# If I factory reset my unlocked phone, will it re-lock itself?



## kiwiasian

Just need a real quick yes or no

On GSM T-Mobile


----------



## mbudden

No.


----------



## kiwiasian

Turns out it did.


----------



## mbudden

It definitely shouldn't.
Unless it was an Android.
Not sure how they do their unlocking etc.
Every other phone I have ever unlocked never locked after reboot etc.


----------



## kiwiasian

Hah it was an android.
And we don't have T-mobile anymore so I doubt they will help us re-unlock it.


----------



## jach11

Well i have a G1 with a AT&T sim and i've rooting and factory restored and everything. Never lost my unlock...


----------



## EvoBeardy

Try sending their customer services an e-mail or something, even if it's not in your area.

You should be able to get it re-unlocked anywhere though (paying a small fee), we've got shedloads of shops that'll unlock (got my Samsung GT-i5700 unlocked from one), failing that Davinciteam will be able to do it for around the same price.

I had one phone lock up after restoring factory defaults before, the bloke that did my Spica said it'll lock if I reset it, glad I reset it after my Uncle gave it to me, before the unlocking.


----------



## kiwiasian

Well it looks like after a reboot it is still unlocked. Not sure what happened


----------



## Cyph3r

A factory reset would never cause an unlocked phone to become locked.


----------



## Xcrunner

Factory reset should just wipe the /data and /cache partitions and shouldn't effect whether the phone is unlocked or not


----------



## jjsoviet

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xcrunner;14137358*
> Factory reset should just wipe the /data and /cache partitions and shouldn't effect whether the phone is unlocked or not


This. An unlocked device remains unlocked regardless of how people mess with the software.


----------



## runeazn

just wanted to say yes..
damm too late.


----------



## sanitarium

A factory reset simply erases ~user settings~. an unlock changes a system file, a system file that should never be touched by a factory reset.


----------



## jackeyjoe

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xcrunner;14137358*
> Factory reset should just wipe the /data and /cache partitions and shouldn't effect whether the phone is unlocked or not


Bingo, carrier locking happens in the bootloader I believe so a factory reset should go nowhere near it in the first place. Anyways, good to hear its fine, what phone was it out of curiousity?


----------



## That Guy

Can't you try an over the air update?


----------



## edo101

What about a Hardware factory reset?

WOAH Holy Necro post batman....but yeah I googled and this thread came up. I have an AT&T Unlocked Samsung S3 that I want to sell and I wanted to do a hard reset


----------



## jackeyjoe

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *edo101*
> 
> What about a Hardware factory reset?
> 
> WOAH Holy Necro post batman....but yeah I googled and this thread came up. I have an AT&T Unlocked Samsung S3 that I want to sell and I wanted to do a hard reset


Just a little... only 2 years and a bit









Should be able to factory reset by upgrading to the latest official firmware through your computer using the GS3 toolkit.


----------



## edo101

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jackeyjoe*
> 
> Just a little... only 2 years and a bit
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Should be able to factory reset by upgrading to the latest official firmware through your computer using the GS3 toolkit.


Oh I don't want to do any updates of any kind. I want to just sell the phone with its vanilla settings. I bought it a week ago from ebay and it was vanilla, I want to sell it as such and let the future user deal with updates.

Thats why I am asking about Hardware rest (as opposed to from within the OS). Will hard reset remove Unlock?


----------



## jackeyjoe

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *edo101*
> 
> Oh I don't want to do any updates of any kind. I want to just sell the phone with its vanilla settings. I bought it a week ago from ebay and it was vanilla, I want to sell it as such and let the future user deal with updates.
> 
> Thats why I am asking about Hardware rest (as opposed to from within the OS). Will hard reset remove Unlock?


Yeah, that will reset it and leave it completely stock with all the latest updates. No way to reset otherwise... unless you want to go out of your way to flash an older one, which you could do I guess, wouldn't know why. As for unlocks, same as two years ago, should make zero difference.


----------



## edo101

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jackeyjoe*
> 
> Yeah, that will reset it and leave it completely stock with all the latest updates. No way to reset otherwise... unless you want to go out of your way to flash an older one, which you could do I guess, wouldn't know why. As for unlocks, same as two years ago, should make zero difference.


Sorry I don't quite understand. What is the difference between a Software reset and using the hardware reset?


----------



## jackeyjoe

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *edo101*
> 
> Sorry I don't quite understand. What is the difference between a Software reset and using the hardware reset?


For all intents and purposes here, they are the same thing. It wipes pretty much everything but core system stuff(like the bootloader and radio), but the only way to do this without a rooted phone is with the above method(unless something has changed with android recently, which I don't think it has).

EDIT and I'm completely wrong, just checked on my phone, settings > backup and reset, if you have that on your phone you can do it through the phone. Otherwise, do the above


----------



## edo101

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jackeyjoe*
> 
> For all intents and purposes here, they are the same thing. It wipes pretty much everything but core system stuff(like the bootloader and radio), but the only way to do this without a rooted phone is with the above method(unless something has changed with android recently, which I don't think it has).
> 
> EDIT and I'm completely wrong, just checked on my phone, settings > backup and reset, if you have that on your phone you can do it through the phone. Otherwise, do the above


Good. Yeah I have that option on my phone. I just didn't know if doing the button method (volume up, power, and home button) did "more resetting" as opposed to doing it within the OS


----------

