How to register a Symbian Application?

Most Symbian applications are commercial software. To reduce piracy, they typically require that you activate the software after it is installed. If you do not activate the application within the specified trial period, it will stop working. The activation process ties the software purchase to a specific device. It works as follows.

Each Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) device is uniquely identified by a 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code. You can get your device's IMEI code by typing *#06# on the keypad

Write down the IMEI code of the device you installed the software on and submit it to the software store or the developer. The option to submit the code will be made available to you when you download or purchase the .sis file.

The vendor or developer then sends you back an activation code (usually within minutes, but sometimes within a few days). You bring up the Activate menu of the application and type in the code to complete the activation process.

The Symbian application uses a secret algorithm (probably a secure hash algorithm with a secret key) to calculate the expected activation code based on the IMEI code. The software store and the developer know how to calculate the activation code from the IMEI code as well. In the meantime, as the user, you do not know the secret and hence cannot calculate the activation code yourself. So, if you supply the correct activation code to the application, it "knows" that you have gone through the official activation process. If you need to use the application on a different device beyond the grace period, you might have to repurchase the product and get a separate activation code. However, you should contact the vendor and explain that you are switching phones. They might offer you a new activation code for little or no cost.

The activation process enables Symbian software developers to offer trial versions of their software. For most commercial applications, you can download and install the .sis file for free and try it out during the trial period. You need to purchase the software only after you verify that it works with your device and are satisfied with its performance. The trial period could last a number of days or a number of restarts after you first install the application. In fact, Nokia Series 60 devices often come with trial versions of Symbian applications preinstalled on their add-on memory cards. They typically allow you to use them 510 times before activation