Japanese phone - cannot access "settings" to change language

[Lillieperl]

I bought a phone on eBay. It's a BlackBerry Key2 running Android 8. (My primary phone is also a BB Key2. This was intended as a backup for when my phone dies.)

All characters are Japanese. NO icons are visible. IOW I do not see a home screen with icons-- only Japanese words and Japanese characters.

The seller keeps referring me to a YouTube video to change the language, but that video shows a normal home screen with normal icons. I can't get there because I don't read Japanese.

A friend has a Japanese daughter-in-law, and I'm going to try to get to see her. I just need to be able to access settings.

This is what I see when the phone boots up: https://i.imgur.com/s2fD8cC.jpg
I can get to other screens and even get on WiFi with my home WiFi password, but all the screens are Japanese with no icons.

Can anyone help me in the meantime?

 

[SpookDroid]

The top says that there is no SIM card inserted and that only Emergency calls are available. The bottom is just asking you to sign into your Google account (so I'm assuming this is the first 'setup' screen). You can use Google Translate's live translation option with your other phone's camera to read what you're seeing on screen. Can you access any settings by swiping down on the notification bar? Some phones don't let you until you've completed or skipped the initial setup/sign-in. Have you tried factory-resetting the device from boot? Bear in mind that, depending if this is a carrier-branded phone or intended for sale only in a certain region, English (or other non-region-specific languages) may NOT be available.

 

[mustang7757]

Factory reset in recovery, hopefully u dont find out it belongs to someone else

 

[Lillieperl]

Should I put my SIM card in it? The one from my current phone, which is a BB Key2 identical to this one?

Can you access any settings by swiping down on the notification bar?

No. Swiping down from the top of the screen does nothing.

Have you tried factory-resetting the device from boot?

How do I do that?

Won't a factory reset just reset it to Japanese?

_____________________________________________________________________

This was sold as an unlocked phone.

The seller is telling me to change the language, so I'm assuming it can be changed to English.

This was a reputable eBay seller with high ratings. He included a return label, so I can return it if I can't figure this out.

 

[mustang7757]

Factory reset will reset whatever was on it to original state assuming its not from different region and a good seller should do this before selling a device to make sure it still not attached to another person account

 

[Lillieperl]

...a good seller should do this before selling a device to make sure it still not attached to another person account

I have no reason to believe that my seller is anything but a "good seller." How does your reply help me in my current predicament?

 

[mustang7757]

I have no reason to believe that my seller is anything but a "good seller." How does your reply help me in my current predicament?

Could be but you have device with different language means to me it wasn't factory reset from beginning otherwise it would ask to choose a language from beginning of set-up, so can try factory reset in recovery or return the device.

 

[Lillieperl]

...it would ask to choose a language from beginning of set-up, so can try factory reset in recovery or return the device.

How do I know it's not asking me that... but in Japanese?

try factory reset in recovery

How do I do this?

 

[mustang7757]

How do I know it's not asking me that... but in Japanese?



How do I do this?

Reboot the device and before it starts up hold power /volume up button same time until u see recovery if u see a bot then press those buttons once more until u get a menu to wipe/factory reset

 

[Lillieperl]

I watched a YouTube video that demonstrated this.

I've tried it several times but never got the reset screen. It just booted up normally.

I don't think I'm going to get any help here. Thanks anyway.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Sorry this has been challenging. The characters at the lower left are to skip signing into your Google account -- can you try tapping that and seeing if it brings you to the homescreen? If so, then you can at least get to the system settings and look for the system language option there.

You came to the assumption that you're not going to get any help on this forum after only 3 hours -- remember that this is a community forum made up of volunteers, and not a professional support site staffed by paid professionals. Issues that people raise on this forum sometimes take a few days or longer to resolve, as other members chime in. Give it more time.

 

[mustang7757]

Not only what B. Diddy mentioned but if you think your not going get help here your wrong , try other sites with a older device like yours and be crickets

 

[mustang7757]

I watched a YouTube video that demonstrated this.

I've tried it several times but never got the reset screen. It just booted up normally.

I don't think I'm going to get any help here. Thanks anyway.

https://www.mobilereset1410.com/blackberry-key2-recovery-mode/

 

[Laura Knotek]

What carrier do you intend to use this device on? If it's AT&T, then it won't be allowed on their network. It isn't on their list of approved devices. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...0QFnoECBQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2lA_9HK28cLw67Gnq_1Zsz

 

[swebb]

I know this doesn't help with the problem, but I would expect that an ebay seller in an english language country would have changed the language before listing the phone. Or at least explicitly mentioned that the language needed to be changed and supplied clear instructions.

I would just return it at this point and move on.