If you are in a mood to change your network provider and carrier, you would need to flash it off. Oh no, I don't mean that you flaunt it! Flashing a cell phone is about getting your phone in sync with your new carrier if you choose to retain the same handset. On that note, this article will tell you all about how to flash a cell phone. Vital Information Flashing a cell phone refers to changing or rewriting a phone's mechanism to communicate with the provider. This mechanism is called firmware. If this is not installed in your phone, you would not be able to send text messages, make phone calls, download, or send any information from your phone. Now, when you change your carrier or service provider, normally, they have their own set of handsets with their firmware installed. If you do not want their phone model and want to keep the hand set which you have, flashing comes into picture. It also involves resetting the firmware of the phone if there are problems in its operation. So basically, flashing means to ensure that the firmware in your phone is compatible and in sync with the network provider. How to Flash a Phone The first thing you need to know is about the things you require for it. These are -

• Flashing software (which you can download )
• A USB cable for the phone
• A computer with Windows 2000 or Newer, a USB Port, 800Mhz+, 256MB RAM
• A CDMA cell phone

Once you are ready with these tools, we move on to the next step. Here are the following steps. Step #1 Acquiring the correct software update is the first thing you need to do. Normally, this software can be downloaded from the website of the service provider. So, download that software. Step #2 The file you download would be in a zip form. Hence, after you download that file, you will naturally need to unzip it. Your phone manual will most probably have instructions about this, and the downloaded software too will have that. Step #3 Another important thing is that you would be required to register with the CDMA or GSM carrier you want to sign up with. After you are done with this and getting the software on your computer, you have to connect your phone to the computer with the help of the data cable. Step #4 What you need to know when trying to flash is get that relevant software in your phone. The software will then update your firmware. There you are! Done! The whole process takes around 15 minutes. Step #5 If this idea of downloading the software and then getting it on your phone seems scary to you, well, there is an easier option. You can get in touch with your new service provider, and they would do it for you. A few other things which are worth mentioning are the security and phone locking and unlocking issues. Flashing will just work on the firmware and not on your personal phone settings. Thus, in case you have sim locks or phone locks in your phone and you cannot remember it, the flashing software will not help you out with the unlocking part. You would then have to go and talk to your service provider for that. Finally, just be careful about safety while downloading the software from the Internet on your computer and then to your phone, because your cell phone is susceptible to viruses and it can ruin it.