Guides

Samsung Galaxy S4 Screen Replacement Guide

Last updated on October 2, 2018

We’ve all been there: you’re casually scrolling through your phone when all of a sudden, your hands just carelessly lose grip. You reach for your phone lying face down on the ground, only to realize your Samsung Galaxy S4 screen has been smashed. Thankfully, you’ve also come to the right place. No matter how dramatic your Samsung Galaxy S4 damage was, all is not lost. Replacing the screen on your Samsung Galaxy S4 is a whole lot easier than you might think.

Be Cautious!

A quick word of caution before even starting. Be sure to have steady hands. Although it is a relatively simple process, screen replacing is still a very delicate procedure – no matter the phone brand. Electrical work of any kind deserves your full attention and a cautious attitude. You’ll also be working with some hot materials. But just as long as you stick closely to the following instructions and are aware of the hazards, your screen replacement should run smoothly.

Prepare What You Need First

Getting everything you need may seem a tad pricey. But trust us when we say that a little shopping and some elbow grease is a lot less expensive than having your screen replaced from a mobile store.

You will need:

Samsung Galaxy S4 replacement glass (which you can get from Amazon, also check for replacement packages that may already be equipped with the materials you’ll need)
Heat gun or hair dryer (Hair dryer will take much longer so use a heat gun is preferable)
Metal Spudger (Regular spudger is also fine)
Plastic opening tool (think guitar pick or gift card, also get a few of these)
Contact solution/cleaner
Plastic razor blade
Microfiber cloth
3M 2mm strips
Safety glasses (better safe than sorry)

Again, some of these materials may already be in a replacement kit so do a little research on what your kits do or do not have.

For example, kits might already come with plastic opening tools, adhesives, spudgers and plastic razor blades. The kits are unlikely to have anything electrically powered such as a heat gun.

How to Replace Glass/Screen

Now that you’ve got all your gear in order, here’s the fun part.

Again, exercise caution please as you are working with delicate parts.

Step 1: Removing the Case, Batteries, and Chips

The first step is taking the back cover off. Be sure to have the rear camera facing towards you. Locate the divot right next to the power button. Use your plastic opening tool and gently pry open the case and then set aside.

You’ll see three things: a large battery, a smaller SIM card, and an even smaller microSD card.

For the SIM card, use the plastic opening tool to gently push the SIM card deeper until you hear a click. Releasing the card will make it pop out, leave it the side.

Same procedure with the microSD card except you’ll want to use the smaller spudger instead of your plastic opening tool. Push until you feel a click, release, then put to the side.

For the battery, gently wedge your plastic opening tool into the side of the battery then lift. Take the battery out, then put to the side.

Step 2: Heating Up the Screen

This step heats up the adhesives underneath the screen which is important for prying it open later.

Grab your heat gun and put it to the lowest setting. Heat up the entire screen for 2-4 minutes but be sure not to have the heat gun too close to the screen. A good 6 inches from the screen should be okay with a heat gun. Too close and this could melt the digitizer. If you see any discoloration on your screen, turn off the heat gun right away.

Again, it’s better to use a heat gun as using a hair dryer will take significantly longer. Plus, it’s unpredictable as to when the glue will be significantly melted enough.

Step 3: Removing the Screen

Be very careful when attempting this step. The phone display is delicate remember.

Locate the border where your screen is connected to the mid-frame at either of the top corners of your S4. Grab your plastic opening tool and insert it in between. Insertion may come with a little resistance but if heated well enough, shouldn’t pose that much of an issue.

Once successfully inserted slowly and gently make your way around the screen. Once you get towards the midpoint, try lifting up the screen a little.

It’s possible the glue will dry up again and stick onto the screen again. If that’s the case, simply apply the heat gun to the screen once more for a minute or two and continue. You can also prevent the glue from drying by inserting other plastic opening tools into the border as you make your way around.

Continue making your way around and be sure to be extra careful around the home button and the capacitive touch buttons as these are sensitive to shattering.

Once you’ve made your way around, gently lift the whole screen off using the plastic opening tools to assist you.

Now that the screen’s removed, used your cleaning solution and micro cloth to wipe off any adhesives left over. Wipe both the edges and the digitizer thoroughly.

Step 4: Replacing Your Screen

It’s finally time to put in your nice and clean screen.

Grab your replacement screen and pull off the blue tape to reveal the adhesive. If your replacement screen didn’t come with adhesives, you can place 3M 2mm strips all around the edges of your S6.

Gently place the screen onto your naked phone with the adhesive facing the digitizer. Make sure you don’t contaminate the underside of the replacement screen or get any dust on it.

Apply pressure along the sides and along the center of your screen onto the digitizer. This pressure should be applied to every area of your replacement screen. Too much pressure could damage the digitizer.

Step 5: Reassembly.

You’ve now finally replaced your old screen! All that’s left now putting the parts back together.

First, insert the battery. Insert the top of the battery going in first, push, and the bottom of the battery should lock into place.

Next, the chips should be placed inside their slots just as easily as when you put them in with that same satisfying click upon insertion (obviously, the bigger SIM card goes into the bigger slot and the smaller microSD card goes into the bigger slot).

Wipe everything down afterwards.

Conclusion

What’d we tell you? Just be a little more careful next time with your screen.

But if it should ever crack again, you’ll know exactly what to do.

How to hard reset Samsung Galaxy S4

Last updated on October 2, 2018

Have you been considering giving your phone a hard reset? Many people will perform a hard reset if they are giving their phone to someone or if their phone is having issues. A lot of people will choose a hard reset as a last resort. A hard reset is not difficult to do, but it does delete everything off of your phone. Don’t worry, we are here to help you through the process. We hope that our information and step by step instructions make it as easy as possible.

What is a Hard Reset?

The easiest way to explain what a hard reset is that your phone will revert back to its factory settings. You want to back up everything on your phone before resetting your phone. A hard reset will delete all of the data and information on your phone. You will lose all of your photos, contacts, applications, and anything else that was added to the phone after you bought it.

Understand Normal vs Hard Reset First

There are two different types of resets that you can perform when your phone is having issues – a normal reset and a hard reset. While both may fix your issue, a hard reset is usually a last resort for many people.

Normal Reset

A normal reset is a great choice if your phone is just running slow or having issues responding within apps. This type of reset doesn’t delete any of your apps or personal information, instead it just clears caches out. This is a great first option if you don’t want to factory reset your phone.

Hard Reset

While we have mentioned that a hard reset deletes a lot of information from your phone, let’s get into a little more detail. Before you even want to perform a hard reset, you need to backup all of your content onto your Google account. You should backup any photos, videos, ringtones, images, and passwords that you can. It is also a good idea to link any apps to Facebook or Google if possible. If you can’t, make sure you remember all of your passwords.

If you do not backup all of your information and data, it may be lost forever. Since you are completely resetting the phone, there will be no way to retrieve the information. You may even want to try and login to certain websites from another source to ensure you know the password for that site. No one wants to lose photos of their loved ones, or other important information they may have on their phones. Especially since a lot of people have almost their whole life within their phone these days.

How to Perform a Hard Reset of Samsung Galaxy S4

Once you have backed up all of your data and information, you’re ready to hard reset your phone in just a few easy steps. There are two different types of resets, you can either do it by using keys on your phone, or from your settings menu. If you still can access everything on your phone, it may be easier to reset your phone through the settings. If there isn’t a way for you to get to the settings menu, you’ll have to use your keys on your phone.

Using Keys

To use the keys on your phone, you will first need to turn the phone off completely. Next, you will need to hold in the home button, volume up button, and the power key all at the same time. When your phone starts to vibrate, only let go of the power key, and hold on to the other two keys still. You can release the volume up and home buttons once the system recovery shows on screen.

Next, use the volume down button to select the option to factory reset, may also say wipe data. Then, simply hit the power button to select the option. Use the volume down key again to choose delete all user data. Use the power button again to select this option. Your phone will automatically begin to hard reset. Once it has completely reset itself, it will say reboot system now, press the power button and your phone will restart. That is all that it will take for you to hard reset your phone using the keys on your phone. It will take around 5 minutes, and just a few simple steps.

Settings Menu

First, you will need to be on your home screen, then you can select menu. Once the menu is pulled up, choose settings, then select accounts. Backup and reset will be one of the options that you can choose, choose that one. If you choose to reset your phone this way, go on your Google account and ensure that everything is backed up. If you are planning on using the same phone once it’s reset, you can choose automatic restore. This will restore all of your data once it’s done resetting. You also have the option to choose backup my data, which should backup all of your information for you. Next, tap on the factory data reset option. And then you will need to choose reset device. If you have a password or PIN to unlock your phone, you’ll need to enter it before choosing continue. Last step is to choose delete all. After you have done these steps, your phone will restart and will be back at the factory settings.

Conclusion

Whether you want to hard reset your phone due to hardware issues or because you are giving the phone to someone else, we hope our information has helped you. As you can see, it is not hard to reset your phone. Just be sure that a hard reset is what you actually need done. Most of the time, a normal reset will suffice if you are having issues with your phone. And most importantly, make sure any data and information you need is properly backed up on to your Google account.

How To Unlock Locked iPhone iCloud Account?

Last updated on September 14, 2018

Updated: Sept 14, 2018. This method still works for all iPhones and iPads.

SUMMARY: Do you have your iCloud locked? If your iPhone has an iCloud lock on it, it means that regardless of how much you paid for your second-hand phone, the previous owner can still block you from using it. They can do this by keeping the device locked to their iCloud account and not allowing you to log into the phone.

The only way around this is to get an iCloud account unlocked. It frees your phone from the previous owner’s account and allows you to setup your account on that phone, meaning you can start making calls, sending messages, and using apps.

Of the 9 iCloud activation unlock services we found and 3 we tested, the fastest, cheapest, and best supported provider is CellUnlocker. They unlocked all 6 accounts we sent them, for the least money, and did it in the fastest time.

Recommended Unlocking Service

CellUnlocker is quick, convenient, cheap and safe. It doesn’t get any better than that right? Unlock your iCloud account with CellUnlocker.

At the start of 2014, Apple added a quirk to iOS7 that changed the way that iPhone accounts were made available. It was a little thing called iCloud Activation Lock. The change made to iOS 7 (and carried through to iOS10 and iOS11) is that your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch is now locked to your personal iCloud account.

This means when you restart your Apple device you have to enter your iCloud username and password to access the features, functions, and files.

This isn’t a big problem when you’re just using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, but when you buy a second-hand device from StarGazer77 on eBay, and he doesn’t either remove his iCloud details or give you his access details, the phone is useless. Literally, useless.

It doesn’t matter if you reset it, jailbreak it, allow the battery to run completely flat, or pay someone to hack into it, you couldn’t use the phone. That means your $400 is down the drain, and you’re left with most expensive paperweight you’ve ever purchased.

In response to the massive demand that suddenly sprung up from disgruntled consumers who’d legitimately bought an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and couldn’t use it, clever providers started investigating ways to bypass this barrier.

There were a lot of false starts and loopholes closed by Apple, but eventually, a fool-proof loophole emerged. And now, you can get the iCloud activation lock removed and use the iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch you paid your hard earned money for.

Choosing the right iCloud Unlock Provider

With all the providers flooding the market, it became difficult to tell who could legitimately unlock your iCloud account and who was just a scam shopfront setup to rip you off.

After being scammed three times by ‘Official’ unlock solutions, I decided to test and review them to find out who was the most reliable.

Click here to skip testing methodology and go straight to the reviews

Why I’m qualified to tell you this

There are no degrees available in iCloud unlocking so there are no technical qualifications I could hold to make me more qualified than the next guy to tell you about iCloud unlock, but there is one thing that makes me more of an expert than anyone else: testing.

I’ve reviewed 9 providers and tested 3 providers on all active iPhone models. And the simple fact that I’ve actually tested these providers with all models makes me the expert in the space.

There are other reviews available but most of them have never reviewed even one carrier, let alone reviewed all nine. That’s why I’m qualified to tell you this.

It’s easy. The steps to unlock with a service.

Step 1 – Visit the one of the recommended services we review found below in this article

Step 2 – Enter your IMEI or Serial Number of your phone or device

If your iPhone is active: Dial *#06# to get your IMEI or go to Settings -> General -> About -> then Scroll down to find the IMEI number
If your device is not active: Located on the activation screen, there will be a little “i” icon on the screen. Tap to that button and you will get your IMEI number

Step 3 – Wait for confirmation that your iCloud Lock has been unlocked!

Step 4 – Now create a new account and start using your device

This service works on all iPhone 7, 7 plus, 6, 6 plus, 5S, 5C, 5, 4S, 4 and iPad 4, 3, 2 Air 2.

Test Methodology For Having iCloud Locked

The way I conducted these tests was simple. First of all, I Googled iCloud unlock providers and drew up a list of everyone I could find. After removing services that didn’t look like they were still active, I was left with nine services.

The next step in the process was to cull that list down from nine operators to my top three. I wanted my test of each operator to be comprehensive and complete and it wasn’t possible to rigorously test all 9 operators. To do this, I jumped onto review websites such as TrustPilot, RipoffReport, and TrustmarkReviews to weed out any obviously dodgy operators.

I read the reviews and tallied up the average score of each service provider giving me an average score for each. I cut the lowest scoring six services and was left with three to test.

To make sure I had enough devices to thoroughly test each provider, I put the call out to all my readers to get iPhones that need unlocking. I wanted to get people in a variety of countries and using a variety of models.

Of the 73 who responded, I chose 18 to test (6 for each provider):

1 x iPhone 4
1 x iPhone 4s
2 x iPhone 5
2 x iPhone 5c
3 x iPhone 5s
2 x iPhone 6
2 x iPhone 6 Plus
3 x iPhone 6s
1 x iPhone 6s Plus
1 x iPhone SE

The chosen applicants then sent me their IMEI codes and I placed the orders.

Testing Criteria

The iCloud providers were judged based on 4 criteria:

Criteria 1: Price

Price range varied greatly between providers. Some were as little as $15 whilst others were as much as $149. There are very few people on this earth who can purchase services without being price conscious so this is where we started our assessment.

Criteria 2: Customer service

Handing over your device details and a chunk of cash to an unknown website to perform a service you know very little about can be a little nerve-wracking, but having a supportive and understanding person on the other end of the customer support line can help calm those nerves.

We tested each service provider three times during the course of the unlocking process:

Before the purchase
After the purchase but before the unlock was complete
After the unlock was complete

This was to get a comprehensive understanding of who was really there to help and who was there just to take your money.

Criteria 3: Success

What the point in great prices and caring customer support if they can deliver on what they promised? Because of this, the third criteria is: success. It’s a simple pass/fail criteria. If the iCloud account was unlocked, it was a success. If not, then no.

Criteria 4: Speed

Getting your iCloud account unlocked is great, but waiting can be frustrating. To compare apples to apples, we didn’t assess the sites on how long they said it would take to free the iCloud account, just how long it actually took to unlock them.

After processing all of this data, we can confidently say that the following three providers are the best.

The Top 3 iCloud Unlock Providers

As with anything in life, not all iCloud activation unlock providers are the same. Some have low prices but no customer support. Some will answer your email within five minutes, but take four weeks to unlock your iPhone.

After assessing 9 providers and testing 3, these are the top three providers:

1. CellUnlocker – 9.5/10 (Best iCloud Unlock Provider)

CellUnlocker is my number 1 choice for iCloud unlocks. We’ve tested them based on the above four criteria and they came out top in all four.

PROs: First of all, they unlocked every device we sent them. They were assigned an iPhone 4s, 5, 5s, 5c, 6, and 6s to unlock and completed every single one of them (the only one to do so). That’s always a good place to start.

Secondly, they unlocked them all quickly. The total time for completing all six iPhones was only a TOTAL of 8 days. This is the breakdown:

iPhone 4s – 1 day
iPhone 5 – 2 days
iPhone 5s – 1 day
iPhone 5c – 1 day
iPhone 6 – 2 days
iPhone 6s – 2 days

When you consider that most iCloud unlock providers take at least a week, this is stellar.

Thirdly, their customer support rocks. I contacted them before, during, and after the service was completed and the most I ever had to wait to hear back was forty-five minutes.And even better than that, when I did contact them, they were polite, helpful, and answered my questions completely.

And finally, they’re the cheapest of the bunch. They might only be $1 cheaper than our #2 recommendation, but we live in a world where every dollar counts and it’s better to have it in your pocket than someone else’s!

CONs: Unfortunately, there’s nothing really to write here. I try to make my reviews as unbiased and even-handed as possible and I don’t have anything to add right now. Could their customer support have responded in less than 45 minutes? Sure, they could have, but it wouldn’t have made that much difference. Could they have unlocked all the iCloud accounts in less time? Possibly, but it wouldn’t have made that much difference.

Without nit-picking for the sake of it, there’s nothing to really add here.

OVERALL: CellUnlocker was the only provider to unlock all 6 accounts and because of that, they’re my #1 choice. And if that wasn’t enough, they have great customer service, the cheapest prices (even if it’s only by $1), and they’re the fastest of the group.

If you’re iPhone is locked to an iCloud account and you need to get it unlocked, you need to use CellUnlocker.

2. Official iPhone Unlock – 7.5/10 (Use if CellUnlocker isn’t working)

Official iPhone Unlock is my second choice. Not because they’re a terrible provider, but simply because they’re not as good as CellUnlocker.

PROs: Official iPhone Unlock mostly do what they say they’re going to do. I purchased 6 iCloud unlocks and they managed to unlock 5 of them. 5 out of 6 isn’t bad when you consider that most providers have less than a 50% success rate, but it’s still not 6 out of 6.

The total time it took to unlock the iCloud accounts was longer than advertised (12 days total), but they still delivered. Here’s a breakdown of how long it took to unlock each iCloud account.

iPhone 4 – 3 day
iPhone 5c – 4 days
iPhone 6 Plus – 1 day
iPhone 6s – 3 days
iPhone 6s Plus – 3 days
iPhone SE – Could not unlock

Their customer support is efficient and will answer your questions, but it might take a few days. And as I said above, they’re only $1 more expensive than iPhoneIMEI.

CONs: Firstly, they failed to unlock 1 iCloud account. Yes, they gave us a refund straight away, but they still failed to deliver.

Secondly, their unlock times are a slower as well. CellUnlocker was unlocking iCloud accounts in 1-2 days, these guys are more like 3-4 days. It’s not a HUGE issue, but it’s still twice as long to wait without a phone you’ve already paid for.

And finally, whilst their customer support responded in a few days, their responses were always curt and specific. There was nothing in the email other than the only information they needed to answer the question. Whilst they technically did their job, it was very cold and clinical.

OVERALL: Official iPhone Unlock are a solid provider and there’s a better-than-average chance your iCloud account will be unlocked, but why take the risk when CellUnlocker are more reliable and cheaper?

You can check out their website here: Official iPhone Unlock

3. IMEI Codes – 5.5/10 (Not recommended)

****NOTE: IMEICodes no longer offer iCloud Unlock********

IMEICodes were my third choice, but now no longer do iCloud unlocks. That is, of course, insinuating they were able to unlock iCloud accounts before.

Yes, they advertised they were able to unlock iCloud accounts and were happy to take my money to do so, but in the end, were only able to unlock 2 out of the 6 iCloud accounts I paid for.

Sure, they refunded my money and apologised claiming that 50% was the industry average, but it still took over 2 weeks to get a refund.

If they were still able to unlock iCloud accounts, I would say “Use them only as a last resort”, but I don’t need to now they’ve acknowledged that it’s not their bag.

If iPhone IMEI aren’t available and you need an iCloud unlock, you can check out IMEICodes here.

In Conclusion

Having an iPhone locked to someone else’s iCloud account sucks. They can effectively hold you ransom and make you pay whatever they wanted to get access to the phone you’ve already paid for. And nobody wants that. If you have your icloud locked, there are many available services and you can beat their scams without having to pay them a cent.

Of the 9 iCloud unlock providers we found and the 3 we tested, the winner was clear: CellUnlocker.

They’re the fastest, cheapest, have the more responsive customer support, and were the only provider who successfully completed all 6 iCloud unlocks we sent them.

If you need an iCloud Unlock for your iPhone, visit CellUnlocker today.

Related articles on Why The Lucky Stiff:

How To Unlock iPhone 4 & 4S? – Best Unlocking Guide

Last updated on August 10, 2018

Hey!

Thousands of people have unlocked their iPhone 4 / 4s in the past year and I want to share with you the most reliable iPhone 4 unlocking services so you too can experience the benefits of this.

Unlocking will allow you to use your iPhone 4 / 4s abroad or to get a cheaper deal with a different network at home. In fact, it can be completed with one of the working unlocking services below in a very short spacer of time and for a reasonable price as well.

Before I go into detail about the best services to use I must warn you about two things first – software unlocking and also hardware unlocking.

Get Your iPhone 4 Unlocked – Avoid Software Unlocking for iPhone 4 Because It Is a Scam

You will have probably seen software advertised that says it can unlock the iPhone 4. There are many available but none of them work. They are simply designed to get your money. Some of them are really well designed so that you certainly look legit and like they will unlock the device for you however you will end up disappointed. I certainly did and I know now never to trust a software unlock again.

How To Unlock an iPhone 4 Without Passcode – I don’t Recommend Hardware Unlocking Either

The difference with hardware unlocking is that it actually does work. The problem is that it takes a long time to complete and this is why I don’t really recommend it.

You need to order in a SIM card tray from China to complete this process and as you know delivery isn’t cheap nor is it quick.

Doing this will also void your warranty. So say you messed up the installation of the SIM card tray. Well tough luck because no-one at Apple will be willing to help you.

How To Unlock iPhone 4 – IMEI or Network Unlocking Is The Best Method To Use

My advice which I am giving you from my experiences of iPhone 4 / 4s unlocking is the IMEI unlocking is the best way in which to unlock your iPhone. This method takes the code that is unique to your iPhone device (IMEI code) and adds it to Apple’s own database of unlocked iPhone’s. So it won’t interfere with your warranty or anything like that.

You will also receive a nice email within a day confirming that your iPhone 4 / 4s has been unlocked and that you can now use it on another network. There is little effort involved on your end with this method and this is why it is the best one to use.

Now I want to tell you all about the different unlocking services that will carry this process out on your iPhone 4 / 4s. They are in order of preference with my favorite first.

1. iUnlock Pro – No-one can compete with this service for iPhone 4 unlocking

I will say straight off the bat that iUnlock Pro is the best service that I have ever used to unlock the iPhone 4, 4s. It is hard to even come close to these guys with their expertise.

I first used them to unlock my iPhone 4 a few months ago. The result was that I had an unlocked device in about 12 hours which is a really quick time frame considering what is involved on their end to get the job done. Their customer support was fantastic as well and iUnlock Pro answered all my questions no matter how silly they seemed.

If you want a quick and reliable iPhone 4 unlock then it is really hard to see past these guys for doing this. I would recommend that you check out their website for more information but I can guarantee that they are the real deal.

2. Apple Unlocker For Unlocking iPhone 4 / 4s

When compared to iUnlock Pro this service can’t really compete however no-one can. Basically they offer a working way in which to unlock iPhone 4, 4s but they do have their downfalls.

For some reason they don’t offer many of the major payment methods you would expect from a service like this and their website isn’t the easiest to find your way about. In fact it can be straight up confusing at times but once you work around that you can get your unlock but not as quickly as iUnlock Pro.

I would say that Apple Unlocker are the second best service on the market at the minute however make sure that you check out iUnlock Pro first before you visit their website for an iPhone 4 unlock.

3. IMEI Codes

Finally we come to IMEI codes. Another back up to iUnlock Pro and like Apple Unlocker it has its downsides but will still provide as working IMEI unlock for the iPhone 4 / 4s..

Their problem is that their customer support team take an age to get back to you. I only had some really basic questions to ask them but it seemed to take forever to get a response which is a big problem for an impatient guy like me. iUnlock Pro got back to me in less than an hour.

I would say use them if the others aren’t available and their website is here but always opt for iUnlock Pro first.

I hope this wasn’t too long for you but I wanted to give you guys an overview of what I think are the best iPhone 4 unlocking methods. Here are some things to remember:

Don’t try software unlocks because they don’t work.
Avoid hardware unlocking due to the warranty issues.
Network unlocking is the recommend route to take.
Out of all the methods I have mentioned, iUnlock Pro is the safest.

Cheers for reading. If you unlock iPhone 4 / 4s then you will be able to use your iPhone in situations you never would have thought possible before – in another country for example.

Just get in touch if you have any questions.

My iPhone Won’t Turn On! – Don’t Panic. Let’s Save It!

Last updated on August 8, 2018

It can be frustrating when you try to use your phone and all you get is a black screen. Phones have come a long way from being just a simple flip phone. Unfortunately, technology still has its limitation.

You might not always be able to fix the issue on your own, but there are a few tips to try before taking it to a professional.

My iPhone Won’t Turn On – Reset Your Phone

This may seem pretty silly, but your phone can sometimes overheat. Also, it just may need a moment to be turned off. When you constantly have your phone turned on and never give it a break, it could start to lag or have issues.

You can easily restart your phone by pressing the power button.

Once you press and hold the button, the option to power off your screen will pop up. Then, just slide your finger over and your phone will turn off.

Leave your phone off for a few minutes and then turn it back on. If your phone turns on when you first try the power button, that might have been your issue. Your phone may have crashed and turned itself off.

iPhone Screen Went Black – Charge Your Phone

This may seem like another easy tip, but a phone’s battery can sometimes drain quickly. Running apps in the background of your phone typically is a battery drainer. Plug your phone into the charger and leave it for about 15-20 minutes.

Some iPhones will turn on automatically once they start charging. You may need to turn your phone on by using the power button though, depending on which iPhone you have.

When you plug your phone in, a small icon should show up on the bottom of your phone by the charging port. If the icon is not there or your phone doesn’t turn on once plugged in, you may need to try a different charger.

Try different charging cords and wall ports as well, or try a different wall outlet. If no charger is working, you may need to take it to a phone tech. Also, if no chargers are working, try to charge another iPhone with your charger.

If that phone works while yours doesn’t, that means your phone is having issues. There is some talk about some iPhones charging while hooked up to a computer but not when they are plugged into a wall. If you’re desperate and have a computer, also try this as well.

Factory Reset If iPhone Will Not Turn On

If you’ve tried multiple methods and nothing works, you may need to factory reset your phone. In order to do this, connect your iPhone to a laptop or desktop computer.

The computer needs to have an updated version of iTunes on it though. You’ll also want to save everything from your phone onto the computer. A factory reset will delete any and all data you currently have on your phone. If you don’t download your content onto the computer, you may lose it all.

If the computer doesn’t recognize that your phone is plugged in, do a hard reset while it is plugged in. If you do a hard reset and iTunes tells you there is an error, it’ll tell you to restore your phone. Follow the prompts on iTunes and make sure you save your data.

If a hard reset doesn’t work, there’s a good chance that all your content is gone. Unless you have all your recent data and info backed up on the Cloud, there might be no easy way to restore everything on your phone.

iPhone Doesn’t Turn On – Hard Reset

As stated above, a factory reset can sometimes help your phone. A hard reset does a little more than just restarting your phone though – it will clear a little bit more memory on your phone. Don’t worry, it doesn’t erase any data that is on your device.

To do a hard reset, press and hold the home button and power button simultaneously for at least 10 seconds. If you have the iPhone 7, hold the volume down button and the power button simultaneously.

Once the white apple logo appears on your screen, let the buttons go and the phone should turn on. Then, just give your phone a few minutes to reboot itself.

Check for Damage

One reason why your phone doesn’t turn on may be because it has sustained some damage. While some iPhones are very tough and water resistant, others have had bad luck with durability.

You could drop your phone in water today and problems might not arise until a few days later. Check for any cracks or physical as well as water damage. You may have unknowingly spilled liquid near the charging port and that can cause issues.

My iPhone Wont Turn On at All – Restore iOS

Lastly, you may need to restore your iOS operating system. This may sound difficult, but it is actually fairly easy to do. The best way to know if you need to do this is to look at your screen.

If the iTunes logo shows on your screen with the charging logo when you try to turn your phone on, that means it is time to restore iOS. This needs to be done because the operating system has frozen.

To perform this restoration, you’ll need to plug your phone into a computer that has iTunes downloaded onto it. When you plug the USB into the computer, hold down the home button on your phone at the same time.

A message telling you to connect to iTunes will show up on your screen when you hold the home button down. Your phone should then go into recovery mode on its own.

Restoring the operating system will be another way of losing all the data on your phone. Because of that, it’s always a good idea to back up everything onto the Cloud.

Conclusion

There are many ways you can try to fix the issue that your iPhone is having. Definitely try the above tips, but if they do not work, take your phone to an Apple store. Other than that, try taking your phone to your mobile carrier as well.

Why iPad Won’t Charge When Plugged In? – We Show You Reasons & Best Solutions!

Last updated on August 8, 2018

We’ve all experienced the panic when our devices stop charging all of a sudden. It is worrisome, since we usually have no idea why this is happening. Turns out, there are many things that can affect an iPad’s ability to charge.

This article will detail some things to check and look out for so that you can figure out why your iPad isn’t charging.

Why Is My iPad Not Charging?

There are many reasons why your iPad may not be charging. It could be a problem in any of the four components of the iPad, including the software, the charger, the cable and the charging port.

To figure out what’s wrong with your iPad, you will need to check for each of these possibilities before you can accurately deduce the cause.

Is Your Charger Working?

The charger that you are using for your iPad may be the problem. If your power from your charger is fluctuating, your iPad’s software will detect it and stop charging. This is because the software identifies the power fluctuations as a safety risk.

Hence, it will stop your device from charging to prevent any possible damage. You can see if any charging is happening by checking if there’s a lightning bolt on the battery meter.

This is why you should try charging your iPad with multiple different chargers before you rule the charger out. This includes trying all the USB ports on your laptop as well as the original iPad wall charger that came with your purchase.

If you find that your device is chargeable with some chargers and not some others, it means that your iPad is not the problem but the charger that you’re using.

If your iPad refuses to charge with all kinds of chargers, it means that the problem lies elsewhere and requires more troubleshooting.

iPad Says Not Charging – Are You Using the Correct Charger?

If you accidentally grabbed your iPhone’s adapter instead, you might simply be seeing a really slow charging process. An iPhone’s adapter uses much less power (half or more) than the iPad adapter, which will charge your gadget but immensely slow.

Just be sure to check for this in order to rule this out as another possible cause.

My iPad won’t Charge – Check Your Charging Cable

If you have ruled out the charger itself, you might need to check your lightning cable instead. You should check for any fraying or discoloration on the Lightning connector or the wire itself. If you see any of these signs, it may be time to get a new Lightning cable.

To check if the Lightning cable is truly the issue, try charging your iPad with another cable. If you do not have a spare cable, you can borrow one from a friend or simply purchase a new one to test it out.

Once again, if your iPad is still not charging after trying this, it means that your charging cable is not the problem and something else is.

Is Your Cable MFi-Certified?

Piggy-backing off the previous point, you should make sure that your Lightning cables are MFi-certified. When you get cables at your local convenience store or gas station, you usually find non-MFi-certified cables, which are usually of lower quality.

These cables usually overheat and this can end up damaging the internal components of your iPad.

Usually, you can easily find out if your cables are MFi-certified or damaged, since your iPhone, iPad and/or iPod will send a message that says “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” after you plug the cable in.

This is why you shouldn’t risk it – always use MFi-certified cables when you charge your Apple device.

Why Does My iPad Say Not Charging – You Might Need to Clean Your iPad’s Charging Port

After you’ve tried the above two points, you should now take a look inside your iPad’s charging port. Simply use a flashlight to closely inspect the charging port. You should be on the lookout for any dirt, gunk, debris, or lint that may be stopping your Lightning cable from making a clean connection with your iPad’s charging port.

There are eight small pins inside the charging port, which are the points that make a connection with your Lightning cable. As long as one pin is obstructed by debris, your Lightning cable will not be able to connect with your iPad’s charging port.

Even if you don’t see much debris, you are still advised to try cleaning the charging port. It is possible for tiny specks of dusts to obstruct the pins and cause a charging problem.

How To Fix iPad Not Charging

If none of the above-mentioned components are the causes, it is likely that your iPad’s software is causing issues. Here are some ways you can try to troubleshoot the problem:

If iPad Shows Not Charging Try Restoring a Backup from Your iCloud/iTunes

While this is rather uncommon, a software glitch from an Apple update could be affecting your iPad’s charging capabilities. To check for this possibility, try restoring an old backup that you made.

Be sure to use a backup that was made during the time when your iPad had no charging problems. Otherwise, the software glitch could still be present and nothing would change. However, if a restore did not work, it would mean that a software glitch is not the cause.

Give Your Device a Break

When your iPad is not charging, Apple recommends that you unplug the device from all power sources and wait for 30 minutes before you try to charge it again. If this break doesn’t work, try turning your iPad on and off.

Try a Hard Reset If iPad Is Not Charging

After trying all other possible fixes, try a hard reset to solve your iPad’s charging problems. This should be your last resort after trying everything else. A hard reset is the ultimate solution to any software-related problem.

This will delete all of your applications, personal data and a lot more from your iPad. It basically resets your entire iPad to its factory settings. To perform the hard reset, go to your Settings, then General. After, go to Reset and choose “Erase All Contents and Settings.”

You can also press both the power button and home button while your iPad is turned off to perform a hard reset.

Find Help at Your Local Apple Store

If worse comes to worse, you may have to travel to an Apple store to get help from a representative. They will make you repeat several of the steps above, but they will ultimately help you with a diagnosis.

If you are still covered by warranty, you should be able to get this fixed for almost nothing. But if you are not, you may have to pay quite a bit of money for this repair. Either way, if you need it fixed and Apple is the only one who can do it, you may just have to do so.

If not, you could upgrade your iPad to the latest model if getting a new one is a better investment than a repair.

Conclusion

By checking the above tips, hopefully your iPad is able to charge again. Just remember that if you cannot fix your iPad by yourself, you might have to consult Apple to fix it for you. However, if the iPad is old or irreparable, you may want to consider a new model.

How to Tell If iPhone Is Unlocked – Check Do You Know These Secrets?

Last updated on August 8, 2018

Whether you’re buying a new or pre-owned iPhone, it’s a good idea to take a look at whether it’s locked or unlocked. This can have a big impact on what mobile carrier you’re able to connect with as well as the price you pay for your new phone.

You can’t tell just by looking whether your phone is unlocked though, which is why we’re here to help you check on the status of your iPhone before you buy it.

What is an Unlocked iPhone?

The lock is essentially a software code that’s put on the iPhone by the manufacturer to meet operator requirements, attaching the iPhone to a carrier. This means that an unlocked iPhone is a phone that isn’t limited to a particular carrier.

You can switch your phone from one network to another and it will still work just fine. Usually, iPhones bought directly from Apple will be unlocked.

If you buy your phone used or from a specific carrier though, the phone is generally locked until the contract is completely paid off, or until the previous owner’s contract is paid off.

Since iPhones are not branded by specific mobile carriers, you can’t determine the carrier just by looking. You’ll have to check whether the iPhone is locked or not if you’re buying and would like to switch your carrier.

How To Check If iPhone is Unlocked

Unlocking your phone is important if you’d like to change carriers, which is why many people like to perform this check on the iPhone before they buy one.

You have a few different methods you can choose from to perform this check, the simplest one being the SIM card check.

Is My iPhone Unlocked – SIM Card Check

All you have to do is take out your iPhone’s SIM card and put one in for a different carrier. Make a phone call using that SIM card and see if it connects. If the phone call doesn’t connect, then the iPhone is locked.

You can try this method easily if you have a friend using a different carrier for their phone, although not everyone has a SIM card readily available to them.

You might be able to walk into a store for a different carrier and ask to borrow a SIM card though.

This might not work for all other carriers, but some are very accommodating and will simply hand you a SIM card for a few moments. It should only take a few seconds to have your answer.

How to Know if iPhone Is Unlocked – Check Settings App

Head on over to your Settings app and tap into the Mobile Data and Mobile Data Options. Check to see your Mobile Data Network – if you see the option for your network, this means that your phone is unlocked.

If you do not see the option, it won’t appear on locked iPhones. This isn’t completely effective though and should be double-checked.

Call Your Carrier

This solution is a bit more difficult and may not always work, since carriers do not always tell you whether the phone is locked or unlocked over the phone. However, it’s the surest way for you to know the status of your device.

Keep in mind that this method takes some time, since you have to wait for the carrier to get back to you. You may have to spend time on the phone with customer service, but you will know for sure.

Find Your IMEI Number

You can actually use a couple online tools to check if your phone is locked using its IMEI number. This is the serial number of your iPhone that communicates with Apple servers and provides all the information you need about your Apple device.

You’ll have to pay about three dollars to perform the check, but a few tools are free after you locate your IMEI number. You can find your IMEI number using a few methods. First, you can take a look at the back of your iPhone to see if it’s there, or head on into Settings then to About.

You can also find the IMEI number by connecting your phone to your computer and launching iTunes. Just go to Device Summary and click on the phone number.

You also have the option of checking your device’s original packaging and barcode, or even looking at the SIM card tray in some cases.

How To Know If Your iPhone Is Unlocked – Online Tools

Once you have that IMEI, your checker will let you know whether your phone is locked or unlocked. However, it will not unlock your iPhone for you. Regardless of what checker you use, make sure it has GSX access, which connects right to Apple.

This will provide you with the most up-to-date information about your iPhone. You can find this out by looking at the website you’ve chosen to see if there is a GSX report in the “Next Tether Policy” value.

After you’re sure of your website, input the number, prove you’re not a robot with the captcha and take a look at the information given to you by the website. Then, look for the Lock Status to see if you’re locked or unlocked.

Word of Caution

If you’re buying a used iPhone from someone, of course you’ll want to know whether it’s locked or not. However, also check to be sure that it’s not on the GSM blacklist. This is a list of stolen phones that can be identified by their IMEI numbers. You can check this with IMEI checkers or by contacting any wireless carrier. Once you’re sure of your phone’s status, contact a mobile carrier if you’d like help getting it unlocked.

Conclusion

Technology can seem daunting at times, but knowing whether your iPhone is locked or or not doesn’t have to be complicated. Perform a couple of these checks to see if your phone is unlocked and whether you can use it on another mobile carrier.

Even though you can’t tell your phone’s status just by looking at it, our tips make it easy to purchase your phone with peace of mind.

Best Antivirus for Windows 10

Last updated on July 13, 2018

Summary: It’s no secret that cyber security should be a huge concern for everyone in 2018. Hackers and scam-artists are constantly trying to find new ways to break into your computer, steal your money, login details, and even your identity.

One of the best ways to protect yourself and your loved ones is with top-level antivirus software. It will find and destroy malicious software before it has a chance to threaten your safety and security.

So what’s the best antivirus software for windows 10? I’ve tested and reviewed the top-performing softwares and the best one for Windows 10 is Avast Antivirus.

It’s easy to use, reasonably priced, picks up all known viruses and allows you to protect multiple devices with your subscription.

To protect your Windows 10 computer with Avast Antivirus, click here now.

Why is An Antivirus for Windows 10 So Important?

Even though your Windows 10 computer came preloaded with antivirus software, known as Windows Defender, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your computer is truly protected.

Windows Defender only updates itself whenever you perform Windows updates, which, for most people, doesn’t happen that often.

That means your antivirus could be 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, or even longer out of date and no longer protecting your computer against most recent viruses.

If you store sensitive information on your computer, enter your passwords on websites, or use your credit card to shop online, you could be at risk for having your private information stolen.

Viruses have different goals, but most of them are designed solely to intercept the sensitive information you’re sending and receiving while you are connected to the internet.

If you rely entirely on Windows Defender to protect you, you could find yourself dealing with identity theft, having your accounts stolen, and your computer being used as a tool for hackers.

A quality antivirus is going to help protect you against these threats and update itself automatically to ensure that you’re protected against the latest viruses.

It will encrypt the sensitive information that’s being stored on your computer so that you can still access it, but hackers are going to be unable to decipher the information to use it for their own benefit.

It will also ensure that you’re not downloading potential viruses by scanning the files as you download them, and routinely scan your computer to look for potentially harmful software.

The best way to ensure that your Windows 10 computer is protected is to install a separate antivirus and firewall software that works alongside Windows Defender and Windows Firewall.

You can learn which antivirus software I recommend now by clicking here.

Antivirus Software Testing Methodology

My review process moved forward by testing how effective each service’s software is at identifying potential threats by using the Anti-Malware Testfile.

The Anti-Malware Testfile has been created by the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research and the Computer Antivirus Research Organization.

To learn how the Anti-Malware Testfile works to simulate real threats to a computer’s security, click here to read an academic paper created for it.

The Testfile is currently the only way to measure the ability of antivirus software to detect threats because the tools that were once developed by Spy Car are no longer being supported.

How I Judged Their Performance

Criteria #1: Is It Easy to Use?

Some antivirus services give you software that’s difficult to install, has too many confusing options, and makes your computer harder to use.

I have tested each service to ensure the software you’ll be downloading and installing is intuitive to use and configure, and doesn’t interrupt your normal computer use.

Criteria #2: Do They Offer a Refund Policy?

There could be times that you install the antivirus software only to find out that it is incompatible with other software you’re using, or creates false warnings and blocks you from accessing programs.

To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, and that you’re protected if it does, I’ve eliminated any service that does not offer a refund policy or a money-back guarantee.

Criteria #3: Can You Protect Multiple Devices?

Many antivirus services will allow you to protect every machine that you own, which is great when you have more than one computer that you want to install the software on.

However, some services sell their software as a “one machine only” license, which means you’ll have to purchase a separate license for each computer you own.

To ensure you’re not spending more money than you need to, I have ranked services that require you to purchase multiple licenses lower than those that allow you to protect every machine you own.

Criteria #4: Does It Slow Down your Machine?

Your antivirus software is going to be working any time you are using the computer, which can cause some computers to become slow and programs to freeze up.

I tested the software provided by each service to determine the load that it places on your computer, and how fast it operates on machines with different hardware specifications.

Any service that provides software that causes high-end machines to become slow has been eliminated, and services that cause low-end machines to become slow has been ranked lower.

Criteria #5: Does It Create False Warnings?

The software provided by many antivirus services is, what I consider, overly sensitive, and gives off false warnings for programs and websites that it shouldn’t.

These false warnings can confuse some people, making them believe that they have a virus or that one of their favorite websites is deemed to be a threat.

I tested each service’s software to ensure that it does not provide unnecessary false warnings, and that it isn’t overly sensitive, calling out threats that do not really exist.

Criteria #6: Does It Protect Against 0-Day Attacks?

The purpose of your antivirus software is to protect your computer from all threats, even those that are brand new and never seen before.

I want to ensure that your antivirus software protects you from threats that are custom coded, and those threats that the antivirus service may not have experience with.

To ensure your antivirus software keeps you protected, I made sure each service I recommend updates regularly, and checks for new viruses in their database on a regular basis.

Best Antivirus Windows 10 in 2018

If you can’t tell by now, there is a lot that goes into testing each of the different antivirus services that are available. It’s a process that I didn’t take lightly.

After extensive testing and working through each of the different services, I have found that two services performed better than the rest and made their way to the top of my list.

Each of the three companies that I’ve found to provide acceptable levels of service and protection are listed below.

#1 – Avast Security – 9.4 / 10 – Voted Best Antivirus for Windows 10 in 2017

Avast Security is one of those services that thoroughly impressed us during testing, and easily secure the top spot in my list of recommendations.

PROs

The antivirus software that’s supplied with your license is easy to use, install, and configure, and hides away in the background making it nearly invisible, until you need it.

When you subscribe to Avast’s service, you subscribe with your email address, which makes it possible for you to protect multiple devices by reusing the same email every time you install a copy.

During testing, I did not notice the software slowing down my machine, even while installing new software and testing installation of well-known viruses.

While using their software, I visited websites that caused false warnings with other software and did not experience Avast creating those same false warnings.

Avast has a large team of developers and maintains a huge database of known viruses. They constantly update the database to reflect changes and include new zero day threats.

They do offer a 30-day refund policy, so if you have issues with their software after installing it on your machine, you can easily receive a refund on your purchase price.

CONs

The one area I saw cause for concern while testing Avast Security was their pricing structure. They are currently one of the more expensive antivirus services, but the quality does reflect the price. However, they do offer a free version with a limited protection set.

OVERALL

When you’re looking for the best antivirus software for Windows 10 computers, whether to work alongside Windows Defender, or by itself, Avast Security is the clear winner.

If you’re looking for the absolute best antivirus software for Windows 10 computers, I recommend you get Avast Antivirus by clicking here.

#2 – BullGuard Internet Security – 7.9 / 10 – Quality Antivirus if Avast Antivirus Doesn’t Work for You

If you find that Avast doesn’t work with your machine, or your experience is different from mine but still want to protect your Windows 10 PC, Bit Defender may be a suitable alternative.

PROs

BullGuard is relatively easy to use, and I had it installed in a few minutes after paying for my license. I did notice that it caused slight hiccups in my computer’s performance while it scanned, though.

I didn’t experience many false warnings while testing BullGuard. Their software works good for avoiding the false warnings and only alerting you during true threats.

The BullGuard developers maintain a large database and work on staying up-to-date with the latest threats, but I did notice updates were farther in between than updates with Avast.

You can protect multiple devices whenever you purchase BullGuard because they use the same authentication methods that Avast uses.

CONs

BullGuard does offer a refund policy and I did not find any reports of them refusing to honor the policy, so you’re protected if their software doesn’t work with your machine.

During testing, there were times that I noticed BullGuard slowing down my machine while it performed deep scans, and slight hiccups as we installed new software.

OVERALL

When it comes to protecting your computer, I’ve found that Avast is currently the best antivirus available. If their software doesn’t work for you, though, Bit Defender is a decent solution.

If you’re looking for the absolute best antivirus software for Windows 10 computers, I recommend you get Avast Antivirus by clicking here.

#3 – Kapersky – 6.7 / 10 – Poor Performing Antivirus That Lacks Proper Protection

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If you’re trying to protect your Windows 10 computer, I have found that there are better options available than what Kapersky is currently offering, such as Avast, or even Bit Defender.

PROs

The Kapserky software is a bit more clunky than Avast or Bit Defender, and took more time to install and configure on my machine, but the install process was simple to complete. They also offer a free 60 day trial.

CONs

You can protect multiple devices, but I did experience “licensing” issues from time, to time, while protecting multiple computers at the same time.

During testing, I also noticed that the Kapersky software caused significant hiccups and impacted the performance of my machine more than Bit Defender.

The false warnings flew with Kapersky, which they claim is part of the learning process the software goes through. I did not experience these issues with Avast.

The Kapersky team does manage a large database of code to help identify new viruses as their released, and I did not have issues with them identifying brand new viruses.

Kapersky does not currently offer a refund policy or money-back guarantee, but they do allow you to test their software free for 7 days without having to input your credit card information.

OVERALL

I’ve gone to great lengths to find the best antivirus software for Windows 10 computers, and have found there are better options available than Kapersky.

If you want to find out more about the Kapersky Antivirus for Windows 10 users, you can visit their site by clicking here. (50% OFF OFFER)

Conclusion

Whenever you connect your Windows 10 computer to the internet, hackers are constantly working to break into the machine and use it as a tool in their arsenal, or steal your sensitive information.

If you want to ensure your computer is protected in ways that Windows Defender and Windows Firewall cannot protect you, you need to use a quality antivirus software and service.

best antivirus software for windows 10

If you want to use the best antivirus software for Windows 10 up to this date, download and install Avast Antivirus by clicking here.

How to Unlock A Samsung Galaxy s4 In Less Than 5 Minutes

Last updated on June 10, 2018

It can be so frustrating to have a phone you like that is stuck to a network that doesn’t work for you. Or the opposite – a great network provides the coverage you need, but you can’t take your favorite phone over to them.

Luckily, we live in an age where you no longer have to be tethered to a particular service provider, even if you bought your phone from them. It is possible, and completely legal, to mix and match your device and your service provider.

This is accomplished by unlocking your phone. Doing so offers the opportunity to switch between networks by inserting a new SIM card without having to get a new device. This can be a particularly useful option for people who often travel internationally, people who have moved, or those who want to modify, customize, and perfect their smartphones.

DirectUnlock has, by far, the most reliable and affordable service for an IMEI unlock on a Samsung Galaxy S4.

How Does “Carrier Lock” Work?

When someone buys a new cell phone, it is locked to a specific carrier. Manufacturers accomplish this by loading phones with carrier locks. The term “carrier lock” may sound like intimidating tech jargon, but it is a piece of code that is loaded onto a phone to ensure that it cannot be used on another operator’s network.

In other words, if you buy your device from AT&T, the carrier lock keeps your phone compatible with only the AT&T network. Almost all phones come with carrier locks, whether they are purchased from a wireless operator or a big retailer, like Amazon or Best Buy.

It doesn’t matter whether you buy the device at full price or at a lower cost. And with a two-year contract, the phone will be stuck on that network until you pay it off.

Being tied to a specific provider can be a burden for any number of reasons. If you move, travel, or wish to switch your service provider, you may find that it is difficult or almost impossible to switch between carriers without some guidance and/or a fee (especially if your contract is not up yet).

Again, the solution to this problem is releasing your smartphone from carrier restrictions. In other words, over ride that carrier lock. This enables your device to work with any service provider once you get their SIM card. This may sound like shady business, but rest assured, it is completely legal and quite easy to unlock your smartphone.

If you are using a reliable and trustworthy service, it does not require you to have any advanced technical knowledge.

If liberating your device sounds like an enticing option, your next step is to do some research on how to accomplish this task. You will find that there are several different methods you can use to do this. Some are more effective and safer than others.

Let’s take a quick look at the three main ways you can unlock a smartphone, and the pros and cons of each.

The Secret Methods to Unlocking a Samsung Galaxy s4

I became knowledgeable about the topic of unlocking phones out of necessity. Last year, I got a job as a consultant for a large company. I knew a large part of my job was going to consist of traveling back and forth between my home base in the U.S. and clients’ offices throughout Europe.

I feared that using my device while traveling would end up costing a lot of money, and within a few weeks those fears were confirmed!

I found that I was incurring large fees while traveling internationally, and that the coverage was often spotty when I needed it most. I considered the possibility of juggling multiple phones and sim cards, but I found that prospect to be too overwhelming and cumbersome in the midst of work and travel.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S4, so my research focused on this specific model. The general principles are true for the majority of smartphones, but you may need to do further research if you have a different model.

When I began my research, I had heard of freeing up devices before but was otherwise new to the whole process.

I didn’t know where to start.

So I spoke to tech savvy friends, multiple company representatives, and perused countless internet forums. Through this research, I found three main ways that a customer could accomplish this.

One of which has a high rate of failure and a high probability of causing damage to the phone. The other two methods are safe, quick, and dependable.

Least Successful: Hardware Unlocking

Let’s start with the worst method and get it out of the way. This method is called “hardware unlocking.” It consists of actually opening up the phone and messing with the internal hardware. The success of this method is dependant on the person doing it, and since there aren’t any officially licensed technicians to do it, it is generally unpredictable and has a low success rate.

Also, this method will automatically void your warranty. No one wants to get stuck with a broken device and no way of getting their money back!

Hardware unlocking was definitely not an option for me, as I imagine it is not an option for most people who don’t want to throw their money down the drain.

Hit Or Miss: Get Your Carrier To Unlock Your Phone

The second method is to go through your current carrier. If you are at the end of your two-year contract, you can go through your carrier to unlock the device and restore it to factory settings.

In 2014, President Obama signed a bill that allowed people to unlock their phones. Since that bill was signed, most carriers will assist you with the process when your contract is up. If this is the case, you shouldn’t have to pay a cent to have it done. In rare cases, a carrier may help a customer while the contract is still active, but this is rare.

In my case, I was not near the end of my contract and AT&T wouldn’t budge, so this was not a viable option for me.

Best Option: IMEI Unlocking

The final method is called IMEI unlocking. This is by far the safest, most effective, accessible, and common method for freeing up a smartphone.

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity, and this code is a serial number for your device. Each smartphone has its own unique IMEI number. These numbers are stored in a database and are associated with other identifying information about your phone, like the color, storage capacity, model number, and year of production.

It is possible to use the IMEI code to switch your device from “locked” (attached to particular service provider in the database) to “unlocked” (unattached to a particular service provider).

This method is permanent, easy, fast, and legal, and will not affect your warranty.

The answer was pretty clear. I knew that an IMEI code was the only method I would trust with my cell phone. The next step was to find a trustworthy service to perform an IMEI unlock on my device.

Here’s How to Free Yourself From Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint:

Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy s4 The RIGHT Way

As I mentioned above, I knew that IMEI codes was the only method that I was going to use for my Galaxy S4. The general process goes something like this:

Choose a service that you will use on your phone. I’ll give you my personal recommendation – the one that I used – down below.
Give them any necessary information about your device. This information will always include the IMEI number, and will usually include your current carrier.
Follow the instructions provided by the service.
Wait a short time (anywhere from a few hours to a week) for instructions from the service.
Follow the reset instructions sent to you by the service.
Insert a new SIM card, and activate your device to your new carrier.

Simple, right? That’s because it is!

There are a few trustworthy services out there that will guide you through the process of unlocking your phone and provide customer support. I found two services that came highly recommended, and that had exceptional reputations among the tech crowd.

The two services I’ve used successfully are:

DirectUnlock – This was the website that came most highly recommended. Customers like it because the site is easy to navigate, and the process is hassle-free. Furthermore, DoctorSim comes with a money-back guarantee.This means that if they are unable to do it, they will give you a refund.All you have to do is put in your current phone carrier, and the site will guide you through the process. One of the best features of this site is their access to Universal Samsung codes. This means that even if you don’t know your phone carrier, this site offers codes for a higher price that can still unlock any phone.This site has, hands down, the most affordable and reliable service for an IMEI release on a Samsung Galaxy S4.

DoctorSim.com Another option I found over the course of my research is www.DoctorSim.com. This is a similar service to the first, which also comes with a money back guarantee if they are unable to assist you. They also offers universal codes for a higher price. However, the site is more difficult to navigate and requires more information at the start. It is still guaranteed to work, but may take more time and effort in the beginning.

Both of these sites allow you to keep yourdevice at all times and perform the service remotely and they do it fast. I always prefer DirectUnlock.com because they’re fast and have the best customer service.

Be wary of services that require you to physically give your phone over, or even worse, send it away for an “international unlock.”

You should never have to wait more than a week or ten days for this to happen . The technology exists so that you can liberate your phone from home for a small fee. You should never have to part with your phone at any time during the process!

Take Control of Your Locked Samsung Galaxy s4 With This Method That Works Every Time

As I have already mentioned, there are only a few methods for unlocking your Galaxy s4. Only one of them is guaranteed to work regardless of how far into your contract you are. Using an IMEI release code is the best method for unlocking your phone and protecting your warranty at the same time.

This method will not damage the physical device, is completely legal, and offers the highest measure of security. DirectUnlock is truly the best service around, with DoctorSim coming in at a close second.

DirectUnlock.com’s money back guarantee, customer support, and success rate are testaments to the quality of their service. Frankly, these services are an absolute steal considering how quick, efficient, and affordable they are for freeing up your phone and expanding its capacity.

If all this technical jargon seems a bit overwhelming, rest assured that the process itself is not. The process is quite simple.

Once you have determined the IMEI code and provided it to them, they will retrieve a code for you phone and either perform the process remotely or instruct you on how to do it yourself.

If you have decided to use DirectUnlock, you must first determine your device’s IMEI code. Find the 15-digit code printed near the battery or by dialing *#06#.

If you already know your carrier, then you can follow the link for that carrier on DirectUnlock’s home page. The page is easy and intuitive to use.

Please note that the codes for specific carriers are slightly cheaper than the Universal codes, so it is useful to figure out which carrier your phone is currently attached to. However, if you don’t know the carrier, you can still get your phone untied with your carrier by using one of DirectUnlock’s universal codes.

The website will prompt you to follow some further steps, but overall that’s the whole process! I was shocked at how easy it was, and you will be too.

The team at DirectUnlock.com handles the hard stuff, and within a week you should have a Samsung Galaxy S4 that you can use with any carrier you like, and take it overseas without incurring excessive fees and fines.

You never have to let your phone out of your sight, which is a huge relief.

Once you have a New SIM Card for your phone, you will be ready to go!

Why I Prefer This Method

There are many benefits to having an unlocked phone. Even more benefits if it was done safely and efficiently using a service like DirectUnlock or DoctorSim..

One of the most obvious benefits of unlocked phones is that they offer complete coverage no matter where in the world you might be. All a customer has to do is buy a new SIM card that works where he or she is living or traveling. The customer can remain connected to friends and family at all times.

As someone who travels internationally for work often, I found that this was one of the greatest benefits of having an unlocked phone. I was able to stay in touch with the important people in my life while still traveling for work. Additionally, I was able to avoid excessive international fees by using my unlocked device with a local SIM card.

Often, having an unlocked device will save you money in the long run – and not just on international fees! Since the customer doesn’t have to pay a monthly fee to their carrier, he or she often ends up paying for only what they use. Skip all the excess fees (access, service, administrative charges, various regulatory fees etc) that come with a provider.

I also had a friend who had unlocked his phone using a code. He had a Samsung and had used DirectUnlock (in fact, he was the one who recommended DirectUnlock to me in the first place!). He was extremely satisfied with the service and switched to a new carrier.

However, a few months after unlocking his phone, he lost it!

Losing a phone is never a good feeling, but it happens to the best of us. If he had lost his phone while it was locked into the original contract, he would have had to pay termination fees to his carrier on top of shelling out for a new phone. Because he had unlocked his phone using an IMEI provider, he was able to escape costly contract termination fees.

Finally, because unlocked phones are so customizable and versatile, they tend to have a higher resale value than other phones.

The benefits listed above are true for any unlocked phone. However, a phone that is unlocked using an IMEI unlock code gives these benefits, plus the added benefit of being perfectly intact and secure with an intact warranty.

Take Control Of Your Samsung Galaxy s4 With This Unlock Code That Works Every Time

Whatever your reasons for wanting to unlock your phone, whether you are an international traveler who wants to avoid exorbitant fees or someone who wants more freedom and customizable options for your Samsung Galaxy S4, unlocking your phone can open a world of options.

There are a few methods for unlocking your device, and some are better than others.

To recap – The two main options are:

1) Find someone who will perform a hardware unlock

This has the potential to damage your phone and void your warranty (without even working!) or

2) Do an IMEI unlock

Again, IMEI unlocks will not affect your warranty, can be done at home, and are pretty much guaranteed to work, provided that you follow the instructions. It is, hands down, the smarter and savvier of the two methods for unlocking a phone.

There are a many services out there that will offer to help you unlock your Samsung Galaxy s4. However, the top two that work for me and my friends every time are:

DirectUnlock
DoctorSim

Unlock By Using DirectUnlock Service

DirectUnlock.com comes highly recommended, and is so easy to use that you can do it from home. Determine your phone’s carrier and IMEI number, and have them on hand. The website is intuitive, and does not require you to be a tech genius to unlock your phone.

You follow the link on their website that matches up with your current carrier, and provide the requested information. They take care of the rest.

Their unlock codes are guaranteed to work, and they offer a quick turn around time (a maximum of one week). Their services are affordable and best of all, you never have to part with your physical phone, worry about damaging it, or void its warranty.

While Unlock Forest offers a similar service, the website is slightly more cumbersome and complicated to use. It also requires the customer provide more information up front. However, if DirectUnlock.com does not suit your needs, Unlock Forest is an excellent second choice.

Like DoctorSim, you never have to hand over your device and the team at DirectUnlock.com is ready to provide quality customer service or a full refund if they cannot unlock your phone for any reason.

Using these services will allow you greater mobility, customizability, and coverage without the hassle of exchanging your device. Forget about juggling multiple phones and SIM cards or handing your phone over to some shady service that will destroy your warranty and your phone’s resale value!

If you are ready to unlock your Samsung Galaxy S4 and maximize your smartphone’s potential today, head over to DirectUnlock.com. Not only do they offer the fastest, and most affordable unlocks for Samsung phones, they offer the most secure service on the market!

Enjoy full freedom of your phone – they have a money back guarantee so there’s no risk – try DirectUnlock now!

iPhoneIMEI Tested and Reviewed

Last updated on June 9, 2018

With the amount of iPhone Unlock options available on the web, and the proliferation of scam sites appearing, it’s important to make sure that whoever you choose to trust your hard-earned money with is a legitimate provider.

Over the course of the last 9 years unlocking iPhones, I’ve tried most of them, and today, I’m reviewing iPhoneIMEI.net.

The Methodology

To conduct a thorough review, you can’t just scan through the reviews on other review sites to try and stitch together your own opinion. There are too many people on sites like Fiverr.com offering to write reviews in return for payment and they get a lot of work (most in the form of competitors writing negative reviews, unfortunately).

So, with that in mind, I set out to conduct my own test to see if iPhoneIMEI was legitimate or just another scam.

I test all my providers on 6 criteria:

Criteria 1: Range of unlocks

There’s nothing worse than reviewing details of thirty different unlock providers only to find out that the one you’ve settled on doesn’t actually have the ability to unlock your phone. Because of this, the first criteria we test our unlock providers on is their range of unlocks.

Providers with the lowest number score the worst with the providers covering just about every phone carrier from every country getting top marks.

Criteria 2: Price

Finding a reliable unlock provider who can unlock your carrier in your country is great, but not when it’s more expensive than getting a new phone. Because of this, the second criteria we assess providers on is price, with cheaper unlock providers scoring the highest marks.

Criteria 3: Payment methods

Finding a cheap unlock provider who deals with your carrier is great, but not when they won’t accept your payment method. While I understand it’s hard to believe that there are some unlock providers who don’t accept credit cards or PayPal, they do exist. Because of this, the third criteria is payment methods, with providers who allow all standard payment methods receiving the highest marks.

Criteria 4: Customer Service

Finding a cheap unlock provider who accepts your payment method and can unlock your iPhone is great, but not when you have to wait days, or even weeks, to hear back to the simplest of questions, let alone, detailed questions about the progress of your unlock. Because of this, customer service is the fourth criteria we assess unlock providers on.

Providers who have responsive and effective support teams score the highest marks, while waiting weeks to get a response will score poorly.

Criteria 5: Success

Finding an unlock provider who promises the world and responds quickly is great, but if they can’t unlock your iPhone, then they’re a complete waste of time. Because of this, the success of the unlock process is the fifth criteria we judge the providers on.

Providers who’re able to unlock all iPhones from all carriers score the highest marks, with failures reducing their score.

Criteria 6: Speed

Unlocking every iPhone will score a provider high marks, but taking longer than was advertised will reduce their score. People plan their lives around given time frames and it can be very frustrating when their expectations aren’t met.

Providers who deliver results in the given time frames receive the best scores with providers who slip outside their given timeframes will receive lower scores.

The Tests

The other thing you might have seen if you checked out my iPhone 4, 5, 6, or 7 review, you would have seen that I’ve tested iPhoneIMEI on a number of different occasions. In fact, when you add the up the tests I’ve conducted on them over the last 5 years, you’ll see that I’ve tested 47 iPhones in that time.

The breakdown of the iPhones we’ve tested is:

iPhone 4/4s – We tested 2 iPhones for iCloud unlocks

iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c – 9 iPhones tested for carrier unlocks and 7 iPhones tested for iCloud unlocks

iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, and 6s Plus – 9 iPhones tested for carrier unlocks and 8 iPhones tested for iCloud unlocks

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus – 12 iPhones tested for carrier unlocks

The test involved checking website reviews, finding the appropriate unlocks, asking a presale question, purchasing unlocks, asking a question during the process, waiting for the unlock, and then asking another question once the process was complete.

The Results

The iPhone unlocking industry is notoriously unreliable so I wasn’t expecting stellar results from the tests. I was expecting poor customer service, a lack of available unlocks, limited payment options, and slow delivery on the 50% of unlocks I expected to be successful.

I’m happy to report I was pleasantly surprised (you can read the individual test results on the iPhone 5, iPhone 6, iPhone 7, and iCloud unlock pages).

PROs: There were plenty of pros to report for iPhoneIMEI.

First and foremost, they completed every iPhone unlock purchased – this included both carrier unlocks and iCloud unlocks. In an industry where no other unlock provider has been able to achieve this feat, this is the single most important reason why you should choose iPhoneIMEI.

When you’re the only unlock provider who can unlock every iPhone in an industry where no-one else can, it would be easy to rest on that achievement and deliver sub-standard support and higher prices. These guys haven’t. They’re very reasonably priced and their email support responded in less than 3 hours to every inquiry we sent.

CONs: There’s only one real con with iPhoneIMEI. Whilst they’ll actually deliver the unlocks you purchase and their prices are great, they don’t have the biggest range of unlocks on the market. They have all the big US, UK, and Canadian carriers and quite a few regional carriers, but if you’re on a smaller carrier in a smaller country, you might need to head somewhere with a larger range, like Official iPhone Unlock, to get your unlock processed.

Conclusion

I tested iPhoneIMEI on 5 criteria over 5 years with 47 different iPhones covering 6 different models and they’re the only provider I’ve found that’s been able to complete every iPhone unlock I’ve purchased.

Whilst they don’t have the biggest range on the market, they have great prices, solid customer support, and their automated system allows them to deliver results in less time than any other provider.

If you need your iPhone unlocked, you’re in reliable hands with iPhoneIMEI.