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Stolen phone - Will Metro help?
- Thread starter yknujssab
- Start date
Shabbypenguin
Extreme Android User
unfortunately there isnt much you can do now. anti theft is kind of one of those things you need to do beforehand. i personally use cerberus, some others like plan b and some use prey.
n4zty
Android Expert
yea its kind of like crashing your vehicle without insurances then trying to apply for insurance after you total it...not gonna work and its weird they didnt bother to black list the esn just for being reported stolen perhaps they did if not then thats just not right. tell your cousin to add the $5 monthly insurance on her plan. also shabby posted a thread about an app called cerberus but i believe she would have to have her lg motion rooted first not sure. but that app will let her track her phone down by gps to the accurate address. among other cool things such as lock phone wipe sd card write a message check txt messages or recent call logs.
Edit: i guess you really need a rooted device but do need custom recovery to flash this as a system app i suppose.
[+] I don't want to root my device, but it has an unlocked bootloader. Can I have the root features anyway?
Yes! You have to install a custom recovery first (google "your device model custom recovery" for more info). Then download cerberus.zip, rename it to update.zip and put it on the sd card. Reboot into recovery and install it.
Edit: i guess you really need a rooted device but do need custom recovery to flash this as a system app i suppose.
[+] I don't want to root my device, but it has an unlocked bootloader. Can I have the root features anyway?
Yes! You have to install a custom recovery first (google "your device model custom recovery" for more info). Then download cerberus.zip, rename it to update.zip and put it on the sd card. Reboot into recovery and install it.
OcalaFlGuy
Android Expert
That's not quite so.
There IS one of the stolen phone Apps that can be pushed to the phone via text After it goes baabye. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles the preloaded ones do but I'm pretty sure it can still locate and lock the phone.
You'll have to Google for it ("locate phone app via pushed text") but I've seen it recently.
Shabby IS correct in that the preloaded ones do more and probably better than the pushed one but it's better than the Nothing option most think exists After the fact.
[EDIT] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lookout.labs.planb&hl=en
Bruce in Ocala, Fl
Shabbypenguin
Extreme Android User
rooting is only if you want to activate super secure mode, and flashing is only if you wnat it to be on teh system partition. when someone does a factory reset and its not there then you just lost tracking. i always use the hidden flashable zip so then thieves cant find it, and it cant be wiped out as easily.
OcalaFlGuy
Android Expert
But he Didn't say you could load it After the fact, in fact, he said there wasn't much you Could do After the phone was gone. That's the part that wasn't quite so.
Just trying to help the guy find his phone.
Bruce in Ocala. FL
Shabbypenguin
Extreme Android User
not sure why my browser didnt load either of yalls posts. but anyways thats assuming they havent wiped it, and there is wifi (since it is now disconnected). its why i dont put a password/combo on my lockscreen because then they have to wipe it to get to where they can start to get tracked, which wiping then removes it :/
OcalaFlGuy
Android Expert
Most of the better locate apps can toggle the Geepus on if it's not already. (Though of course, That Is a Damn Good Reason to keep it toggled all the time.)
Now, Shabby did make a really good point about some kind of data link being needed.
I would also think the faster you act the better. Remember they probably don't also have your charger. If they don't have one that will charge your phone and the phone finally dies (and most will after a couple days even with no use) you Will Be *totally* SOL.
Bruce in Ocala, FL
Now, Shabby did make a really good point about some kind of data link being needed.
I would also think the faster you act the better. Remember they probably don't also have your charger. If they don't have one that will charge your phone and the phone finally dies (and most will after a couple days even with no use) you Will Be *totally* SOL.
Bruce in Ocala, FL
yknujssab
Android Enthusiast
Thanks guys. But I guess my thing was more that Metro doesn't want to mark the phone with a bad ESN. With or without insurance they should flag it. In n4zty's example for having the insurance is, I would think, is for a damaged phone. Being stolen or lost should definitely be red flagged. That's what the big boys do, (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint). Right?
OcalaFlGuy
Android Expert
It sure seems like they should to me.
Bruce in Ocala, Fl
Bruce in Ocala, Fl
averagewonder
Android Enthusiast
Plan B is also the name of the morning after pill. So after the fact....
h4x0rj3ff
Chemist
i think with the big boys you need a police report for them to blacklist the esn but i could be wrong.
Lost Controlz
Newbie
Most likely because of the amount of people who could scam the company,
i could buy a galaxy S3 (500$) from metropcs and purchase a plan with the insurance
then the next day i could claim it as stolen and they will send a new one but really you still have it in your pocket, you now can sell the 1st one and make 500$,
-buy the avg security app (full version) and set up the anti-theft gps,
that would be your best bet!
i could buy a galaxy S3 (500$) from metropcs and purchase a plan with the insurance
then the next day i could claim it as stolen and they will send a new one but really you still have it in your pocket, you now can sell the 1st one and make 500$,
-buy the avg security app (full version) and set up the anti-theft gps,
that would be your best bet!