vodafone protect app locked device

[laurenluxx]

I have the vodafone protect app on my phone (Samsung note 2), I took my simcard out and ever since the vodafone protect app has locked it. It asks for a pin number, and when I try to reset my pin on the vodafone website it says "There is no valid account associated with your number."

I can't remember my password or pin, and i keep getting that my number isn't valid with the app.

Any help would be much appreciated!

[drey_p]

No - you can't pay for a PIN reset.  The entire point of the app is that it is supposed to lock down the phone and prevent unauthorised use - and it sounds like it is doing a really good job of it.  If you can't reset the PIN because you haven't registered it with a Vodafone UK number, then the only way to get access to the handset is to factory reset it. 

[sana_m]

Hello, 

As you probably guessed I am having the same problem as everyone else on this thread. I registered with a non vodofone number (I believe the app came free - and thought why not). Ive tried to reset the pin via email but its not letting me - saying the number is not valid. I cant acess anythingm and dont want my photos to be lost. Is there anything that can be done? Reseting the pin solely by email prehaps - am at a loss as what to do. Please help

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi

Insert your Sim card into another alternative handset and then request that your PIN get sent to your number. Once you have that then key that into the phone that Vodafone Protect has locked and it should hopefully work.

[drey_p]

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@sana_m wrote:

I registered with a non vodofone number (I believe the app came free - and thought why not). Ive tried to reset the pin via email but its not letting me - saying the number is not valid. 

---

Hi there

If you have registered the app to a non Vodafone number, you are going to have to follow the advice I have given others in this thread.  You will have to factory reset the handset if you want access to it as there is no way past the PIN requirement. 

If your photos are saved to an SD card, you will be able to get them off by popping the SD card into a PC.  If they are saved to the internal memory, you won't be able to access them.

[Markymark13]

Hi, I am having the same problem as previous posts

protect has locked my phone and when i try to reset my pin says invalid phone number.so i go round in circles.

Can anyone help?

[BandOfBrothers]

http://support.vodafone.co.uk/Internet/Vodafone-apps/Vodafone-Protect/38949053/How-do-I-cancel-Vodaf...

Insert your SIM card into another mobile phone and then request that your PIN get sent to your number. Then enter that into the phone that Vodafone Protect has locked and it should work.

If that fails then a Hard Reset / factory reset on the device to take it back to how it was out of the box should work but take into account this procedure will delete saved items in the phones memory. 

[TheMitySamsung]

I am having the same issue as the above customers. My mum gave me her samsung mini s3 galaxy and I have tried to put in my tesco simcard from my old nokia but that seems to have triggered vodafone protect and when I tried to reset the pin on mcAfees site, they said there was no paccount registered to the phone number I put in.

Is there any way to sort this? It is incredibly frustrating.

[Woody1888]

Hi I'm having same problem with vodafone protect. I'm a sainsburys mobile customer I.e. on the vodaphone network and its my son's phone. He took the sim out for some reason and protect locked it. The phone is a vodaphone smart 6 and had the software pre-installed. If I follow the process to reset the pin via telephone automatic system vodaphone give me the 8 puk code not the 6 digit protect pin. Talked with Sainsbury support. They said vodaphone needs to reset as manufacturer. Went on chat. They said no problem. But tech team refused as I'm not a vodaphone customer even though I'm on the vodaphone network and with a vodaphone phone. They said to go back to sainsburys who told me to go back to vodaphone as the manufacturer who pre-installed the software. Don't want to factory reset and pulling the few strands left of my hair out!! I'm not sure I understand the sim swapping solution as surely I hit the same problem using the sainsburys mobile number . I.e. they won't let me in to reset. Anyone assist?

[drey_p]

Hi there

You are a Sainsbury's mobile customer and not a Vodafone one.  This app is designed for Vodafone customers, and basically, by using it, it's put you in a bit of a predicament.  The only way you can get past this is to do a factory reset of the device and completely wipe it.  This will reset the phone and the app. 

[Woody1888]

Didn't really have a choice as it was on the phone when purchased preinstalled. I don't think Sainsburys and vodaphone thought this one through. They are breaking up in the new year in any case but my son is upset about losing his photos.

A previous tech post from vodaphone earlier on this forum thread said you need to backup phone and reset. But I don't see the point of vodaphone protect if that is the case. Of you can backup the data from the phone then what is it protecting?

Can anyone from vodaphone comment? I don't think either Sainsbury/Vodaphone should have pre-installed without a way to redact.