What is a Phone?
A mobile phone is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while the user moves within a telephone service area, as opposed to a fixed-location phone.
How To Activate a Phone with a New SIM
T-Mobile
- Log into your T-Mobile account.
- Select the line of service that you want the change to occur on.
- Complete the security verification process.
- Select either SIM or eSIM, depending on what type of SIM card you are attempting to transition.
- Follow the prompts and enter either your ICCID or EID number to complete the switch.
T-Mobile also allows you to purchase a SIM card directly from the carrier if that is the route you want to go down. If you want to change an eSIM you have to make sure you are connected to Wifi first.
Verizon
To activate your SIM card through Verizon, do the following:
- Access your My Verizon account.
- Select the ‘Activate or Switch Device’ page.
- Follow the prompts to activate your device.
Regardless of your carrier, Verizon emphasizes the importance of making sure that you identify whether or not the two phones you are transitioning between are compatible when it comes to the SIM card. Not all SIM cards are compatible with all phones, so check in before committing.
AT&T
The first thing AT&T recommends is that you place a test call to see whether or not your phone came pre-activated. If not, these are the steps for activating your SIM card:
- Go to att.com/getstartedbiz.
- Select ‘Activate your device.’
- Follow the prompts to complete activation.
If this doesn’t work for AT&T or any of the other carriers listed, you can always look for a physical branch of the carrier and try to get the process done in person. However, if you have consistent internet access then the process is so simple that it should be done in minutes.
Do I need to activate my phone after switching SIM cards?
Your new SIM card should come with activation instructions, so just follow those carefully, insert the new SIM card into your new phone and test it out with a call or a text. Then you can start going through the process of transferring over everything else.
How long does a replacement SIM take to activate?
A replacement SIM lets you move your number to a new SIM if your old SIM is lost, stolen, or damaged, or if you need a different size SIM for your new device. A replacement SIM can take up to 24 hours to activate in busy periods, however, it’s usually much quicker.