How to Switch Phone Carriers

Not satisfied with your current phone service or simply want a cheaper phone plan? It’s easy to switch phone carriers. Just follow these steps.

Check for contract or phone financing obligations 

First, check your current service:  

• If you’re on a postpaid phone plan, you have a contract you signed agreeing to service for a set period (usually 24 or 36 months). If the contract period’s not up you can still switch, but you may have to pay an early termination fee.  
• Even prepaid phone plans may have a cost commitment built in, for example Mint Mobile’s 3- to 12-month service bundles or AT&T’s 12-month prepaid plan. You can switch early, but you won’t get a refund on the remaining service period you prepaid. 
• Your phone also may have a contract that obligates you if you financed it through your carrier. Check whether you’re paying monthly for your phone (or getting bill credits to offset the price), how much is left, and what you will owe if you leave. 

Are you on someone else’s phone plan?  

If you share a plan with someone else, for example you want to get off your parent’s phone plan, you need to talk with the plan owner about separating your line and number. There are a couple extra steps to exit one plan and switch cell phone carriers when getting your own plan. 

Decide if you’re taking your phone when you switch carriers 

If you want to keep your phone, check whether it’s locked to your current carrier (“locked” means it only works with that carrier, while “unlocked” phones will work with many carriers). If you still have time on a postpaid contract or a phone financing contract, it’s likely your phone is locked to that carrier. Contact the carrier to find out how you can get it unlocked and what it will cost (this carrier unlock guide can help you navigate the process).  

Or you might want a new phone to go with your new carrier. Many carriers offer phone deals to new customers, offering savings on popular phones. But it’s worth using a free phone bill calculator to see if you’d save even more by purchasing a phone outright to use with your choice of phone plan.  

>> Read more: Learn how to transfer your number and data to a new phone 

Pick a new phone plan 

Switching phone carriers gives you a chance to lower your phone bill, get better perks, and even change networks for better coverage. When selecting a cell phone plan, consider these factors: 

How much do you want to spend? You can find savings in a few ways:  

• Switch to a cheaper prepaid phone plan, which also lets you skip a credit check and avoid a contract. 
• Look into new customer discounts and deals that reduce the price of the plan or a new phone. Know the requirements: Some discounts require you to bring your phone number with you, while others require getting a new number. They also may require you to commit to a specific plan and/or keep the plan for a set number of months. 
• Check out any perks and whether they can save money elsewhere in your budget. For example, maybe you can save on Netflix or Hulu if you get a phone plan that includes it for free or at a reduced price.  

Think about how much data you need. This is a chance to drop to a cheaper plan if you routinely use less data than you’re paying for — or it’s a good time to get more mobile data  or more hotspot data if you need it. 

If you’re bringing a phone, make sure it will work with the new plan. Look for a “device compatibility checker” on the carrier’s website. 

Check the new carrier’s coverage map. You want to be sure there’s good service in areas you frequent, or you won’t get your money’s worth.  

Read reviews and real users’ comments. This helps you get another viewpoint beyond the carrier’s marketing. 

>> Read more:  

• Mint Mobile review 
• TextFree review 
• TextNow vs. Helium Mobile 
• TextNow vs. Visible 

How to switch to your new carrier 

After you’ve chosen a new carrier and cleared any obstacles to switching, like exiting a family plan or paying off your phone, the process is fairly easy. Just don’t cancel the old service until you complete the process, or the carrier may give away your number!  

Gather information you need from your current carrier 

You’ll need the account number, account holder’s name, and the billing ZIP code for the current plan, plus a number-transfer PIN (also called a port-out PIN). Not sure how to find the information you need? Check out our number porting guide or reach out to customer service at your current carrier.  

This is also a great time to back up your phone to the cloud, just to make sure apps, contacts, photos, etc. are saved.  

Start the new service  

When you sign up with the new carrier, it will guide you through the process of transferring your number or getting a new one. (Many carriers will let you pick from a list of available numbers.) You will also activate a SIM card or eSIM for the new service.  

Transferring service doesn't take long, typically only minutes unless you’re also getting a new phone and have to transfer a lot of data and apps.  

Check and pay the final bill for your previous service  

When you transfer service and port your number if you’re taking it, that automatically cancels the previous service. But, just to be safe, check with the previous carrier to verify service has ended.  

Check for a final bill, review it for accuracy, and then pay off all outstanding charges. Failure to pay can really hurt your credit score.  

Recycle or sell your old phone 

If you’re getting a new phone, the new carrier may have offered you money for it as a trade-in. Or perhaps you’re handing down your old phone to a family member (pairing it with a TextNow SIM card is a great way to get cheap service for a teen or kids).  

If not, you can sell the old phone or simply recycle it.  

Prepare the phone:  

• Make sure you’ve signed out of your Google or Apple account and any “Find My” type apps. 
• Unpair connected devices, like headphones, your smartwatch, etc. 
• Do a factory reset to remove any personal data from the phone, and remove the physical SIM card if it has one. Also remove any memory boosters like an SD card.  
• Gather related accessories you want to get rid of, like the charger.  

Choose a marketplace or recycling service:  

• You can use an online selling platform like Facebook Marketplace, Swappa, Gazelle, eBay, etc. Also, EcoATM has kiosks inside stores where you can get cash for phones, and the electronics repair chain Cellaris buys phones.  
• If you simply want to recycle the phone, look for a recycling drop-off site. Retailers or phone carrier stores may offer a free recycling drop box. Also check with your local recycling service or do a web search for charities that accept donated phones to help veterans, domestic violence survivors, etc.  

FAQs about switching to a new phone carrier