new phone, new SIM card, new carrier
November 2, 2024 11:12 AM Subscribe
Three things need to happen with my phone: what's the order of operations here?
I've had the same SIM card that I've been moving from phone to phone snice 2014 and it's reached the end of its lifespan. For about the last week, I've been getting error message on my phone to "please insert SIM card" and it bricks during this time--no calls, no texts, and only internet if I'm connected to WiFi.
I also have been wanting to change carrier for a while and this seems like a good time to do it. I'm currently on Verizon but want to move to Mint (where my husband and son have a family plan).
Finally, my screen has an encourmous crack in it that is finally causing problems, making the touchscreen difficult to use. I bought a new phone and it will be arriving Monday.
What is the best order to address all these issues in?
I've had the same SIM card that I've been moving from phone to phone snice 2014 and it's reached the end of its lifespan. For about the last week, I've been getting error message on my phone to "please insert SIM card" and it bricks during this time--no calls, no texts, and only internet if I'm connected to WiFi.
I also have been wanting to change carrier for a while and this seems like a good time to do it. I'm currently on Verizon but want to move to Mint (where my husband and son have a family plan).
Finally, my screen has an encourmous crack in it that is finally causing problems, making the touchscreen difficult to use. I bought a new phone and it will be arriving Monday.
What is the best order to address all these issues in?
The question here is whether the phone you bought was through Mint, Verizon, or someone else.
Mint won't work with your Verizon SIM - they're on the T-Mobile network and they'll provide their own SIM. If you ordered a phone from them, it will come with a new SIM or be able to be activated via eSIM. If that's the case, you just need to wait until Monday, activate the Mint phone, transfer your number from Verizon, and wait an hour or so for the transfer to take place.
Or did you buy a phone from Verizon? That likely won't work with Mint - it may be locked to Verizon, or was not designed to use Mint/T-Mobile's radio spectrum. If the phone is from Verizon, you can go to a nearby Verizon store and they can issue you a new SIM that will work with the new phone, usually at a small cost. (Perhaps it too would come with one, which you could activate on the phone or by calling them.)
If you bought an unlocked phone compatible with Mint, Mint can either send you a new SIM or, if this new phone supports eSIMs, you can activate a Mint eSIM via a QR code or their app rather than wait for them to send a physical SIM.
I think we need more specifics on what kind of phone you bought and where you bought it from to give you the right next steps.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:41 AM on November 2
Mint won't work with your Verizon SIM - they're on the T-Mobile network and they'll provide their own SIM. If you ordered a phone from them, it will come with a new SIM or be able to be activated via eSIM. If that's the case, you just need to wait until Monday, activate the Mint phone, transfer your number from Verizon, and wait an hour or so for the transfer to take place.
Or did you buy a phone from Verizon? That likely won't work with Mint - it may be locked to Verizon, or was not designed to use Mint/T-Mobile's radio spectrum. If the phone is from Verizon, you can go to a nearby Verizon store and they can issue you a new SIM that will work with the new phone, usually at a small cost. (Perhaps it too would come with one, which you could activate on the phone or by calling them.)
If you bought an unlocked phone compatible with Mint, Mint can either send you a new SIM or, if this new phone supports eSIMs, you can activate a Mint eSIM via a QR code or their app rather than wait for them to send a physical SIM.
I think we need more specifics on what kind of phone you bought and where you bought it from to give you the right next steps.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:41 AM on November 2
Response by poster: I bought an unlocked, older model phone via a third party.
posted by Ideal Impulse at 11:42 AM on November 2
posted by Ideal Impulse at 11:42 AM on November 2
If the unlocked phone is compatible with Mint, you would purchase a new plan from Mint which will come with a new SIM that you would install in the new phone and activate, and then you would request they transfer your current Verizon number from your old Verizon phone to your new Mint plan and new phone.
If the unlocked phone is compatible with Verizon, you would go to the Verizon store to get a new SIM, or request a new SIM from Verizon by phone.
If the unlocked phone is compatible with both, you can choose between either of the above.
(You can also try installing your old SIM in the new phone, but given network changes across all of the carriers over the past decade and the issues you're having, it would almost certainly be worthwhile to get a new SIM in any scenario.)
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:54 AM on November 2 [1 favorite]
If the unlocked phone is compatible with Verizon, you would go to the Verizon store to get a new SIM, or request a new SIM from Verizon by phone.
If the unlocked phone is compatible with both, you can choose between either of the above.
(You can also try installing your old SIM in the new phone, but given network changes across all of the carriers over the past decade and the issues you're having, it would almost certainly be worthwhile to get a new SIM in any scenario.)
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:54 AM on November 2 [1 favorite]
When you get the new phone, have your husband add you to his Mint family plan. Port your number from VZ to Mint. All of this can likely be done through the Mint website. If your new to you phone cannot do eSim, then Mint will send you a hard Sim to put in your phone. Sometimes it takes a few hours for the number to Port or in a rare instance a day. This is done all time.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:49 PM on November 2
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:49 PM on November 2
JohnnyGunn, Mint doesn't provide a discount to OP as part of a "family plan" even though Mint technically offers family plans for convenience of billing. OP can choose to be part of their partner's plan or order their own plan at the same cost. My wife and I are both on Mint with separately billed plans and there is literally no advantage to us in terms of merging those.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 2:05 PM on November 2
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 2:05 PM on November 2
Thank you for the heads up. I am considering the switch to Mint from TMUS so not much of a switch other than cost. If the family plan is moot from a discount standpoint, this could be an excellent time to have my 30yo daughter start paying her own way. :-)
posted by JohnnyGunn at 2:21 PM on November 2
posted by JohnnyGunn at 2:21 PM on November 2
Response by poster: Can I keep my same number if ai buy a new SIM card off the rack?
posted by Ideal Impulse at 5:38 PM on November 2
posted by Ideal Impulse at 5:38 PM on November 2
You need to port your number to the new carrier. It's an option on the mint website. They handle it from there. You also activate the sim on their website.
posted by H21 at 6:40 PM on November 2
posted by H21 at 6:40 PM on November 2
If you buy a sim card from say Best Buy, you can port your number to that sim. It may require you activate it first with whatever random number Mint assigns you, but then port it from VZ to Mint replacing the random number.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:50 PM on November 2
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:50 PM on November 2
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posted by Ideal Impulse at 11:16 AM on November 2