It is Possible to use the iPhone 4/4S with Tracfone - Here is How:
 |
| Use an iPhone 4 and 4S with Tracfone service |
First, here is some back story on the iPhone coming to Tracfone:
We recently (a few months back now) got a tip from a visitor that Tracfone may be accepting iPhone 4 and 4S for use with their 'Bring Your Own Phone' program which already allows users to bring CDMA smartphones to use with Tracfone service.
If you visit the following link, it appears that the iPhone 4 and 4S will work with Tracfone service:
iPhone 4/4S with Tracfone Service
We have since received significant feedback confirming that both the iPhone 4 and 4S (Verizon) will work with Tracfone's Bring Your Own Phone program. See the comments below for more information.
 |
| iPhone 4 cdma |
Many Tracfone users are already reporting that phones like the Motorola Droid 3, or HTC Incredible (but maybe not the Moto G (Verizon)) are working with Tracfone's BYOP program, so it is exciting that they will be expanding the phone options to Apple products.
Just remember that for now, phones need to be Used Verizon CDMA to work with Tracfone.
We have now confirmed that iPhone 4 and 4S (Verizon) will work with Tracfone. If you are wondering where to find a phone, Amazon has a number of used iPhones for under $100!
How to Add Your iPhone 4 or 4S to Tracfone BYOP
Here is a simple guide for those interested in using an iPhone 4 or 4S with Tracfone, but are unsure of which phone to get, and how to navigate the process.
1. You will need to find a used Verizon iPhone 4 or 4S. Here are some links to places where you can get a used phone:
(Verizon)
Take a look at the options and find the best phone or price for you. The iPhone 4S is a little newer than the 4, comes with Siri and a few other upgrades, but is also a bit more expensive.
 |
| How to Use the iPhone 4 with Tracfone |
2. You should look into Verizon service in your area (before you buy the phone) and determine if it will work for you. If you already have a CDMA phone that works, you should be fine.
You can also use the MEID from the iPhone with your zip-code to check if it will work (but this isn't always possible if you're buying it online). To do this, go to Tracfone's BYOP page and enter the information.
3. Once you determine that a Verizon iPhone will work in your area (or are at least willing to give it a shot!), go to Tracfone.com and follow the instructions for activating a new phone. You can also do this over the phone by calling Customer Service. You will need to purchase a $10 network activation card.
Some people have reported a seamless transition to their new iPhone while others have faced a run around for some reason. The quirks of Tracfone's BYOP program are still being worked out, so some patience may be necessary.
To track your minutes and service days, you can download the Tracfone app, or simply visit the Tracfone website and sign into your account.
Please share below in the comments your experience with adding an iPhone to Tracfone, or your questions relating to it.
Can anyone confirm that the iPhone 4 and 4S with Tracfone have Triple Minutes? Thanks!
Also, for those who still have a regular Tracfone, check out our updated Tracfone Promo Codes for May 2014 or you might be interested in our Top Sales and Deals for May 2014 on Tracfone Devices
Thanks for visiting!
233 comments :
1 – 200 of 233 Newer› Newest»How hard is it to set up a bring your own phone to tracfone? I hope someone reports if it works soon!
I have seen many different people reporting on transferring their tracfone number to an android phone, and some have found it very easy, only taking an hour over the internet, while others have spent hours on the phone trying to figure things out. So I think it various quite a bit at this point.
This is great news. My wife got a new iPhone 5 in December and subscribed to Straight Talk. Unfortunately, we sold her Verizon iPhone 4s in January. I wish we still had it, I would have really liked to use it on the Tracfone network. I have the Samsung Centura but have had problems with it.
To start, I love this site. Thank you. I need to get an iphone 4 or a Samsung Galaxy S3 on ebay in order to use a Square card reader for 10-15 sales (I'm an artist) but hate to pay the $60+/month. I've used Tracfone for 5 yrs and love it. On the phones, do they have to be unlocked? Verizon version? Out of contract? Very difficult to get info from Tracfone.
Glad you like the site! At this time, there are very few details about the Tracfone BYOP program, and even Tracfone reps don't always know about it. From what I've seen, the phone needs to work with Verizon service, but needs to be out of contract, or possibly unlocked. Sorry we don't have more info!
Off topic, but I'm wondering if Tracfone will ever offer a Blackberry? I love Tracfone, but miss my Blackberry.
I have been told that if the phone has any 4G LTE technology built in it will NOT work with the Tracfoe service. It is interesting to note that the picture used to advertise this on the Tracfone website is a Samsung Galaxy S2.
Will a used phone work the same as buying a new phone for tracfone BYOP? Can you activate either way?
If I can find an iPhone 4S that has an acceptable MEID, can I be certain it will work on Tracfone? I would like an iPhone, but would want to be sure I could use it with Tracfone.
For those wondering about various phones that work, I bought a used Droid 3 and was able to use it with Tracfones BYOP program. I can't comment as to what other phones will or will not work but I bought a used Droid 3 that had originally been a Contract Verizon phone and it works great! We also have a Samsung Centura on the Tracfone smartphone plan, but it was not a byop of course.
Thanks for the info!
https://www.tracfone.com/direct/controller.block?__blockname=direct.byop_cdma_tf.landing&app=TRACFONE&lang=en&init=Y&TLJID=Tb6WS11VNGLpyVTMgYvpQGJ9W0ZM2LTKQj3YHdCJVGH9j6tJkymY!-790402194!1391801653066
IT'S CONFIRMED. TRACFONE IS NOW ALLOWING IPHONE 4 AND IPHONE 4S TO BE USED ON TRACFONE?!?!?!?!??!1 THAT'S PROOF. YESSSSSSSS.
Thank you for this info!
I bought a used droid x2 on ebay, verizon cdma, and was able to activate it online, transferring my old tracfone number, without ever having to call india.
I have a 4S and can not after several hours of talking to Tracfone and Apple and Verizon successfully got it to work.. Keeps telling me that the meid is not acceptable. The phone meets all the requirement the BYOP site states but still does not go through the activation. They haven't got a clue as of why. So thought it might be locked called verizon they told me the phone is OK on their end. They suggested Apple. Apple talked me through restoring the phone and also told me it should now work. But it does not go through.. So I'd say it's hit or miss on using one.. And Tracfone hasn't got an answer as to why it wouldn't..
TF's byop techs (Net10 handles byop cust. service for TF) told me that even a 4g phone would work just that it would only function at 3g.
Activated 2 used Verizon 4S's purchased from Amazon with no problem. Transferred number, time & minutes from TF LG840G's online. Took about 15 to 20 minutes for each one. TF is still working out some bugs but it's getting better
That's great to hear, thanks for the info!
Where do you get the minute balance on a iphone 4 after switching to tracfone?
I just set mine up with no problem but where do you see your minute balance?
You will need to go to the APP Store and download the Tracfone App, in order to
get your available minutes!
ok, im going to try as well!!! Wish me Luck
I've got two iPhones working on Tracfone mostly successfully. These are Verizon CDMA iPhone 4, not 4s. No sim card. They're activated to our family plan ($16/month for 2 numbers). 1 minute for calls, 1 minute for browsing. The problem we're experiencing is that the 3G connection comes and goes. We can call and receive calls anywhere, but if we want to use internet services (including Messages), we need a wireless connection.
Tracfone folks have been very supportive trying to fix it.
Where can I buy an iPhone for use on tracfone?
Amazon is where I've seen them most
Tracfone data cards say for Android only. Do you know if they will work with the iPhone
I got a 4s 64gb used on Amazon, listed as like new, and it truly was like new, even the box and pack-ins were new...Transferring number and minutes online took the online about 30 minutes to complete...no calls to CS or anything...it was smooth. Remember the iPhone 4 or 4s has to be Verizon, a used phone (I guess new phones don't seem to work at this) with clear/clean serial number. This is the best thing to happen to Tracfone in the 10 yrs I've used them!!
I'm having trouble getting the tracfone account app also. Can someone walk me through the process, Thanks in advance
Can someone post a link the the correct version of the phone on Amazon? Too many to choose from!!! Thanks!
There is a link in the article above, mid way through. You want to choose a used verizon cdma iPhone.
My husband has an IPhone 4S and we were able to transfer it to Tracfone. It was very easy to do. Tracfone site will ask you for an acceptable MEID. We like being back with Tracfone. The only downside is that you have to look up how many minutes you have left on the Tracfone website
Their data cards only work with Android phones. I called Tracfone to verify it.
I find a used verizon iPhone 4s on ebay and ask for MEID of the iPhone. Tracfone website accept the MEID of the phone, and I bought it. My phone is Samsung Galaxy Centura, and I transferred my number and min and service to the iPhone 4s via website, but nothing happend in 1 day. The day after I called the customer service, and after 2 hours talking to customer service and escalating to another person, they told me that they cannot transfer my minutes from an tracfone android phone to iphone and they can just transfer my number and days. I have about 3000 minutes and I didn't want to give up my minutes, moreover they told me the iPhone and any BYOP will not be triple minutes. I ask them to reactivate my previous phone, and refund the 9.99+tax Network access fee. They said they cannot refund Network access fee, and after 1 hour talking to customer service and explaining to them that they never said in the website that they cannot transfer my minutes, and it is their fault transfer didn't happened. They offer me 1 month and 30 min triple to 90 min to add my account and I have no better choice, so I accept it.
If you are planning to go through this program consider:
1. BYOP program is not eligible to triple your minutes.
2. They may not transfer you minutes, and if your phone is tracfone android they sure they cannot!
3. They cannot refund Network access fee.
Good luck!
Does the Verizon phone have to be used or just unlocked? I was thinking about buying a New Unlocked verizon phone
I called Tracfone & they said the Triple minute program does work with the BYOP program
That's great to hear, thanks for the feedback!
What about those who don't use Verizon for their iPhones? I have AT&T, btw.
I bought a used Verizon 16GB iphone 4s from Amazon. I LOVE it!!! It is so much faster than the Galaxy Centura, which was very slow. Also, the Galaxy Centura would sometimes shutdown and not turn back on.
Got it, thanks! I am LOVIN' the iphone!!!! :-)
It says Data Cards are only for Android Phones, but I just purchased the 300 Megabyte card for $10.00. It loaded on my phone just fine. Hooray!
Could you transfer your minuts from Samsung Centura to the iPhone 4s? Did you add any new minuts to the iPhone 4s, and does it triple?
Update: I think the customer service representative was wrong about the Triple of BYOP. According to Tracfone website: " All smartphones (including TRACFONE branded products and BYOP phones) include the Triple Minutes for Life feature."
http://www.tracfone.com/includes/content/popup/terms_conditions.jsp
I think their customer service representatives are not educated about the BYOP program! Now I am not sure if the representative didn't know how to transfer my minutes from Tracfone Samsung Centura to iPhone 4s, or there is a bug in their system.
As long as I know, it must be a used verizon iphone 4 or 4s with clean esn (prepaid phones may not work). but to be sure get the MEID of the phone and try in their website before buying it.
https://www.tracfone.com/direct/controller.block?__blockname=direct.byop_cdma_tf.landing&app=TRACFONE&lang=en&init=Y&TLJID=Tb6WS11VNGLpyVTMgYvpQGJ9W0ZM2LTKQj3YHdCJVGH9j6tJkymY!-790402194!1391801653066
Hi! Did you use the data card on an old iphone 4s? I just bought an iphone 4s to use on tracfone and I want to try the data cards also on it! It worked for you? And the data cards are to go on the internet whenever without wifi right? thanks so much for your help!
I've been using Tracfone for many, many years and the service has been great. Getting an iPhone would make it awesome.
My current Tracfone is a simple flip-phone that has double minutes for life and my wife's has triple minutes for life. Is there any option like that available for the iPhone? I know Tracfone sells a double minutes for life card but will that work with the iPhone?
Thanks for the information provided. I'm interested in the Moto G with Tracfone. Can you provide more info on that? Thanks.
Has anyone been able to set up voicemail with the iPhone on Tracfone? What is the process for this? Thanks!
I transferred number and everything from centura to an iPhone. It was done online and took only 15 minutes. Always try to do it online first, and only call tracfone if you run into problems.
Does it matter whether or not the Verizon iphone has a sim card? What's best 16gb or 32gb?
Is anyone else having trouble with the tracfone BYOP website? I go to check the MEID and it says "We are unable to process your transaction at this time." It seems the site is experiencing technical difficulties. It has been doing that for a few days now.
has to be used. new won't activate
If no one helped yet...on your iPhone, dial *86 follow the prompts. Your passcode can not be sequential numbers.
Jim/Wiz1
I just got an Iphone 4s working on tracfone! It's great!
I just switched my phone from a LG to a iPhone 4s, the # switched but the minutes did not. I cannot access the Apps on the Tracfone site (some comments above suggest I need to download the app to get the minutes from my old phone). So right now neither will work - no minutes on the iPhone and unregistered SIM on the LG.
The link links a Verizon prepaid Moto G...can you actually buy one of these new for around $75 and be able to activate it on the TF BYOP?!
I entered my iphone 4s meid and zip code, and it seemed to accept the phone to the point where I needed to purchase the access code. After signing in to my account, entering my credit card # and trying to proceed with the purchase, it tells me "unable to process transaction at this time". Has this happened to anyone else at this point in the process, and did it eventually go through? I'm trying to avoid a call to CS if at all possible.
Thanks for all the comments. I am curious, when you've been successful at transferring to an iPhone 4 or 4S are can you just use the phone as to talk and text? No data plan? Ideally I'd like to have a iPhone that I can talk and text like my current flip phone and then use wifi when available - without having to upgrade to a data plan.
Anonymous on 6/20/2014 at 10:31AM, I did call Tracfone CS after getting the same message, and they told me that my iphone 4s (Verizon) couldn't be used. Swappa.com/esn indicates that the phone is already activated. I am not sure what to do next --- use it as a paperweight?? ;(
Maybe I made some progress — at 2AM EDT this morning, Tracfone’s BYOP website finally activated my iPhone 4S (after dozens of tries). However, the iPhone still doesn’t work but the Tracfone CS that I talked to a few minutes ago told me that it should work within 24 hours. The account summary shows that the iPhone status is “You are pending your phone number. Please allow up to 4 hours for your Activation to be completed.”
I am trying to put a Verizon Iphone 4s on. It has a clean esn and I got to the activation page...meaning it is good from TF side. I try buy the activation code and it gives me the same "Unable to Process..."message. Did you figure this out? Called TF several times...that was a fun 4 hours I won't get back this past weekend.
Same thing happened to me. Did you ever figure it out? I think it is just a matter of getting the right person on the phone. I called 3 times and spent 4 hours trying to get this to work. Any tips or numbers to call would be appreciated
Same thing happened to me. Did you figure it out? Any tips or phone numbers to call would be appreciated. I called several times (many hours on the phone)
with no luck.
Finally after another hour talking to Tracfone Customer Service, my iPhone 4S is fully activated and working fine. I talked to 5 different CS folks since last Friday. The first 3 told me that my iPhone 4S couldn’t be used on Tracfone which has proved to be incorrect. The 4th reactivated the iPhone but it still couldn’t get a new phone number. The 5th was successful after he told me that he manually entered a new phone number (he told me that their automated system was working correctly). My advice is to be very persistent but this was true even before the BYOP program. I have been with them, I think at least 7 years and every phone change has been painful in one way or another.
What are iPhone user experience on its use of data time? Does data allocation get used for unwanted monitoring and system upgrades?
if you cant get it working on Tracphone then try putting in a TMOBILE sim card and activating with the $30 per month plan (online activation only). That will give you a good comparison.
Spent a number of hours with tracfone today and no joy.. they said my phone
could not be used.. the meid has letters and numbers that really messed them
up "india" they said had to be all numbers, well it isnt.
So again tried several diff reps and no luck with any. however can get so far on line
ok before it says cannot continue
Guess from what I am reading above should wait a few days and try again.
Note: One did indicate it was above her level and transferred me up, however that
did not work either. Could not hear the agents most of the time and last one really
did not care.
Have gone thru this several times in upgrading or changing phones with them,
just something we have to put up with I guess.
I spoke (wrote) too soon. My iPhone 4S is working fine on Tracfone as a phone but it isn't working as a smartphone on the cellular network. I can't get a network connection over the cellular network. It works great on WiFI. Anyone have this problem and have a solution for me before I call Tracfone? (I do have cellular data turned on.)
You don't need to buy any data, it is already included! When you add an airtime say 200 min, you will get triple everything on your smartphone, means 600 minutes, 600 text, and 600MB of data. For details:
https://www.tracfone.com/direct/controller.block?__blockname=direct.static.terms
I am looking at buying an apple i4s 16GB Verizon on e-bay to use on the tracfone network. Some of these e-bay phones are advertised as "unlocked", does mean they are NOT locked to the Verizon network anymore and won't work on tracfone? Also, some phones are advertised as having reset to "factory defaults" and won't work on tracfone?
Did you buy a data card?
I want to get a iPhone 4 or 4s, and have been reading your comments. I see with triple minutes you get X # of talk, x # of text, ad X # of data. What happens when the X for minutes is up, and not the data. Can you still use the data minutes for talk or text? What is MEID? How can I tell if a phone is unlocked?
What about apps? Can you still sync with iCloud….. that is my primary want besides the phone or text. Is there a fee for the app from apple to show the minutes? How do you know you are getting a
If I get a iPhone 4 or 4s,being as it is used, (no longer under warranty with apple or tracfone) will it have to be replaced in 2 years? When will it be out of date? I don't want to pay $100.00 or more every year for a phone. Now T/F won't help me cause my LG800 is out of warranty. Is that going to happen with my iPhone. Sometimes I think T/F creates bad service so I will get a new phone.
I did buy a data card --- but I believe that a regular card also provides data. I was on the phone last night with Tracfone CS and after 1-1/2 hours, my iPhone 4S is now working with cellular data. The only remaining problem is that the Tracfone website won't give me my remaining balance.
Can the iPhone still be used if it is a factory reset or a refurbished phone?
I checked the web and I kept getting the error: Unable to process this transaction at this time" when I checked my unlocked iPhone 4s from AT&T. I called Tracfone 3 times and got different answers: 1. My phone will work but she couldn't activate it until I called back [and spoke to someone who knew what they were doing]. 2. No, because it has a SIM, it will not work with Tracfone. 3. Yes, it will work, on tracfone and Net10, but not on LTE and not in your Zip code. Is it worth a 4th attempt? My understanding is that an unlocked iPhone 4s previously on AT&T will work with either a SIM or Activation Code.
Update: I called Tracfone a fourth time [borderline harassing, I know] and asked for an
"Activation Kit" with a micro SIM, and Tracfone does not offer that. (Go to Net10 or SmartTalk). The iPhone 4s MUST be unlocked Verizon iPhone [not AT&T]. I was going for the Tracfone 200 min, triple to 600 min 90 day plan for $40. I'm settling for T-Mobile's $30 100 min voice, Unl Txt, Unl Data (5GB high speed) plan given it's the second cheapest in my coverage area.
Hello! I may have been the "anonymous" that first got the iPhone going on BYOP (and reported it to this forum. I am "techie" so sorry if this gets there. I have an iPhone 4 Verizon Black 32Gb, that I got on eBay, working on TF BYOP back in March. Yes you pay $10 plus tax for what is activation fee. It was done online. If you get a 4, it has no SIM. If you get a 4S it has a SIM slot, but you could ask Verizon support, if one is actually needed to activate it (as if you are using Verizon). With TF BYOP, its like being on VZ, but with all billing handled by TF. I had a TF ZTE Valet, and all days, data, minutes, were rolled right over to the iPhone, and the number, already being with VZ (all new TF androids are using VZ that I know of) was migrated over in under 3 hours after the call. I did phone in the activation/transfer, but paid the $11 activation online.
The biggest obstacle I had was learning that there is an "iCloud" registration similar to a title for a car. You MUST google the details about transferring a used iPhone! Or you can end up with a locked device. DO THIS before you buy online. If you can get the phone from a friend (owner) the details can be worked out by calling Apple. Basically you have to turn off backup on the phone, and DEREGISTER the phone online from within the iCloud account. Then optionally the phone can be factory reset, or just reassigned to your (new?) iCloud account, which is FREE and REQUIRED. Its similar to google login for access on a new android. You CAN run around using an iPhone that has been reset, but not REMOVED from the old owner's account. However, one errant keystroke while he/she is logged in, could LOCK YOU OUT for good! Its far, far better to have the phone reregistered to you, similar to titling a used car. (This is entirely an Apple "thing," separate from VZ, who could separately blacklist a stolen phone.)
The iPhone is wunderbar! I have a 4G tablet from Sprint with a $7 a month bill, and love android there. But for the size, the iPhone 4 is tops! I call it the iPhone 4C (for CDMA) as it was a major revision to the original 4, and was continued to the 4S which got a better processor. For my money, the 32GB model was a no brainer. A lot of smart people bought 32gb when they came out, as they were the best of all iPhones. But now the 4C is just old, lacking 4G speeds. Getting the 32gb model on eBay is about $10 more than the 8gb, and if you don't have an iPod, worth it. The balance of my 4G Samsung Tab3 and my iPhone 4C, all for about $12 a month, is heaven. EoF/bragging..
1/2
the only thing that will go out is the battery which is internal and old already, other than the phone possibly breaking like any other. repair parts are available, unlike most phones, and are cheap. If you don't know or trust anyone to replace your battery for $25 or less, you can buy a case with a battery inside it, for $25-50, for iPhones.
Warranty alone on these phones was $100-150 a year, so invalidates your notional replacement loss, by costing even more. But yes, like anything in this world, it could break. The Operating System (IOS) is still at 100% current, but will eventually cease to be advanced, but that would be like using a PC with Windows XP, for the last 8 years. It still works fine, and so should the phone. The 3G towers will be made obsolete someday. No plans now, but they won't get any faster. By comparison, your old LG800 probably used the 2G/edge which AT&T voraciously removed about 2 years ago. Now your data service is (was) terrible in 98% of the area AT&T covers. I believe the solution (too late for your dead phone) was to request a T-Mobile SIM from TF, although I don't know how long they will support 2G/2.5G.
The phones such as LG800G are virtually free, and most of us have 3-5 sitting around. You just get another TF and transfer over (also for free) by calling TF. Regarding "bad service," if you had it long enough it was running AT&T service, and the new one will be T-mobile. The iPhones and Androids being discussed here run on Verizon signal towers. Ask around to find out which of these 3 has good "service" where you are, and select the TracFone to use it. Its very hard to find an unused (NIB-old stock) AT&T SIM TracFone now, so hopefully T-mobile or Verizon will be good for you.
If you want an iPhone, be sure to get a VERIZON used iPhone 4, and read up on how to get it transferred to you properly regarding Apple iCloud deregistration. You will probably love it, but no one can say that it will never break.
Nope, I transferred everything straight from a ZTE Valet to iPhone 4. No problems at all. Number, data, minutes, days, texts.. all at par, TMFL.
Unlike above, I did it on the phone (but bought $10 registration online), because I have had many problems swapping phones online.
First poster above is either a shill liar, or somehow got the wrong CS rep 3 times. It works, online or on phone.
Super easy! Activated and transferred my number and minutes in less than 20 minutes!
Does the iphone 4 or 4s have to be unlocked?
Do you have to purchase an unlocked iphone?
Activated seemed to go fine and I can do voice calls but the cellular data connection doesn't work... The site to check my balance also doesn't show anything for data (I should have 600mb)...
Connected my iPhone 4s, no problems at all registered & ready to use in about 10min. Everything works great including the Internet. Just 1 question though, does the data card work on the iPhone 4s? I believe it says Android phones only on the data cards.
Did you use the MEID number during the activation? Using the IMEI number would result in your initial situation
I switched from droid x2 to iphone 4s last last week. I agree with you about the reliability and ease of use. However, it is limited in so ways: lacks swipe keyboard, downloads files in dropbox instead syncing them, some of my preferred android APPS such as Note everything, webofcam (internet version) are not available in App store. Apps are also expensive. My understanding is that IOS 8 will allow swipe keyboard so I am looking forward to it.
Where do you see how many service days you have left?? Thanks!!! I had a great experience switching my LG Trac phone to an out of service Verizon iphone 4!!
Yes, data card works on iphone 4s
Back again for short write up, after 18 or more calls to tracfone and getting
a number saying that You simply cannot do it, and others saying you can only
do it for $50.00 a month on net zero {obviously I hung up each time}
Finally got someone who knew all about it and indicated no problem.
I noticed on my phone the meid numbers were alpha numerical, that really
messed them up except the last guy..
He advised to do it online as he could not process credit card etc.
Taking his advise and doing it online, up and running in less than five minutes.
For the older lg phone to go dead and iphone come alive was about 30 minutes.
trick here is turn off the iphone and back on to get it on line.
All appears to be working well.
Guess my advise would be to simply do it on line and forget calling tracfone.
good luck all.
How can you tell if the iphone is no longer on someone's cloud?
I do not know what else to tell you. The information you provide is outdated. Initially iPhones were not qualified for tracfone BYOP so that explains the "only for android phones." I have purchased $50 and $10 data cards for my tracfone iphones so I am not deceiving you.
I wanted to share with you all that I recently bought my iPhone 4s from a seller called "Solwireless" on Ebay. They did a fabulous job of communicating with me. They sent me the phone's MEID number and answered my questions in a timely manner. I emailed other sellers on Ebay and Amazon and they would not send me the MEID number. Amazingly I had no problems switching my tracfone number over to my new iPhone 4s. This is awesome!
What is the process of switching? I have a TracFone Huawei smartphone and I want to switch to an iPhone 4 that I got on ebay. Do I have to buy an activation card to keep my current number or do I upgrade active? I tried to upgrade and and I just get errors, but I am afraid I'll lose my number if I do it the other way.
I clicked on the link in the main article on this page, the BYOP tracfone page. That is where you enter the iPhone's MEID number and your zip code. If tracfone accepts the MEID number, then it will take you to the next page which is paying the $10 connection fee. Pay for that and continue on with the prompts. It will give you the choice to keep your other tracfone phone number and switch over any current minutes you may have. Hope it works for you!
Thank you. Followed that and it worked - took several tries to get the serial numbers entered correctly, but that was my own fault. Within 2 minutes of finishing my iPhone was working. I checked my balance online and it looks like i kept all my minutes and data, although the text it sent me is way wild!! it says I have 1158596 texts and only one mb of data, whereas the webpage says I have 1021 texts and 1131 mb, which is correct.
We were on the phone with Tracfone for at least 12 hours. I completed the process online by having them check the MEID (which was free and clear) and then I paid the $10 and waited the allotted time. I called back to check the status when nothing happened. A guy completed the port, but gave me a new number. Up until this point it only took 2 hours and then the fun really started. It was a complete nightmare to get my old phone reactivated with my old number that I had for 10 years and to clear the number they gave me from the new phone. They gave us the runaround about the number on the phone and how it was Verizon's deal even though at the start of the process the phone was free and clear when I checked the MEID on their page. At one point a rep admitted it was their fault, My husband ended up talking to someone in the corporate office because they made my phone unusable as they put the number on. In the end I got another new number on the iPhone. I am very upset not to have my older number, but I don't have time to deal with this. The whole process was awful, esp when I did everything I was supposed to and the issues were on their end. I would not recommend anyone doing this.
I activated a Iphone 4s but it hasnt transferred my minutes or number yet. How long should I wait until this becomes a major problem. I would like not to call tracfone it would make it much easier if I didn't have to. Thanks for any advice given
When I try and Activate my Iphone 4s by calling *22890 it always says it cant be done at this time. How long will it take for it to work until this become a major problem. Any Help would be greatly appreciated!
I am about to register a used verizon iphone 4s for the first time with Tracfone.
I will be getting a new phone number Tracfone.
How do I ensure that when I purchase my minutes/data cards a that I will be getting triple minutes/data/text? Are there special steps I need to take or codes to use etc. for the initial purchase and set up and what about for future added minutes?
See this Apple Support Article:
iCloud: Remove your device from Find My iPhone
If you’re no longer using an iOS device or Mac, you can remove it from Find My iPhone. When you remove a device, it’s removed from your Find My iPhone devices list, and if your device has iOS 7 or later, Activation Lock is also turned off.
Before giving away or selling your iOS device, be sure to erase your content and settings (in Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings). When you erase your content, Find My iPhone and Activation Lock are also turned off. For more information, see the Apple Support article What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Remove an iOS device or Mac by turning off Find My iPhone
Remove a device from Find My iPhone by turning off Find My iPhone on the device.
On an iOS device, go to Settings > iCloud, then tap to turn off Find My [device].
On a Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then deselect Find My Mac.
Note: You can also remove your device by turning off iCloud completely on that device. Turning off iCloud turns off all iCloud features on the device.
Remove an iOS device or Mac on which you can’t turn off Find My iPhone
If you can’t turn off Find My iPhone on the device, turn off the device so it goes offline, then remove it from Find My iPhone on iCloud.com.
Note: You can also remove your iOS device by first erasing it—just follow the instructions below for removing an iOS device you no longer have. You can later restore the device from an iCloud or iTunes backup.
Turn off the device you want to remove.
Sign in to icloud.com/#find on another computer with your Apple ID (the one you use with iCloud).
If you’re using another iCloud app, click the app’s name at the top of the iCloud.com window, then click Find My iPhone.
Click All Devices, select the offline device, then click Remove from Account. If you don’t see Remove from Account, click All Devices again, then click the Delete (x) button next to the device.
If the device comes online again, it will reappear in Find My iPhone. To make sure your device doesn’t reappear, turn off Find My iPhone on the device (follow the instructions above for removing an iOS device or Mac), or if you have an iOS device, you can erase it, then remove it (follow the instructions below for removing an iOS device you no longer have).
Remove an iOS device you no longer have
If you no longer have the iOS device because you gave it away or sold it, you need to remotely erase it before you can remove it.
Sign in to icloud.com/#find with your Apple ID (the one you use with iCloud).
If you’re using another iCloud app, click the app’s name at the top of the iCloud.com window, then click Find My iPhone.
Click All Devices, then select the device.
Click Erase [device], then enter your Apple ID password. Because the device isn’t lost, don’t enter a phone number or message.
If the device is offline, the remote erase begins the next time it’s online. You’ll receive an email when the device is erased.
When the device is erased, click Remove from Account.
All your content is erased and someone else can now activate the device.
Do you know what zip code they used? They are telling me that my zip code is not available for the iphone.
I was also told by rep that I could not transfer minutes to Iphone from zte valet. After I also read http://www.tracfone.com/terms_conditions.jsp That says nothing about not being able to transfer minutes to Iphone Byop. Seems customer Service reps are confused and poorly trained. There does not seem to be any one document that explains in detail what conditions need to be met to transfer an Iphone to tracfone. Common things I have read it must be a used Verizon Iphone with a clear MEID number. Must not be an active account on Verizon. So if phone has clear MEID but account is still active how can you fix this if you can not contact original owner ? I have also heard there are issues with previous owners resetting phones without disabling Find my iPhone which creates an activation lock. What technical reason does the Iphone have to be used ? Can you buy new phone not under contract activate it on verizon for a month (If you can afford it ) then Byop to tracfone ?
Tracfone offers a $10 monthly plan that doesn't use a service card, it should work on an iphone. Can anyone give me a link to which iPhone you've purchased from Amazon?
Anyone know if this will work on an iPhone 4s and if so if is there is a link to the product page or documentation for this program?
I'm transferring from a Tracfone flip phone to an iPhone4. How do I activate it and get to the minutes on my current phone? Do I need to buy a Network Access Code in order to register the phone?
I had an AT&T GO phone plan and paid $25 for 90 days of service on an old flip-phone. When I saw Tracfone's deal, I decided to upgrade to the smartphone. I went with the iPhone 4S 16GB, and am extremely happy about the decision. I bought it used from Amazon WarehouseDeals. It arrived wrapped in the original box with a sticker that said "used." The power cord and ear buds were new. The phone looked great, with only minimal discolorations on the side.
I checked the phone's MEID on Tracfone's website and it was good. I called up AT&T to get my account number to transfer my phone number. Then I called up Tracfone to activate my phone, buy minutes, and transfer my number. An hour later I dialed the *22890 number and it worked great.
I picked up the Duracell Powermat with case and separate battery; it's pretty cool being able to charge my phone wirelessly!
Wait...where did you learn that you need to call this number? I'm having trouble activating as well....
Can you use a REFURBISHED used Verizon iPhone 4s?
Does the Iphone 4s used or refurbished,need to have a SIM Card? Some phones on Amazon specify that it comes without a SIM Card. What is a SIM card anyway? Any info will help.Thanks
Does the iPhone 4s need a SIM card to be activated on Tracfone.
Thanks
I recently activated an iPhone 4S with Tracfone, moving my number from an older Samsung (non-Smart) Tracfone to the iPhone. I had 3383.4 minutes on my old Tracfone, but now according to Tracfone I have 2170 minutes, but do have 2170 texts messages, and 2170 data. Is this Tracfone's way of converting existing minutes to the smartphone, or has Tracfone made another mistake? BTW their customer service by phone is still abysmal, the person I spoke to first said I couldn't transfer any minutes to the iPhone, but then I used live chat and the person said I could.
thank you! I just put my old Verizon iphone 4 onto Tracfone and when I went into the iphone menu to set up voicemail, there was no indication of how to do that. Dialing *86 worked. The downside is that it is old school voicemail. The tracfone iphone shows a badge that there is a message (thought there is no number in the badge as is usually the case). When I go to voicemail, there is a message "visual voicemail is currently unavailable. Call Voicemail." I clicked on call voicemail and it dialed in and I retrieved the message. It was like a time machine, taking me back to the Verizon voicemail of my first cell phones. So, it works, but it is not as good as what I've learned to expect from iphone. OTOH, it is the kind of voicemail I'm used to having with the tracfone flipphone.
No it does not
Yes you can
1) You cannot get TRIPLE minutes on a BYOP plan.
2) Note that you cannot (currently) use Promo Codes on the BYOP plan for iPhone
3) I have heard (but cannot confirm, yet) that DOUBLE MINUTES are possible
I just found two huge reason to get the iPhone with Tracfone, Facetime Audio Calls and iMessage. This only works if you and the person you are calling/messaging both have iphones, and if you are both on wifi (or cellular data, but that takes up data). You can use Facetime Audio Calls to make a VOIP call, which will use NO MINUTES. You can use iMessage to send text or picture messages and it uses no data or text messages. So if you are around wifi, and have family/friends with iphones, then you could save some significant minutes and text messages. Of course you can do this with other apps like Skype, but I like the idea of not having extra steps.
do you have to add minutes online with iphone?
Also from what i can tell their is no tracfone app to check your balance it's online as well (Not an APP).
Is it possible to have Voice Mail on the iPhone 4s? I can't seem to get it set up.
That is exactly what I want to do. Did you have to have your iPhone 4s unlocked by Verizon first?
I was told by Tracfone that you are correct - there is no App for the iPhone to check minutes/data/txt
You should also check out WhatsApp Messenger and Viber / Viber Out
You can add minutes either online or by phone. I am not sure if you can add them directly from you iPhone but I do not think you can as there is no App to do so or to connect with Tracfone directly in any manner (as in ability to check usage stats
Will the Iphone 5 work?
I bought an iPhone 4s through one of the marketers on the Best Buy website, then took it into a local store to get my Tracfone minutes rolled over. The poor guy spent two hours and forty minutes, but he got it done! The first Tracfone rep said it couldn't be done, so the Best Buy rep started me on a different path, but then when he called to get that going, he mentioned our original quest, and he started all over and got it done! What customer service!
The phone has to have a 'clean ESN,' meaning not on contract or reported stolen. If you have the phone, you can input the MEID into the tracfone website to test if that particular phone is clean. From my understanding, because you are still using the Verizon Network (Tracfone is just using Verizon's CDMA Network) the phone does not need to be unlocked to work. However, and unlocked phone will work. The reason you would want an unlocked phone is so you can change networks. The Verizon iPhone 4S has a slot for a SIM Card, and you could insert a SIM Card to use on another network. This could be helpful if you wanted to switch to AT&T or T-Mobile, or if you were traveling internationally and wanted to use your phone on an international network.
Thank you for this information!
I have a question...since iphone is about to come out with the 6 version, would a 5s work?(thinking there will be a few on the market once people get their 6) Is it that the phone needs to be CDMA, or that it is 3g that makes it transferable to TF? I've seen quite a few CDMA 5s's, but wanted to check here before trying it. Thanks:)
I upgraded from an office phone to BYOP with a 4S.
My take aways are:
* This is not Tech Support's strong suit. I got contradictory information the three times I called them.
* You need the MEID of the phone and nothing else if getting a new number
They had me buy stuff I didn't need
* You need the account number, pin, billing address + MEID if you are keeping the number
* You want an area code in your primary living place or will get whacked with roaming charges (the office HG is in a different state--so as painful as changing a phone number is, I bit the bullet, sent out a couple of emails (with many BCCs) about my new number.
* Google maps, driving about 60MPH for 2 hours used 8MB of data on US I95 in Maine
* Sometimes the activation code you have to dial doesn't take right away. Try it again in a few minutes if it doesn't take the first time.
* I got snarled up on website and had to use tech support.
* The units on the text msg you get about usage are whacked out. I have 321,320 texts left and 0.32 Mb of data left (that should read 0.32 GB). I don't think they are that generous with texts.
Good luck. It was painful, but I think I just ended up with less than stellar IT folks.
bought used iphone 4 clean esn verison net. frist tried the on line sight . then 6 hours with rep,s was told everthing was good no there end it should work. well it never did had them hook up my old android phone. still don,t know if its the phone or tracphone. does the phone have to be unlocked ?
Switched from using an Android ZTE Valet to an iphone 4 without any problem and have been very pleased with the increase in speed for web browsing, internet, etc.
However, I read that iOS 8, the newest version of Apple's mobile operating system, will be supported on the iphone 4s and above. So if you are thinking of switching to an iphone on tracfone, it may be worth it to invest in the 4s rather than just the iPhone 4 so you aren't stuck with an outdated operating system
Hi I bought a remanufactured Iphone 4s Verizon unlocked smartphone from ebay comp.name is yapper.Co # 603 232-9945 It took me 5 min,s to activate on tracfone web
site. everthing transferred from my old android phone. Works great when you have the write I phone
When I decided to switch phones I had a million questions so hopefully this will help whoever has the same. I had a zte valet but for a smart phone it’s a lil old ;) According to the tracfone helpdesk (I called many times to talk to different people) an ex Verizon or Sprint iPhone 4 or 4s will work. They will tell you "If the iphone has a sim slot you can not use it with tracfone." Well that's bs. Verizon and Sprint run off of cdma networks. That means you can have a sim slot but it wont be used.
Some helpdesk people said that the iphone has to be unlocked and others didn’t say. I bought both and decided to test them. Unlocked and Locked will work! Unlocked means that is a phone made specifically for the carrier but was unlocked so that it could be on other carriers. I bought an unlocked phone off ebay for 150ish just make sure that it has a clean ESN (meaning it hasn’t been blacklisted by the carrier).
I first tried activating my phone by calling tracfone. Twenty minutes later, after answering a million questions, she asked me for the zip I would be using the phone in. So I gave her my zip code. After a bit she tells me “The iphone will not work in the zip code you provided.”
Me, “That is a major city and my tracfone works there and the iphone shows it has signal.”
Her, “The iphone will not work there because it can’t use tracfone networks”
Pfffft. Yeah right…. Im in IT and that’s just BS.
Me, “Ok then I will give you another zip code”
three zip codes later she tells me that I won’t be able to activate the phone. Ok that’s fine because I will talk to every tracfone “tech” person until I get it activated. Before calling again, I decided to activate it online. Shocking!!!!! Less than 5 minutes and my iphone was activated!
**If you talk to tracfone and they say you can’t activate an iphone 4s because of zip code issues keep calling until you get someone that knows what he/she is doing.**
If your phone gets activated and it is not showing up on your account, go to your tracfone account and select add another phone. It will ask for the last 4 digits of the ESN/MEID(Settings > General > About > MEID) and your phone number. That should add it to your account without any fuss.
Samsung Galaxy s3 and up will not work because they use 4g lte. Tracfone doesn’t have the capabilities to run such “smart” phones. Sometimes the tracfone website will issue an error saying “We are having technical difficulties. Please try again later” when the phone will not work on their network.
I would recommend the iphone 4s instead of the 4 because it is a bit newer and has more features. It should be getting cheaper now that that 6 is coming out.
Good luck to all those activating their phones!
~Love Android but have an iPhone~
Great information here! Thanks for sharing it!
I purchased a used Apple iphone 4s 32gb on ebay, tried to transfer on tracfone byop. Went through the whole process and everything went fine, waited 24 hrs for activation,. nothing. Called customer service (what a joke) and they said it could not be activated because it has a sim card slot even though it is a Verizon cdma phone. Their reason is because it has a sim card slot and therefore is a cdma/gsm phone and it cannot be activated. So now my old phone is inactive and they have to send me a new sim card for my old lg840 to reactivate it and I'm out 10 bucks for the attempted activation and I have to deal witn cs again.
Update, first all iphone 4s have a sim card slot, it is an international phone. the sim card slot is for a Verizon gsm world sim or other gsm sims to be used in Europe where sim networks are prevalent. The first cs rep didn't kn ow what he was talking about. I finally got the iphone 4s actvated after getting a good cs rep that knew her job, but I didn't get my 3000 min transferred, so back to cs. It doesn't have to be this difficult.
I have an Verizon IPhone 4 with a clean esn but not unlocked. It is not currently active on Verizon. No one ever states here if the phone will work if not unlocked. Has anyone transferred an unlocked IPhone 4?
So does the Iphone 4S get the triple minutes/text/data that Android received such as the ZTE Valet? Please confirm. Thx.
yes
Yes, any smartphone whether tracfone branded or a byop will get triple min/text/data.
It should work
"Unlike Android, IOS has an EASY kill-switch for data under general settings. You can turn all data on-off, anytime, or select which apps can use data, right next to lists of how much data they have chewed up. Doing this in Android requires adding apps, and much more detail."
While custom-picking which apps use data on Android may be tedious, there is an easy kill-switch for turning all data on and off for Android as well. Most Android phones come with a widget that you can put on you home screen that has an on/off switch for data, wifi, bluetooth, gps, etc. If one isn't automatically loaded on your Android, there are lots of free apps and widgets available for download from Google Play.
Also wondering if there is any way to get a 5 on TF. Has anyone done it?
I have a question. I bought an IPhone 4S, Unlocked, and No Contract, and the person said that it is CDMA Verizon, and also is Used. Please tell me this will work on Tracfone BYOP. Thanks.
I'm confused about the unlocked/verison requirement. I have been searching for an unlocked, Verison, CDMA phone, but I haven't been able to find an iphone 4 with all three at the same time. Maybe I'm misunderstanding. Does it have to have a sim card slot? Does it have to be unlocked if it is a Verison/ CDMA? I've been able to find the iphones for Verison with specifications of CDMA.
Can anyone help me clear this up?
it will work .. I moved two 4s's over to tracfone a couple months back. The intial transfer was a little bumpy getting my old mins transferred over but they eventually got it right. Just keep in mind if you have 1000 mins currently then after the xfer you should have 1000 mins, 1000 texts and 1,000MB of data
Found a used Iphone 4s for Verizon on Ebay, checked IMEI number on Tracfone website and it showed OK, bought the phone and tried to activate online. Got all the way thru putting in my cc for the network access, and got error that it could not be completed, call CS. Called them up, they tried to activate, finally told me that because it had SIM card it would not work on Verizon, also that it was an LTE phone. I knew this was BS and argued but to no avail, gave up and decided to wait until later. Called later and got a different person, she tried to activate it, finally came back and told me it could not be activated on Verizon in the zip code I provided. I told her that was strange since I have a Tracfone Samsung Centura currently active on Verizon in that zip code area, and I want to transfer that number and minutes to the Iphone. After arguing awhile she finally tells me that even tho I have a Tracfone currently on Verizon in the same zip code, the Iphone would use a different cell tower than the Tracfone, and a tower for it was not available in that zip code. I then gave here 3 or 4 different zip codes, one of them in Dallas, and she said none of them had the right tower available (???) Tried to escalate to her supervisor but no one was available, so realizing I was getting nowhere I gave up. Next day I tried activating it again online, now am told that the IMIE number is already in their system (apparently from my earlier attempts) so now it won't accept it again. I've been a Tracfone customer for many years and it is usually always a hassle to change phones, but this is the worst yet. Need help and some straight answers.
I am with Tracfone using my iphone 4 s
bought the phone from Swappa.
My only issue is not being able to get my
balance in sny way at all unless i purchase
min to see my balance.
Whycan't Trafone get us an app
to put on out iphone?
It would really be helpful
I bought an AT&T Iphone today and it doesnt have a sim card, can i still use it for my tracfone?
Thanks Vtgirl
Nope, wont work. Needs to be a Verizon or unlocked phone as Tracfone uses Verizon cll towers
It needs to be a used Verizon iphone 4 or 4s that has previously been on Verizon's network from the previous user. Verizon already IS CDMA so that's all set. When I was researching doing this I was also confused about the locked/unlocked issue. I wanted to buy my friends Verizon 4s. He let me take it to check it out with tracfone first. I called CS to help set it up.. when they ran the MEID# they said it could not be set up because it was showing up still linked to his account. I had the friend call Verizon to "unlink" it and they were not helpful, saying they would not "unlock" the phone for use on another carrier. Before looking for a phone elsewhere I decided to try setting it up through tracfone's website myself. BINGO, transferred my number and minutes in 10 minutes, easy and seamless! From my experience it would seem that locked or unlocked is not an issue, just do the set up yourself on the website. CS fails again with tracfone, but I am quite pleased to be running the iphone 4s with their affordable plan. Everything is working fine!
Is there really a TracFone app in the iTunes store for iPhones? I don't see one.
Did you get activated and going?
I just activated an iPhone 4 through Tracfone and it is working so far. I ran into a problem, though, because though my phone was originally a Verizon model (and therefore CDMA) it is the only model I'm aware of that is SIMless, which meant that I could not add it to Tracfone via the "bring your own" website because it requires a SIM verification step.
I had to call customer service, and got very good assistance (waited on hold less than a minute) and it still took about half an hour to complete the process. The CSR bypassed the SIM verification step and added the phone to my account manually, and I was able to buy the initial minutes package and pay the setup fee over the phone. I had the iPhone connected and was able to make calls within ten minutes of hanging up with the CSR.
It cost me $32 total (since I already had the phone) and, as noted above, all minutes/texts/data are automatically tripled when you apply a package to a smartphone. That's 60 minutes, 60 texts, and 60 MB of data PER MONTH for $7/mo plus a one-time $10 setup fee. Doesn't get much cheaper than that these days.
Thanks! I'm getting an iPhone 4s today and hope the activation will go well. Mine won't have a SIM card either. Gonna share here after I do. :-)
So I tried to activate a used iPhone 4s (Verizon) today with TracFone and can't because "it is still active on the old service provider. You have to either port the number or have the account deactivated first," Mike a CS live chat agent told me. I'm sending the phone back to the seller because I can't unlink the phone from the previous owner's Verizon account. Or can I? Is there another way around this?
It worked for me. No hassle except I had to pay $10 half-way for activation (have a credit/debit card ready). When it asks for activation, choose the second option to keep your number. It goes without saying you need a VERIZON Iphone and it's MEID number (check the about section).
The iPhone 4s I had (and sent back yesterday) came with "Verizon" in the top left of the menu. I'm thinking it should have read "No service." Did yours? sheryl
Anyone activate a 4s with a new phone ##### ?
Well. This is Sheryl again.
Three hours later, I am waiting to see if my old number transfers to my "new" iPhone 4s.
My replacement phone came today. I got online with both a chat rep (http://bit.ly/132EXfz) and my online TracFone account. Long story short, Jay got my iPhone activated (BYOPC Network Access Code, $10.81) but was not able to transfer my phone number AND minutes/air time. Per his approval, I even bought more minutes/air time (90 days/60 minutes), but it went to my old phone. He finally gave up and sent me to a 1-866 number with a PIN number (case number).
So I called that and worked with Julianne for 1 1/2 hours. Per her instruction, I bought new minutes/air time for the iPhone. She said the minutes on my old phone won't transfer but I should get the air time. She said to give the process at least 24 hours. Once my old phone deactivates completely, then I'm suppose to hit *22890, hit send, then make a test phone call.
WOW! You're REALLY got to want to use an iPhone to go through this process.
If eveything goes through, then I plan to call TracFone and ask if they can bump up my minutes/air time. I took photos of my old TracFone with the air time/minutes showing to document my claims.
Stay tuned. :-)
I ended up calling the Direct Response Hotline with my PIN number to inquire about the process. The woman had me go into my General>Reset>Reset Network Settings and everything switched over. Later I set up my voice at *86 and tested it. Works. This morning I called back and had my old phone removed from my account.
I emailed photos of my air time and minutes; no reply back yet. But I expect that TracFone will do good for me and make up for the extra $19.99 that I spent. Will let you know. sheryl
The rest of the story.... Yesterday I used my PIN again and called the Direct Response Hotline number (you have to have a PIN number to get a tech). The lady had me input codes into my old phone and EVERYTHING TRANSFERRED TO MY IPHONE! So I didn't lose anything at all. That's the key. Don't worry about getting old airtime/minutes from the old phone over to your iPhone until you get the iPhone activated and working. Then you can go back and get your time transferred. Everything also looks good on my online Account Summary. To get current minutes/airtime, you check online and TracFone sends a text. No big deal. I've booked that webpage on my phone. Hope this helps. It can be an ordeal to get an iPhone activated with TracFone, but as many have attested here, it can be done! Yay! sheryl
I just got my 4s up and running -- I had to call to get the correct minutes and service days switched over to the iPhone, but the rep was able to find the correct minutes and service days from the old phone and move them over. I signed up for a value plan and am getting triple minutes, but promo codes are not valid for iPhones. Have not tried the voicemail yet.
Having same problem. Did you get it fixed? If you did could you tell me how
Well I purchased an old Moto G (verizon) to use with BYOP only to find out that the BYOP program is not offered in my area! Zip code 04605. Nothing on their (tracfone) site I could find that states this program might not be available for all areas.
R Rindy, I had the same problem. I'm currently in the middle of a transfer to my 4S, so there's still time for something to go wrong. But I got through that error! My problem was the ID I was using. At least in iOS 7.1.2, the About section specifies an IMEI and an MEID, At first glance, they are identical except for spacing. But the IMEI is 15 digits, while the MEID is only 14. I had been entering the IMEI, and although the activation portion worked, the number transfer did not. Switching to the MEID is working for me so far.
Before I figured that out, calling TracFone got me answers like "your area does not have coverage" (not true) or "you need to have a phone that does not have a SIM slot" (not true, and I did clarify that I was trying a 4S "world phone" with both CDMA and GSM-capable hardware). So be persistent: it looks like the CS responders aren't always informed as well as they could be.
does anyone know if using a double minute card on the iphone will work and give you double minutes on the i4?
From what I understand, double minutes etc do not work on smartphones. That's because when you purchase minutes/air/data, everything is tripled. Except for data card purchases. sheryl
I'm so happy! I've wanted an iphone forever! not the newest one, but I got a 4s on amazon locked on verizon and it is transferring my number right now! thank you for publishing this article
hi sandy0225, does your iphone 4s need to deactivate from verizon?
I just transferred my Tracfone ZTE Valet to an iPhone 4 and things went smoothly. On a Youtube video, someone mentioned that you aren't 'dinged' for texts to fellow iPhone owners. Is there a certain way you are supposed to message them in order to not get dinged? My husband texted me with his iPhone, and it looked like it dinged me for it. Thanks for any insight!
No app available for checking minutes on iPhone (only android). Cannot send photos with iPhone.
Activated my old Verizon 4s on tracfone. Works fine and only had to call new delhi twice! Took under 30 min.
I transferred number and everything from centura to an iPhone. It was done online and took only 15 minutes. Always try to do it online first, and only call tracfone if you run into problems.
http://mobilephonecollection.com/Apple-Mobiles-Rates
I just activated my iphone 4 off of my verizon no contract plan.
My only question is can you add additional data as the web page for data adding states android only
The screen on my old tracfone (LG Optimus Dynamic II) is not working properly. Can I still get the number and hopefully minutes/airtime transferred to an iPhone 4s if I cannot view anything on my old phone? Please confirm. Thanks!
I had the same issue but the people online were able to correct it and get things hooked up for me
If you transfer your iphone 4s over to tracfone. Never restore your phone. It will erase your updated prl code, and your phone will be useless. I contacted apple they couldnt help me. Tracfone told me to contact apple, becuase the PRL code was outdated. I don't know what to do.
I just switched over from an LG420 (flip) to a 64gb iphone 4s. This phone was a used Verizon that had no service when I received it. The hardest part was locating the 'code' on my old phone to plug into the website. I did everything online and it took about an hour after I got offline for the service to drop on my old phone and be picked up on my new phone. pretty seamless. I got the phone off ebay and though a lot of people absolutely refuse to send the IMEI or MEID number to the phone that they are selling, there are more than plenty who will, so don't get upset, just move on to the next one. At one point, I was watching 12+ iphones that would work on the tracfone network. Oh, and UNLOCKED is no guarantee that it will work on the tracfone network. Just verify the number before you buy, and you're good. Most people would think that a 3.5 inch screen is pretty small, but coming from a screen that was only 1.75, this is more than enough for me.
Oh, and there is an app for the iphone that allows you to check min/data/text. I bought 120 minutes and received 360 of each.
Make sure you have all your information ready before starting. The online app left me hanging after 90% done. Called after two days and was up and running in an hour.
New question...I just noticed that Tracfone Data Cards are for Android only? Anyone know how to add data minutes for iPhone 4s? Thanks...
Anonymous
I think I read somewhere on the forum that the iPhone had to be activated/used for 6 months for the transfer to work. Is this true?
Got the Iphone 4 (CDMA) hooked up with Tracfone. I can send/receive texts and receive calls, but am UNABLE to MAKE CALLS. HELP!!! Talked on the chat for the last 1/2 hour, but no help. Have done *22890 about 10 times. Turned phone on/off/on and still same results. Does anyone know anything about this problem. Thanks!!!
Seems to be true.I haven't seen any articles saying New iPhone works.S ònly used ones work
Right now.Hope newer ones eventually work.and balance app too:(
probably true. I updated the OS on a used iphone4, it ceased working, I turned it in and spent $250 to replace it with a new phone directly from Apple. I tried to do the BYOP, but since it had never been on a Verizon contract/activated on Verizon network it would not work.
"There seems to be an issue with your Activation.
Please contact our Customer Care Center at 1-800-867-7183 for further assistance"
is all I get now. Everything looked good on Tracfones side, but i could not do the initial call *22890 my screen said No Service...
Have been a content tracfone user for years. After reading this article, I bought an iphone 4s from ebay, followed the simple online directions and had service within the hour! Never had to call TF which is great. Downloaded the apps, library, music, etc that I had on my ipod and ipad and I'm good to go!
I bought my first iPhone off of eBay after getting the first two from Amazon. I checked the IMEI number before purchase (only half of the sellers co-operated with this request with one accusing me of some kind of scam) but still had trouble since the phone was used under some other carrier (not Verizon). It took five phone calls and a few 48-hr waiting periods before finding someone that knew the tools well enough to get the thing working. If I did it again, I would probably do it over the phone right from the beginning rather than trying to use their on-line tools.
Bought a used Verizon Iphone 4s. Carrier listed under settings was Verizon. Tried to set it up with Tracfone. IMEI and zip code indicated it was incompatible. Called Tracfone - they said it was incompatible. Checked card slot on side and found Verizon card in it. Tracfone said it was a GSM phone. Is this possible? I thought all Verion Iphones were CDMA. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. Live in metro area - coverage should not be an issue.
tried activating a 4S myself online but that didn't work. It took them 3 or 4 days to completely activate and register my iPhone because of some error. I was on the phone with their customer service technical support for hours. Horrible In the end all my minutes were transferred from a Galaxy Centura to the iPhone. Jason
Yay! Thanks for the heads up! sheryl
Bummer. It only allows you to add airtime so it's useless. Until TracFone adds more options. :-(
I just had success purchasing data only online for this 4S. A month ago, it didn't
Go so well as I received the message that it was for android only. That was the lowest data only size sold online. Tonight, I purchased the 2GB data only online, and it went through!
does imessage use data or minutes? i have an iphone and want to transfer my daughter to an iphone on tracfone. she rarely uses the android phone she has and doesn't like it. i'm not ready to put her on a full time plan for $40 a month with verizon either. but i do have my old iphone 4 that i can activate on tracfone for her. but will it use all her minutes when we talk through imessage?
Try calling customer service again to setup new service. I ran into a similar problem with being told my 4s was not compatiable so I just called back 2 days later and was lucky enough to get a rep that could get it setup.
I enrolled my iPhone 4s in a monthly value plan ($9.99 - 50 mins) Will they triple those minutes every month? I bought a minute card to activate it and that was tripled.
if the data cards are for androids,which my lg ultimate 2 is, why does their website keep telling me the data only cards are not for my model of phone when I try to purchase one??
I would like to purchase an Iphone 4s for tracfone use. I'm having a hard time finding information on which to buy. I understand it seems I have to buy a Verizon used one. Couldn't I also use an Apple factory unlocked one? Any information would be greatly appreciated as I'm getting severely frustrated in this venture of getting a phone.
Thanks for the info
My whole family uses iPhones with tracfone service. Tracfone shows call minutes, text minutes, and data available when I check our accounts. My kids haven't been careful at school and have used up their data. They can still call me on their phones, but can no longer text me, even though it shows they have texts left, and it was the data that got used up, not the texting. Have you had anyone with this problem? I am putting off calling tracfone because dealing with their customer service is a painful process. Hoping you might have had another person with this experience.
Have been using my iphone 4 on Tracfone for about 8 months no issues at all and Yes everything is Triple ie date minutes and text. There is no tracfone app for iphone to get balance go to the tracfone mobile site and save as a short cut on home page. You can all go the cellular monitor your call time and data. usage and reset setting when you add minutes, data and text.
No that is a GSM phone which will not work Verizon is a CDMA network. A iphone 4 will work cause it a CDMA phone.
I've always done the annual $100 card with 400 minutes (which has gotten doubled.) Can I continue to do this with an iPhone? Or do I need to use a different plan/card. I want to keep the $8/month cost, but having the wifi access on the iPhone would be nice. :)
Post a Comment