There are lots of incorrect information floating out on the internet.
I will outline the exact steps you need to use to port out your number to another mobile carrier.
This information is accurate as of March 18, 2023.
- STEP #1 – This may be obvious, but if you plan on re-using your device with the new mobile carrier, your device must be UNLOCKED. If you purchased your Apple device directly from Simple Mobile, be aware that it takes twelve billing cycles to unlock.
- STEP #2 – The exact steps required to determine the unlock status varies by IOS or Android. For Apple iPhone devices, click on the SETTINGS –> GENERAL –> ABOUT icons than scroll all the way down to the bottom of the screen. If you have an IOS 15 or later, you will see a line that says “CARRIER LOCK – No SIM Restrictions” if your device is unlocked. If you have an IOS 14 or earlier, you will see “Network Provider lock – No SIM Restrictions” For Android devices, click on SETTINGS –> ABOUT PHONE. For Android phones, you will have to call your new carrier to find out. I recommend that you DO NOT use free online tools for security reasons.
- STEP #3 – If you think your phone should be unlocked but it isn’t, AND you purchased the phone from TracFone family of companies (Tracfone, Simple Mobile, Straight Talk, ,etc.), you can go to TWUnlockPolicy.com and enter your IMEI in the SERIAL NUMBER field to find out if your phone is eligible to be unlocked. If eligible, you can call or submit an online request your phone to be unlocked. Please note that as of this writing, Tracfone Wireless has been purchased by Verizon. Again, I do not recommend wasting money for any online unlocking services.
- STEP #4 – After confirming that your device is unlocked, next step is to log into Simple Mobile’s account login page. I suggest using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox browsers as Simple Mobile’s website seems to not work well with other browsers including Brave, Vivaldi, etc. You need to confirm your phone number and zip code and click on a button to generate the NTP (Number Transfer PIN)
| Note |
|---|
| After the port is complete, your online account will remain open but all past invoices and any reward points will disappear. So capture whatever you need before submitting your transfer request. If you have 5,000 or more reward points, you can convert them into Amazon gift card. Unfortunately, the points are NOT transferable to other accounts, even to family members. |
- STEP #5 – If you are like me, you probably never completed the profile page (street address, zip code, etc.). Update it now before requesting the transfer PIN. No, Simple Mobile does not go by the original zip code, it goes by the latest zip code. Please note that Account number shown on the dashboard and security PIN are NOT the info you want!
- STEP #6 – In order submit a transfer request, you need to phone number (obviously), zip code, account number and NTP. The account number can be from two different sources:
- If you purchased your phone directly from Simple Mobile – the account number is the last 15-digits of your IMEI
- If you brought your existing phone to Simple Mobile – the account number is the last 15-digits of your Simple Mobile SIM card
- STEP #7 – That is all you need to initiate and complete your port-out request from Simple Mobile. If you encounter issues, you can call Simple Mobile support at 877.878.7908 or chat (type “agent”, wait for a prompt, type “agent”, wait for a prompt, then type ” porting out problem” to reach the correct support chat agent).
Although Mint Mobile told me it would take up to 48 hours to complete the port, it took less than 5 minutes to complete process.
Hope this helps some of you out there. Please leave a comment if you liked this post.
Thanks
