Guide on flashing your iPhone 4 (CDMA) to metroPCS

[hellojustinr]

Is this why I couldn't find the PRL?? (My iPhone 4 STILL worked flashing and working great!)
And this person on youtube is fake???, because like you said it doesn't matter about the ESN.

No, what I'm saying is you can't manually load your own PRL anymore. EVERYTHING has to be done over-the-air. Normally, what metroPCS does with flashed phones when you try to activate it, is flash the two-year old, 2004 PRL onto it, and there is no 3G support with that PRL. What I'm saying is, if they were to install a 3026 PRL along with automatic user data subscriber credentials and configuration to flashed phones like they do with there phones, it would work.

I know this, because I've flashed countless phones to metroPCS and the process is pretty much the same, across all mobile devices and operating systems.

What metroPCS does with flashed phones like I said, is just treat it like a basic phone, only talk and text configuration gets flashed. That's because of the complications with setting up data services on different phones (since they can't really tell which phone you're using, it just shows up to them as metroFLASH). However, about most CDMA phones have the same configuration for data.

[hellojustinr]

If you flash ANY flashed phone over to metroPCS, they only put your MIN and MDN for basic talk and text, along with the 2004 PRL. You ALWAYS have to manually configure data credentials (xxxxxxxxxx@mymetropcs.com, and SPC code is password) but we shouldn't have to anymore, metro could set it all up for us if they updated the OTA activation process for flashed phones, since almost all phones have the same data configuration.

Why I say this would work is because the iPhone, for now at least (since there's no CommCenter patch), ONLY accepts changes OTA, that's why if metro OTA activation service does not work in your area, you're screwed since you can't just manually put in the MIN and MDN to get your talk and text services going.

[Haas_Dave]

Why I say this would work is because the iPhone, for now at least (since there's no CommCenter patch), ONLY accepts changes OTA, that's why if metro OTA activation service does not work in your area, you're screwed since you can't just manually put in the MIN and MDN to get your talk and text services going.

Someone from Japan managed to patch CommCenter for CDMA-capable devices (since both the 4 CDMA and 4S utilize Qualcomm basebands). I'm looking into it now since it does allow those with GSM setups to enable custom new/modified bundles and use them.

The Cydia repo to see this patch is: http://v.backspace.jp/repo

Might be worth it for to look into. Unknown whether or not it will allow custom new carrier bundles or allow data settings to be shown/enabled/modified on CDMA setups. If it does, well... bad MEID/ESN iPhones might get a new breath of 3G life on unsupported carriers.

[XyleCoco]

@Haas_Dave I am checking that out now (I am downloading the source) wish me luck I'll get back to you on that Justin also.

[XyleCoco]

I installed the CommCenter patch for my iPhone 4 5.0.1(9A405) Data isn't working lol help??
I saw in cydia of a screenshot where they went into General/About then where it says Carrier It said their special carrier. I installed CommCenter (They say available for my phone) Mine still says Verizon 11.2 Please Help!!!??

[ndn001]

You don't need to place any files anymore. No need to jailbreak either (disadvantage too since if you jailbreak its tethered for now in iOS 5)

Skip all the steps

Just enable Voice Roaming in Settings > General > Network

Then initiate the Over The Air (OTA) metroPCS PRL Update (dial *22804 and choose option 5, Update Roaming Lists)

It should update the PRL to use metroPCS towers now, to confirm just dial *228 and see if you get metroPCS

Now you just need to get the MEID (not ESN, the ESN is the DEC value, to convert use a ESN Converter online, just google it) added into the metroPCS inventory. eBay is your best bet, it will cost you around $40-$50. You will need your security code for your account, usually the birthdate of the account holder

After that, you can activate the iPhone like any other metroPCS device. Just dial *228 and say switch phones if you have an existing account or set up one by following the instructions. You'll also need your security code for this process.

Hi,

I tried dialing *22804 (after enabling Voice Roaming in Settings > General > Network ) but the call hangs up and still it shows Verizon 3g . I tried it on IOs 4.3.5 and IOs 5.0.1 and setup the phone as a new phone in Itunes, but still the result is the same. Can you please suggest me what else I can do ?

[hellojustinr]

Hi,

I tried dialing *22804 (after enabling Voice Roaming in Settings > General > Network ) but the call hangs up and still it shows Verizon 3g . I tried it on IOs 4.3.5 and IOs 5.0.1 and setup the phone as a new phone in Itunes, but still the result is the same. Can you please suggest me what else I can do ?

Try other programming numbers, from *22801-*22809 and if one of them gets you to metroPCS use that, otherwise your market does not support over-the-air programming.

[ndn001]

Try other programming numbers, from *22801-*22809 and if one of them gets you to metroPCS use that, otherwise your market does not support over-the-air programming.

It didn't work but the number *22804 and *22805 dialed into sprints network which I guess is of no use. Should I now manually update my PRL using the instruction is the first post or should I go ahead and add my ESN to sprint network ?

[northo]

I have an iPhone 4 with os 4.2.8 it is already flashed to metro pcs. I want to update the os to 5.0.1. My question is what steps should I take to do this? If I update the os and then jailbreak and unlock it again will I have to flash it again to metro for it to work?

[XyleCoco]

@northo. I really do not know so these are my two guesses:

1: ONCE JAILBROKEN AND UNLOCKED... (on iOS 5.0.1) You will have to call *228 again and update the PRL and get service again.

2: ONCE JAILBROKEN AND UNLOCKED... It will be nothing changed.. it will still work. I have restored my iphone MULTIPLE times, and synced and everything as if an iphone from verizon or att or sprint. Nothing should change.
(if your on iOS 5, I hear iOS 4 and 3 are much more tricky..)

[ndn001]

Try other programming numbers, from *22801-*22809 and if one of them gets you to metroPCS use that, otherwise your market does not support over-the-air programming.

The number you mentioned will it only work after adding my ESN to sprint or will it work even without it ?

Because I don't want to add my ESN (pay 40 bucks) and then realize that my coverage area doesn't support over the air programming.

If my market doesnt support over the air programming sld I try adding the Prl file on my Iphone manually as mentioned in the first page ?

[hellojustinr]

Sprint does not allow the additions of new custom ESNs like metroPCS does, that's the reason why metroPCS is so popular in the flashing market, the only way to get a non-Sprint phone into Sprint is by changing the MEID of the phone (Illegal, and not I mention, almost impossible on the iPhone since we can't even get simple Internet working) to a Sprint phone's MEID.

[hellojustinr]

Loading custom PRLs also does not work anymore in iOS 5 (at least in my experience), they've changed the file names and such.

Flashing OTA though like always, still works like a charm

[Chrisothoulos]

Iphonebrowser doesnt work on my mac.. Where's the mac version?

[Jimmy Page]

I live in Dallas area. Bought an iPhone off eBay and dialed *22805 and got into OTA update of metro, my prl changed to 2004 and I have metro PCS signal on phone. I added esn and switched phone calling customer service. But when I dial a number now, it does not recognizes my phone and won't let the call go through. Any help would be appreciated.