Can I use Tracfone with T-mobile?
By
HuutiMoney
This blog post will answer the question ” Can I use Tracfone with T-mobile?”.It covers the topics like networks used by Tracfone wireless, What are the prerequisites before using a Tracfone phone with T-mobile? and How to switch to the T-mobile carrier?
Can I use Tracfone with T-mobile?
You can easily use Tracfone with T-mobile. Call customer care at 1-800-937-8997
- Check the eligibility of your phone number.
- Keek handy your wireless account number, PIN, and billing address.
- Purchase a new sim card.
- Choose a T-mobile phone plan.
What is a Tracfone?
Tracfone wireless is a well-known prepaid service provider. It is abbreviated as TFWI (TracFone Wireless, Inc.). Tracfone is a contract cell phone service provider. It is an MVNO and it makes use of other wireless network towers. It has rights to use the towers of T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.
Verizon acquired TracFone Wireless in 2021, presently TFWI is a subsidiary of Verizon Communications. Earlier TracFone service was limited to their own branded phones. Because these phones were locked to the Tracfone service provider by using an internal SIM.
In 2013 Tracfone started the” bring your phone program”, under which subscribers were able to put Tracfone SIM cards in a compatible CDMA phone like Verizon CDMA. In 2015, Tracfone extended this service for compatible GSM phones.
Tracfone wireless network also operates several other services including straight talk, simple mobile, total wireless, net ten wireless, total cellular, etc.
Key features of Tracfone
Some important key features of Tracfone are as follows
- It offers a no-contract prepaid cellular service.
- Operates on major network carriers including AT&T, Verizon and Verizon, and T-Mobile.
- Offers 4G LTE and 5G data speeds.
- Under “bring your phone program”, you can keep your old phone number.
- Provision of Wi-Fi calling.
- Provision of visual voicemail.
- Offers multi Month discount.
Is Tracfone T-Mobile?
Tracfone is not T-Mobile. Tracfone is an MVNO ( mobile virtual network operator). That means Tracfone doesn’t have its towers, but it makes use of other wireless network towers. It operates services by using the towers of T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.
What is the major difference between T-mobile and Tracfone?
T mobile is a major cell phone carrier. T-Mobile makes use of its network. It has roaming agreements with other major carriers to improve the network coverage.
Tracfone does not have its towers. It is MVNO(a Mobile virtual network operator). The Tracfone uses four major carriers, namely Verizon, AT& T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. But you don’t have a choice to move from one network carrier to another.
What is a T-Mobile?
T-Mobile is the third-largest wireless network provider in the United States. T-Mobile is a German telecommunication industry and it has some investments in other mobile communication industries in the United States
T-Mobile USA has a network sharing agreement with Cingular Wireless, an American mobile operator. Due to this, T- mobile has access to some top markets in the USA.
Which carrier is used by T-Mobile?
Mainly, there are two carriers, namely GSM and CDMA. GSM stands for “Global System for mobile”. It is second-generation cellular technology. Another carrier is CDMA, and CDMA stands for “code division multiple access.” T-Mobile is a GSM network carrier, and it is used for mobile voice and data services.
Why use Tracfone with a T-mobile network?
T-Mobile is the 3rd-largest wireless network provider in the USA. T-Mobile is a German telecommunication industry and it has some investments in other mobile communication industries in the United States.
T-Mobile USA has a network sharing agreement with Cingular Wireless, an American mobile operator. Due to this, T- mobile has access to some top markets in the USA.
What are the key features of T-mobile?
- Monthly installment plans are offered for T Mobile phones.
- More priority is always given to the T-Mobile subscribers on the network over Metro
- pcs subscribers. This is a prime important factor in case of network congestion.
- T mobile offers some better additional options, for example, international talk and
- data add-ons
- T mobile network providers have an excellent customer service record.
- Some extra perks are offered only for T-Mobile subscribers.
Perks for T- mobile subscribers
T mobile offers the following parks for their subscribers.
- On every Tuesday, Magenta and Magenta Plus subscribers are eligible for freebies. It may include movie tickets at discounted prices or free food.
- For family unlimited plans, if any one of the family members is not using the full data, then T-mobile offers an account credit.
- T mobile offers a “digits program “, where you can use one number on multiple devices, and subscribers with two or more lines will get a free Netflix subscription. T-mobile plans
- T- Mobile provides three unlimited data plans namely Essential plan, Magenta, and Magenta Plus plan.
- You will get some premium data on the Essentials plan. Magenta Max plan is the best plan for those who need huge amounts of data. It is unlimited and there is no slow down problem.
- For the magenta max family plan if you add one line then the cost per line will be reduced by $15. If you go on adding more lines, then you can bring the cost down to $40 per line.
- It’s a really good offer for totally unlimited and high-speed data. Speed up to 30 Mbps or even more can be obtained.
- T-Mobile offers its prepaid plans. The range of prepaid plans is from $45 to $75 per month.
- You can avail 4GB of LTE data for $45 and 10GB of data for $50. At the higher end,
- T-mobile offers unlimited data plans for $75.
Is T-mobile have the best 5G network coverage?
On average, the T-Mobile network provides much faster 5G speeds compared to AT&T. If you have a 5G mobile with a T mobile network, you can expect internet speeds of about 85 Mbps. While having 5G on AT&T network internet speed over just 52 Mbps. So, for 5G mobile phones, the T-Mobile network is much faster than AT&T mobile network.
Steps to use Tracfone phone with T-Mobile
The following steps are used to use Tracfone phones with T-Mobile.
- Gather your current network account information that includes your account number, password or PIN, and Billing zip code.
- Make sure that your phone is active with Tracfone.
- Check that your phone is unlocked.
- Make sure that your phone is compatible with T- mobile.
- Choose an appropriate phone plan from T-Mobile wireless network.
- Activate the new plan and cancel out the previous plan with Tracfone.
Eligibility criteria to unlock Tracfone phones
One can unlock Tracfone phone devices provided that the following criteria are satisfied.
- The cell phone must have been active for at least twelve months.
- The cell phone should not be reported as blocked or lost.
- An account concerned with the device must be active. If it is not active, you need to reactivate it before unlocking it.
- Depending upon prepaid or postpaid plans, the device should satisfy all necessary unlock requirements.
- All your bills must be clear.
How to unlock Tracfone?
Use the following steps to unlock your Tracfone device.
- Call customer care at 1-800-867-7183.
- Provide the required information to a customer representative in order to prove your ownership.
- Request for the unlock code.
- Switch off the Tracfone device and insert the new sim card.
- Switch on the device and the unlock code.
- Click on “OK’. You will get the text message about verification of unlock code.
How to use Mobile Unlock Service?
- Outside of carrier service to unlock your phone, there are different paid services to unlock it for you.
- If you do not meet the carrier’s eligibility criteria, you can go for these paid unlock services. Though these services are legal gray areas.
- These services are hassle-free, you just need to provide them with your IMEI number(International mobile equipment identifier).
How to unlock iPhone devices manually?
You can also unlock different phones manually. Especially for LG devices, AT&T doesn’t allow you to unlock the phone. In such cases, a manual method is used.
Following are the steps to unlock different phone devices manually.
You can use the back and erase method to unlock your iPhone device.
- Firstly, create a backup of your phone in iCloud.
- Erase the phone device.
- Restore the device using backup files.
How to unlock iPhone using iTunes
Even after satisfying all eligibility criteria, it may happen that your iPhone is still not unlocked. In this case, use the following steps to unlock the iPhone using iTunes.
- First, complete the iTunes backup.
- Reset your iPhone.
- Once the welcome screen gets opened, reinstall the backup files by connecting the iPhone to iTunes.
- Try this using Unlock features.
How can you check whether the cell phone is already unlocked?
Some network carriers provide cell phones which are already unlocked. To check whether your cell phone is already unlocked or not there are some simple methods.
- Call your current network carrier and ask for the information, whether your cell phone is locked or unlocked.
- If you have a GSM cell phone then the simplest technique is; to remove the original sim card, insert another SIM card and check whether you can make calls or send a text. if you are in a position to make a call or send a text then your phone is unlocked.
How to check the compatibility of the Tracfone phones with T-Mobile?
Even if you have an unlocked phone, you need to check the compatibility of your device on the T-Mobile network. Use the IMEI number to check whether your device is compatible with T-Mobile or not.
What is an IMEI?
IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity ) is a special identifier associated with Global Mobile Communications System (GSM) phones IMEI is used to identify a device on a cellular network. GSM phones are assigned with 15–17-digit identifiers. It is your device’s social security number. It identifies the device uniquely and the network it is being used on.
How to get the IMEI number?
The simplest way is, you will get an IMEI number on the label of the mobile battery. If it is not clear then use the following steps to retrieve the IMEI number of your phone.
- Dial *#06# on your phone device.
- Click on the “settings” and then click on “General”.
- Click on the “change device” link then select your device and enter “find IMEI number”.
- The article will be displayed for your device, follow the instructions.
How to get an account number and PIN?
To use Tracfone with T-mobile, you need the account number and the PIN from Tracfone wireless. The account number is the IMEI number of your phone. While the PIN is the last four digits of your phone number.
Can you port your number and select the T-Mobile phone plan?
Yes, you can keep your old phone number when you transfer to T-Mobile.T mobile allows you to port your number. The number should be compatible with the T-mobile network. Use the following steps to port your number.
- Check eligibility of your phone number.
- Keek handy your wireless account number, PIN, and billing address.
- Purchase a new sim card.
- Choose a T-mobile phone plan.
- Visit the T-mobile store for porting the number, you can also port your number online.
The next step will be to select a suitable phone plan.
T-Mobile phone plans
Under this category, we will consider the following significant plans
- Unlimited plans
- Family plans
- Prepaid plans
Unlimited plans
It is a plan which gives unlimited text and voice for the entire month. It also includes unlimited data. But after reaching a specific data limit, the data speed is affected, and it is reduced.
Technically, these plans are unlimited, but the fact is that speed gets reduced as you go on using premium data.
T-Mobile provides three unlimited data plans:
- Essential unlimited plan
- Magenta unlimited plan
- Magenta plus unlimited plan.
Family plans.
T-Mobile network providers give reasonable offers for family plans. If you add lines, then the cost per line will get reduced. For the magenta max family plan, if you add one line, the cost per line will be reduced by $15. If you add more lines, you can bring the cost down to $40 per line. It’s a perfect offer for totally unlimited and high-speed data. Speed up to 30 Mbps or even more can be obtained.
Prepaid plans
T-Mobile offers its prepaid plans. The range of prepaid plans is from $45 to $75 per month. You can avail 4GB of LTE data for $45 and 10GB of data for $50. At the higher end, T-mobile offers unlimited data plans for $75.
How to activate SIM with T-Mobile?
To activate your SIM card, use the following steps.
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- Provide the security verification details.
- Select the option either SIM or eSIM.
- Enter the EID number of your phone. It is the serial number of your device.
Below are other T-Mobile articles you may be interested in:
How do I know my number on T-mobile?
How to put T-mobile sim card in iPhone?
How to reset voicemail password on Android T-mobile?
Conclusion:
This blog post addressed the topic, “Can I use Tracfone with T-mobile?”We understood that if a Tracfone phone is unlocked and compatible then it can be used on T-mobile. This article outlined the unlocking steps for Tracfone phones. It also covered compatibility checking with T-mobile.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs): Can I use Tracfone with T-mobile?
Are all cell phones locked?
All cell phones are not locked. The cell phone purchased from a carrier under contract is locked. However, if you purchase a phone directly from the manufacturers, it is unlocked. In this case, you can easily switch from one carrier to another.
What do you mean by a locked phone?
A locked phone is a mobile device tied up with a particular mobile carrier network. If you purchase a new cell phone under some contract, it is locked.
How to set up your iPhone with T-Mobile?
- Check out the compact ability of your phone.
- Check out whether your phone supports the frequency band of T-Mobile carrier.
- Use “online SIM is checker” to find out which SIM card is suitable for your device.
- Set up and configure your iPhone.
Is a Tracfone SIM card compatible with unlocked GSM phones?
Tracfone makes use of a SIM card. So you can easily switch to the Tracfone network from other network carriers. If you have an unlocked GSM or CDMA phone then you can use a Tracfone SIM card.
Can you check your carrier with IMEI?
IMEI provides only device-related information and not any personal information of the owner. But it does provide a location and some network-related information.
What networks does Tracfone use?
Tracfone does not have its network towers. It operates the services by using four major networks; AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint. If you are a Tracfone subscriber then depending on your phone and location you will be using one of the major networks.
References:
How to Switch to T-Mobile
06 November 2020
By Lauren Hannula
Switch to T-Mobile
Keep your phone, trade it in, or buy a new one—the choice is yours. Whichever way you switch, we’ll help make it easy, fast, and affordable.
Tracfone In 2022: What You Need To Know
How to Determine Which Carrier a TracFone Uses
By Fred Decker Updated September 4, 2019,
Tracfone Beginners Guide – New to Tracfone? Start Here!
How to Get Started with Tracfone Prepaid Service
Updated August 2020
TracFone Wireless Review