When it comes to the computer programmers, they have a storied tradition of creating back doors in programs (or sometimes just fun little Easter eggs) that can only be accessed with a special “key.”
Invention Of Secret Codes To Unlock Hidden Features In Your Mobile Phone
This is not new as it has been happening from almost as long as personal computers have existed.
So, it won’t be a surprise as this tradition continues to this mobile age too.
It gets interesting that most of these backdoors aren’t a secret that only programmers have access to.
Yess you heard right! A user can also use them via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), which is also known as “quick codes” or “feature codes.”
In simple words, it is an extra-UI protocol that allows people to access hidden features..
Basically, they have made publicly available backchannel codes (some sources claim there are 800 or more of them) which allow users to directly communicate with their service provider’s computers and access back-end features in their device.
How To Use These Quick Codes Or Feature Codes?
When it comes to the quick codes, they can be accessed by entering them into the phone’s dialer (the screen you use to start a phone call) and usually begin and end with the * or # keys with a sequence of numbers in between.
This model of operation also makes sure that there’s a close-to-zero chance that anyone would accidentally punch them in.
It is not very popular as most of these codes simply surface data that the average person doesn’t really need, like how nearby cell towers are performing, or what your IMEI number is (more on that later).
Still, in case you want to try them out, first do a web search of your phone’s make and carrier + “USSD” or “MMI” for a tailored, comprehensive list.
List Of Some Of The Quick Codes
- Field Mode: *3001#12345#*
- IMEI Display: *#06#
- Call Forwarding: *#67# and *#21#
- Call Waiting: 43 (Various Combinations)
- Available Minutes: 646
- Billing Cycle: 3282
- Caller ID: #31#
- Test Alert Status: *5005*25371#
- Check Account Balance: *777# (Prepaid) or *225# (Contract)
- Android Phone Stats: *#*#4636#*#*
- Call Barring: *#33#
- Read the Regulations: *#07#
- Wipe Your Android Device: *2767*3855# – it will perform a full factory reset/restore, even reinstalling the phone’s original firmware, so use it at your own risk.
