Everything You Need to Know About T-Mobile Transfer PINs

The T-Mobile transfer PIN, or T-Mobile temporary port out PIN, lets you keep your cell phone number when you switch from T-Mobile to another carrier. This article will talk about everything you need to know about T-Mobile's temporary port out PINs and switching carriers from T-Mobile to another one. 

Before we begin, do not disconnect your T-Mobile service before completing the switch to a new provider. You need an active number with T-Mobile while your new carrier sets up your account. Also, if you are taking your T-Mobile phone to the new carrier, make sure it’s unlocked before you make the switch! More on that later. 

How to Get a T-Mobile Transfer PIN

When you are ready to switch to another carrier, there are two ways to request a T-Mobile transfer PIN. Regardless of the method, ensure you are ready to go before requesting a transfer PIN. Temporary port out PINs are, well, temporary! They expire after a few days, but you can always request another if your temporary PIN does not work.  

There are two major ways to get a T-Mobile temporary port out PIN, including,

• On the T-Mobile app
• On T-Mobile.com

How to get a T-Mobile transfer PIN on the T-Mobile app

It is easy to get a T-Mobile PIN from the mobile app. In order to do so, follow these steps: 

• Log into the T-Mobile app
• Select “Account,” and then select “Profile Settings”
• Select “Line Settings,” and then select “Request a Transfer PIN”
• From there, follow the on-screen directions and you are all set! 

Alongside that, you can request a PIN on T-Mobile.com

Online on T-Mobile.com

This process is similar to finding your PIN on the app. You must follow these steps: 

• Log in to T-Mobile.com.
• In the top right corner, select “My Account” or your name.
• Select “Profile,” then select “Line Settings.”
• Select “Request a transfer PIN," then select “Get a transfer PIN.”
• From there, follow the on-screen directions and you are all set! 

Getting your T-Mobile temporary port out PIN is straightforward, but it is only one step in switching to another carrier while keeping your number! Let’s break down the process to ensure your switch from T-Mobile is easy and doesn’t interfere with your new cell phone plan. 

Changing Carriers? Follow These Steps to Keep Your Number! 

Changing carriers and keeping your number is a common occurrence across all carriers. Because of this, just about every carrier works like a well-oiled machine when it comes to sending you off to a new provider. Let’s run through the process in general and some T-Mobile-specific things about the transfer process. 

Unlocking Your Phone

Even though getting a T-Mobile transfer PIN is easy, it is important to keep track of your account’s eligibility to transfer carriers. You may be tied down to T-Mobile’s service through a contracted phone plan or device. 

One huge plus about T-Mobile is that they don’t ask for contracts on their unlimited plans. This means you can switch at any time without worrying about breaking your contract. There is, however, another way you may be locked into T-Mobile’s service is through a device contract. T-Mobile, like many providers, offers their cell phones on 24- or 36-month payment plans. This is an awesome way to budget out an expensive cell phone, but it means you are locked into their service, more or less, until you pay off the phone in full. 

Every phone you purchase from a carrier is locked to that carrier. Your phone is locked until you meet set criteria decided upon by the carrier, which usually boils down to you paying off your phone in full and owning it for a few months. If you haven’t paid off your phone, you might get hit with an early termination fee by your current provider tacked onto the bill for the rest of the device. 

Different carriers have different specific requirements for unlocking your phone, and it’s all pretty secretive and happens behind the scenes. Your phone might be unlocked right now! Here’s how to check if your cell phone is unlocked: 

• or IOS devices, you’ll want to:some text
  • Open ‘Settings’
  • Open ‘General’
  • Select the ‘About’ tab
  • Scroll till you see ‘Carrier Lock’ and if you see “No SIM restrictions” then your device is not locked. If you see a carrier’s name then your phone is locked.

• For Android devices, you’ll want to:some text
  • Open ‘Settings’
  • Open ‘Network & Internet’ OR ‘Connections’
  • Select ‘Cellular Network’ OR ‘Mobile Network’
  • Select ‘Advanced’
  • Then select ‘Choose Network’ OR ‘Automatically Select Network’
  • If you see only one carrier then your phone is locked to that specific carrier. If you see multiple carriers listed then your phone is unlocked and able to accept service from multiple different networks.

If you don’t see that, then your device is still locked! No worries, check out T-Mobile’s unlock requirements to figure out the steps you need to take to unlock your device. T-Mobile’s unlock requirements are: 

• T-Mobile sold the device
• The device is not reported as lost, stolen, or blocked
• Your account is in good standing
• The device satisfies the Postpaid or Prepaid unlocking requirements. 

T-Mobile Postpaid unlock requirements are: 

• The device has been active for 40 days
• The device was purchased through T-Mobile and is paid in full 
• If you’ve canceled your T-Mobile account, that account’s balance must be zero

T-Mobile Prepaid unlock requirements are:

• One year has passed since you’ve activated your device on T-Mobile’s network or
• You have purchased more than $100 of refills for each line active on that account
• No more than two other devices have been unlocked per line in the last year

How to Keep Your Phone Number with a T-Mobile Temporary Port Out PIN

Once you have an unlocked phone and are ready to make the switch, it is time to secure a T-Mobile transfer PIN. At this moment, you are all set to find a new carrier and purchase a new cell phone plan! As long as the end date lines up with your timeline, you are all set to find a new carrier and purchase a new cell phone plan! If you have any questions during this process, the customer service agents of your new carrier will be happy to help! 

Before you start the process of switching carriers and keep your cell phone number, make sure you have the following information:

• Your current account information
• Your phone’s ESN/IMEI number
• Your T-Mobile temporary port out PIN

You need a T-Mobile temporary port-out PIN to start the process, which you will give to your new provider. This process takes between a few hours and a day or so while your two carriers dot their i’s and cross their t’s. After that, you’re all done! Just make sure your new SIM is loaded and activated, and you’ll be all set. If your port fails, you will still have access to your T-Mobile service, but you’ll have to start over. 

Do’s and Don’ts of Keeping Your Number

Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve discussed so far. We recommend taking all the time you need in order to make sure there are no errors made along the way.

• Do check your eligibility to make sure the switch between carriers is possible
• Don’t call before you have your account information in order
• Do make sure your phone is unlocked and ready to transfer
• Do decide if you want to keep your old phone or get a new one
• Do find the carrier and the plan that works best for you
• Don’t cancel your old plan before you switch to your new one

Haven’t Decided on a Carrier? We’re Here to Help! 

There are dozens of providers in the United States, all working to make a good impression and interest you in their service. There are three major wireless networks and lots of MVNOs in the United States. You have a lot of options when you want to switch from T-Mobile to a new carrier! What is it about T-Mobile’s service that makes you want to switch to a new carrier? Depending on what that is, we hope this section will help you decide whether you want to jump to a new major network or an MVNO. 

Switching to a Major Wireless Network

Major carriers own and operate their own cell phone towers. This means that you get the fastest service at all times and know exactly where your service is coming from. Major carriers are, well, big. They have a huge staff of customer service representatives and should be giving you fantastic service to ensure that you stick around. 

Major wireless networks are best for people who use a lot of high-speed data. Major networks come with unlimited high-speed data and priority data, which means you evade congestion in all but the most dire circumstances. Let’s look at an example of a major wireless carrier and their cell phone plan’s pros and cons. 

Verizon

Verizon offers three cell phone plans, keeping their offerings simple and efficient. The price of these cell phone plans varies tremendously based on how many lines are on your account. We recommend at least three lines when using major wireless providers to take advantage of their immense multi-line savings. These are Verizon’s cell phone plans: 

• Welcome Unlimited, priced at $65/55/40/30 a month per line
• Unlimited Plus, priced at $80/70/55/45 a month per line
• Unlimited Ultimate, priced at $90/80/65/55 a month per line

While all of these cell phone plans are expensive relative to one another, Unlimited Plus is always $15 more per line relative to Welcome Unlimited, and Unlimited Ultimate is always $25 more per line. 

The main differences between these three cell phone plans are premium high-speed data and hotspot data. Unlimited Ultimate, Verizon’s most expensive plan, doubles the hotspot data and opens up some new customer deals. This is an excellent choice for people who are willing to pay a premium for their cell phone service to get all the bells and whistles on their cell phone plan. 60 GBs of high-speed hotspot data is excellent for those who need to use data on laptops or tablets on the go. 

Premium data is handy in spaces with high data usage, but it is hard to gauge how much value you will get from premium data on any major wireless carrier. This comes into play when there is enough congestion on Verizon’s network that, even though all their MVNO customers are slowed down, there is still too much usage. In this instance, basic data customers get slowed down, so premium data users can still use their high-speed data. There are many areas around the country where Verizon’s network is strong enough to keep everyone using full-speed data, but large groups of people in metropolitan areas or congregating for conferences will cause a lot of congestion on the network. 

Premium data is most valuable for those in big cities. There is a lot of congestion in big cities, and data is frequently slowed down in other areas, especially in big cities. We recommend starting on the less expensive plan and checking your data speeds for a month or two. If you notice slow data, we recommend switching to a more expensive plan if you have the budget for it. 

Verizon’s cell phone plans, while expensive, come with unlimited high-speed data and a fantastic suite of add-ons. These cell phone plans are for people who use their mobile devices a lot. 

The Case for an MVNO

Even though their name is a bit of a mouthful, mobile virtual network operators are able to offer much lower monthly plans because they are renting cell phone towers and have fewer expenses than major wireless companies. The major downside is that they don’t have priority service and often have cell phone plans with limited high-speed data. There are, however, some amazing MVNOs, like Visible and Cricket, that do offer unlimited high-speed data on some of their cell phone plans. This is a great way for high-data users to enjoy no limits on their mobile usage while saving big each month. Let’s take a look at Visible Wireless, an example of an MVNO. 

Visible

Visible has two plans, each with unlimited talk, text, and data. The two Visible Wireless phone plans are as follows:

• $25 per month for Unlimited
• $35 per month for Unlimited plus

So, what’s the difference between these two plans? The basic plan comes with unlimited talk, text, and data as well as an unlimited mobile hotspot and talk and text to Canada and Mexico. Those are the bones of the plan, the foundation for the unlimited plus plan as well. Their Visible+ plan costs an extra $10 a month, which is pretty pricey relative to the regular plan. For $10, users gain access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network and additional international calling and texting. 

Both plans have unlimited 5 Mbps mobile hotspots, which is a huge boon for people who want to use their devices while out and about. This speed won’t let you stream video, for instance, but it’s perfect for browsing the web or catching up on email. These cell phone plans are amazing for people who want unlimited high-speed data but don’t need the high data priority from a major wireless network. 

T-Mobile Transfer PINs: Key Takeaways

T-Mobile temporary port-out PINs are essential if you want to switch to a new carrier while keeping your phone number. You can create a PIN on the T-Mobile app or go online to your account. Once you request, the PIN is only active for a few days, so make sure to complete the process swiftly! There are not, however, any downsides to requesting multiple PINs, and you can follow the same format every time you do. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I check my port status?

You can contact T-Mobile at 1-877-789-3106. They will give you progress updates. 

How do I get a Number Transfer PIN if my device is lost or broken?

While you can request a number T-Mobile transfer PIN from your device, you can also get one online through your account. 

Can I request another Number Transfer PIN?

Certainly, however, previous PINs become invalid when you request a new one. If you asked for a new transfer PIN after submitting a request to the new provider, you must update that request or start a new one with your new number. 

What anti-fraud measures does T-Mobile put in place? 

T-Mobile has an “account takeover protection” service. If you activate it, you must call T-Mobile to deactivate it before you receive a temporary port-out PIN.