Switch phone carriers and keep your number by starting the transfer with the new provider while your old line is active. Check phone compatibility and the required account details before submitting.
This U.S. consumer guide uses official instructions checked November 5, 2026. No number transfer was performed for this article. Business accounts and landlines can follow different procedures.
Check that you can keep the number and use the phone
Ask the new carrier to check the number’s eligibility. The FCC’s number-porting guidance explains geographic and rural-provider exceptions. A compatible phone does not settle whether the number can move.
Next, check the exact phone with the new carrier, including whether its SIM or eSIM setup is supported. A number transfer moves the number; it does not unlock a handset. On iPhone, Apple’s carrier-unlock instructions say to open Settings > General > About and check Carrier Lock. “No SIM restrictions” means it is unlocked. Only the current carrier can unlock it, not Apple.
If the device cannot move, you might need a different compatible phone even though the number can transfer. Our unlocked versus carrier-phone guide covers that separate purchase decision. Do the checks before requesting a short-lived transfer PIN.
Gather the old account details before starting
Use the information on the existing account, not the name or address you hope to use on the new one. T-Mobile’s official number-transfer checklist lists the number, current provider, account number, billing address and ZIP code, plus the required porting PIN or password. Your destination carrier tells you exactly which fields it needs.
- Have the account holder or another appropriately authorized person available.
- Write down which numbers are moving and which must stay.
- Check the phone balance, promotional credits and remaining family or connected-device lines.
- Keep a way to reach both carriers if the phone temporarily loses service.
If the number is on someone else’s family account, coordinate with the account holder before ordering. Keep the details private; do not post screenshots of your PIN or bill in a public support forum.
Use the right transfer PIN, not just any account PIN
The phone’s screen passcode, SIM PIN and carrier transfer PIN serve different purposes. Request the credential your old provider requires for your specific account type. These current examples show why a universal instruction can fail:
| Service you are leaving | What to check |
|---|---|
| Verizon standard monthly account | A Number Transfer PIN expires after 7 days. The Account Owner or Account Manager can request it through the supported Verizon methods. |
| AT&T consumer wireless | The Number Transfer PIN expires after 4 days. Online or app requests require primary online access. |
| AT&T Prepaid | AT&T says its prepaid accounts do not use that Number Transfer PIN process. Confirm the prepaid requirements instead. |
Read Verizon’s full port-out instructions or AT&T’s transfer-PIN instructions for your account. AT&T tells consumer wireless customers to give the new provider the Number Transfer PIN, not the account passcode. A phone carrier lock is also different from a protective account or number lock: AT&T says Wireless Account Lock blocks a transfer. Resolve a legitimate transfer block through official support when you are ready, rather than turning off protections days early.
Submit with the new carrier, then verify the result
Select the new carrier’s option to keep or transfer your number and provide the required information. Do not cancel the old line first. Save the transfer reference and expected completion window. Keep the old SIM or eSIM until the carrier’s activation instructions and completed transfer make clear what to do next.
Once the new carrier confirms completion, check incoming and outgoing calls, ordinary texts and mobile data. Ask someone to call the transferred number. If you rely on verification messages, confirm access before erasing or trading in the old phone. A working WiFi connection alone does not test the new mobile line.
If the transfer stalls, ask the new carrier for the exact rejection or pending reason. Compare the submitted account information with the old provider’s record and check whether the PIN expired. Avoid submitting several competing requests while support is resolving one. If you already canceled the old service, contact that provider promptly; AT&T, for example, says an early-disconnected number must be reactivated before its transfer can finish.
Allow time and review the final account, not just the number
The FCC requires simple ports to be processed in one business day. That is not a completion guarantee for every transfer, especially complex or landline moves. Avoid starting just before a trip or another deadline.
Porting also does not erase debt. The FCC says an old provider cannot refuse the port solely because of an outstanding balance or termination fee, but those obligations remain. Separately check device payoff and unlock conditions; owing money and being allowed to move a number are not the same question.
Review the final bill and every remaining service. Verizon specifically warns that moving the last phone line does not stop charges for connected smartwatch, tablet or hotspot lines unless those are also canceled. Ask about unused prepaid service and lost future phone credits before committing. Our prepaid versus postpaid comparison helps you compare the full cost of the new arrangement.
Protect the transfer details
The FCC’s port-out fraud warning explains how a stolen number can expose security texts for other accounts. Do not share a PIN, account number or identity documents with an unsolicited caller. Reach the carrier using its official app, website or a number you already trust, rather than a link in an unexpected message.
If a transfer notification arrives when you have not requested a move, contact the carrier immediately. Treat that as a possible unauthorized transfer, not part of a routine upgrade. For a move you did request, retain its confirmation and final bill after the new line works.