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o2 UK Unofficial Information

This page contains information on UK Network Operator O2

At FileSaveAs, we have pages dedicated to helping mobile users setup their phones for Web, Wap, media-messaging and email. As well as outlining what o2 has to offer, this page contains specific information that may be of use to O2 online customers.

O2 SIMUK Network Operator o2 has two ways you can buy their services - from stores, or online. Deals for online users tend to be better than those you get from high-street retailers.

O2 online offers tariffs targeted at users of SMS text messaging and the Mobile Internet.

If you use SMS text messaging, then O2 could be a clear winner, as you can send up to 1000 free messages direct from your mobile. This beats many of the web-based free SMS-text services, plus offers by Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile.

 

The benefits of o2's online offering:

Free text messages: Send up to 1000 free SMS text messages from your handset
Free minutes: Up to 1500 a month
Free mobile phone:

o2 online carries a range of the latest mobiles and smartphones, or if you prefer, you can keep your own handset and go for a SIM-only deal

Choice of options: Choose a pay-monthly or a pay-as-you-go tariff, either with or without a handset. See o2's tariffs
Keep your number: You can keep your current mobile phone number, although the transfer may take up to 28 days, depending on your existing provider
Online bills: Manage your phone bill online with free itemised billing (see example).

 

o2 SIMsFour free SIM cards!

o2 is offering two free SIM cards. Each SIM comes with unlimited texts when you top up just £5 a month. Get your SIM cards at freesimo2.o2.co.uk

 

For a list of all phones available, and to see which are free, see the o2 handset range

Summary of O2's online tariffs:

Tariff
Monthly rental
Free minutes per month
Free SMS per month
Pay Monthly (with handset)
From £10.50
Unlimited
Unlimited
Pay As You Go (with handset)
n/a
Unlimited
Unlimited
Pay Monthly (SIM-only)
From £10.50
Unlimited
Unlimited
Pay As You Go (SIM-only)
n/a
Unlimited
Unlimited
O2 tariff information correct as of April 2011. Please refer to o2's site to check prices are still current.
Notes: Free SMS doesn't apply to messages sent from outside the UK. 'Any network' free minutes apply to standard rate UK fixed lines, calls to any UK network mobiles and voicemail 901 calls.

 

o2 Useful information:

SMS Service Centre number:

+447802 000332 (contract), or +447802 092035 (pay as you go).

This number is used to configure your phone for sending text messages. (See SMS page)

Handset's serial number: Enter '*#06#' as a phone number, to get your handset's serial number (known as the IMEI) - useful if your phone is stolen
Software version: Enter '*#0000#'' as a phone number, to get your handset's software version number. Doesn't work with all makes of handset
Pay as you go credit Enter *#10# as a phone number, to check how much remaining credit you have
MMS on o2 Want to know what MMS is, or how to set it up? Go to our MMS page.
WAP and GPRS settings The GPRS APN (Access Point Node) is mobile.o2.co.uk
o2 WAP setup information
Contacting Customer Services If you need to contact Customer Service by phone or email, see our o2 Contact Page
Stolen handset

If your o2 handset is stolen, call o2 immediately:

  • Contract: 08705 214000
  • Pre-pay: 08705 678678
SMS delivery receipt: To get a receipt when a text message is delivered, prefix the text message with *0# to get a receipt when the message is delivered (e.g. send the string '*0#Hello World'). This works on a per-message basis.
How do I upgrade my o2 handset? When you take out a contract with o2 that includes a handset, the handset is either free or low-priced, as the cost of the handset is built-in to the first year's worth of contract. If you've been on contract for at least 12 months, you probably qualify for a handset upgrade. If you want to upgrade, you can do so via the o2 online website, or by calling the o2 upgrade line on 08702 259933
o2 email details:

As well as being able to access your o2 email from the o2 website, you can also access your mail from common email applications like Outlook, or from your PDA email application (e.g. Pocket PC, Palm or Psion).

The details needed are as follows:

Incoming (POP3) server: mail.o2.co.uk
Outgoing (SMTP) server: smtp.o2.co.uk or mail.o2.co.uk
Username: <Your o2 logon name>@o2.co.uk (e.g. myusername@o2.co.uk)
Password: The password used to log on to the o2 website

o2 Frequently-asked questions:

How do I get a SIM card?

Free o2 SIM cardHere are a couple of options for those looking for an o2 SIM card:

  • UK residents can get up to four free o2 Pay-as-you-go SIM cards from freesimo2.o2.co.uk.
  • Alternatively, you can get a SIM card on contract directly from o2 online
What does 'free minutes' mean?

Free minutes listed in the o2 online tariffs can be used for off peak calling to other networks. Calls during peak times will be billed at the published rates. Depending on the tariff, your inclusive minutes are for use at off peak times only. Off Peak free minutes on Online OffPeak 500 and Online OffPeak 750 tariffs apply to calls to standard rate fixed lines, other O2 mobiles and voicemail 901 calls.

"Any network" free minutes apply to standard rate UK fixed lines, calls to any UK network mobiles and voicemail 901 calls.

Contract duration Contract cancellation depends on whether you have a handset, and how long you've been with o2. For full details, see the small print on the o2 site. As a guideline:
  • You can cancel your contract within the first 14 days without charge
  • If you've entered into a deal with a handset, you'll have agreed to a minimum 12 month O2 airtime contract. Charges paid by direct debit.
  • If you've been in your contract for more than 12 months, you can terminate your account giving the required notice.
Upgrading your handset

When you take out a contract with o2 that includes a handset, the handset is either free or low-priced, as the cost of the handset is built-in to the first year's worth of contract. If you've been on contract for at least 12 months, you probably qualify for a handset upgrade.

If you want to upgrade, you can do so via the o2 online website, or by calling the o2 upgrade line on 08702 259933

Data services / 3G

If you want to connect your laptop to the Internet while away from home or the office, o2 offers a Mobile Broadband service, and their 3G network covers a reasonable amount of the UK.

o2 USB modemo2's Mobile Broadband service is supplied with a PC and Mac compatible USB dongle, and costs £15 a month, with a 3 gig a month cap. There's also a Pay As You Go service.

Details at broadband.o2.co.uk/mobile or on our o2 Mobile Broadband page

How do I stop getting o2 text alerts and messages? Log on to your o2 account at www.o2.co.uk, then go to "My Alerts" and set all alerts to 'off'
What is my SIM card PIN?

The PIN code for your o2 SIM card is printed on the delivery slip that comes with your SIM card. If in doubt, try O2's default PIN code for SIM cards, which is either 0000 or 4321.

Note that you get three tries to enter the PIN, and your phone will be locked if you fail after these tries. You'll then need to contact o2 to get a PUK code.

Problems viewing your bill? See our o2 billing page
What is my PUK code?

You will be asked for your PUK code if you've had more goes at guessing your SIM card PIN code than you're allowed.

You'll need to contact o2's Customer Services for your PUK code - For o2's Customer Services, dial 1702 from your mobile, or call 0906 302 0220.

You can also get your PUK online here: o2 PUK Code

Using services abroad

Users with an o2 account should be able to use their phone overseas, but note the following:

  • You need to contact Customer Services to enable "International roaming".
  • Not all phones work in all parts of the world - For example, the US uses a different frequency range to Europe, and you'll need a get a tri-band phone.
When 'roaming' on overseas network, note that it's more expensive... also, if someone calls you while you're overseas, you'll pay for the International leg of the journey.
  • WAP and GPRS access whilst you are abroad is not free
  • Text messaging and data access from abroad (including Channel Islands and Isle of Man) will be charged at the foreign network operators prevailing rates for a text back to the UK.
  • Text messages sent from the UK to non-UK mobiles on foreign networks will not be included in your free allowances and will more than a UK-to-UK text message.

For details of using o2 overseas, see the o2 Traveling Abroad page on o2's site

 

o2 GPRS / 3G settings

GPRS and 3G services provide an "always on" mobile Internet connection, allowing for faster WAP browsing, web surfing and email. o2 will need to enable GPRS settings for your SIM card before you can use this. You'll need to contact Customer Services. For more on GPRS, see our GPRS page.

The o2 GPRS settings can be found on the o2 section of our GPRS Settings page


o2 MMS settings

MMS is the abbreviation for Multi-media messaging - sending images and videos between mobiles. Your network operator must enable MMS settings for your SIM card before you can use this. You'll need to contact Customer Services. For more on picture messaging, see our MMS page.

The Vodafone MMS settings can be found on the o2 section of our MMS Settings page

For more help, see our Connected? page

 

o2 WAP settings

WAP gives you access to special pages optimised for use on a mobile phone. For more on WAP, see our WAP page.

The o2 WAP settings can be found on our WAP Settings page

 

Sell your old mobile phoneSell your old phone for cash!

Got an old mobile phone handset that you're no longer using? Don't leave it gathering dust - recycle it. You may even be able to make some money for getting rid of your old phone safely.

For a summary of the best deals on making cash from your old handset, try the comparison search tool at www.sellyouroldmobile.co.uk

 

o2 Voicemail Frequently-asked questions:

Voicemail retrieval number: 901
Accessing voicemail from a landline or from abroad

To access your voicemail account from a standard landline phone, you'll need to use your personal o2 voicemail retrieval phone number. If you don't already have this number, dial +44 7802 090100 and when prompted, enter your o2 mobile phone number. The system will check your account, then send you a text message which contains a phone number that you can use to access your voicemail while you are overseas.

To access your o2 voicemail, dial your personal voicemail retrieval phone number and when connected, enter your mobile phone number followed by a *. During the greeting, key *<your PIN>, then key 2.

If outside the UK, remember to prefix with +44 and lose the first '0', e.g. +447802 090100.

Alternatively: We've also had luck accessing o2 voicemail while roaming, by dialling our own o2 mobile number from our o2 handset. It seems that with some roaming partners, the system recognises it's you that's dialling, and diverts you to your own voicemail account.

Enable / Disable voicemail Dial the following codes from your mobile to turn on and off o2 voicemail:
  • Turn on: 1750
  • Turn off: 1760
Voicemail notification o2 gives you the option of being called when there's a waiting voicemail, receiving a text message alert, or seeing a voicemail icon displayed on your phone. You can change your voicemail notification method by dialling your mailbox (see above). From the o2 Voicemail Main Menu, key 4 and follow the prompts.
What is my PIN? O2's default voicemail PIN is 8705. If you haven't set a PIN, this is likely to be your PIN number. If in doubt, dial 100 from your o2 mobile for the o2 Operator.
Can I leave a message without ringing a mobile Until March 2004, it was possible to do this by calling 07802 090100, but this has now changed. Now, each customer has their own dedicated voicemail number. Provided you know this number, you can call it and follow the prompt to leave a message. See "Accessing voicemail from a landline or from abroad" for details on getting this number.
How do I change my greeting / voicemail message?

To change your greeting, you need to connect to your mailbox (as above). Then, go to the o2 Voicemail Main Menu, and select 'Greetings', which is option 3. You can change your name and your voicemail answerphone greeting from here.


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