Can I keep My Verizon phone if I switch to AT&T?
Going back to our example, you could be unsure about whether to keep using the same phone you are already using or whether you will have to buy a new one if you want to move to AT&T but now use a Verizon phone. The good news is most of the time you can still use the same phone whether you go from a Verizon carrier to an AT&T Internet service. Here's what you should know.
Both of the two main telecom firms, Verizon and AT&T, run GSM networks. This suggests they attach the phones to their particular networks using SIM cards. That is, should your Verizon phone be unlocked and you discover it detects the radio frequencies used by AT&T, you should be able to use your phone on AT&T's network after installing an AT&T SIM card. This is how the procedure works.
1. You should then demand that your phone be unlocked. New Verizon phones are often sold unlocked, however, some of the phones out there or phones that customers are still paying off could be locked. Verizon is the carrier that you will need to unlock for this particular device. There may be an early termination fee.
2. Check band support. Your Verizon phone must support AT&T bands, meaning you simply cannot take as well as use a Verizon phone in the AT&T network. The main bands that you should try to find are bands 2, 4, 5, and 17. If the phone supports these bands you should be able to have a reasonable signal all things held constant be it from att. It is normally possible to check for a phone for the number of bands of frequencies it supports from the specifications list.
3. Purchase a new SIM card from AT&T. When you have grown tired of Verizon you will have to purchase a new SIM from AT&T to be able to unlock your phone. You can get one through the AT&T service subscription that is either ordered online or purchased from the AT&T store. Ensure that you purchase the right size of SIM card that will be compatible with your device.
4. Backup phone data. It is always wise to back up any information that is in the phone such as contacts, photos, apps, and so on before replacing the SIM card with a new one since it might lead to loss of some data when changing the service provider. He or she is better safe than sorry with that kind of assurance and confidence towards his or her business.
5. Switch SIM card. This involves switching off your Verizon phone, taking out the Verizon SIM card, inserting the AT&T SIM card, and then turning on the phone. On some occasions, you will be required to restart the phone.
6. Set up phone settings. Depending on the model of your phone, after the detection of the AT&T SIM card, you might be asked to change some of the connectivity settings or install the carriers’ applications. There may be more steps to complete after completing the setup of the phone for the use of AT&T’s network.
7. Test phone connectivity. After connecting the phone, use it to perform a few test calls and search the internet to check whether the phone is properly linked to AT&T’s network. It is as simple as that, as long as the SIM card that you have is the correct size and your phone is compatible with the bands that AT&T uses.
A few key things to keep in mind: older Verizon phones, especially some non-LTE ones, may not even have all the bands needed to function fully on AT&T. Unlock iPhones are normally those that have support for the wide band and this makes them very useful in changing from one carrier to another.
It also makes sense to ensure separately from Verizon that your particular model is fully compatible with AT&T to rule out problems with the coverage further. Not all Verizon handsets are capable of supporting some of the more complex features available on AT&T such as WiFi calling or HD Voice.
Overall, all the same, the general answer is yes, you should be able to transfer your existing Verizon phone to the AT&T network provided the above conditions are observed. It only requires a few minutes to unlock and swap SIM cards and could result in significant savings on your next phone purchase. When changing over to another carrier, just ensure that the period taken to unlock is factored so that there is no interruption in cell service.
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