:

1. Go to the HTC UnlockBase Page.
2. Find and click on your phone’s model number.
3. Enter your phone’s IMEI, your email address, tick the box for Terms and Conditions, and click Proceed to Checkout.
4. You will receive our email about the Eligibility Requirements.
5. Read Eligibility Requirements and tick the boxes.
6. You will receive your SIM Unlock Code from us through an email in an instant!

How Much Is An Unlock Code?

This depends on the brand and the type of service, but for HTC phones your order will be as low as $4.90USD and up to $16.90USD. You can check out our Wholesale Unlocking Page for more information.

I Have My Code, Now What?

If you already have a code, then you can now proceed to the actual unlock process. Ready? Here’s how we go from here:

1. Insert a non-accepted SIM card to your phone. (If you need to remove battery to do this, turn off your phone properly)
2. Turn your phone on and wait for your phone to prompt for “SIM Unlock PIN”, “PIN”, “SIM PIN”, etc. No matter how it looks, it’s asking for the same thing which is the SIM Unlock Code.
3. Enter the Unlock Code.
4. Press “OK” or “Enter”.
5. Your phone is now unlocked!

Here’s a Sample Video of Unlocking an HTC Phone (HTC HD7S):

The unlock process should be easy as that, it’s not rocket science. Just be sure to put the code correctly the first time.

What If It Doesn’t Work?

In the unlikely event that the code we provided you doesn’t work, we will provide you refund. We will base the refund on the Eligibility Requirements that you have agreed on before you have confirmed your order. The Eligibility Requirements will be your protection and our guarantee for refund.

The Eligibility Requirements will depend per brand/unlock method, but here’s what it generally asks for:

✔  Make sure your phone is not running on a Custom OS (e.g Cyanogen, Avatar). If your phone is running on Custom OS, please flash the original software back because the unlock code will not work.

✔  Make sure to check the “Code Entry Instructions” of the specific model of your phone before completing your order.

✔  Make sure you can access the Code Entry Menu of your cellphone. So before confirming your order, try to insert a non-accepted SIM card and check if it prompts for an unlock PIN/code. It should let you enter the code. If you can’t access this page or it won’t let you enter the code, contact our team before confirming your order.

✔  Make sure your phone is GSM and not a CDMA. If your previous carrier is Verizon, Sprint, BoostMobile, Tracfone, etc or any network using a CDMA type of network, you will not be able to use the unlock code, and this case there will be no refund. Also make sure your phone is compatible to the network of your new carrier.

✔  Do not confirm your order if your phone has a Device Unlock App installed, even if you find a way to enter an unlock code. The code will never work with a Device Unlock App, and as mentioned earlier, there’s an entirely different unlock process for this.

✔  We don’t support or help you set up APN Settings (Internet/Data), and our service only covers unlocking your phone. If you don’t know how to do this, you can call your new carrier to help you set it up.

✔  Blacklisted and reported lost or stolen phones will still be unlocked but will be unusable because it will not be able to connect to a network. We don’t provide refund if in case your phone is unable to connect to a network after being unlocked because of this reason.

✔  We will not be able to cancel your order after you hit “Accept” because all orders are done digitally with no shipping, and all orders are considered final. Although there’s a delivery time of *1-48 hours (depending on the cellphone brand and carrier) your unlock order is now submitted to our suppliers. We will also not be able to refund you because of a reasonable delay from our supplier’s end. Also, the code you have ordered will be of use specifically for the IMEI you have provided us.

If your phone was unsuccessfully unlocked beyond these reasons, we will be able to process you a refund. You can also film the entire process of your phone’s unsuccessful unlock so we can speed up the refund process.

Why Choose UnlockBase?

UnlockBase had been in this business for over a decade, and we’ve unlocked over 8 million phones ever since 2004. We have the fastest turn around times and you don’t need to send your phones to unlock it permanently. Aside from these, here are a few more reasons why our customers come back:

✔  We match competitor pricing. Show us competitor offer and we’d gladly match that!

✔  We have an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 review ratings from over 8,900 reviews.

✔  Money-back guarantee. If we can’t unlock it, you’ll have your money back.

✔  Simple and straightforward unlock instructions. No need to flash with CUSTOM ROM/OS.

✔  24/7 reliable chat and email support who are real humans and not robots with canned messages.

✔  Secure payment systems.

✔  Fast turn around times. You can even get your code in an instant.

✔  You can use your phone with any sim from any carrier all over the world. Roam with freedom!

Is there anything we missed? Drop your comments below and we’ll gladly answer them. If you have any questions you can also contact us via chat or email support!

If you ready to unlock your HTC phone, what are you waiting for? Unlock Your HTC Phone Now!

Unlocking your Motorola? You’re at the right place. We offer the lowest available price for unlocking your Motorola phone and the least turn around time as well!

If you are interested on how to permanently unlock your Motorola phone, please read on.

Things To Remember When Unlocking Your Motorola

Unlocking a Motorola is fairly easy. You don’t need to have a higher level of technical savviness to get this done right the first time. Here’s what you need to remember:

1. Jot down your phone’s IMEI or serial number. You can get this by simply dialing *#06# on your phone. You can also get this by going to your phone’ Settings. Just hit About Phone> IMEI.

2. Know your phone’s tied-up carrier. If you’re owning a second-hand device, ask the previous owner which carrier it was first connected. If you bought it online and can’t get ahold of the first owner, you can take a look at the box or at the back cover of the phone for you to check for the carrier. Also, upon the phone’s boot up you will also probably see the logo of the carrier before or after the logo of the brand.

3. Before unlocking your phone, make sure that your phone is compatible with the carrier’s network. Some networks run CDMA and some networks run GSM. Ask your carrier to know this. We will not refund you if your phone’s issue is incompatibility.

4. Make sure your phone still has remaining unlock attempts. To know this, you can try to insert a different/non-accepted carrier SIM in your phone and wait for it to boot up. Once the screen is already boot up you will see a screen prompt asking for a “SIM Unlock PIN” or “Enter Special Code“. In case your phone is not prompting for any of these keywords this is probably because your phone is already “Hard Locked“.

If you are seeing:

• “Contact Service Provider”
• “Tampert Alter”
• “Wait before enter special Code”
• “Contact Service”

It could be probably because you have tried entering the wrong code multiple times and it’s not letting you to enter any code anymore. If this is the case you can wait for a day or two for it to refresh. Once it’s fully refreshed, you can see the prompt for the unlock code again. Otherwise, your phone is probably already hard locked.

If you however, proceed on your order without confirming its unlock eligibility you will not be able to get a refund. We cannot unlock hard locked phones, although we are sure that the code we have created will definitely work had your phone allowed you to enter the unlock code.

5. If you are ready to unlock your phone, you can now proceed to the UnlockBase Motorola Unlock page. Choose your phone’s model number from among the list and then you will routed to another page. Enter your phone’s IMEI and the necessary information to proceed.

6. Wait for our email confirming your order. It will also include the details and the turnaround time for us to create the unlock code and send it to you. It will also include the Refund Eligibility Requirements page which will be the contract agreement before you confirm your order. Make sure to read all the instructions first before ticking the boxes.

7. If this is your first time to unlock your phone online, you can read: A Complete Guide on How To Unlock Your Phone Online and Do It Right the First Time. This will provide a complete narrative about how-to’s and most importantly, it covers our Refund Eligibility Requirements which will protect both of us should the unlikely event happen like when your phone is not unlocked.

8. If your phone is from T-Mobile or MetroPCS, you don’t need an unlock code to get your phone unlocked. You can now permanently unlock your phone through our Mobile Device Unlock App service. We can remotely enter your phone’s IMEI to your carrier’s database. Once it’s entered to the database successfully you can now proceed on the actual unlock process on your phone. You can read more about the Mobile Device Unlock App for your guidance.

9. Your phone’s hardware warranty will not be voided if you are going to unlock it with us. The process that we do is the recommended process by your hardware manufacturer. We will not modify your phone’s software in any way, we are merely just removing the lock that came from your carrier.

How To Unlock Your Motorola Phone

If you already received the code from us, please read and follow all instructions carefully. You will be given a set of codes, so please enter the exact code your phone is looking for.

This video will give you a similar process on how to unlock your Motorola phone:

1. Insert a non-accepted SIM to your phone.
2. Turn your phone ON. Wait for it to fully boot up.
3. Your phone will prompt for a “Sim Unlock Pin” or “Enter Special Code”.
4. Enter the code we sent you.
5. Hit “OK”.
6. Wait for phone to load home screen. Signal bars will start showing up.
7. If you need to restart your phone, restart it to refresh.
8. Your phone is now unlocked!

Why Unlock With Us?

UnlockBase is one of the pioneers in this industry, growing ever since 2004. More than our tenurity in this industry, here are a few reasons why we continue to be the best:

✔  We have 24/7 chat and email support that can cater your questions at any time of the day.

✔  We provide the easiest unlock methods, no matter the brand, no matter your phone’s carrier. You don’t need to ship your phone to get it unlocked.

✔  No need to flash your phone with any software. Your phone will never lose its manufacturer warranty. Our unlock method is the recommended unlock by both carriers and manufacturers.

✔  You can use your phone with any carrier all over the world. You will not be locked with one single sim for the rest of your life.

✔  We have a review rating of 4.9 out of 5 in over 8,000 reviews.

✔  We have secure payment systems.

✔  We will offer you a refund if all requirements are met. 100% customer protection.

✔  We have the fastest turnaround times. No more long waits. You can get your code in an instant.

✔  We work with many suppliers and manufacturers all over the world. No matter where you are, you can reach us.

✔  We match competitor pricing. We offer the best pricing for unlocking your phone. Retail or single unlock orders unlock starts at $4.90.

✔  It’s simply EASY, FAST, & CONVENIENT!

Unlock your Motorola phone NOW!

T-Mobile is one of the largest service provider in the US and they have widespread coverage in either side of the country – even expanding it down to Mexico and a part of Canada. T-Mobile price plans are also remarkably low and budget-friendly for the average Joe, which helped them amass subscribers more than its competitors.

T-Mobile’s 4G LTE improvement rollout is set to finish by the end of 2017, reassuring the fastest and the best connection even in the suburbs and the rural areas. That’s not the only thing T-Mobile prepared for everyone for the holiday seasons, though.

Brace yourselves, here are the top 5 gadget steals and deals from T-Mobile:

1. Get One. Gift One. (LG and Samsung)

As if switching to T-Mobile’s fast network isn’t sweet enough, they are giving a free Samsung flagship phone of equal or lesser value when you buy one Samsung phone and switch to them or add a new line of service with a qualifying rate plan!

With their BOGO (Buy One, Get One) promo, you only need to have one phone on EIP (Equipment Installment Plan) attached to the new line of service and you’re free to do whatever you want to do with the gift phone you have. Either you want to unlock your Samsung or *upgrade the device on other existing lines in your account.

Upon purchase, you will pay the downpayment for one device and the applicable taxes for both. Do note that you are going to pay for both the remaining device balance when you cancel your service before the 24-month contract ends. Nonetheless, T-Mobile plans for Samsung are easy on the pocket, and if you have more questions about the promotion and how to redeem it, check here.

If you’re not in love with Samsung flagships, this BOGO offer is also available on LG flagship devices. You can now get your hands on the LG V30 and other LG flagships without worrying so much about the costly month-to-month bills.

If you are torn in between these two Android giants, reading about LG V30 and Samsung Note 8 or maybe looking at the price plans is going to help you decide.

LG flagships are surely a bargain!

2. Beats at 30% Off

If you are the audiophile hoping to see a miraculous discount on your smartphone’s grandest accessories, then you’re in good luck! T-Mobile offers up to 30% discount on all Beats headphones and you can even get up to $60 off of the beat you want to bring home.

If you have awesome credit, you can get these headphones for zero down payment! Powerbeats3 wireless earphones starts at $6.67 per month for 24 months. While Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones and Wireless On-Ear headphones starts at $10 per month for 24 months.

Your majestic Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear headphones starts at $14.59 monthly on a 24-month contract. These Beats prices are unbeatably low!

This is a limited time offer and if you want to know more about it, go here. You’re very welcome.

3. Save $50 on Apple Watch Series 3

If you want connectivity on the go, T-Mobile also offers a $50 discount on Apple Watch Series 3 starting December 8 this year. This is for a limited time only and you need to purchase your device under the EIP (Equipment Installment Plan) and put your line on a qualified plan to be eligible for this offer.

The only caveat though is the credits stop when you cancel your service before the 24-month contract. You can’t also combine this promo with other promos like having 3 months of free service when you purchase this device.

Here are the plan rates for all 4 different models of the Apple Watch Series 3:

4. Free Insta-Share Projector Moto Mod

If you are won over by the modular capacity of Motorola Moto Z2 Force, you are probably also drooling over the modular accessories you want to connect.

Well, today you must be very lucky because when you buy Moto Z2 Force with T-Mobile, you will get an Insta-Share Projector for FREE! Let me tell you how.

This is another limited time offer and this runs between November 22 and December 31, 2017 only. If you buy your Moto Z2 Force in between these dates you will be qualified for this T-Mobile and Motorola promo.

You only need your phone’s IMEI and pictures of your phone’s box and receipt of purchase. Go to this pageon or before January 28,2018 at 11:59:59 PM ET and enter the necessary details it needs. Complete the form and fill in your shipping address right.

You can also visit this page if you have additional questions about the promo.

5. Zero Down for All!

Are you looking for a mid-range, high-quality phone you can own with zero down?

T-Mobile not only has 1 (one) but 4 (four) different phones you can choose from! If this isn’t good news enough, did you know you can have them at a beastly low 18-month contract under $10 bucks?

Here are your options:

Takeaway

There you have it folks. Let’s embrace the holidays with this bonanza from T-Mobile. Enjoy your holidays and have a great new year!

If you have questions about your phone’s SIM unlocking needs, Unlockbase has got your back. Don’t hesitate to shoot us a message anytime. We’ll cater them anytime of the day for yah!

This has to be one of Canada’s best holidays ever, since the CRTC (Canada Radio and Telecommunications Commission) rules that all the new phones shall be unlocked upon purchase starting December 1, 2017. And not only that, it also means Canadians will no longer have to pay for any unlocking service even for older devices which they purchased before the CRTC ruling.

Unlocking fees and locked phones are now banned and this applies to every account whether individual or small business. The 15-day trial period also lets customer return their near-new condition device at no costs within the allowed monthly usage.

Although this is a good news to Canadians, some people aren’t really seeing this as a truly positive improvement for telecommunications. Some are not so enthusiastic about the news as it could be both a boon and a bane to the Canadian masses.

The Canada Big Three, namely Bell, Telus, and Rogers reportedly earned $37.7 million CAD just from the unlocking fees in the past year alone. This isn’t much compared to their yearly revenue, but $50CAD for an out-of-contract (OOC) unlocking fee is really hefty for the average Canadian.

In the past, consumers were not only charged the $50 CAD OOC unlocking fee. Those who haven’t finished their 2-year contract aren’t allowed to unlock their phones unless they pay the remaining device balance. It is understood that the phones were subsidized for 24 months and will be fully the customer’s property once the contract is over.

From the telco’s viewpoint, customers will only unlock their smartphones if they are thinking of cancelling their services and switching to a different service provider. So, as a way to protect themselves from runaway customers, they had set the SIM locks to prevent them from doing just that, especially while being in a contract with them.

If the customer finds another way to unlock their phone and cancel their services without settling their dues with their current provider, there is a possibility that the IMEI, also known as serial number of their smartphones will be included in the national blacklisted database. The customer is actually taking a double hit because they now have a practically useless cell phone and a bad credit score because of this doing.

The carrier lock or SIM lock used to be a legal method to prevent their users from switching to another carrier, and the same rule had been applied by almost all of the carriers all over the world. However, as consumer rights have been more developed and strengthened, a lot of countries already banned locked smartphones to protect consumers from hefty telco charges concerning the unlocking of their cellphones.

In fact, Canada, may have come a little late from this consumer rights development, though. Countries such as China, Singapore, Chile, Croatia, and many European countries had already banned SIM lock more than 5 years ago.

There were speculations about push backs from wireless providers especially the Big Three in order to protect their interests from this ruling. We are yet to witness what is going to happen but speculations about a sudden cost increase of plan rates, the rise of cellphone theft and export, and fraudulent activities have been doing its rounds in the internet.

No matter how bad the consequences might be, this new CRTC ruling will help every Canadian choose the best carrier for their needs without the frustration of paying unlocking fees and the hassle of cancellations.

This will also hopefully, decrease the cost of roaming charges as wireless providers will have to compete with the beastly low text, talk, and data prices of carriers from many foreign countries all over the world.

Well done CRTC, but we’re yet to see what the Big Three is cooking in the time being.

MetroPCS is the home of the best smartphone bargains. Performance-wise, you’ll never get left behind because it uses the T-Mobile Network. You get the best phone deals, for a cheaper price, with a fast network, and no lock-ins! You can even get mid-range MetroPCS smartphones for just under $100 upfront!

If you’re wondering which one’s the best deal for your needs, we have compiled 6 of the best smartphones under $100 that MetroPCS released for the beautiful year of 2017.

Specs At A Glance:

1. Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime

For absolutely zero upfront charge, you can get your hands on Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime. It has Samsung’s powerful OS and simple interface for a lesser price. It might not be the brand’s flagship, but it still amass phone features that naturally makes it a steal for a Samsung.

You have 8MP front camera and 13MP rear camera that lets you record in 1080p, which means that you’re getting awesome selfies and groufies on this one. It comes in two different storage sizes, 16GB or 32GB, but either way you can still expand it to a massive 256GB because it is microSD expandable.

You have 3GB RAM for all things you want to do with your phone, and that also means the fluidity of your tasks and the responsiveness of this phone under heavy usage is just like that of the iPhone X. Nope they aren’t the same in so many ways, but you can at least multitask with your Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime and not have any issues at all.

It is heavier than the Samsung S8, at 167g but they are almost of the same dimensions, except of course the height, because the Samsung S8 stands at 6.2 in tall. The phone comes in two different colors; black and gold, and feels premium to hold.

You also get a whopping 3300mAh which means you have batteries that can last you the day or even more than that. Finally, you have 3.5mm headphone jack sitting at the top, which should be the number one reason why this phone is sold out.

2. LG K20 Plus

LG K20 Plus is a cool, budget phone that has good camera and reliable hardware. It isn’t as big as the other mid-range options but it fits snugly on your hands and you can obviously operate it with one hand.

If you are worrying about how your fat fingers are going to deal with the smaller screen, don’t worry because you can adjust the keyboard’s layout and height. It’s highly customizable, LG simply made it that way.

It also has fingerprint sensors, a massive storage of 32GB, and 2GB RAM. It’s microSD expandable so storing data won’t be a trouble. The front camera isn’t that bad at 5MP, but the rear camera is 13MP and can shoot 1080p. It also allows you to take your selfies with simple hand gestures. The battery isn’t as big as everyone else, but it can still last you a day depending on your usage, though.

LG K20 Plus processor is also pretty fast so you can still multitask on this phone seamlessly without lags or anything. Not impressed? Let’s get onto the next.

3. ZTE Blade Z Max

ZTE Blade Z Max boasts a dual camera, a fingerprint scanner, a 6 in display and a gargantuan battery. If you are tired of whining why expensive flagship device don’t have everything, well, now you can stop.

For only $129 (but you can buy this at MetroPCS for $99 upfront), you get all the features you’ve been looking for in a phone. You get the biggest battery which is a whopping 4800mAh! You’re not going to expect a premium build though, but this phone sure is bigger when compared to other pricey flagships like Samsung Galaxy S8.

It has a headphone jack and a USB type C charging port, and we’ll give it two extra bonus points for having them. The 32GB storage is expandable with microSD, which means you can have it up to 256GB of memory for all your lovely pictures, videos, and adventures.

The fingerprint scanner at the back is also fast and accurate and that means you are eliminating the hassle high-end phones are notorious for.

ZTE Blade Z Max also has 2GB RAM and although it runs on an underdog Snapdragon processor, it gives you no lag problems when multitasking on your phone. It’s Split Screen feature also works seamlessly. There are also shortcuts that allows you to launch major phone features, like the camera, very easily but we’re not on the best part yet.

The camera on this phone is a beast! You don’t expect to see a dual camera on a budget phone, but this one has it. Ok, this camera isn’t like what high end phones have, so don’t get your hopes up that much. However, considering you get a 16MP main camera and 8MP front camera for selfies, this is more than just your average budget phone.

It’s practically the best budget phone and it’s definitely worth it for the price.

4. ZTE Z Max Pro

Thought ZTE has killed it with Blade Z Max? Not just yet. You’re about to meet the biggest budget phone under $100. Yes, you read that right.

For only $99, you can have a very sleek, well-designed and high-performing phone that can last you a day, give you wonderful videos and images, and do multitasking like high end flagship phones do.

It has a huge screen being 6” at that, and it has 1080p resolution which makes it all the more lovely; you wouldn’t assume it’s a budget phone on a first look. It also has 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, which means you can finger your tasks very easily. It also has a microSD slot so you can add more memory.

Just like its brothers in the Blade series, it has a fingerprint scanner seated at the back, which is accessible, fast, and accurate. It also has a USB type C charging port and a headphone jack (I hear you say Yehey!)

The phone isn’t the best at the camera department, but what do you expect from a budget phone? Nonetheless, you are still getting that extra level of security with the fingerprint sensor which you don’t normally see from budget phones.

If you already love MetroPCS, you’re not going to sulk over the fact that ZTE Z Max Pro is only available through them.

5. LG Stylo 2 Plus

There’s probably a good reason why LG named this particular model Stylo 2 Plus and bet you know the reason why.

The LG Stylo 2 Plus isn’t the cheapest phone nor the best budget phone there is, but it flaunts an attractive feature that people always wanted the Samsung Note 8 for. Yes, you can write on the screen and instantly jot down notes without even the need to turn it on!

In addition to that you can also turn your handwriting into a calligraphy and make Quick Memos using the stylus. Bet you’ve so many things you want to do with this feature.

It also has this Pop Scanner feature that lets you trace and crop an object in an image so you can view it straight on. Aside from being able to write, you can also draw with your stylus pen.  That’s so clever!

The LG Stylo 2 Plus also has a rear fingerprint scanner which is fast and easy to reach, that also lets you confirm payments using your phone. Don’t worry about running out of battery because this one is packed with a 2900mAh battery and you wouldn’t need charging until you hit your home doorsteps.

You also can split the screen in two, so you’re not getting a headache running several apps at the same time. And since it has 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage (expandable up to 2TB), switching back and forth to different apps would be a breeze to do.

Just like most of the budget phones, it isn’t the best in the camera department, but it does have features that you’d love to have when you’re taking selfies; like the Gesture Shot, Selfie Light, Beauty Shot and many more.

Again, it doesn’t boast awesome cameras but it’s not going to disappoint you being in the budget phone category. This one too, is only available through MetroPCS.

6. Alcatel A30 Fierce

If you’re up for another $100 phone MetroPCS has got another one in store for you. Standing at 5.5 in, this budget baby will never compromise every cent you spent on it because it has a 13MP camera, 2GB of RAM, 32GB internal memory, and 3000mAh battery. You’re going to love every single bit of this phone to pieces.

It has a 3.5mm headphone jack (for all you headphone lovers out there), and it has a micro USB type of charging port. The best feature of this budget phone is the ability to save up to 5 different fingerprints for 5 different purposes; so you can launch 5 different apps easily using your fingerprint. Genius.

It’s memory is also microSD expandable up to 128GB so you can save more awesome selfies. It’s built to look like a flagship, but it’s seriously more than five times cheaper than any high end phones you see nowadays.

Just when you thought Alcatel is done with surprises, the A30 Fierce is also programmed to connect with Amazon Alexa. You can now call it a connected home for all the convenience you are going to get with a budget phone from MetroPCS.

With this phone, you can do everything with convenience!

Takeaway

 
There you go folks, that the best of 2017. Ain’t this list so 2017, though? Anyway, if you’re running out of money but still dream of getting the best deals, you can head on to MetroPCS and get this phones for the price you can afford. You’re not going to be trapped in a 2-year contract and if you ever need SIM Unlocking Services, you got the best guy around – UnlockBase.

We unlock your phones from MetroPCS and no doubt, you’ll love it all the more. Just hit us a message and we’d be ready to entertain them anytime of the day for yah!