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Is it possible to buy a Tracfone data sim for my ipad pro. If not which carrier do you recommend?
As far as I know, Tracfone doesn’t sell data only SIMs. You’d need to activate the SIM with phone service and then add data for $10 per GB to use it with that iPad Pro. If you need a lot of data, I’d check out AT&T’s unlimited data pass for $30 per month. AT&T’s $30 Unlimited Data Pass.
If you need less data than that, datss usually runs about $10 per GB. Do you have a preference for either the AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile networks? What wireless company are you currently using for phone service?
I have a Verizon MiFi 6620L hotspot. I keep reading that it’s unlocked, but I can’t find another carrier that will accept it. I’d like to find a prepaid data option. Is there one out there for me?
Adam,
According to the specs, your hotspot supports Bands 4 and 17 for LTE so it’s primarily for the Verizon network. You may get LTE service on AT&T or TMobile as they also use band 4, but it could also be that you’ll only get 2G, 3G, or 3.5G data on AT&T or TMobile. I don’t know whether it is unlocked or not, if it is you should be able to just put an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM and use it. If you want to use it with Verizon or another carrier that uses the Verizon network, you’ll need to check the MEID to make sure it’s eligible. What carriers have you checked and why don’t you want to use it with Verizon?
Hi Bob, WalMart currently has Straight Talk branded iPhone 6 (32MB) for $199. Tracfone has no more iPhones available. Can I use those phones to replace my BYOP iPhone 4 & 4s? I seem to remember that when we bought our daughter the 6 last fall (from Tracfone’s website) it had a Straight Talk packaging.
http://linksynergy.walmart.com/deeplink?id=IjkOB0lZfk4&mid=2149&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FStraight-Talk-Apple-iPhone-6-32GB-Prepaid-Smartphone-Space-Gray%2F329264833
Will I need to replace the Straight Talk SIM with a new Tracfone SIM?
My gut says buy one and try it, and then get the second. But I was hoping for better advice. The comments from the WM site are mostly that it can be done, but some say no. Thanks so much!
See my reply here Activating a Straight Talk iPhone on Tracfone
how do i get my BYOP ON TRACFONE?
search smartphonematters.com, there are a number of articles and videos about this…
Verizon iPhone 5s prepaid seems to be locked into 3G only service, as I can get LTE service with my work iphone sitting right next to it. So far Verizon corrections have not made any difference. Still trying. Last resort is to restore phone as a new iPhone. And then reinstall all software.
just to be clear. You are using Verizon wireless prepaid and the iPhone 5s is from Verizon too?
can I switch prepaid phone card from new phone back to old phone
That isn’t enough information to understand what you are trying to do.
Switching SIM cards around is not advised and it will likely not work. Some settings get installed with the SIM card like APN settings. And that could mess up you phone temporary.
for some reason your comments required moderation, not sure why as you were previously approved.
I need to buy a new Galaxy 6 but Walmart in my area does not carry the Galaxy phone for the AT&T Towers AT&T pick up in my area at my home Verizon does not work where can I find this phone as Walmart does not have them
I assume you mean for Straight Talk. You can check straighttalk.com. For my zip code they only have the model for their Verizon network. for you it may be different. You can also buy that phone unlocked directly from Best Buy.
It’s possible you do not have your APN set up properly or that the Straight Talk network you signed up for does not have decent coverage in your area. Do you know if you are using Straight Talk’s AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon network? See Setting Your Straight Talk Wireless’ APN on your Google Nexus 5 with Android 5 (Lollipop). Give it a try.
There appears to be two types of Tracfone refill cards ( 60 or 90 day, texts , minutes). One you purchase for a cheap Tracfone. The other is white in color and is for smart phones. My question: is this a scam? The smart phone card is $19.99 and lasts for 60 days, the other one lasts for 90 days. If I were to purchase a 90 day cheap phone card and entered the numerical code into my iPhone SE would my Tracfone account accept the code?
It’s not a scam but its really confusing. I can’t say for sure that the cheap phone card will work. Probabally. I haven’t tried it. If you are able to pay by credit card, check the tracfone app or tracfone.com on the web to see what the best deal is on a refill online. Log into you tracfone account, and see what they offer. Check out my YouTube channel for several different videos talking around tracfone plans and refills.
Are you aware of the new Sprint promotion of 1 year of free unlimited everything if you switch from the other 3 major carriers? I use Verizon in Maine because sprint doesn’t work that well out in the more rural areas around me but it works good in the bigger cities where I work. Anyway I added a line to my Verizon postpaid account yesterday online using a spare device. (iPhone 6 from Vzw) After verifying that my device and number to port were eligible, I called and let them do the rest over the phone. Took over an hour but I successfully got my spare device onto Sprint Unlimited for free. Actually the cost is $5 but I set up auto pay which credits you that $5 monthly. I will however have to pay some taxes and fees monthly that amount to about $5 or $6 a month. The promo seems to be running until the 30th so I thought you might like to make a video about it. I learned about it on Slickdeals forum. The Sprint promo is here https://www.sprint.com/en/shop/offers/free-unlimited.html
Steven,
Thanks for pointing that out. I didn’t know about that. I definitely need to look into this.
Never mind. It eventually just worked.
Glad to hear it is working.
I bought a used Verizon iphone 6 from ebay after checking the imei on tracfone. It appeared to be compatible. After receiving the phone I entered the imei, which prompted me to enter my zipcode which prompted me to order a sim card. Today I received my sim card, put it in the phone, and after entering the sim card number and then the imei it now says my phone is incompatible! Is there any hope that this is just a tracfone issue that can be resolved? Did I do something in the wrong order?
Why is the iPhone 6 the latest model that can be transferred to the TracFone service? I’m currently using the tracphone service without a smartphone. I would like to purchase a new iPhone, possibly the iPhone 8 when available, and transfer my existing TracFone service to the new iPhone. So, guess I need to understand what the reason is that newer iPhones cannot be transferred to the TracFone service. Is it conceivable that this will eventually be possible? Please advise. Thank you.
All the current iPhone models work with tracfone. So as of May 2017. The iPhone 6s / 6s Plus, iPhone SE, and iPhone 7 / 7 Plus work too.
i have 2 cdma iphones both active on st one on verizon tower and one on att. i want to switch the hone numbers to the opposite sim. how do i accomlish this without 30?’s from the csr
You really can’t swap the phone numbers on the SIMs. You’ll need to be a little clearer about what you want to accomplish. You can transfer the service from the Verizon SIM to an new AT&T SIM card and the service from the AT&T SIM card to a new Verizon SIM card if you want to swap the network each number is on. Transferring the service from the Verizon SIM to the new AT&T SIM is easy. Transferring the service from the AT&T sim to a new Verizon SIM will require the MEID of the phone that SIM will be used with. The phone will need to be eligible for Straight Talk and currently inactive.
HI can you tell me how workaround tethering on a iphone6 with total wireless?
Chris
Hi Chris,
I don’t have one nor am I aware of one either. I’d recommend using a prepaid wireless carrier that does.
Right now i have straigjt talk service with a poor quality phone Can i transfer my number and service i have left to a new net 10 phone i bought.
Possibly. Straight Talk and Net10 are both owned by Tracfone. Is the new phone a smartphone? Do you know if it uses Net10’s AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon network? Does the box say GSM or CDMA?
Will my Samsung Galaxy 6s pluse edge from US Cellular work with my strait talk sims card
That phone would be most compatible with Straight Talk’s Verizon network. You’ll need to check the MEID of the phone to see if Straight Talk considers it eligible. Checking If You Can Use Your Verizon Smartphone with Straight Talk Wireless
Good morning bob, I was wondering if you could do a Verizon unlimited video explaining the pros and cons. I have been a long time member of straight talk since 2011 and I am just about ready to switch. I have a few friends who are going to do the unlimited plan on Verizon with 4 lines so it would be $100 + $20 access fee per line which would be around $45 each. I believe this is very beneficial. What do you think?
Hi John,
I suppose I could take a look at it. I usually don’t cover post paid but it might be interesting. Keep in mind, I it won’t be signing up myself to do a full review. Perhaps later this week, maybe for Saturday.
Hi John,
I did that video for you today. https://youtu.be/fh_LF3T7Ms0
Regards
If I am switching to an iPhone 6s+ from an iPhone 5s and am already on Straight talk, do I need to buy a new sim? Are they the same size?
Thanks
All iPhones made since the iPhone 5 use a nano SIM. You should also read Moving Your Straight Talk SIM Card To Your New Phone
Hello Bob,
I have a unlocked sprint iPhone 6 and was wanting to see if you could give me a list of what I would need to purchase in order for me to use at&t’s network.
Hi Jonathan,
You just need a SIM card. If you have a friend using the AT&T network borrow their SIM card and try it in your phone. if it works, you have verified its unlocked. You can then order a SIM card from AT&T or get one in the store.
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/simcards.html
If you meant Straight Talk’s AT&T network, you’ll have to order a SIM from them. If you are signing up for a prepaid plan I recommend checking out my articles and videos about AT&T GoPhone Prepaid, Cricket Wireless, Net10, and Straight Talk to learn the differences between the plan prices and service limitations.
Hi Bob, I read your article on how to bring your iphone over to Straight Talk. I currently have an iPhone 6S plus that I purchased through Verizon last December. I got it through the “new every two” program and paid the full discounted rate at once, no payments. For some reason my phone is not showing up as eligible to bring to Straight Talk through the BYOP program. I have also chatted with Straight Talk support through Facebook three separate times about this issue and I’m not really getting anywhere. I asked the last guy what the possible reason may be and he said this (copied & pasted): It may be that the device is still loading your previous service provider service. You can verify with them if it is and if not then you can contact us back for us to check the device on our system.
The weird thing is my husband has an older iPhone 5C from Verizon (both our phones are still active) and his IS eligible to carry over to Straight Talk.
Could you shed some light on why this might not be working for us? We would save about $50 a month switching phone carriers and I’m ready to be done with Verizon. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I don’t want to purchase a new phone! Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
you can always contact Verizon support and ask them if your phone is clear to use on another carrier that uses the Verizon network and if not why. It may be that because you bought it at a discounted rate there is an eligibility issue.
Now you said you want to move from Verizon to Straight Talk. How much are you paying per month.
What plan are you interested in? I currently think there are some other options than Straight Talk you should consider.
Net10 Wireless 3GB Unlimited $40 Plan
See Two Other Options: Verizon Wireless Prepaid and Total Wireless
Two Other Options: Verizon Wireless Prepaid and Total Wireless
I have a Casio C811 (Verizon) phone. Verizon’s fees were ridiculous so I switched to PagePlus that rides on Verizon towers. Verizon service is very sketchy where I live so switched to Consumer Cellular (CC) that ride on T-mobile towers. Phone and text service MUCH improved but, when I’m away from home hotspot, I have no internet connectivity. CC customer service said I need to add to my APN page. I open Access Point Names page and all I can see is the APNs heading and a blank page. And it IS a blank page – no [+] or other visible way to add or change APN.
I want to continue using this phone because (a) it is VERY durable, and (b) I have a substantial investment in four extended-life batteries for this phone.
How do I change/add APN on this phone?
If you don’t have an option to add the APN when you press the menu key on the bottom. The issue may be that changing the APN is blocked by the Verizon software on the phone. If your phone is still running Android 4, you may be able to use an APN app from the google store.
you could try this https://theunlockr.com/2013/07/19/how-to-delete-locked-apns-on-your-android-device/
Hello 🙂 i was going to buy a iphone 6 off eBay. The 16GB- Apple iPhone 6 Plus/5S/iPhone 6/ 4S /5C Unlocked No fingerprint sensor or maybe buy the Apple iPhone 6 Plus 6+ 6 5S 5C 4S Sim Free(Factory Unlocked) 4G Smartphone. But I’m not sure if they will work on Straight talk, is there a way to figure this out?? I want to be sure it will work before buying the Phone off Ebay.
Hi Lyndsey,
You can do this. I’d say stick with the 5S, 6, or 6 Plus. Start by checking out How To Sign Up and Use Your iPhone 6 or 6s with Straight Talk Wireless
Then let me know if you have questions.
Hey Bob, I have been having problems on my Verizon iPhone 6 using ST’s AT&T network. Lately, I haven’t been receiving a lot of calls from friends and family members. Everytime I see them, they stay they have been calling me. They show me their call log and I show them mine where it shows that there cal didn’t go through. One of them said my voicemail wasn’t set up, so I went and did that….That didn’t solve it. I have been noticing during the day that my phone weirdly switches from LTE to 3G (like it usually does when I receive a call on the ST AT&T network), but the phone never rings or gives any other indication that I am receiving a call. I talked to ST customer service about this problem once before, but I am tired of it happening. This didnt happen when I was on the ST Verizon network, but I switched back to the AT&T side because i didn’t have the ability to talk and surf on the Verizon side, which turned out to be much needed. I have service with all four major carriers in my area, but AT&T and Verizon are the best. I am considering switching to t-mobile, but I’m not sure of the ability to talk and surf, and about the fast data speeds like the AT&T variant. Can you please give me some advice. All of my APN settings are in order. Everything else works (MMS, data, etc) but I aim not receiving all of my calls. PLEASE HELP ASAP
Hi John,
If it
I haven’t heard of this problem before, except when you mentioned it. If it were me, First I might try transferring my service to a new ST AT&T SIM card on the hopes that whatever is messed up in their system gets flushed out.
Second, I’d consider switching to another wireless company. You said back last December you weren’t ready to switch, do you feel the same way? I think Verizon Prepaid has all the features you want and more. Have you watched my videos about it? AT&T prepaid may be an option too, not as much of a value as Verizon though. I moved my wife to Cricket, she is happy with it but it has that 8 Mbps max download speed. She doesn’t care, its less expensive.
I suppose you could also make a Genius Bar appointment at the Apple store and see if they can run a diagnostic to determine if there is a problem with your phone and that is why you are not receiving calls but it seems unlikely. The only upside is if they find a problem they may replace it for free if it is no longer under warranty.
Hey Bob, this is a new AT&T sim card. I haven’t even used it for an entire month yet. I’m not sure about switching yet because I like the 10 gigs for $55 and talk and surf.
With Verizon prepaid you’ll get 7GB for $50, VVM, talk and data at the same time, WiFi calling, hotspot, carryover data, add on data, etc. Check out the videos.
I use ST’s AT&T network myself. Coverage is good at my house and around town. I don’t have any of the problems you are having. Even still I’m considering switching to Verizon prepaid for the features. I’m not using that much data though so I’d like a less expensive plan with the option for add-on data.
Don’t forget to have your phone checked. Last year I got an iPhone 5 replaced for free when it was having weird problems. Did you even end up updating to iOS 10? Tell If so tell Apple the problems started after the most recent update.
That 7gigs isn’t enough. I have to have at least 10 and I don’t see anyone else doing better than $55 a month
Hi John,
I empathize with your situation, but Straight Talk isn’t working well for you. The problem is either your phone, their network, or a combination of both. And Straight Talk isn’t fixing the problem for you, your stuck trying to resolve it. I still think its worth getting your phone checked out by Apple if posible, it shouldn’t cost you any money only time.
As for a service cost comparison, I look at cost per GB of data. Straight Talk’s $55 plan is effectively costing you $5.50 per GB. Verizon’s 12GB plan is $70 is effectively $5.84 per GB. Now if you need 10GB, but not any more data than that then paying the extra $15 per month is an extra expense. But if you are on a 10GB plan and are running out, it might be worth getting more data.
Bob i just switched back to st vzw. im gonna see if i can live without the talk and surf and see how it goes.
I hope it works out for you.
Hey John,
I was looking at prepaid plan prices. I noticed AT&T GoPhone is now Unlimited (22GB) for $60 on AutoPay. Is that an attractive plan to you?
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/gophone-plans.html
Just curious.
Regards,
Bob
Thank you so much for your help. I think I will use the BYOP AT&T sim card for the iphone. I am not quite sure how I will upgrade my current straight talk Samsung phone to the new iphone via the website upload page; however, I will give it a shot.
Hey Bob, Crav here.
Have you ever investigated the discrepancy between ATT/Verizon’s true 4G LTE speeds and Net10 (& maybe Tracfone/Straighttalk) falsley advertised 4G speeds?
I got the Net10 Verizon 4G LTE SIM for my iPhone 6. The speeds are exactly the same as the original 3yo AT&T 3G SIM I’ve been using. I get about 5mb down, CNET.com shows 4G LTE speeds average around 35mb.
As a consumer that doesn’t like false advertising, I wonder what to do here.
PS I wrote a post on your site here in Dec 2013 about editing carrier settings using iFile that work for some people until Apple made some security changes.
Hi Crav,
Welcome back, yes I see you have left some good comments before.
In my experience Straight Talk’s and Net10’s AT&T network are just as fast at AT&T’s prepaid and post paid service. Take a look at my YouTube channel for numerous speed test results. I’ve measured speeds over 90Mbps in some areas.
However Straight Talk and Net10’s Verizon LTE service seems to have a macx download speed of 5Mbps. This is supposedly imposed by Verizon on all prepaid wireless companies (MVNOs) that use their LTE network. Now, Straight Talk and Net10 don’t say what speeds you’ll get on their 4G LTE networks but the marketing material implies that 4G LTE service is fast. So I wouldn’t go so far as to say its false advertising. Possibly misleading, definitely not clear or accurate.
Now that said, in 2017 I would not recommend Straight Talk’s or Net10’s Verizon network service. In my opinion, Verizon Wireless prepaid is a much better deal. It’s slightly more expensive but you’ll get faster speeds and better 4G LTE features (Wi-fi calling, simultaneous voice and data,etc). Total Wireless also uses the Verizon network but has less expensive plans and some nice features. TW, like Straight Talk and Net10 is owned by Tracfone. They also have the max download speed of 5 Mbps but disclose it on their website.
I have a lot of articles and videos about this issue as well as Verizon Wireless Prepaid, Total Wireless, and Straight Talk Verizon network reviews here on smartphonematters.com.
I hope this helps.
Bob
I have been given an iPhone 6 by a family member that was purchased from and ran on Verizon towers. They have since upgraded to a iPhone 7 and still have their service through Verizon. I am currently utilizing Straight talk for all of our current phones. I get how to verify if the phone is eligible to switch to straight talk, nano sim etc, however, how do I port my current straight talk number to the new iPhone if eligible? I have upgraded straight talk phones to new straight talk phones via the website just am not sure if process will work the same way with BYOP. Thanks for help!
Terri,
See How To Sign Up and Use Your iPhone 6 or 6s with Straight Talk Wireless and Transferring Your Existing Straight Talk Service to a New Straight Talk Phone or SIM
If you want to use Verizon network I think you should check out Verizon Prepaid and Total Wireless. If you really need 5 or 10GB of data Verizon has faster data and better features. Total Wireless is similar to Straight Talk’s Verizon network with less expensive options for less data. If I needed to be on the Verizon network, I’d choose either service over Straight Talk’s Verizon network in 2017.
Thank you for the help. I don’t necessarily need to be on the Verizon network. We currently have a Straight Talk iphone 6 that is running via AT&T towers; however, it was purchased as a Straight Talk phone for AT&T service and not converted. If I choose AT&T on Straight Talk for BYOP plan it will stay on AT&T towers and not T-Mobile
correct?
You definitely can do that. You just need to transfer your service to the ST AT&T SIM card. Straight Talk’s Verizon network has a max data download speed of 5 Mbps. Their AT&T network doesn’t have a set maximum. I’ve measured speeds up to 90Mbps on Straight Talk’s AT&T network, so its much faster for me.
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the help. One more question…. I am being told that my Iphone 6 is a CDMA phone and is not GSM eligible for the At&T towers. ST is sending me mixed messages. One rep forwarding me a link for the Verizon sim and access card that would work; however, link would not allow me to add to cart (purchase $.99) The other telling me I must go to Walmart to purchase for price of $70. Would the Iphone5 CDMA ST Verizon sim card work in the Iphone 6?
All Verizon iPhone 6, 6s, and 7 models are unlocked and compatible with the AT&T network. You do not need to check the MEID of your phone with Straight Talk to use the AT&T network. Just activate or transfer your service to the SIM card. You’ll only need to enter the serial number of the SIM card, not the phone.
If you move the Verizon SIM from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 it will work but I don’t recommend it long term. Your ST account will still be associated with that iPhone 5 and there could be some issues using the new phone later on. Additonally, based on what I just told you, you can se the AT&T network which is a better choice (FYI, no visual voicemail though, regular voicemail)
Don’t forget to watch my video here. Transferring Your Existing Straight Talk Service to a New Straight Talk Phone or SIM
It will show you how to transfer your existing service.
Can someone please help me activate my phone I have put in the SIM card I paid the $6 plan I’m going to need to talk to someone to figure out how do I get the phone number I have a substitutiary number which I got five on the SD card that I need it for the phone I need to know why my phone since I paid all this money is not working
Hi,
I don’t provide phone support. If you can take a step back, and clearly describe the problem you are having I might be able to provide some suggestions. For example, what service did you sign up for? What is the $6 plan. Otherwise you might want to directly contact the customer service department of whatever service you signed up for.
Hi,
I just watched your tutorial on how to switch my iphone6 from verizon (in this case) to straight talk. When i input my MEID to straight talks website, it said my phone wasnt eligible. However on your video it says that all iphone 6’s from verizon are unlocked, and will work on at&t and/or tmobile’s network.
I called straight talk to confirm that I would be able to simply disconnect my service with Verizon, buy a at&t or tmobile nano sim and purchase a monthly plan from straight talk and i would be good and the person I was speaking to said i wouldnt be able to. However, I dont think i did as good a job as I could have in explaining the situation and english was not the person on the other line’s first language so I’m afraid maybe something got lost in translation
So therefore, I am contacting you directly as you seem much more knowledgeable!
Will my verizon iphone6 work with straight talk on att/tmobile’s network?
If so, how do i do that? Do i just cxl my service with verizon and buy a att/tmobile nano sim or do I need to do something different?
Thank you so much in advance for your help! You website is wonderful
Joseph
Your Verizon iPhone 6 is unlocked and will work on both the AT&T and T-Mobile network from Straight Talk or AT&T or T-Mobile directly. You can borrow an AT&T sim from a friend with an iPhone, try it in your phone and it will work. Straight Talk support doesn’t really track which BYOP phones work with which network. If you tell them you have a Verizon phone, or they check the MEID, they simply tell you to sign up for their Verizon network.
You don’t really need to do anything special to use the Straight Talk AT&T network. Once you have your SIM card, you just enter the serial number off the card into straighttalk.com to activate it. If you want to transfer your number you just need to have the your Verizon account number and account PIN. You can check with Verizon or on your verizonwireless.com account if you don’t have that info.
Your Verizon account will automatically be cancelled when the transfer is completed. Don’t cancel with Verizon yourself. The account needs to be active to move your number.
If your iPhone 6 is still on a contract or a payment plan, the phone won’t show up as eligible unless you pay it off.
Now, all that said. I’d encourage you to look through smartphonematters.com and my youtube channel. If you want to remain on the Verizon network I’d look at Verizon prepaid or Total Wireless. Verizon’s prepaid service is currently a better deal than Straight Talk’s Verizon service. Total Wireless uses the Verizon network and is more affordable.
Straight Talk’s AT&T network is pretty good. I use it myself. If you don’t need 5 GB per month, you can save some money using Cricket Wireless which also uses the AT&T network.
I hope this helps.
Hey Bob,
My wife is currently using an iPhone 6 (unlocked/ originally on Verizon post pay) on Straight Talk/ Att towers (BYOP). I want to switch her to Verizon prepaid (BYOP). I want to port her current number. Do you have any advice to make this a smooth and quick transition? I understand that I will need an account number and pin number (?)
I understand her account # is her current ST sim # and the pin number is for security pin that was originally set up with her account (?)
Any help you can give would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Hey Dutch,
I’d say plan to do the transfer at a time when your wife can potentially be without her phone for a half day, just in case their is a delay. Log into your Straight Talk account to check / set your pin number its there. You make want to fill in any additional account info you can in case Verizon asks for it. Sometimes they ask for a zip code or extra info.
Her ST account will automatically cancel when the number is transferred. If for some reason, the transfer seems to be delayed contact Verizon prepaid support and politely ask for an update on the transfer. Sometimes support will push it through while your on the phone.
I am assuming you are going for the Walmart 7GB deal. If not, you could also visit a Verizon store and ask if they can do it. bigbudha168 commented on YouTube he got a good deal in store. Did you see his comment?
Thanks!
I was going with the Walmart 7gb deal. I was going to try to do the entire transfer online, hoping that would be the easiest way. I did not see the YouTube comment. I will look for the comment.
This link should take you to the comment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_LZ0MfJon4&lc=z13bxp1jspziyvger22vhjrxbkb2ixycv
Sounds like it might be worth my while to go to the Verizon store. I just hope they are going to give everyone that great deal. They may tell me they’ve never heard of that deal. We’ll see. I’ll report back within a week.
Please do. If you don’t need the extra 2 GB per month it is a good deal.
But I thought they gave him the extra 2 GB as well. Did I misunderstand that?
I don’t think they did. Take a look again. I think he just got the $75 credit. You can ask him if it’s not clear.
I went to a Verizon store (in Louisville, Ky.) today. They weren’t willing to give me the $75 credit, said they had no such promotion, just 5gb- $50 and 10gb-$70 deals. And they said there was a $35 activation fee. Guess I better go to Walmart.
It was worth a try. the Walmart deal is pretty good too.
Hello,
Have a ST 6s that currently has a Verizon chip in it. the box says the phone is compatible with all networks. ST wont unlock it(long story)
Moving to a rural area that only At&t works. Have tried a currently active ST at&t and it works in phone. Have a new unused ST at&t chip that shows no service. Also have an at&t chip in previous phone to this one that the number was transfered to and is unactive as well. Can i tell ST the old chip”isnt working” and convince them to activate the At&t chip or install the old chip in old 5c thatis a ST.
Thank you
Dee,
If you tried an active Straight Talk AT&T nano SIM in that iPhone 6s and it works you should be all set. Just transfer your current service from the iPhone 6s to a Straight Talk BYOP AT&T nano SIM card then put it in the 6s. All you need is the SIM and to transfer your service. I am assuming you own this 6s and are not paying for it on installments.
See Transferring Your Existing Straight Talk Service to a New Straight Talk Phone or SIM
another reader recently asked about this, see http://smartphonematters.com/ask-bob/comment-page-3/#comment-123909
I just recentally transfered my number to gophone to try it out and was thinking about trying straight talk att do you see any differences in the speed or signal between the 2. Which do you recommend or prefer? Also i noticed during the week my speeds are slower then on the weekend, like around 15 to 20 during the week and i have hit a max of 70 on a saturday evening but mostly around 40 on the weekend. Do you notice a drop like this during the weekend on gophone?
Hi Blake,
See my response here.
Let’s try that again. See my response here Should I Switch From AT&T GoPhone To Straight Talk?
Thanks for your response this is pretty much what i assumed but just wanted to see to ur opinion. For me gophone is the best because like you said roll over, but also the 5 dollar discount with autopay, and the fact that they are “first in line” with att.
Yes. GoPhone used to offer much less high speed data for the money. I think Straight Talk will need to update their plans with more data and lower price points.
Yeah but for now gophone is the way to go.
I’s say so. I was trying to say ST has lost the competitive edge.
how do i take my straight talk service from my old phone to my new phone with a new sim card.? I have a galaxy s5 and i got a galaxy s6 now but the sims cards are not the same and i cant figure out how to transfer my service
See Transferring Your Existing Straight Talk Service to a New Straight Talk Phone or SIM
How do I order Straight Talk Sprint Network Access Code?
What type of phone do you have?
Watched your video on APN settings for Tracfone BYOP (Verizon). I get the message that no update is needed. Phone works and data used to work, but now data does not. Tells me I have no connection. Phone is unlocked, I purchased directly from Motorola. Thanks.
BrendaW,
First, check the status bar on your phone to see if you have a cellular connection. Are you seeing 4G LTE, LTE, or 3G in the status bar? If not, the problem is not the APN.
If you are connecting to the network. Check your Tracfone Balance to make sure you have a data balance.
Next try resetting your APN, Resetting the APN Settings to Default on Your Android Phone
If that doesn’t help you may need to manually add the APN, if are able to set it on your phone.Let me know how it goes.
Thanks. I do have cellular connection. Phone and txt/mms work fine. Only the internet. I even added another gig having the same thought, but I now how 2 gb. Puzzling.
Hello Bob,
I’m in a tussle with Straight Talk. I ordered my wife a new IPhone 5s to replace her Samsung S4(which was a Straight Talk phone also). Where we live we only receive service thru AT&T. I couldn’t do the simple switch of just changing the sim card over cause it is the wrong size. I also have a IPhone 5s that I got from Straight Talk it runs off AT&T towers that is why I got her one also. But come to find out the IPhone they sent for my wife has a Verizon sim card. So asked about three different techs at Straight Talk if they could just send me another sim. They said that it wouldn’t work. But I have put my sim card in her phone and everything works. So I guess my main question is how do I go about getting a AT&T sim card for her phone? Thanks
Brian,
If you have tried a Straight Talk AT&T nano SIM card from your phone in your wife’s new Straight Talk Verizon network iPhone 5s and it works you should be able to use this phone with the Straight Talk AT&T network. You’d buy a Straight Talk AT&T nano SIM and transfer her service to that SIM. As far as Straight Talk is concerned you are now a BYOP customer. Put the SIM in here iPhone 5s and it should work.
That iPhone 5s was sold to use with their Verizon network so as far as they are concerned you can’t use it with their AT&T network. Since you verified it worked with your SIM, you should be ok. I’d suggest ordering a nano to micro SIM adapter from Amazon so you can put the SIM back in the S4 if you need to for some reason. In the past, lots of Straight Talk iPhone 5 customers did this to get on the faster AT&T network. I did have some concerns about doing this with those discounted iPhone 5s phones the sell but you already tested it
To learn how to transfer your service, see Transferring Your Existing Straight Talk Service to a New Straight Talk Phone or SIM
Thank you so much for your support
You are welcome. If possible, please share how it goes. This question comes up and it helps when readers share their experience.
Thanks.
I purchased a used iPhone 6 that was used on the Verizon network. Using the BYOP kit from TracFone, I transferred my number and minutes/service day’s to the new phone. I can make calls and txt just fine. But, it does not have data. I called TracFone who attempted to help me but were unsuccessful. They said I needed to call Verizon to have data unlocked. Verizon tells me if I can send and receive calls and txt, the phone is unlocked and they can do nothing to help me. TracFone disagrees insisting this is a problem with Verizon. So, I’m stumped. Have you heard of this before, and can you steer me in the direction of a solution? Thank you.
Hi Tom,
Did you install the APN profile, it sets up the data apn. See the iPhone users section here. Tracfone APN Settings
I just recentally signed up for att gophone 45 dollar 4gb plan 2 to 3 days ago and i am only recieving H and H+ signals. After speaking to their customer service they said that it is because my port isnt fully complete and can take anywhere from 3 to 5 days. Did thjs happen with you?
I did not have the same problem but I have noticed with Straight Talk’s AT&T network sometimes it takes a while before phones get an LTE connection. For me, it was sometimes a few hours. Others have reported it taking a couple of days. If possible, I recommend visiting an area where you know there is a really strong AT&T LTE signal an restarting your phone.
Thanks will try it. I was between straight talk and gophone but went with gophone because i read in the terms of service for straight talk about something where you cant have continuous uninterrupted video streaming and i was unsure of what that ment and even their customer service couldnt explain. What would you recommend stay with gophone or switch to straight talk? Also for comparison what would u say the average speed test for both of them would be based on your test? Thanks
The services are pretty similar. You’ll get 5 Gigs of high speed data for $45 with Straight Talk, so some people like the extra data. I’ve noticed based on speed test results that Straight Talk’s network, seemed a little more latent, meaning the initial response (ping time) is slower. Not enough to be an issue. Some iPhone users will like AT&T better, because it supports Visual Voice mail. Since your on Android, that may not be relevant. Although, I think that may the Samsung Galaxy phones may have visual voicemail too, I don’t know.
Consider switching if you need the extra gig of high speed data otherwise your ok. If you use than 4GB of high speed data or want unlimited data, Cricket might be an option for you. Cricket is owned by AT&T, but they limit the data speeds which is an issue for some but not others.
Yeah i checked out cricket but they cap speeds at 8mbs so i am mainly going to the carrier that give the fastest and most reliable connection. Im getting about 5 with upwards of 10 on the gophome H+ but hopefully in a few days it will go to 4g lte and go up. Will check back in to let you know what happened
Have you had any problems with straight talk and streaming video and music such as youtube or netflix because that is mainly why i went with gophone for the first month
I don’t watch a lot of streaming video with cellular data but I haven’t had any issues with it when I do. Seems ok to me. Mostly youtube, netflix once in a while. I don’t stream music with cell data, only wi-fi.
Thanks very much will update what happens appreciate all your advice
I can only receive pix from other track phone users~ not any other cell companies~ I have a track phone~ I have tried APN everything~ plz plz help` I cannot receive pix~ when I send them it says no MMS cannot b downloaded`
It would help to know what type of phone you have and which APN you tried.
I recently moved into the country and have limited options for internet and cell service. I’ve been on a Verizon family plan for 5 years, i just upgraded a few months ago to a Galaxy S7 and am on a payment plan. I get a very weak signal at my new house, not even enough to make calls. There are two Towers nearby, AT&T and I’m not sure what the other is.
A family member gave me an old LG straight talk phone which works on Sprint, and I get a great signal but the phone is so old it’s barely functioning.
Straight talk just offered me a free Galaxy On5, which is on T-Mobile. I received the phone and it appeared to get a great signal so I called them and had my number transferred from my older phone, which took about 24 hours. When it was finally active I noticed I had no data capabilities although I could make calls. So I went into the settings and noticed it was connected to At&T. I searched for networks and chose T-Mobile but the signal was extremely weak. (I’ve seen mentioned on this site the issue with their different towers).
So my question is, if I am connecting to At&T and getting voice, is there a way to get data as well? Is there a way to use my Verizon Galaxy S7 with a pre-paid service on Sprint or At&t? I also have an inactive at&t net10 sim if that makes a difference
Any tips? I have 3 half working phones and it’s making me crazy. I need one to be fully functioning.
Hi Becky,
See my reply here Three Half-Working Cell Phones in a Rural Area
Hi Bob, do you see any future of verizon allowing voice over LTE (HD Voice) on straight talk’s verizon network? With this HD voice feature, would it be possible to talk and surf at the same time?
John,
HD Voice on Verizon prepaid offers Voice and Data and the same time, Wi-Fi calling, and better sounding calls. These features were just recently added to Verizon’s own prepaid service. It’s hard to say if and when Verizon will let Straight Talk and others offer these services when using their network. One day they may, in the past Verizon only let ST use their 3G network. Now they can use the 4G LTE network, but even that is limite to 5Mbps data download speeds.
Hi Bob, I have an iPhone 6 on iOS 9.3.3. I do not want to update my phone to iOS 10. All of my SMS and MMS messaging has been working fine (I’ve been on Straight Talk’s AT&T network by the way using the same BYOP LTE SIM for over a year). Lately, for some reason, I am not receiving all of my incoming phone calls. Outgoing phone calls seem to be working fine, but many of my friends and family members have told me that there have been times where they would call and the phone would ring and go to voicemail, but the call would never seem to show on my iPhone or make any sound (even with the ringer on and the volume set to max). This issue has been happening for months now. It’s just been getting pretty bad lately, and I would like to find a solution ASAP. Please help me.
Thanks,
John
Also Bob, whenever I receive an incoming phone call, my phone goes from LTE to 3G when I am on the phone (which it always has). However, recently, I have noticed (once or twice) where my data indicator in the status bar has gone from LTE to 3G while I was not on the phone. I’m wondering if when it does this, I am receiving the calls, but they’re failing to show up. PLEASE HELP ME
Hi John,
I am not sure what the issue is. The obvious things to check are to make sure your not accidentally turning on do not disturb and to make sure allow calls is set to everyone. Some AT&T customers report the same problem, and some have said they seem to get calls when they turn off LTE. You could try this to see if you receive calls, but its not really a solution. Without updating to iOS 10, you could try a network reset, reset all settings, and check if there are any carrier bundle updates by going into settings general about. if one is available, you could install it.
It might be an issue with the AT&T network, and not your phone or straight talk.
May I ask why you do not want to go to iOS 10.
Hi Bob, I do not use Do not disturb and I never have. I have reset my network settings multiple times. I do not want to go to iOS 10 because my friend updated and her phone was completely slower and battery life was awful even with low power mode and turning off effects. I also prefer iOS 9 look.
John,
I don’t think the problem is your phone. I think its the network. Have you considered trying a different carrier? Perhaps GoPhone or Cricket, which are both owned by AT&T.
Bob, I have been using Straight Talk’s AT&T network since August of 2012. I haven’t had any major problems till this year. I am not considering switching carriers at the time.
Hi John,
I’m not sure what else you can do then except wait it out and hope it gets better. Sometimes these types of problems clear up when they update the network.
Hi John,
Your other options would be to try a different phone or contact Straight Talk support and report the problem with receiving calls. If you want to email them I can give you the support email address for the group that might be able to help you. I’m not sure how well they will be able to diagnose the problem.
Thanks Bob, I contacted them and they did some carrier updates and fixed it. .
Glad to hear it.
I need to send text messages to my Tracfone iPhone 5s, which shows “TFW” at the top of the screen, but, I think, is on the Verizon network. The phone is CDMA, bought used, with a Tracfone BYOP sim card. I have tried vtext.com, and it doesn’t work. I have contacted Tracfone tech support, and they say it is not possible to send email as a text to this phone, but I am not sure I believe them, or if they just didn’t know how? My security system can only send e-mail’s, but the email system is too slow for alarms from a security system.
Hi Ed,
I currently don’t have a phone active on tracfone’s verizon network. I was able to do text to email on my Straight Talk AT&T phone and it worked. (Straight Talk is owned by tracfone).
Here is what I’d do. On your iPhone, tap messages and create a new message. Send it to an email address that you know isn’t being used with iMessage. Send the message. You’ll see a green bubble if it was send via SMS, a blue one for iMessage. Now check your email for the text message. You can then reply to that email and see if it works. I was able to see that for Straight Talk’s AT&T network the email address is phonenumber@mms.att.net.
Give it a a try and let me know how it goes.
When I check for software update for version: Z717VLV1.0.0B07 I get Unable to connect to server. Can you help me?
Judy,
That’s no really enough information for me to even know what you are asking about? This is on your phone?
Hi Bob,
Will an ATT iPhone 6 work with Straight Talk Verizon sim card? I want to use the Verizon part.
We have better Verizon coverage here and I was thinking the iPhone 6 would work on either ST network with no issues. I know the older iPhones it mattered.
Thanks
Shawn
Shawn,
Technically, the phone is compatible. Your phone will need to be unlocked. Finally, you’ll need to check the serial number of your phone to see if Straight Talk can register it on their Verizon network. See
Checking If You Can Use Your Verizon Smartphone with Straight Talk Wireless (you can check your AT&T iPhone 6 with this)
Unlocking Your AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint iPhone, Android, or Windows Phone
Note if you bought your iPhone 6 from Straight Talk, they may not let you register it for use on their Verizon network).
Finally, i’d seriously consider Verizon’s own prepaid network, which I currently think is a better deal.
See:
Signing Up For Verizon Prepaid Wireless
Verizon Wireless Prepaid Adds $50 and $70 Plans
Verizon Prepaid’s $50 & $70 Plans With Carryover Data
I have a verizon 4G LTE PHONE but i use straight talk prepaid mins my phone was locked by some sort of fbi scam so i had to factory reset it and now it wont move past find your account PLS HELP
I don’t know what you mean by it won’t move past find your account? Could you share a little more info.
my verizon sim card apn is coming up with vodafone setings
What phone are you using? I’ve heard of this happening if you put a verizon network sim in a phone that doesn’t support Verizon or a international phone that was from Vodafone.
Hi Bob, my LTE data has been running slowly on my iPhone 6 on iOS 9.3.3. I have great service in Clemson, SC, but there are times when it is ridiculously slow to say it’s running on LTE. Please help me. I have no problem making phone calls or sending and receiving MMS. I have the reseller APN settings but my data still has these periods of time when it takes longer that 10 seconds to load a single web page on LTE
I also do not want to update to iOS 10. Thanks
Hey John,
I’d start by doing a network reset. Also, are you checking to make sure you are not using up your high speed data?
Resetting Network Settings on Your iPhone
HI I purchased a Samsung SIII at walmart a year ago and am switching from straight talk to consumer cellular. The IMEI does not show. I looked under the battery and they said that neither numbers work. I typed *#06# and nothing happened, I typed in *#197328640# again nothing happened. WHen I go to status on the phone the only numbers are under the heading MEID they are the same as the ones under the battery. Do you have any other idea of how to pull up an IMEI number or is the MEID and IMEI the same??? Thank you for your help
Hi Tammie,
See my reply here Using a Samsung Galaxy S3 with Consumer Cellular’s Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) Plan
My sister just give her gift Verizon Ellipsis 8 tablet a NB d it takes a sim card ,I wanted to use a TracFone sim card for the tablet so I did a online chat with a rep and he said Icould’tn use it only works on smartphone s but know that I can use it only for data it’s 4g.
See my reply here: Can I Use My Verizon Tablet With Tracfone Wireless?