HOW TO FLASH YOUR PHONE BY YOUR SELF

                                              READ VERY CAREFULLY

 

 

Make sure you are trying to flash a CDMA phone. CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. If you are uncertain whether your phone is CDMA or not, remove the battery and look for a removable subscriber identity module (SIM) card under the battery. If there isn't a SIM card, you indeed have a CDMA phone that can be flashed.

• GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) phones can't be flashed (like AT&T and T-Mobile). Metro, Sprint, Cricket, Boost, Verizon and many others are CDMA and thus can be flashed because they're not controlled by the SIM card.
• Your phone must also have a clean ESN (electronic serial number) -- that is, it must never have been reported lost or stolen.^[1]  
• ^{Get out your USB cord. The same one you use to connect to your computer to download music and whatnot will be used with this process.}
  Search for compatible flashing software. There are several easy-to-use flashing programs that make flashing easy, and some are even free to download. Make sure the one you choose will work with your particular phone before attempting to flash.

  • Examples include Easyflasher.com^[2], CDMA-ware.com^[3], and Your cellular^[4]. Search around before you risk damaging your phone with an inadequate or incompatible program.
  • • 1Know what you want to flash your phone to. You are changing your phone from your current carrier to something else. The only stipulation is that it also must be a CDMA network. Cricket, Page Plus, and Metro PCS are three popular options.

    • 2You can check the reception in your area for various carriers at Cellreception.com.^[5] Might as well before you make the leap! Certain programs are affiliated with larger networks, like Page Plus is with Verizon.^[6]
      You can get an hour's trial of Page Plus from their website.
    • 3now that "bricking" your phone is an option. This is the term used for a "sudden death" of your phone. It becomes virtually useless...unless you want to use it as a brick.
    • 4This risk still exists even when done by a professional. The odds are lower than if you ask your geeky roommate to do it, sure, but it's still there.
    •  
    • 5Understand that any warranty you had will be voided.^[9] Makes logical sense -- you abandon your carrier, they abandon you. However, if you go to a retailer and they do it for you (which is an option), your warranty may stay intact (depending on your circumstances, of course).
    • 6
      Make sure your flashed-to carrier accepts foreign ESNs. If you're flashing to Boost or Cricket, you shouldn't have a problem. But flashing to a behemoth like Verizon could pose some issues -- they approve of fewer "at-home" remedies such as this.
    • 7
      Know that you're still using the same technology. When you're working with a CDMA phone, whether it's flashed or not, you'll still be relying on CDMA technology. If you live in the US and travel a lot, most phones in other countries are of the GSM variety (i.e., have a sim card). The main benefits of flashing your phone are in saving money and supporting the littler guys.

      • All carriers within the US with the exception of AT&T and T-Mobile use CDMA technology. Their numbers (ESN) are hard-wired and cannot be changed, unlike their GSM peers.^[9]
    • 8
      Flashing your phone to Straight Talk is illegal. You need to replicate your phone's ESN to do this, thus cloning it. Having two phones with the same number is obviously fishy and is a crime that could lead to some hefty fines or more.^[10] If you are contemplating Straight Talk, see their website and talk to a professional beforehand.

     
     
    NOTE: i will not be held responsible for any bricked device..