How to Get a 2g Flip Phone Working in 2023 (Connected to a Cell Network)

This only works in the USA with an unlocked phone. Upcoming video on using this phone hopefully.

[@jamessorensen14]

Great video dude. I've been searching on KZbin to see if anyone has done this yet, and you're the only one I could find that has. I have this weird likeness towards watching old tech getting revamped or brought back to life in this case to use in today's time. It's really cool to see, and I'm glad I stumbled upon your video.

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Glad you liked it! Hopefully more content coming soon.

[@activemotionpictures]

@@Val9kIsTaken is this still working on 2024? also the card pattern; where to get that kind of sim card?

[@skinnypotato4452]

that's amazing actually, I can live in y2k aesthetic much longer now!

[@theflipphonechannel8198]

Great video and very informative. I'd just like to add that to use any GSM phone in the US, it has to have GSM 1900. Also, some old cell phones will work with the modern T-Mobile sims. Most 3G enabled phones will work with them. Also, certain 2G phones will work with them. The BlackBerry Curve 8310, Nokia 6133, Nokia 6101, and Nokia 6230i are some examples

[@IFD2]

Planned obsolescence should be illegal! What sucks the most is that 2G is so much more reliable when it comes to actually calling I’ve had so much more issues with LTE voice and HD voice being forced on you to G because of its superior range should be kept

[@mobilephonesandtech]

Another trick is using a 2G phone that just doesn't experience the issue. Once the SIM is left in the phone for a while, it will stay working and works even after SIM swapping. My Nokia 3390 and Motorola V360 does that.

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Interesting!

[@waylonfinlay4927]

REALLY? Doing it now!

[@mobilephonesandtech]

@@waylonfinlay4927 I hope it works out for you. As long as the SIM sits in the phone which stays connected to the network for a while, the issue just disappears temporarily.

[@delete_del]

How long does it take?

[@mobilephonesandtech]

@@delete_del If you are fortunate to live in a 2G coverage area, a day will do. The phone needs to be connected to the network for the entire time.

[@XtremiTeez]

Are there any people out there who convert older, 2G/3G clam-shell flip-phones to function on 4G networks? I really miss using my tiny clam-shell that only weighs a fraction of today's phones and can fit in any pocket.

[@richardepstein3494]

There are a few low-cost and lightweight flip phones to choose from: TCL Flip pro and Cingular Flip IV.

[@thecallifamily8864]

Omg I can go back to an old phone again I’m getting to sucked into these smart phones 😃

[@moistbread3]

there is modern 4g flip phones :D

[@minusta4]

@@moistbread3 they're still smart touch screen phones with the ability to close it like a clam shell, lol

[@MISTEREPICTORNADO]

@@minusta4no theres dumb phones as well w lte like kaios

[@minusta4]

@@MISTEREPICTORNADO ik i wasnt even talking abt thosw

[@jameson7777]

One of the issues is with this after doing this so many times it makes regular 4G calling difficult either people can't call you or your connection keeps dropping down to edge with your smartphone

[@princessjenna5153]

thank you so much for this :)

[@Val9kIsTaken]

No problem glad to help!

[@housefoundation1]

So if the network randomly stops working as you mentioned, would it eventually come back or what would I have to do?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

You would have to redo the whole process again.

[@dariosanon]

@@Val9kIsTakendoes that mean you have to buy another sim or can you just redo the process with the same card?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

@@dariosanonRedo with the same card.

[@dariosanon]

@@Val9kIsTaken cool thanks!

[@hangtymedrip2142]

Can I go by mid Mobile SIM card now and use that one or does it have to be an old one

[@princemitchell934]

will this work on a 2g gsm phone that is network locked to someone other than Tmobile or one of their carriers. I have an out of business 2g phone for O2wireless service. The settings/network only lists 02 wireless as the allowable network.

[@nhanthach201]

great, i love this video, so i have 1 little question is : in VietNam, where i live, the 2g network doesnt work anymore, and my LG C1100 is GSM network support only, so if i follow your instruction, will it work? i really appreciate if you can help me with that

[@mobilephonesandtech]

This hot-swap trick applies only to T-Mobile USA.

[@silly_on_]

I did exactly this and it just says card rejected

[@IFD2]

Phone has to be networked unlocked

[@MacBack123]

Well, there are 4 days left until T-Mobile shuts down. Its sad to see these devices die.

[@mobilephonesandtech]

False, the network is currently still operational, and the April 2nd date has been removed from the site.

[@MacBack123]

@@mobilephonesandtech That’s good. We can still use these phones luckily!

[@mobilephonesandtech]

@@MacBack123 For at least another year :)

[@lovealwaysgigi]

You’re awesome! T mobile it is ✅ I want an old razr so bad

[@rodderlayne7198]

This is effectively forced obsolescence. What if someone doesn’t want to use Smart phones?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Pretty much, though I think the main reason is that these companies don't want to keep 2G alive as it costs them money to maintain and almost no one uses it anymore.

[@awii.neocities]

yep, pretty much condemning all these phones into ewaste

[@classictellynz]

What do you mean by the phone can break at any moment?? 0:34

[@mobilephonesandtech]

The network may disallow the phone from connecting ("unregister" the SIM) due to a 2G activation block.

[@dariosanon]

how do you do this using an iphone, my iPhone 11 doesn't have the option to switch network modes

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Not sure. You may not need to switch the network for it to work, it's just a step that helps it more reliably work in the old phone.

[@dariosanon]

@@Val9kIsTaken yeah I just activated the sim and put it in and it works fine :)

[@Val9kIsTaken]

@@dariosanon Great!

[@ronaldalvarez97]

@@dariosanon does your phone still work?

[@diegomedach]

What font do you have on your Samsung phone?

[@ComradePoop]

Summary: go to the UK

[@rodderlayne7198]

For now.

[@ChrisannaKemp]

alr so i got the sim card in my motorola v3, and now it's asking me for a subsity passowrd. wtf do i do 😭😭

[@Val9kIsTaken]

If it asks for that it means the phone is locked to a specific wireless provider, one different from the Sim card you are using. You could try calling the wireless provider it was tied to to unlock it, but honestly it's just easier to buy a different phone.

[@lovealwaysgigi]

Do you prefer mint mobile?

[@Stazzma]

How do I get the proper pattern of SIM?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

A good incidation is the ones that have more curvy lines instead of sharp ones on the newer models. Anything that looks like the photo I showed of the tmobile sim card should be avoided.

[@LostStylus]

who the hell have mesages in voicemail in 2023 lol

[@KingFeraligator]

Any chance you could show this working on a QWERTY keyboard phone?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

I'm sorry, I don't have access to that type of phone, but I imagine it would work on those phones as well.

[@KingFeraligator]

@@Val9kIsTaken No problem! Thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention! Would it work on an unlocked phone as well or only specifically a T-mobile phone? Also do you know of any options for CDMA phones like Sprint and Verizon?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

@@KingFeraligator I don't think any CMDA phones will work with this method (to my knowledge) but an unlocked phone should work as well. The one in the video is unlocked.

[@3hula950]

does this work with the 2g shutdown?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Depends on where you are. If 2g is shut down in your area it won't work, otherwise it should work.

[@3hula950]

@@Val9kIsTaken awh is there any other way to use these devices then?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

@@3hula950No, not really, just as a novelty item I guess.

[@tony997]

Why does 2G sound static?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

High compression.

[@streetsoldier1001]

is there a way to use this with a sanyo scp-8400 phone? it is cdma, so it doesnt have a sim card slot. it is a sprint phone, and sprint merged with t-mobile, so sprint phones work on t-mobile now. but is there anything i can do?

[@moetrons2938]

Could this work with an AT&T sim?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

No, At&t no longer supports 2g.

[@davidnorvell8293]

@@Val9kIsTakenwhat about 3g?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

@@davidnorvell8293 3g has been disabled already, so it won't work at all in the United States,

[@davidnorvell8293]

@@Val9kIsTaken thanks

[@TheGreyBird71]

What do we do when t mobile removes 2g

[@Val9kIsTaken]

When that happens there will be no more 2g in the US, as they are the last provider to support it.

[@realminerman]

Could you please do a video on how to set up mms on one of these?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

I can try but the phone I used in the video isn't working anymore so I need to order a new one first.

[@projectlee882]

Did not work

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Hmm. There may just be no 2g service in your area. Did you get the proper sim card?

[@projectlee882]

@@Val9kIsTaken I have 4g service in my area, BUT I can also take my smart phone and put it down to 2g... I have the mint mobile sim... Not a very complex looking sim. I also have a Nokia 2760 phone and it's saying invalid SIM card

[@AtlasCesar]

I found a way better way to do this use US mobile

[@mobilephonesandtech]

Recent reports state that US Mobile SIM cards no longer work with old 2G GSM devices.

[@TheHouseOfTheDead1Fan]

does this still work?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Yes, it should.

[@TheHouseOfTheDead1Fan]

@@Val9kIsTaken i tried this exact method you showed with a unlocked nokia 3310 but i used US mobile. Tried and tried but couldnt get anything

[@Val9kIsTaken]

I guess it's possible it doesn't work. I would check but the phone I used in the video is now non-working at this point in time. When you try does it still just say emergency only?

[@TheHouseOfTheDead1Fan]

@@Val9kIsTaken i get the "No network coverage" error message

[@Val9kIsTaken]

@John Doe Did you verify on the more modern phone that it actually gets a 2G signal? T-Mobile's 2G network is very poor at this point in time and there are a lot of zones where there is no signal.

[@AtlasCesar]

How long will this last?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

Depends, ranges from a few days to a week or two. The average time is about a week, but it also depends on the phone model you are trying to hook up.

[@AtlasCesar]

I mean how long will it last at the year like will it last until like 2024 or 2025 like when will this end?

[@Val9kIsTaken]

@AtlasLifeCesar It will last until April of 2024, I believe, unless they extend the deadline again.

[@AtlasCesar]

@@Val9kIsTaken hopefully

[@Chris-yc8xq]

​@@Val9kIsTaken still works my Huawei Nova 9 pro gets 2g

[@user-zf6px6fp2q]

I think it’s now just Red Pocket that has the 2g 3g network

[@koifry35]

sadly tmobile is shutting down all 2g networks in april 2024