How to Switch Phone Carriers: What You Need to Know

There comes a day when we all find ourselves asking how to switch phone carriers. Whether it’s your mobile (cell) or home (landline) number for personal or business use, having a connection you can trust is vital.

It’s really not hard to hop the fence to the greener pastures of a new phone carrier. Here’s how to change to a new phone service provider in six easy steps:

1. Review your plan.

2. Compare new plans.

3. Check device compatibility.

4. Port your number.

5. Sign up for a new plan.

6. Cancel your old service.

But first: Are you sure it’s time to switch?

Should I switch phone carriers?

If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re fed up with your current phone carrier. Maybe you need better coverage, call quality, or connection reliability. Perhaps you just got the latest bill — and your wallet is less than pleased.

The most common reasons to switch phone carriers include:

• Poor coverage in key areas

• Slow data speeds or unreliable connections

• High costs and little value

• Hidden fees, overages, or plan/discount discontinuation

• Lousy customer service

• Better deals, devices, or options with other carriers

• Moving out of a local carrier’s region

If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone. Many people reach a point where their current provider isn’t cutting it. Whether it’s consistently dropped calls, lagging data, or surprise charges on your bill, the frustration adds up fast.

Switching carriers doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful, especially when moving to a provider that values reliability and customer care. If you’re tired of juggling issues with your current carrier, it might be time to explore better options.

Factors to Consider Before Switching Phone Carriers

Knowing how to switch phone carriers starts with understanding how difficult it might be to break ties with your current carrier. That starts with your plan agreement.

Did you sign a contract that locks you into a certain term? While contracts with set durations aren’t nearly as common as they used to be, similar minimum billing cycles might apply if you signed on with a certain discount or promotion.

Look back to your plan documents or log into your customer portal to find out if you are “locked in” to the carrier you already chose. While it’s not impossible to break the contract, it can be costly.

Also consider:

• Your devices: Mobile phone or landline handset? Cellphones might be on a GSM vs. a CDMA network, for instance. These are two different ways to transmit signals. Your phone might not work on the other type.

• Payment plans: Check whether your phone is paid off. Many phone companies switched from contracts for service to payment plans for devices. While this, in some ways, locks you into a carrier, you can usually pay off the balance early to hop plans. Some carriers might even offer to pay off your balance as a promotion for picking them instead.

• Coverage: Are you happy with the signal you receive at home, work, traveling, and elsewhere? If you are, be sure you don’t jump to a weaker network. If you’re not, don’t assume any network will be better — check coverage maps.

• Hidden fees: Look into hidden fees now, and you’ll thank yourself later. Jump to the fine print of your plan agreement or other documents. You might find language that refers to if, how, and when you can switch from that plan or when term restrictions expire.

Let’s start your journey to a better phone plan.

1. Review your current contract.

As mentioned earlier, the first step in knowing how to switch phone carriers is knowing your current situation. Specifically, look for:

• Early termination fees

• Contract end date

• Device payoff amount

• Promotional terms

If you agreed to stick with your carrier for a certain number of months or years, that company will ding you for some dough if you leave early. Ideally, a contract end date will have passed so that you can avoid this scenario.

Your remaining device balance might be tied to a monthly duration, too. While you can probably pay it off early, there might also be an early termination fee for the device separately. If you end your contract early, you might have to forfeit special financing terms (like 0% APR) or device discounts — possibly even trade-in values.

Don’t just assume you’re stuck with these costs, though. It’s worth asking your carrier’s customer service team to forgo penalties due to your unsatisfactory experience.

You’re not only looking for penalties or fees, though. You need to benchmark your current plan, so you know what to shop for. Look at your current plan’s price and allowances for calling, texting, and data.

2. Compare carrier plans.

Comparing new phone carrier plans might seem daunting, but plenty of sites offer easy comparison tools. You just need to enter your city or ZIP code. If you already have a specific carrier in mind, head right to their website for the most recent deals.

Look at monthly prices and call, text, and data allowances. Unlimited plans are common, but not everyone needs one. See how much data you get at 5G speeds until your connection gets throttled a bit to preserve bandwidth. See if there are any overage fees, just in case.

You might also look at device promotions like free phones or trade-in credits. But most importantly, check the coverage map — don’t sign up for a new plan if you don’t have full coverage in the places you call from most.

3. Check phone compatibility.

While many smartphones today can run on either GSM or CDMA networks, plenty are still stuck on one or the other. Some carriers use GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) cellular transmission technology, while others use CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access).

Head to your phone’s settings, then select “device information” or similar. That’s where you’ll find codes, including:

• IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), a 15-digit number that identifies your phone on a GSM network

• MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier), which is similar to an IMEI but used by CDMA networks

• ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identification), which is like the above but for your SIM card

• Model number, which indicates the exact type of phone you have

• Serial number, which is exclusive to your precise phone — like a Social Security number, but for a phone

All these numbers can be useful when checking device compatibility with potential new carriers. Many carrier websites have online compatibility checkers that will tell you if your device will work on their networks.

4. Port your phone number.

Before chucking your current contract and device in the trash (metaphorically — recycle it, of course), you need to unlock your phone number from your current carrier. If you don’t want to keep the same number, this isn’t necessary.

You might be able to do this right from your carrier’s mobile app or website. Otherwise, you’ll have to give them a call. It’s a good idea to call them from a different number, if possible.

Simply let them know you’re changing carriers and need to port your phone number. They’ll pull some technical levers to unlock it, and then your new carrier can pick it up.

However, your carrier might not port out your number if you haven’t paid your latest bill, device balance, or termination fees.

5. Set up your new service.

When you port out your number, you might get a code or some kind of instructions to activate it on the new carrier’s network. With that information in hand, get to the new carrier’s website or store to get your new plan up and running.

Lean on the digital onboarding experience or the customer service rep to bring your new service online. You might need to put a new SIM card in your phone or transfer your data to your new device.

Make sure to set up your voicemail again since it is tied to your carrier and not the device itself. Make a test call, text, and video call to make sure all aspects of your new connection are good to go.

Then, it’s finally time to say goodbye to your old network.

6. Cancel your old service.

Now it’s time to make sure you don’t get stuck with a double-billed month. Call up your old carrier right away and get that service canceled.

That’s essentially the final step in how to switch phone carriers, given you don’t have any lingering issues with either old or new networks. When all is said and done, log back into your old network customer portal and make sure you see some kind of “plan canceled” message. A confirmation email also suffices.

Why switch to Kinetic Home Phone?

If you want to switch to a carrier that offers impressive value for home phone (landline) service to replace your current line, look no further than Kinetic Home Phone.

Kinetic Home Phone offers everything you might need from a home phone service. Caller ID, premium call forwarding, voicemail, spam alerts, and unlimited calling check all the boxes. Choosing a reliable home landline phone means you have a connection even when the cell tower goes down or your smart phone dies.

How to Switch Phone Carriers FAQs

Curious how to switch phone carriers? Here are some quick answers.

How can I switch phone carriers without paying a fee?

The best way to avoid paying a fee is to avoid signing up for a plan with a termination penalty in the first place. Beyond that, you may need to wait a certain amount of time before the penalty window passes or find a new carrier that will pay your penalty fees as a promotional tool to convince you to switch.

Of course, a friendly call to the customer service team might clear out some of those fees, too, especially if you explain why your experience with that carrier was less than stellar.

What do I need to do to keep my phone number when switching phone carriers?

To keep your phone number when switching carriers, you need to port it out. That involves going online or calling the carrier to have them unlock your number from their network to allow a new carrier to take it over.

The only reason they wouldn’t do this is if your device isn’t paid off, your bill is overdue, or you owe any termination penalties.

Can I switch phone carriers and keep my current phone?

Yes, as long as you confirm your device will work on your new network, you can keep your device when you switch carriers.

Is it possible to switch phone carriers online?

Yes, it’s easy — recommended, even — to switch phone carriers online. That way, your phone number is freed up to disconnect from one carrier and reconnect to the new one. The online experience for your new carrier will walk you through the process.

What should I do if my current phone is not compatible with the new carrier?

If your phone isn’t compatible with a new carrier, you’ll need to choose a different carrier or buy a new device. Look for promotional offers for free, discounted, or financed phones. You can also buy one yourself (new or used), but you need to make sure it works on a GSM or CDMA network.