How to Get Off Your Parents' Phone Plan

While being on your parents’ family plan may seem convenient, it can also be tricky. You may have concerns about privacy or there may be conflict about usage. Or maybe you worry about coordinating coverage while you're at college and want a separate student phone plan.

Getting your own phone plan could be the solution.

What to do before leaving your parents' phone plan

Prepare to switch to a new phone carrier by taking these steps: 

1. Make your intentions known

Talk with the family account owner. Most family plans only allow the account owner to remove lines from the account (which in turns frees you to take your phone number with you). Also, their monthly bill may go up if they lose a multi-line discount, so they might want time to shop around for a new plan too. 

2. Find out if you can take your phone with you

Some phone carriers lock phones purchased directly from them to their own network, which prevents those phones from being activated with any other carrier. Also, if your phone was bought as part of a promotion or financing deal tied to the service plan, you may have to pay a lump sum to own it outright. Find out whether your phone is locked and whether you have to pay to take it with you.  

3. Pick out your new phone plan

Before you (or the account owner) make the cut, make sure you have a new plan lined up, so you’re not left without service. There are a lot of options to choose from, and it’s important that you know what you’re looking for when selecting the best phone plan.

Prepaid plans, especially MVNO phone plans, will always be the cheaper options, and you'll find plenty of choices to suit different data and budget needs. If you’re looking for a plan with specific perks and prioritized data, you might want a postpaid plan but they tend to be more expensive. It’s wise to have a budget figured out before shoppingJ, especially if you’re paying for your own phone plan for the first time.  

4. Learn how to take your phone number with you

All carriers are required to provide port-out information if requested, to allow you to keep your number when switching carriers.

Important: Only active numbers can be transferred, so make sure you get that information before you leave the family plan and port the number over before your line is shut down.

How to leave your parents' phone plan

If your family phone plan is with Google Fi, Mint Mobile, or Visible, you can leave the plan yourself. Either contact the carrier directly or manage your plan in your online account portal. With other carriers, the only way you can leave the family plan is by asking the account owner to remove you from it.  

How to take your phone number to a new carrier

Porting — or transferring — your number to a new carrier is an easy process. You will need to have your account information in order to complete the transfer. Carriers list this information in different ways — some will have it readily available in your account portal, some will require you to contact them directly. Use this guide to quickly find where your account information is with your service provider.  

Once you have your account information, simply contact your new provider directly to start the port, or follow its online process, if available, to complete the port.  

How to get a new phone number

If you do not want to, or are unable to, port your number over to a new provider, you can simply get a new phone number. When you sign up with your new provider, you will be given the choice to either use your own number or get a new one, at which point you can choose to get a new one and complete the account setup to start using it.  

How to take your phone to a new carrier

Taking your own phone with you can be a more complicated process, depending on its standing with your current family plan provider:  

• If your phone is financed through your current plan and has an outstanding balance, you will have to pay that balance before taking the phone with you.
• If your phone is locked to the network, you will have to contact the carrier directly to unlock it. Note that this isn’t always possible, but you can check out this guide to find out the unlocking policies of most carriers.  
• If your phone is paid off and unlocked, you don’t have to take any other extra measures other than having the account owner cancel your line after you start your new service.  

Once your family plan line is cancelled, you’re free to take your phone and activate it with your new service provider. This will require you to get a new SIM card, whether a physical one or an eSIM, which will allow you to use the new provider’s network for calls, texts, and data.  
 
>> Read more: How to activate a SIM card

How to get a new phone

Maybe you’re unable to take your current phone with you or simply want to upgrade, Many carriers have promotions for new customers that involve either free or deeply discounted phones. You can shop around for the best phone deals in advance and compare prices.  

Note: Buying a new phone outright and choosing a cheaper phone plan might save you money in the long run. Use this free phone bill calculator. to compare the overall costs of buying versus financing through a carrier. If costs are similar, also consider how long the device financing would tie you down to one carrier, reducing your options for getting a lower phone bill whenever you want. 

Pros & cons of leaving your parents' phone plan

Leaving your parents’ family phone plan is a big, but exhilarating decision. It’s a great way to assert your independence, can help you build your credit in some cases and also gain some privacy with your phone service. But it also comes with its disadvantages, especially if you’re used to getting perks like a streaming service subscription through your current family plan. And you might be dismayed to find out how much a phone bill costs for your single line. 

FAQs about leaving your parents' phone plan