Assurance Wireless Pros and Cons: Details Behind the Free Phone Company

If you’re someone, or know someone that is a part of a low-income household that could benefit from a free phone and free phone service then you’re in luck because Assurance Wireless is a wireless phone company subsidized by the federal Lifetime Assistance program and is a part of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

The Lifetime Assistance program is a federal government program created to help those who might not be able to afford a phone/phone service in a world where staying connected and learning information is vital. Qualifying customers will be able to get discounted or free phone service through the program. 

And since 2020, Assurance Wireless has been using one of America’s biggest wireless networks, T-Mobile. So each person that is a part of Assurance Wireless will have access to the dependable network. 

There are a seemingly a lot of huge benefits to Assurance Wireless, especially for those who don’t have access or the funds to spare to stay connected, so let’s deep dive into the company and find out Assurance Wireless pros and cons and all about what they do:

• How Assurance Wireless works
• Who qualifies for Assurance Wireless (and how to apply)
• What phones and plans do they offer
• Assurance Wireless pros and cons

How Assurance Wireless Works

Because Assurance Wireless is a bit different than your average cell phone plan, there will be a few steps you will encounter that you might be confused by as you venture into getting a phone plan from them. We mentioned before that they are a part of the T-Mobile family, that is because they are a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Most wireless companies in the country are MVNOs and that means they will work with bigger wireless networks- like T-Mobile, by using their data. That leads to cheaper prices for phone plans and more accessibility for the general public. 

The ACP (Affordable Connectivity Program), is a large government program that not just works with Assurance Wireless, but many different cell phone plans you might recognize like Verizon, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and Straight Talk Wireless just to name a few.

• Note: Not every ACP and benefits are the same, you might find different offers from different companies that are a part of the program. 

With Assurance Wireless eligible households will get:

• One FREE Smartphone (for new customers only)
• FREE Unlimited Data including 25GB High-Speed Data¹ (every month)
• FREE Unlimited Texts (every month)
• FREE Unlimited Minutes (every month)
• FREE 2.5GB Mobile Hotspot Data (every month)

¹Assurance Wireless users may experience slow data speeds when there is high network congestion.

That could be a major help to many, but now the question is…

Who qualifies for Assurance Wireless? (and how you can apply)

To be an eligible candidate and receive a free phone and free service you must meet certain requirements from the Lifetime Assistance Program and/or the Affordable Connectivity Program. There are some requirements that can vary state by state but overall if you are currently receiving benefits from one of these government programs, then there’s a really good chance you will quality:

(Listed below are the programs directly from the Assurance Wireless website)

• Medicaid/Medi-Cal
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP)/CalFresh
• Supplemental Security Income
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
• Tribal Head Start
• Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit

If you don’t fall under one of the categories, you may still be eligible based on your household income. 

• Important to Note: According to the Assurance Wireless website, “The Lifeline Assistance program is available for only one wireless or wireline account per household.” However, separate households that live at the same address or use a temporary address may be eligible.

To see if Assurance Wireless is available in your state and what could be required of you via your state click here.

How can I apply for Assurance Wireless?

If you think or know you might qualify, then the next step will be applying!

To apply you need to:

1. Visit the official Assurance Wireless website.
2. If you’re a new customer there will be a “Apply Now” button you can click- (if you are a returning customer there will be a “Existing Customers” button you can click to the right of it).
3. You will then be prompted by a pop up to enter your ZIP code and email address.
4. After that, the application process can begin! There you will fill out personal information and provide proof for your eligibility- proof of your enrollment/participation in a government program or your latest income documents.
5. Wait for approval. After you submit your application you will wait to see if it's been approved. If so, you will receive word most likely through email and/or on your Assurance Wireless account.
6. You will then receive your free phone and data plan. (The type of phone can vary depending on your circumstances).

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What Phones and Plans do they offer?

There are two major Assurance Wireless plans. 

One being the Assurance Wireless free ACP service, their best plan which we talked about earlier.

As a reminder, with this is what you get with this plan:

• One FREE Smartphone (for new customers only)
• FREE Unlimited data including 25GB high-speed data¹ (every month)
• FREE Unlimited texts (every month)
• FREE Unlimited minutes (every month)
• FREE 2.5GB Mobile Hotspot data (every month)

¹Assurance Wireless users may experience slow data speeds when there is high network congestion.

Then there is the Assurance Wireless FREE Lifeline Service, which is supported by the Lifeline Assistance program only. With this plan you will need to qualify for Lifeline service.

And according to the website, new Assurance Wireless Free Lifeline Service members will get the following:

• A minimum 4.5GB FREE data (each month)¹
• Unlimited FREE texts (each month)
• A minimum of 1000 FREE voice minutes (each month)¹
• FREE Android™ Smartphone
• FREE voicemail account, call waiting and caller ID
• FREE 911 Access, unlimited calls to 211 and calls to customer care
• The ability to keep your current home or cell phone number

¹The amount of data and minutes may vary state to state.

• Note: For both of these plans, you can add on minutes, data, international calling, and texting through Assurance Wireless’s add-on service page.

What are Assurance Wireless’s Plan Add-ons?

Even though Assurance Wireless plans are free, there are “Plan Add-ons” you can get via their website.

For those who have the Assurance Wireless Free Lifeline Service you can add minutes with these current deals on the website:

• $5 for 250 additional Voice Minutes per month
• 10¢ for one additional Voice Minute
• $1 for 100MB high-speed data for 30 service days
• $3 for 500MB high-speed data for 30 service days
• $5 for 1GB high-speed data for 30 service days
• $10 for 2GB high-speed data for 30 service days
• $20 for 4GB high-speed data for 30 service days
• $30 for 5GB high-speed data for 30 service days

To add-on any of these deals to your plan, simply log into your account of the Assurance Wireless website.

What phones does Assurance Wireless carry?

Besides the one free Android™ Smartphone that you can get if you quality and are eligible, Assurance has a few “budget” smartphones. Smartphones you can find at a local retailer, not top of the line models that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Here’s just a few of their options we found:

• Moto G Play
• REVVL®4 Plus
• Wiko Voix™
• Coolpad Belleza

You can find a full list of the phones they carry on their website “Phone Guides” tab.

Assurance Wireless does have “Bring Your Own Phone” and “Keep Your Own Number” availability. To see if your phone is compatible you’ll need to:

1. Go to the Assurance Wireless “Bring Your Own Phone” tab.
2. Find your phone’s IMEI (they will give you a few options on how to find that if you run into any problems or don’t know where to start).
3. Enter your phone’s IMEI number.
4. See your results!

If your phone is compatible you will be sent a free Assurance Wireless SIM card which you can then put into your existing phone to keep and use now on Assurance Wireless.

Assurance Wireless Pros and Cons

Just like most wireless phone services, you’re bound to run into both pros and cons, and Assurance Wireless is no different. Let’s take a look at their pros and cons to help you decide if this is the right company for you.

Pros

• Free phone and phone service
• Access to T-Mobile’s network
• No contracts and no activation fees

Free Phone and Phone Service

In this day and age, it’s hard to beat a free phone and free phone service. With plans and rates going up seemingly every other day, a lot of low-income households will find themselves struggling to keep up with their expenses and staying connected is super important. Making calls to family and friends, being able to call for medical attention, and helpful information to keep yourself well informed is immensely beneficial. Those who are able to qualify through the Lifetime Assistance and Affordable Connectivity Program will be able to stay connected because of Assurance.

Access to T-Mobile’s Network

Since Assurance Wireless uses T-Mobile as their main network provider, anyone planning to sign up or already signed up will have access to T-Mobile’s network. T-Mobile is a strong network, flourishing in cities and suburban areas. If you plan to bring your own 5G compatible phone, you will also have access to T-Mobile’s 5G network.

• Important Note: Assurance Wireless does not offer 5G compatible phones, in order to access T-Mobile’s 5G internet, you will need to have a 5G compatible phone.

No Contracts and No Activation Fees

A big selling point Assurance has is no contracts and no activation fees. A lot of the time you’ll find that certain phone companies like to lock you down with a contract and that can cause stress when you need to make some changes, but since Assurance doesn’t deal with contracts, you will have that freedom to choose. No activation fees mean that when you get your Assurance SIM card and/or activate your phone for the first time you won’t have to pay for it on top of your free plan or add-ons.

Cons

• No rollover
• Poor customer reviews
• Data deprioritization

No Rollover

Certain cell phone companies that operate with data, minutes, and text availability will have the option for any extra GBs, minutes, and texts to “rollover” to the next month of your service. That way you’ll go into the next month with extra minutes, aka anything you didn’t use last month you will now have it stacked onto the next month’s total. Assurance Wireless does not offer that perk. Anything extra will expire when the next month’s service days begin.

Poor Customer Reviews

Through many review sites Assurance Wireless has scored a low satisfaction rate from many reviewers online. Here are some reviews we found on various websites:

“Every time I get a phone, it is not new, and they break down within 5 to 6 months! This phone can't take or send pictures, or get texts properly. Or the phone shuts down! I called last week, to get a new phone, and they said a new phone was on it's way. Well, it never came! I called them. They said it was never sent out, but to get a new/old phone, I need to give them thirty dollars! I am Disabled and I qualified for a FREE phone, and now they want money!” -Albert P. (08/09/2023) via SiteJabber

“A very poor reception, customer service lied including a supervisor for an issue has been dragging for 4 months and still no solution when they have everything recorded. However, they kept lying and saying they have no records. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY.” -Madi (11/22/2023) via Trustpilot

However, once in a sea of 1 star reviews, there will be a 5 star review like this one:

“I realize many people have thought Assurance is awful, but in my experience, they're terrific. They've replaced phones for me whenever there was a problem and their customer service people know their stuff and are extremely helpful. I've had Verizon and Apple and Assurance has much better customer service than either one.” -Merrilly Noeth (08/20/2023) also via Trustpilot

Data Deprioritization

Since Assurance Wireless is a MVNO, you will be bound to notice slow internet and data speeds due to data deprioritization. In high traffic areas or network congestion, T-Mobile will prioritize direct subscribers, leaving those who aren’t a direct consumer to deal with slower speeds.

Assurance Wireless, the phone company subsidized by the federal Lifetime Assistance program and is a part of the Affordable Connectivity Program has its fair share of pros and cons.

If you want to compare and contrast Assurance Wireless to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.