How to use unlocked phones on T-mobile?
By
HuutiMoney
This blog post will provide you with the details about using an unlocked phone on a T-mobile network. It will provide you with the details about checking the compatibility of your phone with the T-mobile network. It will also provide a detailed analysis of the activation of sim cards on the T-mobile network.
How to use unlocked phones on T-mobile?
To use an unlocked phone on T-mobile, use the following steps.
- Open the official website of T-mobile.
- Go to the IMEI status check.
- Enter the IMEI number of your phone and check the BYOD(Bring your own device) eligibility.
- Purchase a new sim card.
- Select a suitable T-mobile phone plan.
How to check whether the cell phone is 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 your phone?
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.
How to check IMEI?
To check the IMEI number of your device following steps are used.
- From the Home screen, select Main Menu.
- Scroll to and select Settings.
- Scroll to and select Phone Settings.
- Scroll to and select Phone info.
- Scroll to and select Version info.
- Scroll to and view the IMEI.
You can find the number in your iPhone’s settings.
Go to Settings > General, then About.
Or
On the dial pad screen, press *#06#, and you will see the IMEI. Some phones require you to press the send key after the code.
Once you have the IMEI number you can directly go here to enter your IMEI number there and click on check.
Information provided by IMEI
IMEI tells you plenty of specifications about the device like
- Brand
- Mobile phone model
- Date of purchase
- year of release
- Warranty
- Kind of device -iOS /Android
When you make a call the IMEI information along with the phone number reaches the service provider.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.IMEI can also retrieve the call logs as when you make a call using your device the SIM sends the IMEI number with the phone number to the telecom operator.
How does IMEI help service providers?
GSM uses subscriber identity module cards to store subscribers’ information.
Customers can easily switch the SIM card from one device to another and start making calls without any problem
It helps operators identify valid customers and disable the devices from their end if reported lost or stolen.
IMEI is hardcoded by the manufacturer; it helps the carrier understand the capabilities of the device; it helps the provider to get the device to a nearby tower for connection.
If you lose your phone or if it gets stolen, IMEI will help you make sure the person who stole it won’t be able to use your device. The device can be denied service to any cellular network even if the SIM is changed.
T mobile with other service providers keeps a common database of blacklisted IMEI to deny service to lost or theft phones
How IMEI helps cell phone users
Whenever you buy a new phone it is recommended to keep IMEI information safe for future use.
IMEI is very useful when buying an old used phone as you can confirm that the device you are buying is:
- Not stolen
- Not in denied or blocked list
- Not connected with any fraudulent activity.
- Has no outstanding balance
- Has no pending insurance claim
When you want to sell your old phone on any E-Commerce portal they ask you for IMEI to get all the details about the device. It helps the retailers keep track of where and when the device was sold or if it’s blacklisted.
It is always a good practice to check the IMEI number before buying a used device to validate the originality.
Can I port my number to T-mobile?
Yes, 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.
How to get the account number and PIN?
The following table shows details about getting the account number and PIN of your current wireless network.
| WIRELESS NETWORK | ACCOUNT NUMBER | PIN |
| Verizon | On your phone bill or online account. | Log in to your account.Click on the “number transfer pin” option.Click on “generate PIN” |
| AT&T | On your phone bill or online account. | Last four digits of a phone number. |
| Boost | On your phone bill or online account. | Last four digits of a phone number |
| Cricket | Online account | are created while setting online account |
| MetroPCS | Open the website “MetroPCS.com”Open “My account’Click on the “payment” option to select any month.The account number is in the bill reminder text. | Your date of birth. |
| Sprint | On your phone bill or online account. | Call customer care at 1-888-211-4727 |
| Straight talk | IMEI number of your phone | Log in to your account.Click on “update personal profile.Click on the “current security pin” option. |
How much time does it take to port the number?
If you are porting a single line then usually it takes 24 hours to complete the porting process. For porting multiple lines, it may take ten working days. But generally, the porting process is completed within six working days.
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.
How to activate a sim card for a new number?
If you have purchased a new handset and it is along with the sim card then to activate this sim card use the following steps.
- Insert the sim card in your cell phone. If it is an Apple phone then the sim card is already inserted into the device.
- Follow the onscreen prompts to set up the sim card.
- Make a call to 1-800-T-Mobile or 1-800-866-2453
How to activate a sim card online?
- Log in to your T-Mobile account using your credentials.
- 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.
- Restart the device, if you face any issues try to resolve them using “APN SETTINGS”
How to activate a sim card for prepaid services?
Keep the IMEI number of your phone handy.
Open the “ prepaid activation page” of T-mobile and follow the activation instructions.
Are all iPhones compatible with T-mobile?
Almost all iPhones are compatible with T-mobile. But depending upon the model of your iPhone, some features may not work. The following table shows a summary of some iPhone models.
| iPhone model | Network | Band |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 7 and 7plus | 3G and 4G | 66,71 |
| iPhone 8and 8plus | 3G and 4G | 71 |
| iPhone X | 3G and 4G | 71 |
| iPhone SE | 3G and 4G | 71 |
| iPhone 11 | 3G and 4G | 66,71 |
| iPhone 12 | 3G and 4G | 66,71 |
Can you continue the current phone number and select the T-Mobile phone plan?
Yes, you can keep your old phone number when you transfer to T-Mobile. 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.
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.
Below are other T-Mobile articles you may be interested in:
Does T-mobile have its own towers?
Does T-mobile insurance cover crack screens?
Does T-mobile fix cracked screens?
Conclusion
From this blog post “How to use unlocked phones on T-mobile?”, we understood that unlocking is required to change the service provider. This article outlined the detailed procedure of checking the compatibility of the unlocked phones with the T-mobile network.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): How to use unlocked phones on T-mobile?
How to activate an eSIM card?
To activate an eSIM card, use the following procedure.
- Connect your cellphone to the WiFi.
- Remove the physical sim card if you are using it earlier.
- Get an eSIM setting by using a QR code or using an SM-DP+ address.
- Add a cellphone plan. For iPhones use” settings”, then select cellular, and finally click on the “add cellular plan” option. For android phones use settings>network and internet>+
- Then fill up the SM-DP+ address, it is T-MOBILE.GDSB.NET. Don’t fill up the activation code and confirmation code. Keep it blank.
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.
How to 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.
Is Unlocking your phone legal?
Yes, it is legal, but there are some restrictions.
- The cell phone should not be reported as blocked or lost.
- An account concerned with the Device must be active.
- Depending upon prepaid or postpaid plans, the Device should satisfy all necessary unlock requirements.
- Your phone for any contract must be fully paid for any contract you have with the current network.
- If you have a prepaid phone, usually mobile network carriers cannot lock your phone for more than a year.
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.
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.
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.
HOW TO SWITCH CARRIERS AND KEEP YOUR PHONE
18 JULY 2018
Transfer your phone number to T-Mobile.
Switch to T-Mobile, and keep your number.
Can I Bring My iPhone to Another Carrier?
CRAIG LLOYD @craigelloyd
Updated October 16, 2018,