Related
no
Take it to a TMO store, I doubt anyone here will be too willing to help giving the possibility that you may have a stolen device.
If it is rooted there is a way, I don't have the link, but you use adb to pull and edit one of the db's , if it is not rooted, then most likely SOL ...
colaicee said:
i work at a cellphone repair shop. we also buy sale and trade phones. i use XDA a lot for the new android phones coming out when people have problems.
my coworker bought a vibrant from a customer that came into our store, the thing is that now the phone is patterned locked and we dont know the original email address. he said that it was working fine when he first purchased it. my guess is the customer unlocked it before my coworker played around with the phone.
anyways, no i didnt steal it. or any of that bs. we have a business license, a store front, and 99.9% feedback on ebay.
pm me if theres a way. willing to paypal for info.
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Click to collapse
if you really did buy it, then call the person up and ask them.... unless i'm mistaken if any store buys stuff from customers they're supposed to document all information in case the item has been stolen
The phone is locked regardless. There is an android bug that doesn't allow the phone to verify the google credentials after you try the pattern lock too many times. Even if if was the OP's actual phone, he'd need to either factory reset, flash a new rom to the device, or get a replacement phone.
No one here will be able to help you get past it. There were security holes that allowed people to bypass it, but Google has sinec patched those, without fixing the fundamental issue (users, their children, their friends locking them out and basically "bricking" the device for all intents and purposes).
You got got, and it's probably a stolen device (not saying you stole it, someone else could have).
If you go to T-Mobile they will ask for you account information and check the IMEI against you account. T-Mobile uses different bands as AT&T so there aren't that many people buying Vibrants up front to unlock them and use them on different carriers, TBQH. If that IMEI belongs to someone else (it's even on you contract/reciept), they won't replace the phone. They will assume it's stolen.
Maybe if you start a contract/new line the reps in the store may help you out, though.
However, contacting Samsung may yield better results, but I think the Warranty is handled by T-Mobile, unless it's a hardware defect (hardware locked devices and pattern lockouts are both software issues).
"No i didn't steal it"
LOL
:/........
Nvm, lol
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
If it is rooted you could always try this ..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=485988
ookas said:
if you really did buy it, then call the person up and ask them.... unless i'm mistaken if any store buys stuff from customers they're supposed to document all information in case the item has been stolen
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yep, good call there. if the op purchased the phone he should have all of the sellers info on file.
What's up guys! I got this pretty cool gig in Japan that I will start in mid-May that's going to last a year at the very least (the American working now with the company said they wanted him to come back for another year, but he had other things here he wanted to pursue.) Anyway, I have quite a few questions and concerns regarding my cell phone service here, as well as my future service in Japan.
Here in the US:
I am not one to resist change... hell, I'm moving halfway across the world (Hiroshima) in a couple of months... but if there is one thing I do not like doing it is most definitely getting a new cell phone number! I have a five week (paid) vacation in December, and I would like to come back to my good ol' T-Mobile HD2 for that month and if I am only on the job for a year, I'd like to come back to the same number. But that's not important, and I don't want anyone to focus on that (like I know some will initially), the question is what is the cheapest way I can go about keeping my current number? As I mentioned, I am currently with T-Mobile, so I'm thinking the cheapest and easiest way to go would be to switch to prepaid after my contract expires? Any other suggestions?
Over there in Japan:
This is the more complex situation. I'm still reading up on the wireless phone service in Japan, and it is quite a bit different from the system we have over here in the States, so if someone catches me saying something incorrect, please let me know!
Anyway, I want an Android phone. Keitai are unique and all, but when it comes down to it, I'd like to be able to keep sync my contacts to Google and use SMS (possibly) to communicate with my family and friends here in the US. The next time I'm in contact with the American who works for the company I'll be with, I will ask him what service he and his co-workers use... though I suspect it's SoftBank, because I believe he has an iPhone. If that's the case, the question of my service provider will (reluctantly) be answered as, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, SoftBank users can talk to other SoftBank users free while being charged when talking to people on other providers no matter what time of day? That being said, for those with the experience, how important is it to use the same provider as the majority of the people you talk to? According to subscription numbers, SoftBank greatly trails docomo in number of subscribers, however I have read online that most people I would likely be communicating with will have SoftBank... very confusing.
The next major question is, of course, which Android phone should I purchase? This is a difficult question because if I am only over there for a year, I would like to be able to bring the phone back to the US and use it. I also would prefer buying a phone that has a decent-sized developer community... Obviously the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE come to mind. The international versions of the phones are able to run on UTMS 2100, which (correct me if I'm wrong) means I should be golden for 3G use with AT&T/T-Mobile AND docomo/SoftBank (I don't really care about LTE at this point of its life.) If all that is correct, then it comes down to which phone to buy... the Galaxy Nexus is sweet and all, but the Galaxy S II HD LTE is better equipped... and I'll be running CyanogenMod 9 on whichever one I buy anyway, so software is not an issue. Decisions...
Last, but certainly the most important question I have (in my opinion), is what will be the cheapest way to communicate with my family and friends in the US while I am away for a year? I haven't done much research into this yet, but what are your opinions... Skype, Google Voice... there are some Internet texting options available on the market that may give me the ability to text back and forth, but some of those apps are proprietary. Does anyone know any apps that will give me the ability to text people who don't use the app or have dumbphones? I have no problem spending a bit of money, but I'd like to find the cheapest way possible to keep in contact with loved ones.
I know this is super long, but I want to be thorough in my research and understanding of the environment I will be moving to within the next couple of months. Thanks for taking the time to read and response!
I think the cheapest way to keep your number would be to buy a dumb phone and get the most minimum plan you can. I would buy a nexus because you can use it on t-mobile when you get back. I am not 100% sure, but i think gosms is free texting that can text anyone, regardless of app use. For people with smartphones, a great voip app is viber.
Get your new number and keep your old one. then quickly blast out the new number via SMS to all your contacts. You can use something like what's app to keep in touch for free. All you need is a 3G phone while you are in Japan.
WhatsApp is great, but it's only really good for sending messages to people that have smartphones and data plans. If someone has a smart phone and data plan, you can easily convince them to install the app, because it's unobtrusive and the messages act like text messages. But it won't help you communicate with everyone.
lowandbehold
I think the cheapest way to keep your number would be to buy a dumb phone and get the most minimum plan you can. I would buy a nexus because you can use it on t-mobile when you get back. I am not 100% sure, but i think gosms is free texting that can text anyone, regardless of app use. For people with smartphones, a great voip app is viber.
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Click to collapse
I use GO SMS right now and they have a proprietary messaging feature called GO Chat that only others with the app can use. Viber sounds almost exactly what I'm looking for, except I won't be able to use it with my mom, as she has a dumbphone.
My gripe with the Galaxy Nexus is the lack of a microSD card, another reason why I'm considering buying the Galaxy S II HD LTE, which apparently AT&T will be bringing to us over here as the Skyrocket HD. That would make purchasing one easier and cheaper than buying from overseas.
androidapk.net
Get your new number and keep your old one. then quickly blast out the new number via SMS to all your contacts.
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Click to collapse
By new number, do you mean my Japanese phone number?
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Set up a google voice account. That's a simple way to be texting anyone you know. Just make sure they have that number. As far as keeping your stateside number, I believe Tmob has a service where you can have your line lay dormant for some period of time. I don't know how long for or what the cost is or anything like that. I think I remember that being an option when I had them.
Jesushaxyou said:
Set up a google voice account. That's a simple way to be texting anyone you know. Just make sure they have that number. As far as keeping your stateside number, I believe Tmob has a service where you can have your line lay dormant for some period of time. I don't know how long for or what the cost is or anything like that. I think I remember that being an option when I had them.
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Click to collapse
I've done a ton of reading on Google Voice today and I may have come up with a solution, though I don't know if it will work, as I've never used Google Voice before.
It's my understanding that when a number is ported to Google Voice, it ends the service with whoever the provider is, and I do not have to renew service with another cell phone provider in order to keep my number (correct me on this if I'm wrong.) Ironically, my contract with T-Mobile ends a couple days before I am supposed to fly over to Japan.
So when my contract is up, all I simply need to do is port my current number over to Google Voice and I will have the ability to send and receive texts to and from (and here's an important question) anyone... or... only those who have data plans? Someone with a dumbphone or without Google Voice will be able to text me, right?
As for making and receiving calls, I'm look at GrooVe IP as a way to accomplish this while being able to keeping my current cell phone number. Does anyone have any experience with that app?
You can text anyone with texting on their plan from GVoice. A buddy of mine has a feature phone and he receives them just fine.
Hey Guys,
So i bought a new unlocked S3 as a gift and left it in my car and went out for dinner and When i came back my car was broken into and obviously the phone was stolen along with other things in the vehicle. So i called the cops and filed a report but i was not able to give any info n the phone like a IMEI number. So i filed a claim with the store i bought this from and they are being a pain. So i had to call my bank and put a stop pay but there might be an issue. So i am curious to know if this phone can be tracked or not, btw there was never a sim in the phone. I have been looking everywhere searching for answers. Any info on this is helpful. I paid $700.00 for the phone and now its gone.
Thanks!
solomon862000 said:
Hey Guys,
So i bought a new unlocked S3 as a gift and left it in my car and went out for dinner and When i came back my car was broken into and obviously the phone was stolen along with other things in the vehicle. So i called the cops and filed a report but i was not able to give any info n the phone like a IMEI number. So i filed a claim with the store i bought this from and they are being a pain. So i had to call my bank and put a stop pay but there might be an issue. So i am curious to know if this phone can be tracked or not, btw there was never a sim in the phone. I have been looking everywhere searching for answers. Any info on this is helpful. I paid $700.00 for the phone and now its gone.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there,
I'm sorry for your misfortune, but you shouldn't have left such a pricey object in your car I suppose..
You don't know its IMEI so you should contact the person to get ahold of the store he bought it from to maybe check with the store about getting the device's IMEI number in order for you to track it..
Other than that, I'm not sure there's something else you can do..
check out Lookout Plan B
Was the phone still in the box?
yes there is.
1. is your phone rooted? if yes this will make this easier, if not its okay, there's still a lot we can do.
2. even without a simcard inside the phone, did you ever set up a Google account? hopefully you still remember your info, but if you don't, and aren't able to recover it thru Google's site, PM me.
3. go to market.android.com (it'll redirect you to whatever they changed their new URL to when they renamed it play store).
4. luckily android can remotely install apps to your phone even without you having the phone (scary isn't it? lol). you're going to want to install an app called androidlost .
5. from there, visit androidlost.com and even without you having the phone, you can setup and configure the app (also scary right? lol).
6. now this is where root comes in, if you're rooted, you can do all sorts of evil things, like listen in on that dude thru your phones mic, watch him thru your cam, dial numbers from the phone, track it thru GPS, take any content out of it, delete anything inside the phone, check call logs, location history, and when you actually find the guy, you can set off a siren to max out your phones volume, and never stop blasting till you take confront that SOB face to face. of course how much of this actually depends on if you're rooted or not, like remotely formatting the SD and such, the others, no root necessary! (now is it scary? lol)
also if you plan on having more of your phones stolen in the future, you should do all this before having your carrier shut down your phone lol. (you'll have to rely on wifi for now)
also, did you buy it with a Visa? if you did, and you live in the US, even if you bought it from outside the US, your store warranty is doubled, and if that didn't fix it, they'll completely replace it up to $500 per item, up to $50,000 per year (as long as said item wasn't stolen from your car ) (
Recently got the new HTC ONE through Telus and little over a couple days it has been stolen from me.
I'm wondering now if there is any way for me to track it on regular google account and facebook has been setup on it, but the phone does have a secure security code to unlock the screen.
Does the carrier have anyway of finding this if someone tries to stick in another SIM? Granted they are also a telus user or am I hooped on this one?
I'm assuming a person with the right know-how or buddy could likely access the boot load reset the thing and unlock it and use it, but i'm hoping this isn't the case and I can still track it via some other way?
Thanks,
V
HTC use to offer the ability to track your phone if it was powered on. Or you could remotely lock and/or wipe the device. This was through the HTC sense website. I don't know if they still offer this feature or not. If they don't I'd recommend calling your carriers support line and see what they can do.
Sent from my Nexus 10
I doubt anything's gonna come about this. Phones get lost or stolen every day and even with todays technology very few get found or returned. Also police have better things to do then track someone's lost phone. And I say lost better than stolen because how are you sure that the phone was stolen and not lost? Did you get held up or did the person physically took it off for you?
I would suggest getting insurance next time.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Short answer: No.
Android has no built-in phone tracking capability. This is something you need to have installed yourself on the phone, or something the manufacturer includes. HTC used to do this, but no longer offers the feature.
Report your device stolen to the carrier (you may also report it to the police, but they won't do anything), so that when someone uses it on the network, they won't be able to. Most carriers will not alert you that your device has been found or anything like that. They simply blacklist the IMEI and that's it. If you don't have insurance, then you are pretty much on your own.
Your carrier may offer their own location tracking capability that you can add to your account, and that may allow you to track the phone (if they haven't already wiped the phone and removed your SIM card). Check with your carrier.
prjkthack said:
Short answer: No.
Android has no built-in phone tracking capability. This is something you need to have installed yourself on the phone, or something the manufacturer includes. HTC used to do this, but no longer offers the feature.
Report your device stolen to the carrier (you may also report it to the police, but they won't do anything), so that when someone uses it on the network, they won't be able to. Most carriers will not alert you that your device has been found or anything like that. They simply blacklist the IMEI and that's it. If you don't have insurance, then you are pretty much on your own.
Your carrier may offer their own location tracking capability that you can add to your account, and that may allow you to track the phone (if they haven't already wiped the phone and removed your SIM card). Check with your carrier.
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What does blacklisting the IMEI do? Could the individual just unlock it with a internet bought code and jam in any sim card and make it work after the fact? Or by blacklisting it if someone brought it to TELUS would they then be able to seize it as a stolen/ lost phone?
Thanks for all your comments and help thus far, it is greatly appreciated.
vincent-h said:
What does blacklisting the IMEI do? Could the individual just unlock it with a internet bought code and jam in any sim card and make it work after the fact? Or by blacklisting it if someone brought it to TELUS would they then be able to seize it as a stolen/ lost phone?
Thanks for all your comments and help thus far, it is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blacklisting an IMEI will not allow someone to use that device on the network. This is something that has only recently caught on in the United States. T-Mobile and AT&T now block IMEIs that have been reported stolen/missing, while Sprint and Verizon have been doing it for a while. When you put your SIM into a blocked phone that tries to run on a supported network, you'll get a message that says the phone cannot be used.
Of course, this depends on your carrier. You may want to ask what your carrier does with lost/stolen IMEIs, as they may have different policies.
get on computer>google play> download lookout security or plan B...this would only work if the device is turned on and has data connection...plan B should get the gps location and send the map to your email address..
Perry977 said:
get on computer>google play> download lookout security or plan B...this would only work if the device is turned on and has data connection...plan B should get the gps location and send the map to your email address..
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Click to collapse
works only with Android 2.1-2.3! But maybe a good one for these Version!
Did you try Android Device Manager to locate it? It's in the settings menu on the play store website.
vincent-h said:
Recently got the new HTC ONE through Telus and little over a couple days it has been stolen from me.
I'm wondering now if there is any way for me to track it on regular google account and facebook has been setup on it, but the phone does have a secure security code to unlock the screen.
Does the carrier have anyway of finding this if someone tries to stick in another SIM? Granted they are also a telus user or am I hooped on this one?
I'm assuming a person with the right know-how or buddy could likely access the boot load reset the thing and unlock it and use it, but i'm hoping this isn't the case and I can still track it via some other way?
Thanks,
V
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Click to collapse
For the future try an app called Cerberus anti theft, it's a really great app to have. It has a free week trial so you can try it out, after that it cost $2.99 euro which is a little under $5 in US, also it's a one time fee and not a subscription. Just go online and track your phone and do many other things.
I purchased a pair of G2 Verizon phones from an online seller. Unfortunately I found out they were demo phones after receiving them. They work, but keep defaulting to demo mode, and then it wipes out all my contacts and emails. None of the local phone stores or techs are willing to help me. The seller will no respond to my requests for help. Does anybody know a way to convert these back to regular phones?
corvetteworks said:
I purchased a pair of G2 Verizon phones from an online seller. Unfortunately I found out they were demo phones after receiving them. They work, but keep defaulting to demo mode, and then it wipes out all my contacts and emails. None of the local phone stores or techs are willing to help me. The seller will no respond to my requests for help. Does anybody know a way to convert these back to regular phones?
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Click to collapse
The only way is to hope it has a bootloader you can you use to flash a stock software. Might be able to contact LG about it but selling those phones is really not suppose to happen.
I have zero experience with phones and their related software functions. LG wouldn't help because I didn't purchase them from an authorized seller. I am hoping to find a person willing to walk me through the steps needed to identify first, whether or not this phones operating system is able to be reinstalled. And second, if the first task is possible, will that person guide me through the corrective action.