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How to transfer your number from Visible to Verizon?

Visible uses Verizon network so porting from Verizon into Verizon technically is not possible. You will get an error on the Verizon website when trying to port a Visible number in. There's a simple way to get past this error and that is to transfer to an interim carrier that uses a network other than Verizon. I found Tello the perfect candidate for the interim carrier. It uses T-Mobile network and the plans are really cheap to port in. I used the $5 plan with 100 min talk and no data for the port. Here is the step by step (I used an iPhone with eSim support but the steps could be modified for any phone with or without eSim): Get your port out details from Visible. You can either use the app or its website to request port out information. It will email and text you the details. The PIN it provides you will be valid for 7 days only so you need to make sure you can start the port out process in 7 days (or else you can request the port out details again which will generate a new PIN va
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How to know if your iPhone is unlocked?

If you just got your iPhone unlocked from your carrier or/and want to know if your phone really has been unlocked, there are a few ways of doing this: Go to Settings->General->About->Carrier Lock. If this shows 'No SIM restrictions', your iPhone is unlocked. Please note that you do not have to remove your original SIM from your phone and insert a new SIM from another carrier for this step. Insert a new SIM and wait for the activation process to finish. If it lands you on the home screen, your phone is unlocked. You can also check #1 to confirm. The new SIM does not have to be activated. Backup & restore from iTunes. OR, if you have nothing to backup, you can simply Erase All Content & Settings and set it up as a new iPhone. Once you land on the home screen, go and check #1. Go to the website of any carrier that supports BYOD compatibility check and does not use the same network as your original service (to which your phone was locked). For example, Spectrum Mob
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Applying for a new OCI card (minor - by birth) at VFS Global (USA)

Owing to widespread confusion about the documents required to be uploaded on the Indian government website and what needs to be sent to VFS, I thought it is time I come back and write a new blog. This blog will only focus on documents, not the actual process to apply for the OCI card (as VFS does a pretty good job at doing that). This list is true as of October 2021, any changes to the document list after this month are not covered here. Having said that as a disclaimer, let's jump right in: Documents required to be uploaded on the Indian Government OCI Services website and the various  categories  they should be uploaded under ( Tip 1:  As these are soft copies of originals, no need to self attest any of these documents), Tip 2: Every category below accepts only a single PDF file with size less than 1 MB so scan your documents at 150 DPI max,  Tip 3:  Be ready with a software that can merge and compress PDFs - Adobe Acrobat DC gives out a 7 day trial and it is the best!): Current
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Applying for an Indian passport at Cox and Kings Global Services (CKGS) USA - reissue in case of near expiry

I recently applied for a reissue of Indian passport at CKGS. Their website is pretty informative (though repetitive). You can basically start at their How to Apply page and it will guide you through the entire process. Since they talk about everything in detail, there is no point repeating that information here. So I'll just quickly list down some gotchas and a summary of what you have to do: Start the application on their (CKGS) website and don't go directly to the Indian Government website. This is really important, else you'd have to repeat the process again. Once you begin the application, CKGS gives you a temporary ID/web reference number. It is really important that you save this number. You can use this number to come back to the application again (in case you do not finish it in one shot) and even for application tracking purposes (after you've submitted it). Please note that you can come back to an unfinished application only till a certain stage in the p
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How to apply for a Schengen visa in the US

I recently applied for a Schengen visa (Greece embassy, Chicago) and wanted to share the experience with answers to some questions I could not find online. Here is the process: Book an appointment!! - This should be the first thing you should do as you might have to wait for a month to get the next available appointment. Everything else could be prepared in the meanwhile you're waiting for your date so book the appointment first! For Greece embassy Chicago, you'd have to call and take an appointment. They (the visa department) are only available between 2 pm to 4 pm on weekdays. I've read numerous posts online about people complaining they don't pick up their phones but that could be because you're calling outside these hours (the embassy opens at 9:30 am). I called exactly at 2 pm and they picked up the phone and booked my appointment (for me and my wife together). They do confirm verbally if your main country of travel is indeed Greece! On a side note, they&#
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How to apply for a UK visitor visa from USA (Chicago)

Just wanted to share my experience about applying for a UK standard visitor visa from Chicago. This post does not start with the usual stuff every other website has (check if you're eligible for a visa on arrival, check if you even need a visa etc etc). It is just an 'express' post that just answers some basic questions. If you're a non-resident salaried employee in the US and you'd like to travel to the United Kingdom as a tourist (or to visit a friend) with you yourself funding your visit, this post is for you. There are 4 steps to follow: Complete your application online - Fill a separate application for each of your family members. As part of the application itself, it'll take your payment and schedule your biometric appointment with a USCIS Application Support Center. ( Edit 1/23/20: Some readers have commented that these days they also require you to upload soft copies of your supporting documents on the VFS site after filling up this application).
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What doesn't get backed up/needs to be setup again after an iTunes backup & restore?

iTunes does a good job of backing up and restoring all your iPhone data, settings and purchases. It backs up everything that couldn't be downloaded again. There are two ways you could backup your data using iTunes: Transfer purchases to iTunes - This is a very crucial setting that can affect a lot of things. If you don't want to login into each of your apps again after the restore, make sure you say yes to this question (this question will popup as soon as you start your backup process). Saying yes will encrypt your backup with a password. This is where things get tricky. I must have chosen a password the first time I backed up my phone and when I chose to back my phone up again after an year with the transfer purchase option, iTunes somehow did not ask me for a password (it may have remembered my old password). While doing a restore, when I selected that backup, it started demanding the password from me. I had erased all my data and settings from my phone after backing it
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