{{name | Hey friend}},
I write a lot about the best cell phone plans.
But how do you actually switch your cell phone carrier?
What does the process look like? Can you keep your phone number? What are the steps involved?
In this newsletter, I’m giving you the full breakdown:
7 things to do BEFORE you switch
4 pieces of information you need to switch carriers
7 steps of switching carriers
7 things to do AFTER you switch
I’ll even cover exactly how to keep your current phone number.
As a bonus, I walk through step-by-step in my latest video:
7 Things To Do BEFORE You Switch Carriers
1. Keep your current service active
You need active service to transfer your phone number.
2. Check cell coverage of the new carrier you are thinking of switching to
There is nothing worse than switching to a new carrier only to realize coverage is poor and data speeds are slow.
Check data speeds and coverage in your area by entering your address in the free Coverage Map app.
All cell phone carriers in the U.S. will piggyback off of AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon for coverage.
3. Make sure your current phone is unlocked
It turns out whenever you buy a phone from a carrier, the phone is locked to that carrier.
That means the phone has special software on it that restricts it to only work on that carrier, even if it has the hardware to work on other carriers.
Getting your phone unlocked removes that software restriction and means your phone will work perfectly on your new carrier.
iPhone Users: Go to Settings > General > About > SIM Restrictions. “No SIM Restrictions” means your phone is unlocked and ready to go. “SIM Locked” means your phone is locked and you need to contact your carrier to get it unlocked.
Android Users: Unfortunately, most Android phones do not display their locked or unlocked status. You will need to contact your current carrier to determine if your phone is locked or not, and what the steps are for getting it unlocked.
If you bought your phone directly from the manufacturer (Apple, Samsung, Google, etc.), then it is unlocked and ready to use with any carrier.
4. Unfreeze your credit
If you are switching to a postpaid carrier that does a soft credit pull, make sure your credit is unfrozen beforehand.
5. Turn off port-out protection
Some carriers offer features to prevent unauthorized port-outs. Make sure you disable these features if you are switching carriers yourself.
6. Save your voicemails
Switching carriers will delete your voice mailbox. Make sure you save important voicemails before you switch carriers.
7. Check for discounts or referral codes
Most carriers offer special discounts for new customers, or referral codes that existing customers can share.
Ask your friends and family members for a code, or check on Reddit for referral codes.
Here are some available discounts as well:
Ultra Mobile: Get 25GB for $29 for a limited time
4 Pieces of Information You Need to Switch Carriers
Before you switch, you will need go get these four pieces of information from your current carrier:
Account number (typically visible on your online account, PDF bill, or by calling support)
Transfer PIN (different from your account PIN)
Billing ZIP code on file
Phone number(s) you are transferring
I have guides on my website, with video tutorials, on how to get your account number and transfer PIN from the three big carriers:
Once you have that information, you are ready to move on.
7 Steps To Switch Carriers
The exact process of switching carriers may vary depending on which carrier you are switching to.
In general, the process follows these seven steps:
Go to your new carrier’s website (making sure to use your friend’s referral link, or have a discount code on-hand)
Go through the sign up process
Select activate via eSIM if given the option (most phones from the last 5 years have eSIM, and it makes the process faster and easier)
Select keep my number or transfer my number when prompted
Enter your port-out details that you have on hand
Complete your order and activation process
Install your eSIM
Note: your current service will remain active until your number is successfully transferred over to your new carrier. Transferring your phone number can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to up to 72 hours, so be patient.
7 Things To Do AFTER You Switch Carriers
Once your eSIM is activated and you see you have service bars on your phone, there are a few things you will want to do:
Check data speeds by running a speed test (you can do this in the free Coverage Map app)
Send a test text message
Make a test phone call
Turn on RCS messaging
Set up your voicemail (press and hold the “1” key on the dial pad in the phone app)
Enable Wi-Fi calling
Re-freeze your credit (if it was unfrozen before)
Live Cell Phone Plan Advice Monday at 8pm ET!
Join me for my live stream on Monday at 8pm ET where I answer your questions about cell phone plans!
I hope you found this email helpful!
Happy Monday,
Stetson
P.S. - Check which network has the best coverage in your area the free Coverage Map app for iPhone and Android
