Phone & Contacts

Your trusty smartphone in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is far more than just a communication device; it's a vital tool for mission progression, drug dealing, and even accessing cheats. Mastering its functions will significantly enhance your gameplay experience. To access your phone, simply tap the phone icon on the bottom screen of your DS or press the corresponding button on other platforms.

Using the Phone Interface

Once you open your phone, you'll be presented with several key options:

Contacts: This is where you'll find the numbers of all the characters you've met and who are relevant to the story or side activities.
Messages: Check your inbox for important mission briefings, drug market updates, and other useful information.
GPS: Access a detailed map of Liberty City, set waypoints, and view the locations of various points of interest, including safe houses, drug dealers, and mission markers.
Cheats: This menu allows you to input various cheat codes for in-game advantages. More on this below.
Settings: Adjust game options like audio levels and screen brightness.

Contacts: Your Network of Crime

Your contacts list will grow as you progress through the story and meet new individuals. Here's a breakdown of key contacts and their uses:

Huang Lee: Your own contact. You can call yourself to hear your voicemail messages.
Kenny Lee: Your uncle and primary mission giver in the early stages. You'll frequently call him to initiate new story missions.
Wai Lee: Another key family member who will provide missions and guidance.
Hsin Jaoming: The head of the Liberty City Triads. He'll give you high-stakes missions.
Chan Jaoming: Hsin's son, often involved in more chaotic and less savory tasks.
Lester Leroc: A drug dealer contact. Calling him allows you to check the current drug market prices for various substances. This is crucial for maximizing your profits in the drug dealing mini-game.
The Fixer: This contact becomes available later in the game. Calling The Fixer allows you to purchase weapons and armor for delivery to your current location. This is incredibly useful for restocking during intense missions or when you're far from a weapon shop.

Actionable Tip: Regularly check your contacts list, especially for Lester Leroc. Calling him frequently will keep you updated on the fluctuating drug prices, allowing you to buy low and sell high across Liberty City's districts. For example, if you see "Weed" prices are low in Bohan, buy it up, then check the phone again later for a high price in Algonquin to sell for maximum profit.

Messages: Staying Informed

Your message inbox is not just for story progression. Pay close attention to messages from:

Mission Givers: These will often provide crucial details about your next objective or new opportunities.
Drug Dealers: You'll receive messages about "hot" drug deals, indicating a specific drug is currently selling for a much higher price than usual in a particular area. Act fast on these!
Random Tips: Occasionally, you might get messages offering hints about hidden packages or unique vehicle spawns.

Cheats: Bending the Rules

The "Cheats" section of your phone is where you can input various codes to alter gameplay. To activate a cheat:

Open your phone.
Select "Cheats."
Carefully input the code using the on-screen keyboard.
Confirm the input.

Important Note: Using cheats can sometimes disable achievements or certain game statistics. Save your game before experimenting with cheats if you're concerned about this. Some popular and useful cheats include:

Full Health/Armor: A code like "LOADOFCASH" (example, actual code varies by platform) might also grant full health and armor.
Weapon Sets: There are codes for different weapon tiers, such as "WEAPONSET1" or "WEAPONSET2" (again, examples). These will instantly equip you with a new arsenal.
Wanted Level Down: Useful for escaping the police, a code like "COPSAREBAD" (example) will reduce your wanted level.
Spawn Vehicles: Some cheats allow you to spawn specific vehicles directly in front of you, like "SPAWNCOMET" for the Comet sports car.

Refer to a dedicated cheat code guide for the exact codes for your specific platform (DS, PSP, iOS, Android) as they can differ.