Will straight talk phones work with the Walmart family?

In This blog post, we will answer the question, “Will straight talk phones work with the Walmart family?”.  We will cover topics like the key features of Walmart family mobile, eligibility criteria to unlock a straight talk phone device, and Steps to use straight talk phones with the Walmart family mobile

Will straight talk phones work with the Walmart family?

Yes, straight talk phones work with the Walmart family. Straight talk makes use of a SIM card. So you can easily switch from a straight talk network to a Walmart family mobile. But the phone should be unlocked and it should be compatible with the Walmart family mobile

What is the Walmart family mobile?

Walmart Family Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). It gives affordable services to the Walmart family device users by using T-Mobile’s network. T-mobiles is a GSM network carrier and not a CDMA network carrier. GSM stands for global system for mobile, and it is second-generation cellular technology. T-mobile is a GSM network carrier that is used by Walmart Family Device for mobile voice and data services. CDMA stands for code division multiple access.

Key features of the Walmart family mobile

  • Walmart family device users by using T-Mobile’s network, so you can avail good network coverage.
  • The phone plans are simple and affordable.
  • It offers no-contract phone plans.
  • All phone plans offer mobile hotspots
  • The phone plan starts at $ 24.88 per month with 2GB of full-speed data. More data can be added by paying $ 9.88 per GB.
  • For family mobile plans, additional lines are cheaper.

 Will CDMA phones work on Walmart family devices?

No, a CDMA phone will not work on a Walmart family device, because the Walmart family device makes use of the T-Mobile network which is GSM. If a cell phone is locked then it can be unlocked on another network, but it should be compatible with the technology used by the phone.

What carriers are compatible with Walmart family mobile?

Walmart family mobile requires T-Mobile a GSM phone which is unlocked, an activation kit, and an unlimited service plan by Walmart Family mobile. If you face any issues, try changing the access point name settings on your phone.

What is straight talk?

straight talk is a wireless network service provider and it was launched in 2009. It offers a no-contract phone plan service.

Key features of straight talk

  • The straight talk uses four major carriers namely Verizon, AT& T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Ultimately one can expect better network coverage.
  • Low-cost activation.
  • It offers a large number of compatible devices.
  • Offers a good selection of iPhones, even at a discounted price.
  • There is no credit check.
  • Offers good international options but with some additional charges.

Is it straight talk with T-Mobile? 

Yes, straight talk is with T-Mobile as well as it is with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Straight talk is MVNO ( mobile virtual network operator). That means straight talk doesn’t have its towers, but it makes use of other wireless network towers. It has rights to use towers to T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. 

Does straight talk has its towers? 

Straight talk is an MVNO. It has a joint agreement with Tracfone wireless and Walmart. Tracfone wireless provides cell phone service and Walmart is a retail outlet from where you can buy straight talk phone and cell phone plans. 

Straight talk has lease agreements with other network carriers. It provides both CDMA and GSM services to its subscribers by making use of major wireless network providers. 

So straight talk avoids the cost of building own network towers. Because of this, they can offer low-budget cell phone plans. 

Which network is used for straight talk?

The straight talk 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. 

In case of network congestion, whenever there is heavy traffic, less priority is given to the straight talk subscribers compared to other major subscribers.

What are the eligibility criteria to unlock a straight talk phone device?

A straight device may be locked to either a T-mobile or AT&T’s GSM network. If the phone device is on another network except for T-mobile, you need to unlock it. Following are eligibility criteria to unlock a straight talk device.

  • The cell phone should not be reported as blocked or lost.
  •  An account concerned with the device must be active.
  • The phone device must be active for at least twelve months.
  • All your bills must be clear.
  • The device must have been activated after February 2015.
  • Your phone device must be in working condition.
  • You can unlock the device only once a year.

How to unlock straight talk phones?

To unlock a straight talk phone, use the following steps.

  • Call customer care T 1-877-430-CELL(2355).
  • Request for unlock code. The unlock code usually consists of 10 to 15 digits.
  • Purchase a T-mobile sim card.
  • Switch off your phone.
  • Remove the old sim card and insert a T-mobile sim card.
  • Switch on the device. 
  • Enter the unlock code and click on the “unlock” option.

How to unlock straight talk 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. 

Unlocking straight talk iPhone using iTunes 

Even after satisfying all eligibility criteria, your iPhone may still not be 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. 

What are the porting instructions?

If you want to switch from straight talk to the Walmart family mobile, initially you need to call straight talk customer service. Request them to release your phone number for port out. This is required to minimize the delays in the porting process.

How to get an account number for a straight talk phone?

To complete the porting process, you need to know the account number of your straight talk phone. It is a 15 digit number registered with straight talk. This is the IMEI number of your phone.

Normally this number is located on the backside of the phone. If it is hard to read out the number then go to the setting menu and get the serial number of your phone.

How to get the PIN? 

To Port your number to T-mobile you need to have your phone PIN. 

To obtain the PIN following steps are used. 

  • Go to the straight talk website. 
  • Open the “my account” page. 
  • Click “update personal profile”. 
  • The security pin will be displayed. 

Steps to use straight talk phones with the Walmart family mobile

The following steps are used to transfer straight talk phones to the Walmart family mobile.

  • Check that your phone device is unlocked.
  • Check the compatibility of your phone.
  • Select a phone plan.
  • Purchase sim activation kit.
  • Sometimes you need to change the APN settings of the device.

How to check the compatibility of your device?

 Following are major requirements for your phone to be compatible with the Walmart family mobile

  • The phone device must be an unlocked GSM phone.
  • They should be capable of operating at 1900 MHZ frequency.
  • Depending on your location, to avail of LTE services you need band 2, band 4, or band 12.
  • To check the compatibility of your device, text BYOP to 611611.

What is International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)?

IMEI 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. 

Below are other Walmart Family Mobile articles you may be interested in:

What is Family mobile’s SIM network unlock pin?

How to get the Walmart family mobile unlock code?

What towers does family mobile use?

Conclusion:

 This blog post addressed the topic, “Will straight talk phones work with Walmart family?

 “We understood that you can easily switch from a straight talk network to Walmart family mobile. But the phone should be unlocked and it should be compatible with the Walmart family mobile. The blog post also outlined the steps required to use a straight talk phone with a Walmart family mobile.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Will straight talk phones work with Walmart family?

Is straight talk an MVNO? 

Straight talk is an MVNO. It also offers the user a “pay as you go on” cell phone plan. It has a joint agreement with Tracfone wireless and Walmart. Tracfone wireless provides cell phone service and Walmart is a retail outlet from where you can buy straight talk phone and cell phone plans. 

Straight talk has lease agreements with other network carriers. It provides both CDMA and GSM services to its subscribers by making use of major wireless network providers. 

Is a straight talk SIM card compatible with unlocked GSM phones? 

Straight talk makes use of a SIM card. So you can easily switch to a straight talk network from other network carriers. If you have an unlocked GSM or CDMA phone then you can use a straight talk SIM. But unfortunately, all GSM phones will not work with straight-talk SIM. 

If you have an unlocked phone which already uses a GSM card then generally it should work with straight talk. The CDMA phones which make use of the 4G LTE are compatible with straight talk. Because such phones have a SIM card slot. 

What are the cons of straight talk? 

  • Limited primary plans and family plans are not available.
  • Hotspot connectivity is available only on one plan ($ 55 plan).
  • Below average customer care service

Can T mobile track IMEI? 

Yes, whenever you make a call your identity is represented by two numbers, one is the IMEI(International Mobile Equipment Identity) number and  IMSI( International Mobile Subscriber Identity) number

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.

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.

References:

The 9 Best Straight Talk Phones to Buy at Walmart in 2022

You don’t have to spend a lot of money on phone plans

By Yoona Wagener Updated on May 5, 2021

https://www.lifewire.com/best-straight-talk-phones-to-buy-at-walmart-4173696

HOW TO SWITCH CARRIERS AND KEEP YOUR PHONE

18 JULY 2018

https://blog.straighttalk.com/switch-carriers-and-keep-your-phone/

How to Unlock a Phone on Every Carrier in 2021 | Digital Trends retrieved from https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-unlock-a-phone-on-every-carrier/

Walmart family mobile terms and conditions

https://www.myfamilymobile.com/termsandconditions

Does Straight Talk Use SIM Cards?

Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping More Accounting & Bookkeeping

By Nicole Martinez

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/straight-talk-use-sim-cards-71213.html