Successful unlock?

furrydave

Lurker
Hi everyone

Slightly old phone - a Sony D2403 on Android 5. Switch from Vodafone to giffgaff. Phone unlocked by a repair shop and I was provided an 8-digit unlock code to enter after inserting the giffgaff card.
No issues with PAC and number transfer. Can no longer access My Vodafone account, as to be expected I suppose if account closed?

Also got texts from Vodafone stating 'account details been updated as requested' (which obviously weren't) and also that an address has been added to the account (also not requested).
Also the Vodafone start page auto-launches upon opening Chrome.....

Seems to imply that the unlock not successful? Thoughts?

Thanks everyone! Keep dodging that virus!
 
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puppykickr

Android Expert
Android 5 is quite old at this point.

You need to verify that your account with Vodafone is closed.

Also, if your device is working on another carrier it most likely is unlocked.
Of course, the two carriers may use the same tower(s) in your area.

I would suspect that Chrome always opened on this page before, when you had Vodafone, correct?

This means that the Vodafone startpage is set as the homepage for Chrome.

There should be a way to change this in the settings for Chrome.

I do not use Chrome, so I cannot tell you exactly where to find it.
 

Milo Williamson

Android Expert
Hi everyone

Slightly old phone - a Sony D2403 on Android 5. Switch from Vodafone to giffgaff. Phone unlocked by a repair shop and I was provided an 8-digit unlock code to enter after inserting the giffgaff card.
No issues with PAC and number transfer. Can no longer access My Vodafone account, as to be expected I suppose if account closed?

Also got texts from Vodafone stating 'account details been updated as requested' (which obviously weren't) and also that an address has been added to the account (also not requested).
Also the Vodafone start page auto-launches upon opening Chrome.....

Seems to imply that the unlock not successful? Thoughts?

Thanks everyone! Keep dodging that virus!
Well try to redownload it on your chrome on your cell phone, that is all I can think of, I do not like apps running on my chrome mobile either, hmmm... No luck on my own end.
 

Hadron

Spacecorp test pilot
Hi everyone

Slightly old phone - a Sony D2403 on Android 5. Switch from Vodafone to giffgaff. Phone unlocked by a repair shop and I was provided an 8-digit unlock code to enter after inserting the giffgaff card.
No issues with PAC and number transfer. Can no longer access My Vodafone account, as to be expected I suppose if account closed?

Also got texts from Vodafone stating 'account details been updated as requested' (which obviously weren't) and also that an address has been added to the account (also not requested).
Also the Vodafone start page auto-launches upon opening Chrome.....

Seems to imply that the unlock not successful? Thoughts?

Thanks everyone! Keep dodging that virus!
So what happens when you insert the Giffgaff SIM and enter the 8 digit code (which you should only have to do once)? If it connects to the mobile network then the unlock worked. If you have no mobile signal, possibly a SIM error icon in the notification bar, then the unlock didn't work. That's all there is to it: all the unlock code will do is let you use a non-Vodafone card in the phone, it won't change anything else, so the only test of the unlock is whether the phone can connect when you insert a non-Vodafone SIM.

Anything to do with PAC or your old Vodafone account is distinct from the unlock of the handset. I can quite imagine that Voda spat out some text about an account detail updating when you tell them you want to close the account. No idea what "an address has been added" would mean - you'd have to speak to Vodafone for that (if they will still speak to you!).

I don't know what "the Vodafone start page" is (I've never had a phone browser open a service provider page automatically). This isn't just some default home page that Vodafone put in the browser? I assume it was running Vodafone software, and that won't change just because you unlock or change the SIM, so you'll still see Vodafone logos on splash screens and stuff like that. What is this Vodafone start page for?
 

puppykickr

Android Expert
@Hadron , my guess on this is that it gives ads that pay Vodafone, including news, weather, and whatnot on a single page that lets you scroll through the news (and ads).

My AT&T device had this with the stock browser.
The startpage could be changed to whatever you want, so I assume that Chrome is the same way.
 

mikedt

你好
It sounds like the unlock was successful and it's working with the Giffgaff SIM. But been a carrier version device, it may have firmware that was customised to the original carrier, i.e. Vodafone.

FYI Vodafone at one time was awful for customised firmware on their phones, like baked-in Manchester United stuff, that Vodafone was a shirt sponsor of. I've got an unlocked Vodafone version Samsung Galaxy S7, which has Vodafone Start on the home screen, which is completely useless here in China of course.
 

furrydave

Lurker
Thread starter
Thanks everyone, got it all sorted. Unlock was successful, the messages from vodafone just to confirm account shutdown. Working fine with giffgaff, and got vodafone off the Chrome launch page
All's well that ends well :D
 
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