Can You Use A Verizon Phone On T-Mobile? Detailed Guide

By Phillip Adcock
Last updated: Jan 8, 2023
Can I Use A Verizon Phone On T-Mobile

Verizon phones are widely used in the States for their various good deals and newly updated features. Along with the Verizon phone, customers will get a free Verizon SIM card when buying a new cell phone. 

This deal is so good and budget-friendly. Will a Verizon unlocked phone work on t-mobile? Are there any issues with SIM cards from other manufacturers?

In this post, let’s find the answer to your question and explore the pros and cons of using a t-mobile card on a Verizon phone.

T-Mobile Cell Phone Plan – Short overview

T-Mobile offers many cell phone plans for its wide span of customers, so it is impossible to cover all options available. Let’s just introduce the top 3 popular plans for young adult users.

There are three combos: Essentials, Magenta, and Magenta MAX, for you to select. All of them provide UNLIMITED data, with no contract signing needed! The simpler it is, the better, right?

For the Essentials option with $60/month, you will get 2G data coverage in only Mexico and Canada (along with the States); while, if you choose the Magenta ($70/month), you can get the 4G LTE coverage in these two neighboring countries. When you select the Magenta MAX for $85/ month, you will get the extra 40 GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot and 4k UHD video streaming! So great!

Can I Use A Verizon Phone On T-mobile?

Yes, you can. There is no problem changing the SIM card from Verizon to T-Mobile. However, there are some points we need you to check out before changing your mobile plan.

First, is your Verizon phone unlocked or locked? If you use a locked Verizon, unfortunately, you cannot use any network besides Verizon. T-mobile, AT&T, Visible, etc. – no network is usable on a locked version of Verizon. 

So, if you want to switch the mobile plan, get your phone unlocked beforehand. Please note that every Verizon phone will be locked after 60 days of purchase. You can only get it unlocked or repaired after this 60-day window.

Second, you should check the compatibility between your cell phone and T-Mobile. Some old phones cannot be connected with a T-Mobile SIM card. Please use the T-Mobile compatibility tool to verify if your phone can get along well.

Third, you need to go through the procedures below to switch your previous mobile plan to T-Mobile service:

  • Check whether your phone is locked or unlocked. Remember to do it 60 days after purchasing.
  • Ensure your phone is compatible with the T-Mobile network
  • Take a photo of your current cell phone payment plan before canceling it. By doing this step, you can debate and have a refund with the service provider faster later.
  • Buy a new T-Mobile SIM card and cellphone plan based on your demand.

Read the online setup guide at the T-Mobile website and start activating. You will also decide to change the number or keep the old phone number during this procedure.

If you are not good at online research or prefer having your card activated by a professional, we recommend you to visit a T-Mobile store and ask the staff to support you. They will surely help you well!

Based on our experience, it will take about one to two days to switch to T-Mobile if there is no unexpected incident. For the worst-case scenarios, the period may be stretched to 10 days.

Q&As

What Are Some Pros And Cons Of Switching From Verizon To T-Mobile?

Switching From Verizon To T-Mobile

In terms of cost, T-Mobile is cheaper than Verizon. It provides many good deals for low-income users and family combos, too, so that you have many budget-friendly plans to select from. 

Let’s consider the speed then. To be honest, most customers don’t see much difference in downloading and uploading speed between the two, so we can say that it’s a tie. Albeit, there are a few people thinking that T-Mobile has a slightly faster speed than Verizon.

If you are a traveler or businessman, you will surely love T-Mobile more than Verizon because they provide unlimited data and texts in most countries! Meanwhile, you will be charged for this service from Verizon.

However, T-Mobile still has a major disadvantage – its coverage. In rural areas, the network coverage is quite few compared to Verizon.

Can I Keep Using My Old Verizon SIM Card When Switching To T-Mobile?

No, you can’t. You must buy a new T-Mobile SIM to use the T-Mobile services. There are many incompatible setups between the two service providers as long as their SIM design, so it is a must to purchase a new SIM card and get rid of your old Verizon SIM card.

Can I Keep Using My Old Phone Number When Switching To T-Mobile?

Yes, you can! As mentioned above, you can decide to keep the old number or get a new one during the activation process. It won’t take much procedure or documents during the transfer, so don’t worry!

Final thoughts

There are some points to be highlighted before transferring from another network to T-Mobile you need to check. 

Typically, most recent Verizon phones can work along so well with the network, so trust us; there won’t be many issues popping up! You can also keep your old number even after changing the mobile network – so convenient, right?

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* Disclaimer: We do not buy, sell or provide service, we only share with you our trusted sources, and experience. In case of any changes in the products or services of the companies, all the information below is supposed to change at any time.

Phillip Adcock is the founder and Managing Director of the research agency Shopping Behaviour Xplained (SBXL), a shopping research organization using psychological consumer insight to explain and help consumers answer their questions about stores and services.

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