Before performing an unlock via the USB cable, USB Debugging (also known as Android Debug Bridge, or ADB) needs to be turned on first, in order for the computer to be able to communicate with the phone. This how-to will guide you on how to turn it on.

There is a YouTube video below that supplements this guide:

Downloading and Installing USB Drivers.

1. Download the Driver Pack from the UnlockBase website. (https://www.unlockbase.com/cable-unlock/change-log-software-download/)

   

2. Open the ZIP archive once the download is completed.
3. Double Click on the “Samsung” folder.

   

4. Drag the installer (SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe) to the desktop.

   

5. Click on the installer.
6. Click “Next” two times, and then click “Install”.
7. Wait for the drivers to install. Once done, Click “Finish”.

Enabling USB Debugging

1. Go to “Settings”.
2. Scroll down, and go to “About Phone”.
3. Scroll down, and go to “Software Information”.
4. Tap the “Build number” seven times.
5. When prompted, enter your PIN number. Then press “Done”.
6. At this point, it should say “Developer mode has been turned on”.
7. Press the back button, two times.
8. Scroll down, and go to “Developer Options”.
9. Scroll down, and turn on “USB Debugging”.
10. Press “OK”.

Connecting the phone to the computer.

1. Connect the USB cable to the computer’s USB port, and the other end to the phone.
2. NOTE: To avoid connectivity problems, connect it directly to the computer’s USB port. Do not use USB hub, USB extension, and if using a desktop computer, use the USB ports on the back.
3. When prompted, check the checkbox beside “Always allow from this computer”, then tap “OK”.
4. When prompted, tap “Allow”.

This guide will show you how to bypass Google account on a Xiaomi phone. You may need to do this if you forget the password on your Google account and had reset the device using recovery mode. You don’t need a computer to accomplish this. Doing this process may or may not work depending on the model and/or software version running in your Xiaomi phone.

At the time when I wrote this guide and filmed the how-to video (that supplements this guide), it worked for me using a Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S running the latest MIUI 10.3.2.

Screenshot Guide: Bypass Google Account Xiaomi

1. From the “Verify your account” screen. Go back, until you see the list of WiFi networks.
2. Tap on “Add Network”.
3. Type “www.youtube.com” under “SSID”.
4. Long press “www.youtube.com”, until it’s highlighted in blue.
5. Above it, tap the second option.
6. The YouTube app should open. Search for “UnlockBase”.7. Select “UnlockBase”. From the results list.
7. Swipe to the left, and tap “About”.
8. Tap “Cellphone Unlocking”.
9. Choose “Browser”.
10. Tap “Agree & Continue”.
11. Search for “Lawnchair APK”. Using the address bar above.
12. Tap the one from APKMirror. It may or may not be first on the list.
13. Select the very first one. Usually, that’s the latest version.
14. Scroll down to download and click on the blue link.
15. Click on “Download APK”.
16. Tap “Allow”.
17. When prompted to Save APK, tap “OK”.
18. Once done downloading, tap “Settings”.
19. Enable “Allow from this source”.
20. Tap “Install”.
21. Tap “Open”.
22. Tap “Create”.
23. Tap “Allow”.
24. Go to “Settings”.
25. Tap “Lock screen & password”.
26. Tap “Screen Lock”.
27. Tap “PIN”.
28. Set a Pin. For this guide, I set it to 123456. But you can set whatever you want. Just remember it.
29. Confirm the PIN that you created.
30. When prompted to create a fingerprint, tap “Cancel”.
31. When done, reboot the phone.
32. Unlock the phone by swiping up and enter the pin that you created earlier.
33. When you see this screen, enter the PIN you created earlier.
34. When you see this screen, YOU DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY! However, DON’T SIGN TO A GOOGLE AND MIUI ACCOUNT JUST YET.
35. Just skip both Google and MIUI sign in and go through setup.
36. At the end of the setup, you will be prompted what launcher to use. Choose “Lawnchair”.
37. Go back to “Settings”. It’s recommended to do a factory reset.
38. Tap “Additional Settings”.
39. Tap “Backup & reset”.
40. Tap “Erase all data (factory reset)”.
41. Tap “All files on the phone”, and then tap “Reset phone”.
42. Tap “next step” after the counter has elapsed.
43. Tap “OK” after the counter has elapsed.
44. The phone will reboot. Once booted back up, continue setting up the phone like you would with a new phone. You should be able to sign in to any other Google account! CONGRATULATIONS!

This is a review on the performance, specs, and features of the Samsung Galaxy A6 from Metro by T-Mobile. Factory unlocked Samsung Galaxy A6 retail price is $359.99.  But if you want to get it on subsidy, you can also get it locked from any carrier and have our factory unlock service for Samsung Galaxy A6, so you can still enjoy the flexibility of an unlocked phone. 

Unlocking Samsung Galaxy A6: Quick Overview

Battery size: 3000mAh                                             ROM/RAM: 32GB/3GB

Screen Size: 5.6” AMOLED  720 x 1480                Cameras: 16MP front/16MP back

What to like. This mid-range Samsung has Fingerprint Scan and Facial Recognition for security. It also runs with a 3GB RAM so it’s fast and can handle moderate to heavy apps. It has a nice aluminum casing and semi-matte finish that gives it a premium look.

Finally, it packs a 3000mAh battery that’s enough to last you more than a day of regular usage.  

What not to like. For the same price, the LG Q7 Plus has arguably a better screen resolution than the Galaxy A6. The main camera doesn’t have PDAF which may result in slightly slower autofocus compared to phones within the same price range.  

The processor could also be improved, but compared to other Samsung phones, you will most likely not notice that it’s inferior when it comes to speed and performance.

More importantly, for a much lesser price, the LG Q7 Plus is IP68 Water and Dust Resistant, while the Samsung Galaxy A6 is not.

Both are offered through Metro by T-Mobile.

Got a phone from Metro that you want to carrier unlock? We can help you permanently unlock it with the MetroPCS Device Unlock App!

Samsung Galaxy A6 Build And Design

Metallic Build. The Samsung Galaxy A6 is beautiful, it doesn’t exactly look like the S9 when it comes to design, but it has an aluminum casing that gives it a luxurious look. Since it’s an all-metal phone, Samsung created a small non-metallic loop at the upper and lower back to put the antennas neatly.

Bezel-less display. It’s not the first Samsung budget/mid-range phone to have a bezel-less display and Home button, but it’s so refreshing to see a less bulky, more modern design on a Samsung slate phone.

Non-ergonomic Design. The fingerprint scanner is situated on the same box as the camera, which makes it a little bit awkward to reach. It may not as bad as it seems since the phone is relatively small (only 5.6 inches screen size) and fits the average hand size.

Samsung Galaxy A6: Hardware, Specs, and Features

No USB-C. No fast-charging. Since 2018, it’s almost as if the USB-C has become an industry standard for every smartphone manufacturer, and so it’s a bummer that the Galaxy A6 didn’t come with a USB-C port for fast charging. Instead, it is using a Micro USB, which is somewhat backward for a newly-released, mid-range priced phone.

On the brighter side, you can still have your phone back from 0% up to 100% within 2 hours and 15 minutes of charging.

Low light, high-resolution camera. Budget Samsung phones most often have low megapixels cameras, but they’re also known for having good sensors. And the Galaxy A6’s cameras surely don’t disappoint.

Other phones may have higher megapixels but they are not good at taking pictures in low light. The Samsung Galaxy A6, on the other hand, has the best of both worlds. It can capture great images even in at night or in low light settings.

Overall Impression on MetroPCS Samsung Galaxy A6

So is the Samsung Galaxy A6 a good phone? Well, it can be for an avid Samsung user, but compared to other brands, it’s clearly not the best bang for the buck. There are other brands of mid-range phones out there that offer more for the same price, like the LG Q7 Plus.

Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy A6 does not have anything particularly stand out in the mid-range phone arena. Looking at the trend and changes between many budgets and mid-range phones over the years, it seems that Samsung is not interested in winning the budget and mid-range phone market.

In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy A6 does not particularly stand out from its competition but it shows signs of huge improvements from its predecessors. And with the home button gone, we’re confident that Samsung is actively making changes, slowly stamping its brand name in the mid-range phone market to dominate it.

It is not the budget version of Samsung Galaxy S9 when it comes to the features, but with its much ‘modern’ bezel-less design, it certainly has the premium Samsung-branded vibe that you would otherwise only get with the brand’s flagship devices.

Hey, we unlock phones from Metro! If you want to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of an unlocked phone, we’re here to help! Go to MetroPCS Mobile Device Unlock App for more information.

iPhone Unlock Sim Card

Unlock your iPhone in seconds with our 2-step unlock process! 

If your iPhone is ineligible for our regular iPhone Factory Unlock or if you want a quick fix that can unlock your iPhone real time, the iPhone Unlock Sim Card is the best alternative that we offer. Through the UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim card, you no longer have to ask your carrier to unlock your phone or go through the complicated process of iPhone Factory Unlock. Our sim card works on ALL iPhones, notwithstanding the original carrier and the model of your iPhone.

Note: There are two different kinds of sim cards that support each set of iPhones.
One for the new generation iPhone Xs: Xs Max and Xr, and one for older iPhone models.

How To Use The iPhone Unlock Sim Card: 2 Steps

1. Stack the UnlockBase iPhone Unlock sim card to your new carrier’s sim card.

Attach the UnlockBase iPhone unlock sim card to the sim card you want to use.  For example, if you want to use a Rogers sim card to an iPhone that’s locked to AT&T, you don’t need to keep the AT&T sim card anymore.  Make sure you align and stack the iPhone Unlock sim card and the Rogers sim card firmly on the sim tray before you insert it back to your iPhone.

2. Wait for your iPhone to recognize the unlock process.

After inserting the sim card, wait 30 seconds to 1 minute. You will be prompted with “Sim Card Not Supported” [which means your iPhone is still locked] or another similar error message but you just need to exit out of it.  It will take a little time for your iPhone to recognize or process the unlock, but within the specified waiting time frame you will see signal bars come in and your iPhone is successfully unlocked.

3. If the phone still shows “SIM Not Valid” change the ICCID of your device

To to that, simply go to Emergency Call mode and input the code *5005*7672*88#  if nothing happens, try instead one of these codes: *5005*7672*00# or *5005*7672*0# or *5005*7672*5858# or *5005*7672*99#.

Then you will be able to edit the ICCID of the iPhone Unlock Sim,
Please use this ICCID: 89014104270225985430 and click send,
Restart your phone and that’s it!

iPhone Unlock Sim Card: Things You Need To Know

1. The UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim is not a permanent Unlock solution

However, it comes handy when you’re looking for a convenient and fast way to unlock your iPhone.

2. The UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim has to stay inside your iPhone to ensure it stays unlocked.

In the event that you use another carrier because you’re traveling in multiple countries or just want to try another carrier, you may have to repeat the unlocking process mentioned above.

You have to keep the iPhone Unlock Sim card stacked with the carrier sim card for it to stay unlocked. 

3. The UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim works with any iPhones.

It works with any iPhone regardless of your carrier and model. It’s very convenient to use for when you’re traveling to another country and you want to save on roaming fees, or you simply just want to get out of your current carrier. 

4. The UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim will not jailbreak your iPhone.

Our sim card does not require you to install any software that can potentially harm your iPhone’s operating system. It will save you from all the technicalities that usually comes with the Factory unlock process. It’s safe, easy, and convenient to use.

Order The iPhone Unlock Sim Card Now

UnlockBase is a leader in the iPhone unlocking industry and we are a trusted source of breakthrough unlocking technology for the last decade. We’ve already unlocked over 9 million phones (and counting!) and we have a global network of suppliers across the globe. Order it today and receive it in your doorsteps in no time!

We have 24/7 support available in various channels always willing to help you with your concerns.

Got questions? Drop them in the comments section and we’d be glad to answer them!

How To Sell Your Phone For The Best Price: All You Need To Know

Are you planning to sell your old phone so you can upgrade? Your carriers’ trade in program sure sounds tempting, but they are not always the best price. There are many buy and sell websites that give higher offers than most carriers.

Ebay’s Instant Selling, for example, almost always offers better rates than AT&T, T-Mobile, and other carriers who offer trade-in programs.

An AT&T-locked iPhone X 256 GB in excellent condition (no dents, no scratches, perfect screen) best offer is only $450 with AT&T but you can sell it on Ebay for at least $600* even without the accessories. You can sell it for more if you include the accessories that came with it.

Moreover, an UNLOCKED iPhone X in excellent condition, can be sold for at least $700 on Ebay even without the accessories. That difference adds up and can earn you a lot more money than trading your phone with your carrier.

Of course, if you want to sell your phone for the best price, you have to keep it in an immaculate physical condition and ensure it passes standards that would make it worth all the money.

Here are five ways to increase the market value of your phone:

1. Unlock it. Factor number 1 in buying and selling is knowing whether the phone is locked to a certain carrier. If it’s locked, that’d hugely diminish the number of people who would be willing to buy it because it limits their options. It will start off with a lower bid price compared to phones which can be used with any carrier all over the globe.

Unlocking your phone from its carrier doesn’t always involve having to ‘jailbreak’ or ‘root’ the device. If you’re using an iPhone, there is an easy, fast, and SAFE way to unlock your iPhone without breaking your warranty or bricking the phone itself. For phones coming from T-Mobile or MetroPCS, you can safely unlock your phone permanently through the Device Unlock App.

Your carrier can also help you unlock your phone for a FEE provided your account meets certain standards. Otherwise, you’d probably be asked why you’re unlocking it and if there’s a chance you’d be switching to another carrier, which, of course, would in one way or another, harm your pocket, or worse, your credit score.

As mentioned earlier, UNLOCKED phones have more perceived value than those which aren’t because it doesn’t limit the users with their options for carriers.

2. Include the original packaging and accessories with the phone. Selling your phone together with the original packaging, headset, charger, and other accessories that came free with it will drastically increase the retail value.

Ebay and other buy and sell sites for used electronics offer higher for sellers who include the accessories and the original packaging (only if they are still in good condition). Buying phone accessories such as the headset and the charger also comes at a price, so if you sell your phone with it, you’ll have better offers than when you don’t.

However, there are buy and sell sites that don’t require you to include them, like Gazelle, and won’t pay you more if you did include them in the package. It’s best to just keep your accessories for your own use or sell them somewhere else.

3. Start off with a higher price point. Be wary of used phone resellers who will low ball you to the core. When priced fair and just, you will never run out of genuine interested buyers. On buy-and-sell or trade-in websites where there’s no fixed price point and people can haggle or bargain with you, it’s best to start off with a higher price point (but still within a fair price range, of course).

When someone tries to haggle, they will try to knock down the price, but you can still negotiate to the price point you wanted. They’ll think they had a good deal and you got the price you wanted. Win-win.

If you’re not strapped for cash, stay firm, the right buyer will come your way.

4. Add more proof. Often times, listings don’t get noticed because of the lack of photos or videos to prove its legitimacy. When you’re selling a phone, uploading pictures and videos that show the condition of the device is the best way to attract potential buyers. If you’re not selling your phone in trading sites, you can also try Facebook Marketplace.

Warning: you’re not protected by Facebook in case you are scammed by the buyer. In the Facebook Marketplace, you’re all on your own. Uploading more photos or videos that shows the phone’s condition will increase the chances of having more interested buyers. It’s best to sell the phone to someone who’s within your area so you can personally meet and they can check the phone while you’re with them. The video/photo proof will also reduce the perceived risks that prevents people from buying.

5. Try selling on other platforms. There are a lot of legitimate platforms that allow you to sell your phone or other gadgets. Aside from your carrier, you can also sell your phone on Swappa, Glyde, Gazelle, uSell, Apple (for iPhones), Best Buy, Amazon, NextWorth, and many more.

The only difference among these platforms is that, Ebay and Best Buy sends you vouchers or gift cards, and the rest asks you to go to the store, or mail your phone for a physical check- up.

Where Should You Sell Your Phone? We compared each platform.

We tried several gadget trading/selling platforms and here are their offers for an iPhone 8 64GB, GSM, Silver, USED but in excellent condition with complete accessories (headphones, original box, and charger and cable) as of April, 2019.

Although, Ebay’s offer is the highest, they won’t be paying you with cash. You have to reconsider whether you need an Ebay voucher or not.

Do’s and Don’ts Before selling your old phone

1. Take the old SIM card and the memory card out. You don’t need to delete your memory card’s data unless you’re selling the card together with the phone. Take out your old SIM card as well, although you might not be able to use it, there are still data being saved on your old SIM card like your contacts list, messages, and call logs. You surely don’t want those on another person’s hand.

2. Make sure you delete all your personal data. Saved password, emails, Drive or Cloud information, deleted videos and pictures, cache, IDs, etc. You’re not only protecting yourself from data theft, you’re also increasing your phone’s market value. If you’re using an Android, you can also backup your phone’s existing data to your Google account. If you can bring back the phone to its default, ‘almost-new’ functionality state, it would drastically increase its memory and power efficiency.

3. Do a system check. If you’re selling an old used phone that has not been used for the last 3 months or so, it’s necessary for you to do a system check before you even start selling. It could have a drained battery or it might be in need for a system update. Try using the phone for at least one day to see whether you encounter any issues while using it.

4. For Android users: Sign out of your Google account. You need to sign out of your Google account, otherwise the new user will not be able to activate it since he/she needs your password.

Conclusion

There are other ways to increase the market value of your phone, but it all boils down to how you maintained the phone’s aesthetic value and functionality. When you sell, be honest about your phone’s true condition and don’t let down the person on the receiving end.

Finally, you can now unlock your iPhone without going through so many technical steps! UnlockBase now offers the iPhone Unlock Sim, a product that uses a sim card to unlock your iPhone from your carrier. Simply insert the special UnlockBase sim card and enter the correct ICCID code that comes with it. No rooting, no software to install, no erasing anything, and no voided warranty.

Get your phone unlocked in under 10 minutes without even sweating it!

Take note, your iPhone may lock itself again with your carrier if you do a factory reset/hard reset or an iOS update on your device. But the good news is, you can use just ONE sim card to unlock your other iPhones!

You can unlock as many iPhones as you want with just one sim! No need to pay for an unlocking fee for each of your devices, just imagine how much you and your family and friends could save!

How To Use The UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim?

The process is simple and straightforward. All you need are 3 things: (1) iPhone Unlock Sim from UnlockBase, (2) your iPhone, and the (3) sim card tray ejector pin.

• On your iPhone, disable the mobile data.
• Remove sim card from the carrier.  Pop the sim card tray using a pin and remove your carrier sim card.
• Insert UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim.
• Turn iPhone on.  
• You will be prompted with “Sim Card Not Supported”, exit out of that screen and,
• Go to Settings > General > About and copy the ICCID (simply long press and tap ‘Copy’). It is also written on the card but to make things easier, just long press and copy the ICCID on your phone.
• Do an emergency call and then dial *5005*7672*00#
• When prompted for ‘ICCID code’ enter the code.
• Click Send. You will see ‘Done’ on your screen.Your phone is now unlocked!
• Please restart your iPhone to refresh the settings.
• Remove UnlockBase sim card and insert the sim card you want from another carrier.  

What to do if the phone is not unlocked:

• Restart your iPhone to let it refresh.
• We recommend that you reset the network settings. To do this go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
• If you made mistakes during the process you can start over by inserting a different sim card.

Why use UnlockBase iPhone Unlock Sim?

• It’s easy, safe to use, and convenient. No rooting, no complicated unlock software to use, and won’t void your iPhone’s warranty.
• It’s straightforward. Simply pop the sim card in, enter the ICCID code and you’re done!
• It works with all iOS versions. It works work on any iOS Device till v12.1.4 as of 21st March 2019. Can it unlock an iPhone 4s? YES!
• It works with any carrier. It’s compatible with any iPhone from carriers across the USA, Europe, Canada, and everywhere in the world.
• It doesn’t damage your sim tray. Unlike other unlock sim cards which have to stick to your carrier sim card for it to work (meaning you’ll have to stack the 2 sim cards), there’s no need for the iPhone Unlock sim card to stay inside your phone. You can remove the iPhone unlock sim card once you’re done and replace it with any carrier sim card you want to use anywhere you are in the globe.
• It is reusable. You can use the same sim card to unlock other iPhones, meaning you can unlock an unlimited number of iPhones with just one sim card!
• It’s legal and doesn’t put your data at risk. The unlock process is legal and won’t wipe your iPhone’s existing data. No need to back up your files or create a new Apple ID.
• We ship your sim card fast. We ship from California and it’ll arrive at your doorsteps in 2 to 5 days anywhere in the US!

Ready to unlock using the iPhone Unlock Sim card? Click here to order!

It’s totally ideal for short trips abroad or if you just want to switch carriers without canceling the rest of your family’s postpaid accounts (if you’re the principal account owner).

Get your iPhone unlocked with UnlockBase.

UnlockBase has been a trusted provider and a leading innovator in the phone unlock industry. When you purchase our iPhone Unlock Sim you can rest assured that you’re getting original products from our credible partners and suppliers across the globe.

Click here to order now.

We offer an outstanding customer service reachable on many channels: email, Twitter, and through chat support. We’re 24/7 ready to answer your questions.

Got questions? Let’s continue our discussion on the comment section below!

Samsung Galaxy J2 is one of Samsung’s newest budget phone and it has taken a remarkable change of design; for the first time in Samsung’s budget phone category, they had removed the physical home button, which means you will be using only the navigation bar on the screen.

Why Samsung removed the button we’re not entirely sure spacewise, because the space that houses the now non- existent home button is still there but it was replaced by the brand name. We’re thinking it’s for ergonomic purposes since people who are used to the home button might need some adjusting before getting used to it. It could also be because it is rather redundant to have the physical home button when it’s on the screen itself.

The Samsung Galaxy J2 doesn’t look much on the outside, it doesn’t have aluminum casing or glass back cover but that’s also one of the reasons why it’s so affordable.

Hey, do you want a quick and easy way to sim unlock your Samsung Galaxy J2 from MetroPCS? Click here. 

Samsung Galaxy J2 Build and Design

Samsung Galaxy J2’s build and design is on par with the rest of the Android phones in the budget department. We compared it to 3 other budget phones that retails for the same price (LG Aristo 3, Alcatel A30 Fierce, Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime Silver) from Metro by T-Mobile (previously called MetroPCS) and there seems to be no significant difference among them (comparison shown in the table below).

The J2, however, is considerably heavy for its height, weighing 5.8 oz at just 6 inches long. It has 5 inches of screen display on a Corning Gorilla Glass, with a 540 x 960 resolution on a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s a bummer that it has a lower resolution compared to the LG Aristo 3 which has a 720 x 1280 resolution on the same screen size for almost the same price.

To sum it up, it doesn’t have a stand out appearance and only has the standard look of most Samsung budget and mid-range phones.

Do you want to permanently unlock your phone with the Device Unlock App? Let us help you.

Samsung Galaxy J2 Hardware, Specs, and Features

The Samsung Galaxy J2 again doesn’t have an ‘edge’ above other budget phones of the same price, aside from bearing the brand name you trust. Nonetheless, its specs don’t really disappoint; it has a huge battery, a good processor, and solid cameras.

It has 5MP front-facing camera and 8MP main camera with LED Flash. However, these cameras don’t have instant focus or PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) and that means it might not be that great for selfies as it is for still images. Compared to Alcatel A30 Fierce, it has lower camera specs, because the American brand features a 13MP rear-facing auto-focus camera that has an LED flash and a 5MP front-facing wide-angle camera with LED flash as well.

If you’re about taking great selfie photos with a huge group, the Alcatel A30 Fierce has a better chance of nailing it than the Samsung Galaxy J2.

On the other hand, the battery is quite large but still not as huge as the Alcatel A30 fierce, which has a 3000mAh battery size. The Galaxy J2 only has a 2600mAh but still could last you a day of use.

The security features of the Galaxy J2 are not as impressive as the rest in the budget phone department. It doesn’t have fingerprint sensors like Alcatel A30 Fierce or Face Unlock which is present in LG Aristo 3.

Guidelines and steps on how to perform permanent unlock with MetroPCS device unlock app.

Is Samsung Galaxy J2 Worth Upgrading To?

If you value trust for the brand, Samsung Galaxy J2 is not bad for the price, although it could have had better specs to keep up with its competitors. It’s not the best Samsung budget phone we’ve seen so far, but we think that losing the home button is one of the remarkable changes the brand has adapted for all its budget phones.

Without the home button, the phone is still intuitively easy to use, that is, of course, if you’ve been a long time Android user.

If there was anything significant that we wanted Samsung could have changed, that is adding a fingerprint sensor. Undeniably, that’s something that makes every budget Samsung phone look and feel so out of date.

Do you want to unlock your phone using the Z3X Box but don’t know where to start? Well, here’s a complete guide that will help you do all the things you need to do to unlock your phone using this method successfully!

WARNING: WE WILL BE ROOTING THE PHONE AND THIS VOIDS THE WARRANTY IF YOU STILL HAVE ONE. THIS ALSO DISABLES KNOX AND ITS FEATURES. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO USE THEM ANYMORE (LIKE SECURE FOLDER) EVEN IF THE FIRMWARE HAS BEEN RESTORED.

TLDR; below is a YouTube video that supplements this guide but all the downloadable materials are in this written guide.

Note: This guide already assumes that you have already installed Z3X Shell, activated the box, and have installed Samsung Tool Pro.

If you don’t already have a Z3X box and you want to unlock your phone, UnlockBase has a white glove unlock program where one of our technicians unlocks your phone remotely over the internet (for a fee). Through this guide you will; (1) know what files needed to be downloaded, (2) know how to root your Samsung phone safely, and (3) unlock your phone through the Samsung Tool Pro software for the Z3X.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Files that to be downloaded:

Samsung Android USB Driver – This will allow the phone to communicate with the computer.

TWRP 3.2.3-1 – This will allow us to flash Magisk so we can root the phone.

Magisk Manager – This software that does the actual rooting.

Preparation

1. Turn off the phone. Remove all SIM cards. Leave the microSD inside. If no microSD, insert one. (We’ll need that later).
2. Turn the phone back on.
3. Activate both USB Debugging and OEM Unlock
   • Go to Settings.
   • Go to “About Phone”
   • Tap “Software Info”
   • Tape Build Number 7 times, until it says “Developer mode has been enabled”, or “Developer mode has been enabled.”
   • Go back twice.
   • Go to “Developer Options”.
   • Enable both “OEM Unlock” and “USB Debugging”.
4. When prompted “Allow access to device data.” Tap “Allow”.
5. Copy “Magisk-vXXX.zip (XXX means version number of Magisk), to the phone’s SD card.
6. If connected, disconnect the phone from the computer.

Loading TWRP recovery.

1. Turn the phone off. Then press volume down (-), home, and power.
2. If you see “Warning”, press Volume up.
   • If you see the Samsung logo. Pull the battery out, put it back in, and keep trying until you get to the “Warning” screen.
3. Connect the phone to the computer.
4. Connect the Z3X Box to the computer.
5. Launch SamungToolPro
6. Go to “Flash” tab, on the top.
7. Click on “PDA” on the left side.
8. Navigate where you downloaded TWRP (twrp_3.2.3-1_sm-g532.tar).
9. Click “Flash”.
10. As soon as the phone reboots, IMMEDIATELY pull the battery out. Then disconnect the cable.
11. Put the battery back on, and then press Volume Up (+), Home and Power.
12. If you see a red text on the top saying “RECOVERY IS NOT SEADROID ENFORCING”, you just wait.If not, pull the battery out, reinsert and try pressing Volume Up (+), Home and Power. Keep trying until you see the red text on top.
13. Once booted into TWRP, swipe “Swipe to Allow Modifications.”

Rooting the phone.

1. On TWRP, tap “Install”.
2. Tap “Select Storage”.
3. Tap “Micro SD card”.
4. Tap “OK”
5. Select “Magisk-vXXX.zip” (XXX means the version number of Magisk).
6. Swipe “swipe to confirm Flash” to start flashing Magisk.
7. Wait for it to flash. Ignore the red errors).
8. Once done, tap “Reboot System”.
9. When prompted (and didn’t automatically reboot), tap “Do Not Install”.
10. If you see the yellow text “Set Warranty Bit: kernel(0)”. You did everything correctly, so far.
11. Plug the phone into the computer.
12. When prompted “Allow access to device data.” Tap “Allow”.
13. Go where you downloaded Magisk (Magisk-vXXX.zip) (XXX means the version of Magisk), and open it.
14. Extract “Magisk.apk” under the “common” directory, anywhere (just remember where you extracted it).
15. Copy the extracted “Magisk.apk” to your phone’s SD card.
16. Navigate to and install the “magisk.apk” on your phone.When prompted, tap “Settings”, and enable “Unknown Sources”.
17. Once done, click “Open”.
18. If both “Magisk”, and “Magisk Manager” has a green check. We are now ready to proceed to the next step.

Unlocking the phone.

1. Go back to SamsungToolPro
2. Click on “Model” tab on the top. Type in “G532G” “G532M” or “G532F”, without the quotation marks. Select your model from the list, and then click “Select” on the bottom.
3. Click the “Unlock” tab on the top.
4. Click on “Read Phone Info” on the right.  
5. On the right side of “ADB”, click the arrow and select the only option there. (That’s your phone.)
6. Unlock your phone’s screen.
7. Click “Unlock”.
8. When prompted to allow USB debugging, check “Always allow from this computer”, and then tap “OK”.
9. Wait for the phone to ask for Superuser permission or access. Tap “Grant” or “OK”
10. Once done, the phone should reboot. Your phone is now SIM unlocked at this point.
11. Once booted. Turn it off.
12. Put your SIM card. And turn the phone back on.
13. Use the phone normally.

Now your phone is unlocked! You should be able to use a different carrier’s service without any problems. If you have any questions, let’s talk about them in the comments section!

If you’re not that confident with your tech skills, we offer a Remote Phone Unlock Service where one of our technicians will unlock your phone via a remote session on your PC/laptop. We support several devices (list will come out soon as we launch this service) but for this article we will use a Samsung phone as an example.

Moreover, this article’s discussion will focus ONLY on the things you need to do or prepare prior to the remote session.

TLDR; There is a Youtube video that supplements this written guide, but all the downloadable files are in this article. 

A remote unlock session is guaranteed not to exceed 45 minutes in the best case scenario. To make sure your phone will last throughout the whole session, it needs to have at least 50% battery/power.

What you need to have for the remote unlock session are the following:

• A computer that runs Windows Vista or later. Windows XP may or may not work. Our unlock software also doesn’t work on a Mac or Linux.
• A phone (e.g. Samsung) that you want to unlock and has at least 50% of power in it.
• Appropriate USB Cable (since we’re going to need to connect the phone to the computer).

1. Enable USB Debugging on the Samsung smartphone.

In order for the phone to “talk” with the computer, we need to allow USB Debugging on your Samsung phone. Here’s how:

1. Go to “Settings”.
   • Pull down the Notifications drawer and then,
   • tap the gear or Settings icon on the upper right of the screen.
2. If you can’t find it on the first step, you can also just go to the “Settings” app in your app drawer.
3. Go to “About Phone”.
4. Go to “Software Information”.
5. Tap the build number seven times, or until it says “Developer mode has been enabled” or “No need, developer mode has already been enabled.”
6. Go back, twice.
7. Go to “Developer Options”.
8. Turn on “USB Debugging”.

2. Download and install three things.

After making sure that the phone is now communicating with your PC/laptop, the next thing you have to prepare are the tools and the software we to install for our computers to be able to communicate to each other over the internet.

1. TeamViewer – Is a tool that allows you to share client’s (you) screen and give exclusive access to another user (UnlockBase technician) to remotely control your computer. Of course, we can only proceed with your permission.
   • Select “Basic Installation” and under “How do you want to proceed?”
   • Select “Personal / Non-commercial use” on “How do you want to use TeamViewer?”
   • Click “Accept.”
   • When prompted “to allow this app to make changes to your device”. Click “Yes”.
   • When TeamViewer window opens. Leave it for now.

1. Samsung USB Drivers – In addition to having a USB cable, this is required in order for your computer to communicate with your Samsung smartphone.
   • Click “Next”, twice.
   • Click “Install”.
   • Once done, click “Finish”.

1. UnlockBase Client – This will connect your Samsung smartphone to the technician’s computer over the internet.

3. Connect the phone to the computer using the appropriate USB cable.

Connect one end of the cable to the phone you wish to unlock and the other end to the laptop/PC. To see whether your PC is “seeing” your phone and that it’s been recognized you need to:

1. Launch the Device Manager
   • On your keyboard, press Windows Logo and R at the same time.
   • Type in “devmgmt.msc”, without the quotation marks. Press Enter
2. Ensure that these two shows up under Device Manager.
   • “SAMSUNG Mobile USB Modem” under “Modems”
   • “SAMSUNG Android ADB Interface” under “SAMSUNG Android Phone” or “Android Device”

4. Launch UnlockBase Client

Once you ensure that your Samsung phone is recognized by your PC/laptop, we can then Launch the UnlockBase Client. If you’re logged in to the UnlockBase Client, that means we’re now able to communicate to your computer over the internet.

1. When it asks you that it needs to run as an Administrator. Click “Yes”.
2. If prompted click “Run”
3. If prompted that you “want to allow this app to make changes to your device?”. Click “Yes”.
4. For the ID, type “UnlockBase” (without the quotation marks”).
5. Then click “Log in”.

1. Now, contact and inform the technician on Skype, Telegram, Viber, or Whatsapp. Wait for their reply and they can pretty much take it from here. During the remote unlock session, you can see everything that’s happening on your screen. And since both of you are doing this through TeamViewer, you can always get the cursor access back anytime you see anything suspicious. Moreover, you can always uninstall all the software we used AFTER the unlock process is complete and confirmed on your phone.

That’s basically it. You’re just a few minutes away from having your phone unlocked. Wait for a few minutes for the technician to respond. We have multiple channels of communication and our team is here 24/7 and we’re always ready to help you.

Should you have questions, don’t hesitate to drop them down in the comments and we’re cool to answer all of them as fast as we can!

Have you tried ‘rooting‘ or installing ‘custom ROM’ on your Xiaomi device before? If you did, chances are your phone’s user interface don’t look similar to that of others in the same brand. Moreover, you could be experiencing lags, incompatible apps, or security issues having received no software update from the manufacturer.

Most importantly, this leads to breaking your phone or tablet’s warranty.

If you want to go back to the default firmware your Xiaomi phone or tablet used to have, this article will guide you step-by-step on how to flash the factory firmware back on your device.

Disclaimer: We are not representing Xiaomi. If you have any questions, please contact Xiaomi support. We are not liable for any consequences or damage taking the following steps may result in. Please use your discretion while following them.

WARNING: BACKUP YOUR FILES PRIOR TO FOLLOWING THIS GUIDE. THIS WILL WIPE THE DEVICE!

There is a YouTube video that supplements this guide:

Files that you will need to download:

To proceed, you’re going to need to download three things, so on your computer, follow the link provided below and download them accordingly.

– Google USB Driver – This will allow the computer to communicate with the phone.

– Xiaomi Flash Tool – This will flash the firmware to your device.

– MIUI Firmware –  Click on your device and download the ‘Stable ROM’ because this is what you need to restore on your device. I am doing this on a Pocophone F1, but this process should work on any Xiaomi devices (trust me, I owned several devices by them, and it’s the same procedure when restoring the firmware). Make sure to download the ‘Global’ version, not the ‘China’ one. The Global version has Google Play Store, but the China version does not.

Preparation

1. Go to your “C:” drive on My Computer/This Computer/Computer. Or Press Windows Key and R, then type in “C:\” without the quotation marks.
2. Create a new folder, called “Xiaomi”. Without the quotation mark.
3. Extract the contents of the three files you just downloaded. Once done, your Xiaomi folder should look like this
4. Extract the tar archive (that contains the firmware, has “global_images” somewhere in the file name) to the Xiaomi folder. It should look like this afterward.

Putting your phone to fastboot mode.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Down (-), and Power at the same time.
3. Let go when you see the fastboot logo.
4. Connect the phone to the computer.

Install the drivers

1. Go to the Device Manager.
2. If you are on Windows 10, simply right click on the Windows logo (lower left corner). Then select “Device Manager”.
3. On other versions of Windows. Press the Windows Key and R at the same time. Then type “devmgmt.msc” without the quotation marks.
4. Ensure that the “Android Bootloader Interface” is installed, under “Android Devices”, “LeMobile Android Device” or anything that says “Android”. It varies.
5. If not installed and you see “Android” under “Other Devices”. Double-click on “Android”.
6. Click on “Update Driver”.
7. Click on “Browse my computer for driver software.”
8. Click on “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.”
9. Click on “Show All Devices”
10. Click on “Have Disk…”.
11. Click “Browse”.
12. Navigate to the “usb_driver” folder on your “Xiaomi” folder. Then select “android_winusb”or “android_winusb.inf”. Click “Open”, then click “OK”.
13. Select “Android Bootloader Interface”, then click “Next”.
14. When Prompted, click “Yes”.
15. Once done, click “Close” twice, and exit out of Device Manager.

Flashing the firmware to the device

1. Navigate to the “MiFlashXXXXXXXX” (XXXXXXXX means the version of MiFlash) folder, and then double-click the “XiaomiFlash” or “XiaomiFlash.exe” file to start MiFlash.
2. On MiFlash, click on “Select”.
3. Navigate to the folder where you extracted the firmware earlier. (The directory where the “images” folder is located.
4. On the lower right of the window, select “clean all” to keep the bootloader unlocked (if you ever want to flash a custom ROM again in the future, without having to wait 72-360 hours again). Although leaving it unlocked will prevent some apps (like Pokemon Go and some banking apps from running). If you want to lock the bootloader after flashing, leave it at “clean all and lock”.
5. Click “refresh” and see if a device appears on the list. If your screen looks like this, then you are ready to proceed to the next step!
6. If not, then try disconnecting/reconnecting the device, moving it a another USB port, and restarting your computer. As a last resort, try reinstalling the driver. If you have it connected to a USB hub. Try connecting directly to your computer’s USB ports (as USB hubs could be causing the problem.)
7. Click “Flash” to commerce flashing.
   
8. Once flashing is done. Device will reboot. From there, set the phone up normally. Like you would like as if you took it out of its box.
   

And there you have it! Congratulations, your Xiaomi device is now back to its stock firmware! Now you’ll be able to enjoy all the manufacturer updates necessary to keep your device secure and running on optimal conditions. Want to share your thoughts? Drop them on the comments section below!