Unlimited Mobile Data ‘Hack’: Does it work?

If you browse long enough on social media, you will encounter sellers that promise “Unlimited Data” using a “hack” for a small cost. It sounds exciting especially if you want to go on a downloading spree without spending too much on data allocation. So, for research purposes, we tried it ourselves just to see if it really works. We’ll give you a spoiler though — it didn’t end well.

There are sellers on Facebook and Twitter that offer ‘Free Unlimited Internet’ service with the help of a legitimate VPN. Some sellers will let you have a two-hour trial for you to see if this is working. If you are convinced and availed of this service, they will create a username and password for you so you can log in to their server. Then you’ll need to register to a specific promo – basically any promo except those with big data allocation.

The idea is the VPN will intercept your data traffic on your smartphone so your ISP won’t be able to track your usage. In a nutshell, the method takes advantage of a loophole found in the network’s system.

As mentioned earlier, we tried this method just to see if it really works on an iPhone. I was able to consume 60GB of data in just two days, considering I only subscribed to a promo with a data allocation of 100MB of Facebook daily for five days.

Speed-wise, I was getting downloads of up to 14Mbps. I can do video calls with my teammates, download apps, stream Youtube, browse social media, and upload TikTok videos. It was working smoothly for the first two days.

On the third day, I woke up, checked my phone, and noticed that there were no new messages and notifications. I checked my data connection and saw that I’m not getting LTE coverage.

I spent 30 minutes roaming around the house, thinking that I’m just suffering from a dead spot. I also did some troubleshooting such as restarting my data and reinserting my SIM card. Still, not working. I also checked the VPN service, deleted the profile, then tried again. Still no coverage.

Eventually, I gave up and called my carrier’s customer service. I told the CSR about my problem and upon checking in their system, the unlimited data method violates the network’s policy and even mentioned the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The CSR, however, was not able to provide details on the latter.

As a consequence, the SIM is now permanently banned from accessing that network’s data. But you can still send and receive text and calls.

In summary, the unlimited data method works, but we don’t recommend it. Technically, it’s not unlimited as you will get banned eventually. Not to mention you’re also breaking rules here. It’s just not worth it.