To switch carriers and keep both your phone and your number, do four things in order. Check the phone is unlocked. Choose the new carrier by network. Get your account number and a Number Transfer PIN. Then sign up and let the new carrier pull the number across. Do not cancel anything yourself.
That last point is the FCC’s own advice: “Do not terminate your service with your existing company before initiating new service with another company.”
1 Check your phone is unlocked
A locked phone works only on the carrier that sold it. The FCC describes unlocking as “disabling software” that stops a phone built for one carrier’s network being activated on another’s.
Carriers have recently lengthened their prepaid locks. Verizon Prepaid, Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile and T-Mobile Prepaid all now require 365 days of service before they unlock. The rules for each carrier are in our unlock your phone guide.
Unlocked is not the same as compatible. The FCC notes that unlocking “may not make the phone technologically compatible with another wireless provider’s network”. Use the new carrier’s compatibility checker with your phone’s IMEI number before you buy a plan.
2 Choose by network first
There are three national networks in the United States: Verizon’s, AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s. Every other brand rents one of them. So decide which network works at your home and workplace, then pick a brand on it.
Our MVNO list shows which brand uses which network. If price is the reason you are moving, start with the cheapest plans.
3 Get your account number and transfer PIN
Your new carrier needs both from your old one. The PIN is temporary. Verizon’s lasts 7 days, AT&T’s 4 and Cricket’s 5, so get it when you are ready to move and not before.
Where to find each: find your account number and port your number.
4 Sign up and port
Tell the new carrier you are bringing your number. Give it the phone number, the account number and the transfer PIN. The FCC says a simple port must “be processed in one business day”, and between wireless carriers it is often a few hours.
Your old line closes by itself when the number leaves. Verizon says, “Don’t disconnect your Verizon service until the transfer is complete.”
What you may still owe
Switching does not cancel a debt. The FCC is clear that your old carrier “cannot refuse to port your number, even if you owe money”, and equally that your contract “may contain early termination fees and/or outstanding balances that you are obligated to pay”.
After the switch
If calls work and data does not, the phone may need the new carrier’s data settings. See mobile data not working and the APN settings for your new carrier.