iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network - Gizmodo Comments

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

genevish — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:10:49 EDT

The PDP menu also shows the phone's IP address (at least I assume that's what IP address it is). I tried port scanning it to see if anything interesting came up, but got no response. Of course I'm doing this at school, so port scanning might be blocked.

genevish

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

genevish — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:06:15 EDT

Just wanted to post my results of this iPhone hack.

genevish

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Trackback — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:37:46 EDT

If you enter a special code into most phones, you get "field test information" that wireless carrier service reps can use to diagnose network and phone problems. On the iPhone, that display is especially big and readable -- provided you know what the codes mean.

Trackback

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Buford T. Justice — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:53:00 EDT

It's all network quality/data status stuff. Those numbers show the strength of the received signal, the quality of that signal (a signal can be high strength but low quality), the status of the GPRS/EDGE connection, what CODEC the phone is using (HINT: If the call sounds like ass, go into test mode and look. $5 says the CODEC in use is AMR half rate. Cingular uses that codec to get 'free' capacity at the expense of voice quality.)

Buford T. Justice

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

ErikEdge — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:55:04 EDT

I did this a long time ago on the AT&T network with the ancient Nokia 5100 and 6100 series phones. You dialed #3004#12345# and it put you into a special menu that allowed you to diagnose your phone, change your banner, change the emergency number your phone dialed when you hit the 9 button, and also enabled the field test mode.

ErikEdge

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Narual — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:36:39 EDT

"the LCD panel ID. This last one is interesting; it seems to be unique to each iPhone, and presumably identifies the individual touch panel. Why apple would do this isn't clear, but they may want to track this information for quality control purposes."

They're not unique... mine is the same as the one in the article screenshot

Narual

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Narual — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:34:29 EDT

@Narual: Oops. Missed that last *

Narual

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Narual — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:24:14 EDT

hmm. My actual iphone says:
Error Performing request
No Network Service

Narual

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Scott — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 08:46:47 EDT

Most manufacturers have a code they use but some change for some phones for whatever reason. List of field test codes: [wilsonelectronics.com]

Scott

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

johnnyabnormal — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:17:30 EDT

That was a cool trick. PDP info didn't do squat. I wish I knew what all the info & numbers meant, does anyone know?

johnnyabnormal

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

targatop — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:07:06 EDT

@Kricket: Best post evar.

targatop

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

noservice2001 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:55:15 EDT

so i tried it, and i found my ip address and everything... super cool! just like the old nokia ones, but with the * and you have to push call.... i remember doing this before but nothing happened.... thanks giz!

noservice2001

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

mighty_squid — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:25:05 EDT

So what exactly happens on a Blackjack?

I don't want to bork my phone.

mighty_squid

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

mlb85in — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:57:55 EDT

Doesn't work on my 6682 which is cingular(AT&T) locked

mlb85in

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Kricket — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:37:28 EDT

wow killerpm

i think thats the first time ive ever seen someone stutter...online...

Kricket

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Geisrud — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:35:55 EDT

@mwalker05: So we should all be good little sheep and do exactly what someone tells us? How would we learn anything new.

BTW, don't you DARE try entering code: *3001#12346#* just to see what happens.

Geisrud

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Angus — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:25:03 EDT

he said post anything cool that you find out, not to try it on your phone and tell us when it doesnt work. the nerve of some people.

oh, and it doesnt do anything on my nokia either! what are the odds?

Angus

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

KillerPM — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:45:31 EDT

My Nokia 51xx series did this about 5 years ago.

Exact same code which makes me think Nokia had some influence on the iPhone programming. Very interesting.

KillerPM

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

KillerPM — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:44:17 EDT

My n

KillerPM

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

KillerPM — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:44:17 EDT

KillerPM

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

taveanator — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:42:13 EDT

@c_prano:
I also think that code works for most all HTC smartphones.

taveanator

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

taveanator — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:40:58 EDT

Blackjack users simply push:

*#1546792*#

As a side-note this isn't a number you are dialing - it's just a series of button pushes to get the phone into diagnostic/programming mode.

As a Blackjack user I use this code to force my phone in WCDMA network mode (in cities that have 3G) - so it doesn't waste precious battery life dropping/looking for/into EDGE coverage all the time.

taveanator

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

packetsniffer — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:38:01 EDT

You can do this on every cell phone. Why is this being reported like it's some amazing discovery? Gizmodo is over there having iPhonegasms over nothing.

packetsniffer

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

odnet — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:35:56 EDT

whats with every one screaming about software updates killing little things on the iPhone. All of these numbers have been in most Smart phones for a long time. No shocker here that the iPhone has one.

odnet

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

allstarecho — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:19:59 EDT

That same code brings up NAM and field test menu on my Nokia 6265i

allstarecho

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

TonyRockyHorror — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:14:21 EDT

and i bet a software update will take care of this in about a week.

TonyRockyHorror

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Cristian Prano — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:13:32 EDT

Cingular 8125 and 8525 users, try this number: *#*#364#*#*

I found it on www.htcwizardweb.net

Cristian Prano

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

B1663R — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:13:20 EDT

that's like the old Nokia field test code!!

I think the code is just for the iPhone. you can surf the web and find the code for your phone.

B1663R

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

drbles2010 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:12:09 EDT

btw...I just checked the dev wiki site and there are a whole slew of codes listed for the iphone secret menus. Check it out...

drbles2010

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

drbles2010 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:10:59 EDT

@bandit: haha...ur funny...

drbles2010

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

TriZz — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:10:13 EDT

I tried this on my iPhone. The funny thing I found was when I pressed the "PDP Information" button - the "PDP Information" disappeared. Even the "refresh" button wouldn't bring it back...I had to go to another link and go back to the main field test screen to get it back.

TriZz

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

shekondar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:08:26 EDT

On the Blackjack dialing *#9999*0# does the same thing.

shekondar

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Tay — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:06:47 EDT

Failed on my BlackBerry Pearl

Tay

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

bandit — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:04:22 EDT

Hey, I found a cool variation. If you change the last 5 digits in the code to #56789#, your iPhone will show you the last chapter of the final Harry Potter book.

bandit

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

godai — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:00:36 EDT

Cingular 8525 gives

"Sorry your call cannot be completed as dialed.
Please check the number and try again.
Message # 20H01MN
"

when you try it.

godai

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

drbles2010 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:58:51 EDT

@Geisrud: HAHA how funny. I had to read that comment twice before I understood...Oh well. Clever.

drbles2010

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

drbles2010 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:57:45 EDT

The key here is you are not actually "making a call" its just a key trip for access to a secret menu actually residing on the phone. Every phone has them and they are usually manufacturer specific. With CDMA providers such as Alltel, these menus are used to program the phone before activation. (ie. The CDMA Treo 650 access was something like *#000000 then the call.)

drbles2010

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

hnkelley — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:57:29 EDT

@Geisrud: Tested this via my MDA/T-Mobile and was told the call cannot be completed as dialed. Oh well. ;)

hnkelley

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Geisrud — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:57:08 EDT

@drbles2010: maybe it's talking about a pine tree?

Geisrud

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

bpatten — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:55:14 EDT

I know it says iPhone, but i had to try it on my htc wizard (cingular 8125) anyway. I get a message that says "Command not supported".

bpatten

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

drbles2010 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:54:21 EDT

Also interesting...there is a TYPO in the secret menu. Under versions there is "Firware" instead of Firmware. How funny. However, not a big deal because the average joe isn't supposed to be meddling around in there anyway. Kinda fun though.

drbles2010

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Geisrud — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:54:18 EDT

Correction (but still not exciting): when I dialed the number correctly on my Treo, I get; "The network could not complete your call."

Geisrud

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

drbles2010 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:49:57 EDT

Interesting...that number is only one character off from Nokia's secret menu code on some of their phones (mostly older i think?) The only difference is the star at the end being added.

drbles2010

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Geisrud — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:49:25 EDT

"Operation Failed" on my Treo

Geisrud

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

robotstephe — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:49:10 EDT

Don't do it on YOUR iPhone - that's what the iPhones in the Apple and AT&T stores are for...

robotstephe

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Geisrud — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:48:36 EDT

iPhone only, or any AT&T phone?

Geisrud

iPhone Field Test Mode Lets You Spy On The AT&T Network

Jumpking04 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:46:29 EDT

Nice
one hack is found and then look what we come up with. His child was probably playing with numbers and called it and thats what he got o.O

Jumpking04