Straight Talk iPhone

From HowardForums Wiki

Revision as of 16:10, 5 August 2012; view current revision
←Older revision | Newer revision→
Jump to: navigation, search

This is a tutorial on using an iPhone on Straight Talk with their $45/mo unlimited plan.

The Android guide is located here

Contents

Questions

If you have any questions about this, the discussion thread on Howard forums is located here

For step by step instructions with pictures for using an iPhone 3Gs with Straight talk go here

What you need

  • 1. A Straight Talk SIM http://www.straighttalksim.com
  • 2. An iPhone
    • Both Jailbroken (easy once jailbroken) and Un-jailbroken (a bit more involved) instructions are below
  • AT&T iPhone, any model. It doesn't need to be unlocked.
  • If you use an iPhone from a different carrier (i.e. not AT&T), make sure it is unlocked and a GSM (needs a SIM card) version especially if you have an iPhone 4
  • You can also use a factory unlocked iPhone (GSM version) for this.

Activation

Activate the Straight Talk SIM on any iPhone as you would any other phone on Straight Talk; there is nothing special here that needs to be done. For the iPhone 4 and 4S, you will need to order a micro SIM, available from http://straighttalksim.com. Or if you happened to buy a Nokia E71 from Straight Talk (as per the old instructions), follow the instructions in the box about activation before inserting into your iPhone.

Notes about Jailbreaking

If you want to first jailbreak your iPhone note Jailbreak is currently available for all iPhones on iOS 5.1.1 and below. Please search on the Internet for how to jailbreak your iPhone and the iOS version, there are many guides available. An excellent site with walkthroughs containing pictures, text and video is located here: http://www.iclarified.com/jailbreak. Also can try here http://www.redmondpie.com/category/iPhone.

Data for non-Jailbroken devices

To get cellular data working on non-jailbroken iPhones

  • 1. Go to http://unlockit.co.nz from your iPhone (2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S) while on WiFi.
  • 2. Click on continue
  • 3. Click on Custom APN
  • 4. Choose Country "United States" and Carrier "Straight Talk" (or use the "AT&T MVNO" APN; it doesn't use a proxy which can block things like speedtest.net and generally has higher latency)
  • 5. Click on create profile, then install the profile.

Data & MMS for Jailbroken Devices

  • 1. On your jailbroken iPhone, launch Cydia
  • 2. Search for TetherMe, then purchase it for $5 and install it
  • 3. After TetherMe is installed, exit Cydia and go to your home screen
  • 4. Open Settings > TetherMe > Cellular Data Network


Note: If you get TetherMe then you don't need to go to unlockit website as TetherMe allows you to set all the settings.
You need to uninstall that apn profile and then make sure all settings in the TetherMe app are correct.
The unlockit.co.nz profile conflicts with the TetherMe app from Cydia.
The easiest way is Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings

This is what your settings should look like. Fill in the fields on your iPhone as follows:

Cellular Data
APN: att.mvno
Username:
Password:
MMS
APN: att.mvno
Username:
Password:
MMSC: http://mmsc.cingular.com
MMS Proxy: 66.209.11.33:80
MMS Max Size: 1048576
MMS UA Prof URL:

Information available from Straight Talk http://www.straighttalksim.com/support.php

The MMS proxy can be replaced with it's DNSname mms2.tracfone.com:80 and it will also work.

Data & MMS for Devices Not Requiring Jailbreaking

  • 3. Go to iTunes and backup your iPhone to computer not iCloud
  • 4. Load iBackBot software and load restore for your iPhone
  • 5. You need to edit the following plist files to get MMS working by double clicking them in iBackupBot
    • SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist 
replace wap.cingular to att.mvno
    • Library/Preferences/com.apple.mms_override.plist
      use this text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
      <plist version="1.0">
      <dict>
      	<key>MMS</key>
      	<dict>
      		<key>GroupModeEnabled</key>
      		<false/>
      		<key>MMSC</key>
      		<string>http://mmsc.cingular.com</string>
      		<key>MaxMessageSize</key>
      		<integer>1048576</integer>
      		<key>MaxRecipients</key>
      		<integer>10</integer>
      		<key>MaxVideoBitrate</key>
      		<integer>131072</integer>
      		<key>Proxy</key>
      		<string>66.209.11.33:80</string>
      		<key>UAProf</key>
      		<string>http://www.apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf</string>
      		<key>UserAgent</key>
      		<string>SonyEricssonW800i/R1L</string>
      	</dict>
      </dict>
      </plist>
  • 6. Then click the checkmark on those two file and restore to the iphone using iBackupBot software
  • 7. It should restore and after reboot MMS should start working.

Note that you may need to follow these instructions again if MMS stops working after an iOS update.

Alternative method for getting MMS and DATA on iPhone 4S

  • Do the Above steps to any version iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4
  • Make sure MMS and data is working on your old iPhone before proceeding
  • Connect old iPhone to iTunes, right click on the phone from iTunes and select "Backup"
  • Disconnect old iPhone and now connect iPhone 4S to iTunes
  • Now click on iPhone 4S and right click and restore from backup that you just created
  • MMS and DATA will now work on iPhone 4S

Yet another method for getting MMS and DATA on iPhone 4S

The Multi tasking hack....

  • iPhone 4S can be factory unlocked or locked to AT&T, it doesn't matter.
  • Tools needed:
    • A T-Mobile prepaid sim card. Doesn't need data, just an active one with starter minutes is fine. Cost 3 bucks.
    • Alternatively it has been confirmed that SIM card from a sprint iPhone 4S can also substitute.
  • Make sure the ST SIM is activated on the e71 side and made sure all features (voice, data, sms, mms etc.) are functioning properly there.
    • Only need to do this if you own an e71 device. If you only bought a sim from ST you can skip this step entirely.
  • After the iPhone 4S boots up with the ST SIM installed launch any app, for example lauch the notes app.
  • Now go to General->Network on the iPhone. Make sure Cellular Data button is set to ON.
  • Open the SIM tray and swap in the cut down prepaid T-Mobile SIM.
  • Give it a moment to activate and then in General->Network a new Cellular Data settings menu will appear. Click into the menu option and you will notice that all the cellular setting fields are blank. Stay within this screen for now.
  • While still on the settings screen swap out the T-Mobile SIM and place in the ST SIM.
  • After a couple seconds use the 4S home button multi tasking ability to swap to the notes app. Wait a couple seconds and switch back to the the settings app.
  • At this point you will be right back at the celluar settings screen but now the ST SIM put info in many of the empty fields. But these are the wrong settings so proceed to correct them using the recommended settings above including the mms settings.
  • Now switch back and forth between the notes app and settings app to make sure the settings are not dissapearing.
  • Once confirmed, exit the cellular data menu and the celluar data setting menu option will vanish from General->Network. Don't worry.
  • Lastly toggle airplane mode off and back on.
  • At this point all the features should work text, data, MMS. Send some test SMS and MMS to various phones. Also test reception.
  • After all the test works reboot the phone and verify that all the stuff still works.
  • Removing the SIM card does not require you to repeat the above steps, only if you place in another sim card will your work be undone.
  • This method has been proven to work on the iPhone 4S. It probably will not work on the non-multi tasking devices that preceded the 4S.

Visual Voicemail

Please note that visual voicemail is not supported on Straight Talk. You will still get a notification after a caller leaves you a voicemail message, but the iPhone's built-in voicemail app will just dial in to your Straight Talk voicemail service, and you will have to listen to the audible menu to navigate around your messages.

If you want full visual voicemail functionality on your Straight Talk iPhone (plus some extra features), just download the free YouMail app from the Apple AppStore. After you set up a YouMail account and try out the app, if you like it, you can easily replace the iPhone's built-in voicemail with YouMail by using Cydia on any jailbroken phone. If you don't you can delete your account and de-register your phone fairly easily.

Change Carrier Name

If you don't like how your iPhone says "HOME" on the top left for the carrier, you can download "Fake Operator" or "Fake Carrier"from Cydia to change it. The app will allow you change it to "AT&T" or anything you would like. You will need to restart your iPhone for it to take effect. [Here is a video]

If you instead want carrier logos or other types of logos in the spot where the carrier name usually goes you can use Zeppelin. [Here is a video]

Unlimited Data

Even though Straight Talk advertises this plan as being Unlimited, numerous people have been cut off for using a lot of data. Bottom line is do not abuse your data on Straight Talk, if you do, they will close your account or disable your data. It is generally considered safe to use 2GB a month and 100MB a day. You can use My Data Usage Pro (among others) from the Appstore to keep track of your data usage.

There is a discussion about this and more tips on this matter here

Calling Customer Service

Tracfone has a Miami Corporate Office which offers better support than their regular Customer Service: 1-800-876-5753. Another good support avenue is through their Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StraightTalkWireless

Retrieved from "http://wiki.howardforums.com/index.php/Straight_Talk_iPhone"
Personal tools