How to Use the Moto G on Tracfone: A Guide by TracfoneReviewer
This Guide to using a Motorola, Moto G on the Tracfone BYOP program is put together by TracfoneReviewer with help from many visitors to this blog who shared their knowledge and experience.
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| Use the Moto G on Tracfone BYOP |
Tracfone is a prepaid, low cost cell phone and service provider. They offer minute cards with varying amounts of minutes, and cell phones to use the minutes with.
In 2013, Tracfone first began offering Android powered smartphones for use on their prepaid network. Since then, they have continued to add new Android phones to the list of phones they offer. These Android phones are locked to Tracfone, and cannot be used with other providers. (See the full list of phones, with basic specs and features compared, on our Tracfone Android Phone List.)
And while the Android phones they offer are getting better, like the LG Ultimate 2 or Moto E, they still are a little behind, and have limited options.
And then came along the Tracfone BYOP program.
Introduction to Tracfone BYOP
The 'Bring Your Own Phone' program, or Tracfone BYOP, allows users to bring a wider variety of smartphones to use with Tracfone prepaid service. Phones are limited to only those that use Verizon 3G and 4G LTE, but this still offers some great possibilities, including the Motorola Droid 3, Samsung Fascinate, iPhone 4S and more.
See the full list of phones, and all the details on the program, on our Tracfone BYOP page. And read all about using 4G LTE devices with Tracfone in our recent blog post.
These are pretty good phones, but not all of them have the latest operating systems, and some are a few years old. It would be nice to have a newer phone, with the latest OS and decent screen, with Tracfone's super low cost service. However, BYOP phones do receive Triple Minutes for Life which is nice.
The details on which phones work with Tracfone BYOP (beyond that it must be Verizon 3G and now also 4G LTE) are a little murky. And it doesn't help that Customer Service are notorious for giving out bad information and telling customers one phone won't work, when later it does end up working.
But there were hopes for the Verizon branded 3G Moto G, which retails for just $100 (or less) and is for use with Verizon prepaid service.
Now, multiple sources are confirming activating a Moto G on Tracfone, so we are sharing this information with you so that you can have the option of using the Moto G with Tracfone BYOP if you so desire.
What is the Moto G?
The Moto G is an Android powered smartphone created by Motorola while they were owned by Google (Motorola is now owned by Lenovo)
The Moto G has a first and second generation, but we will be talking only about the first generation Moto G which was released in 2013. The newer Moto G (2nd gen) which was released in Sept. 2014, does not work with Tracfone at this time.
The Moto G (1st Gen) is a workhorse kind of phone that does the daily tasks efficiently and painlessly. It has a 4.5" IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection that is stunning, especially when compared to more expensive phones. It features front and rear cameras, with flash and autofocus on the rear 5 MP camera.
Let's take a quick look at the list of specs for the Moto G:
A couple of key features that put the Moto G ahead of any of Tracfone's current phones are the processor, Internal Memory, Battery Life, Operating System, and Touchscreen.
The processor is a powerful quad-core 1.2 Ghz Cortex A7, a multitasking champ that runs well with the 1 GB of RAM. Internal Memory is 8 GB (some have 16) which is 4 GB more than current Tracfone devices, and is enough space to load all the apps you want.
The touchscreen is beautiful, and has plenty of resolution for this kind of price. The Moto G's battery is amazing, and can easily last two full days with moderate to low use. Surprisingly, the phone also charges very quickly. The long batter life isn't due to a large battery, but to the processor and other power-saving features.
Lastly, the Moto G will be getting Android 5.0 when it comes out, which none of Tracfone's other smartphones will get (except perhaps the Moto E). If you want the latest Android OS, the Moto G has you covered.
The Camera on the Moto G is fine, but doesn't really stand out, and can't compete with high-end devices like an iPhone 6 or Nexus 6. If you want a fantastic phone camera experience, you can buy these phones and use them with the 4G LTE service on Tracfone.
Finally, the fit and form of the Moto G is nice and comforting, giving the user a feeling of sturdyand ergonomic construction.
Well, as you probably guessed, we are pretty big fans of the Moto G because of two key points: Price and Quality. For the money, there is probably no better phone currently available (besides the 2nd gen Moto G of course). But enough about the phone, time to share exactly how to get a Moto G working with Tracfone!
The Moto G has a first and second generation, but we will be talking only about the first generation Moto G which was released in 2013. The newer Moto G (2nd gen) which was released in Sept. 2014, does not work with Tracfone at this time.
The Moto G (1st Gen) is a workhorse kind of phone that does the daily tasks efficiently and painlessly. It has a 4.5" IPS display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection that is stunning, especially when compared to more expensive phones. It features front and rear cameras, with flash and autofocus on the rear 5 MP camera.
Let's take a quick look at the list of specs for the Moto G:
Moto G Specs and Features
The Moto G has a number of features that are somewhat similar to the Tracfone LG Ultimate 2, with several noticeable improvements. |
| Moto G Front and Back |
- Latest Android OS - Currently 4.4.4
- 4.5" IPS Touchscreen (720x1280)
- 5 MP Rear Camera, 1.3 MP Front Camera
- Quad-Core 1.2 Ghz Processor
- Adreno 305 Graphics
- 1 GB RAM
- 8 GB Internal Memory
- Micro USB and 3.5mm headphone slots
- GPS
- FM Radio
- Battery Talk time 24 hours
- See even more specs at GSMArena.
A couple of key features that put the Moto G ahead of any of Tracfone's current phones are the processor, Internal Memory, Battery Life, Operating System, and Touchscreen.
The processor is a powerful quad-core 1.2 Ghz Cortex A7, a multitasking champ that runs well with the 1 GB of RAM. Internal Memory is 8 GB (some have 16) which is 4 GB more than current Tracfone devices, and is enough space to load all the apps you want.
The touchscreen is beautiful, and has plenty of resolution for this kind of price. The Moto G's battery is amazing, and can easily last two full days with moderate to low use. Surprisingly, the phone also charges very quickly. The long batter life isn't due to a large battery, but to the processor and other power-saving features.
Lastly, the Moto G will be getting Android 5.0 when it comes out, which none of Tracfone's other smartphones will get (except perhaps the Moto E). If you want the latest Android OS, the Moto G has you covered.
The Camera on the Moto G is fine, but doesn't really stand out, and can't compete with high-end devices like an iPhone 6 or Nexus 6. If you want a fantastic phone camera experience, you can buy these phones and use them with the 4G LTE service on Tracfone.
Finally, the fit and form of the Moto G is nice and comforting, giving the user a feeling of sturdyand ergonomic construction.
Well, as you probably guessed, we are pretty big fans of the Moto G because of two key points: Price and Quality. For the money, there is probably no better phone currently available (besides the 2nd gen Moto G of course). But enough about the phone, time to share exactly how to get a Moto G working with Tracfone!
How to Use the Moto G on Tracfone BYOP
Now that you are familiar with what the Moto G offers, and what the Tracfone BYOP program is, we are going to share exactly how to get the Moto G to run on Tracfone BYOP. Note, there is no guarantee that a particular Verizon Moto G will work with Tracfone, but if you have the patience and are willing to take a risk, it is possible.
Step 1 - Find a used or refurbished Verizon (or pageplus) Moto G (1st Gen) on Amazon, eBay or elsewhere. The phone needs to have been used on Verizon prepaid for at least 6 months (we have not confirmed this, but it appears to be the case).
Step 2 - Go to Tracfone's BYOP page and enter the ESN/IMEI/MEID and follow the steps to register it, which includes a $10 activation charge. Note, this is the step that you might have the most difficulty getting through, as phones on Tracfone BYOP seem to be required to have been used on Verizon for a certain time, but no longer be active. If your phone fails the first time, you can try calling customer service, but that can be a challenge. Best advice from users is to have patience, and keep trying.
Step 3 - Once registered, log into your Tracfone account on the Tracfone website and choose "Transfer my Number and Service from One Tracfone to Another" and follow the steps there.
Step 4 - Your Moto G should be active in a few hours, or up to 24 hours. If it doesn't become active, you may have to call customer service to sort things out.
And now you have a Moto G active on Tracfone BYOP! This step by step guide was originally provided by an anonymous Tracfone user for TracfoneReviewer to share here. Thanks anonymous user!
Be sure to leave questions, thoughts and your experiences in the comments.
Step 1 - Find a used or refurbished Verizon (or pageplus) Moto G (1st Gen) on Amazon, eBay or elsewhere. The phone needs to have been used on Verizon prepaid for at least 6 months (we have not confirmed this, but it appears to be the case).
- Verizon Moto G on Amazon $50-105 or This One - look for used or refurbished
- Verizon Moto G on eBay $50-120
or try This One
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| Verizon Moto G |
Step 3 - Once registered, log into your Tracfone account on the Tracfone website and choose "Transfer my Number and Service from One Tracfone to Another" and follow the steps there.
Step 4 - Your Moto G should be active in a few hours, or up to 24 hours. If it doesn't become active, you may have to call customer service to sort things out.
And now you have a Moto G active on Tracfone BYOP! This step by step guide was originally provided by an anonymous Tracfone user for TracfoneReviewer to share here. Thanks anonymous user!
Be sure to leave questions, thoughts and your experiences in the comments.
User Comments, Reports and First Hand Experiences
We want to share some of the comments and first hand experiences below for your convenience.From Anonymous on Nov 4th, 2014:
Update on:November 2, 2014 at 3:38 PM My Moto G came today and I am on Tracfone, no problems and did it on-line too. This is a fantastic phone clear picture loud sound and it is like greased lightning. $9.99 for BYOP transfer and if you have an account just pick transfer you number to new phone. Look for Moto G refurbished and Verizon and Page Plus, clean ESN and right now going for less than $70.00 on Amazon. What a buy! Now it is learn how to operate this baby!From Anonymous on Oct 18th, 2014:
Unlocked post paid verizon Moto G worked no problem. I am guessing this phone was flashed by ebay seller. It was advertised as being good for "PagePlus" alsoFrom Anonymous on Oct 12th, 2014:
so all statements are not true to all extent i bought a new droid x2 "mb870"? no contract phone witch according to this post wont work anyway my steps to make it work step one set up with tracfone this alone wont work it will get activated to your account but the phone will not go through the activation to get that to work i had to call the (Verizon prepaid activation number "number" when i did this i received my telephone number (to let you know at this point i was completely pissed with tracfone and was just going to go to Verizon) when i got my number i thought at first it was a Verizon# so i went to the verizon site and entered the number but it said it wasn't a verizon number so i called back the tracfone support they said this is a tracfone number my best guess is that when i called the verizon act number it sent the unlock code well after a few min with tracfone the phone works.The last comment, while a little hard to understand, seems to indicate that it may be possible, in a roundabout way, to activate new Verizon phones with Tracfone if you follow the right steps.
We hope this information, and the comments and input provided by anonymous users, will help you be able to activate a Moto G on Tracfone, if you so desire. Be sure to let us know how it goes, by leaving a comment below.
Be sure to visit our Tracfone BYOP page where there is lots of general information, and a lot of user comments. Also visit our Cell Phone Reviews page if you are looking for a new phone, but may want an easier route than the BYOP program. The Moto E is a great option, with somewhat reduced features compared to the Moto G, but still a solid phone.
We also share Tracfone Promo Codes each month, but unfortunately these codes don't work on Android phones.
If you're curious about how minutes work with smartphones, read our guide, How Minutes Work on Tracfone Android Phones. : D
Thanks for visiting! We will continue to update this as information becomes available. Keep up to date with us by following on Facebook!
Additionally, you can find a new Verizon Moto G on www.frys.com and use promo code 4397819 to get it for $48. But you may have to use it on Verizon prepaid for a few months before it will work on Tracfone. Thanks C. P. for the tip!
I bought a Moto G about 9 months ago from Best Buy when it was on sale. This was the Verizon phone to be used with their prepaid service. I already had ZTE Valet that I was using with Tracfone although I was no too enthralled with it's performance. I was hoping to get the Moto G working with Tracfone after using it for only 1 month with Verizon. After the 1 month was up, I factory reset the Moto G and tried to get it to work with Tracfone but the Tracfone BYOP program would not accept the MEID for the phone which was disappointing. I did use the Moto G for wifi only at work which was fine (I think it was a nice wifi device for under $100 and it was easy to just bypass the Verizon activation screen). Now, after about another 7 months later and only having used it for 1 month with Verizon, I tried to activate it again with Tracfone and it worked! Even though I had been with Verizon 1 month it seems that by letting over 6 months go by it will work with Tracfone. I got the 20 dollar card (60 minutes) and it was indeed tripled to 180 minutes talk, 180 texts, and 180 meg of data. I am a happy camper! - Jeff in Tampa Bay area of Florida.
ReplyDeleteI bought mine 6 months ago for $20 at best buy, but the Tracfone compatibility checker says it is not compatible. The current Tracfone compatibility test page has a lot of references to LTE and 4G, so I'm wondering if 3G CDMA is no longer supported? I think I activated my Moto G just under 6 months ago - is that why Tracfone says it is "incompatible"?
DeleteI bought my MOTO G in 2015 and have been with TING for a MVNO provider for my cell phone use. I went to Tracfone and put in my MEID Moto G number and it said is was compatible and I could move my service to them. I have put it off for a year but am ready to make the jump.
DeleteThis is Jeff again who wrote the original comment above. I dug up my original Moto G receipt from Best Buy. I paid $99.99 (before tax) for it on 4/13/14 and I remember activating it the same day with Verizon prepaid for 1 month. After 1 month the service expired and I did not renew it because it was much more expensive than Tracfone (I buy 200 minutes tripled to 600 every 3 months for $40). After factory resetting it, I used it as a nice wifi only device and tried to activate it with Tracfone over the next few months but it would not accept the MEID so I gave up for the last few months until now. Today on 11/14/14 it did accept the MEID and activate it. This is 7 months after having used it with Verizon for only 1 month. I assume this means you can get away with activating it for only one month with Verizon as long as you are willing to use it for wifi only for the next 5 months (I waited 6 months) before Tracfone will accept it. By the way, Best Buy had the Verizon Moto G for $50 a couple of months ago which I could not pass up so I have a spare although I never activated it with Verizon. Anyway, I hope my post might help others - Jeff
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I will hang on to my phone and try it
DeleteThanks. I will hang on to my phone and give it a try. Glad you posted this
DeleteI have two phones hoping we can get to work. Waiting the time out and will try it and hope they work
DeleteWhat do you mean by "factory resetting?" What did you do?
DeletedOES not work for me..
ReplyDeleteBought a verizon prepaid moto g for >$70 off ebay and I get "We are experiencing technical difficulties at this time. Please wait 5 minutes and try again." Darn!
you have to wade through their crappy customer sevice on the phone in order to get it to work. but after that it works great
DeleteIt works. I activated the Moto G completely over the Tracfone website. All I did is follow this guide. I bought it from Mango Wireless refurbished on Amazon for $89.99 from the first link on the article. Everything seems to have transfered over fine. Strangely now my service end date has changed from 2015 to 2018. In not complaining though!
ReplyDeleteThe reason the Verizon moto-g phone would have to be used for six months is because of the policy stated on Verizon's website:
ReplyDelete"Our 3G Prepaid Phone-in-the-Box phones are restricted for use with our Prepaid service for six months after activation [...]. After six months, the restriction to our Prepaid service is automatically removed."
So in order to be used with Tracfone, the six month restriction needs to be lifted being activating the phone with Verizon and waiting the six month period.
However, although some tracfone representatives claim they cannot accept the CDMA moto-g sold by Boost Mobile, it does not have a restriction similar to Verizon. Therefore, if you were to unlock the bootloader according to the instructions and warnings on motorola's website, you could flash either the stock factory-unlocked motorola firmware or even the verizon firmware to it (both if which are found on the internet with instructions on flashing) and tracfone should have no problem programming the moto-g to use with the byop program.
Has anyone had the opportunity to try this? It looks like a great option.
DeleteIf you read closely, it says restricted for 6 months after activation...which can be alternatively read "if you never activate it on Verizon, you can immediately activate it elsewhere". People who get it to work go immediately to the tracfone site is my understanding.
DeleteI wonder if someone could assist me. I want to upgrade to a smart phone to use w/ TF;s BYOP program. I'm really interesrted int the Moto G. I've been around the bush x several w/ TF on the subject. They advise me that I have to provide them w/ a serial number to determine if the phone can be used w/ Tracfone's service. I've been using them for several yrs and have never run into such a brick wall.
ReplyDeleteIf I buy a new phone, obviously I'd have to open the package to get the serial number. If the given phone cannot be used, the seller is certainly not going to take the phone back.
Have any of you had this problem and, if so, what's the solution....or IS there a solution?
Thanks......Pat
I just followed Ace Johns advice...and it all worked like a charm, including a nice refurb phone on Amazon from Mango for 89.99 includes shipping and 60 day guarantee.Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that that helped someone.
DeleteWhy does the article state that the phone needs to be used / refurbished? Would a new Moto G verizon prepaid work? (after the 6 month verizon prepaid activation etc.)
ReplyDeleteYes, a new phone would work after it has been activated with Verizon for 6 months. It states in the Verizon prepaid user agreement that the Moto G can be used with another service after 6 months of being activated with Verizon.
DeleteJust bought a Black Friday Moto G Verizon prepaid for $39. Isn't there a way to activate the phone but not pay for any service? Would someone mind explaining this or helping me with this? Thanks!
ReplyDelete[Editor, you may delete my last post submission, as well as this line]
ReplyDeleteWalmart had a black friday deal on the Moto G from Verizon Prepaid for $39! So I picked one up to exercise my perseverance in waiting for the 6 month period to expire (or maybe to finally have a sweet smartphone.) Here's what I did.
Went through the default activation process where submitted options similar to the following:
Entered my zip code, set up as new number, said I'd pay later, entered my choice for a security code, again said I'd pay later, and then they gave me a new prepaid #. There were probably a couple more prompts, but very simple. Finally, the phone was activated and the call was over! I had access to the phone and set up some stuff over wifi. HOPEFULLY it will be available after 6 months to start using as my tracfone.
Did you try activating it on tracfone again?
DeleteWould be curious to know if it you were able to activate, not pay for any service then wait six months. Should be six months from your purchase. Hope you post back to let us know if it worked!
DeleteSo did you get the phone going on Tracfone?
DeleteI just got a moto g on ebay from this seller. he guaranteed its activation on tracfone and he has 100% feedback. Yea I paid a little more than some other moto g's out there but this guy is for real and will work on tracfone he has already verified the serial numbers. The phone was in pristine condition. And it performs flawlessly, it is like 10 bolts of lightning compared to my garbage LG optimus dynamic 2 that took 3 tries just to delete my email everytime while freezing up. Web browsing is also blazing fast. At last, I have the all elusive holy grail of tracfones in my hand and activated. Just punched in the serial number and purchased the network access code on tracfone website and switched over in no time. Totally thrilled with this purchase.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/111530731588?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Thank you! The link was very nice addiction to your article.
DeleteI can second this (I thought I was reading my own post!). Got my G from this same ebay seller about 2 weeks ago. And like the previous commenter, paid a little premium for the lack of hassle in finding a compatible phone. Completely worth it in my opinion though. So glad this blog tipped me off to the possibility of using this phone with Tracfone.
DeleteHi Anonymous old tracfone user here,probably spent more minutes with tracfone tecks than i did making calls on phone so could you tell me eBay sellers name so I could try and buy comparable moto g thanks
DeleteRight now Amazon has UNLOCKED Moto G (1st Gen) for $68 and free shipping.
DeleteHey: It's Pat again. Can anyone help me w/ the Tracfone "requirement" of getting and giving them the phone serial number in order for them to determine if it will work on TF? I don't know how one goes about doing this when attempting to purchase a new, packaged phone. Anyone know??
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Pat, the 99.9% consensus seems to be it must be a USED Verizon phone, apparently new never been on their network won't work. If you buy a new phone then use it with Verizon for six months then switch over to TF.
ReplyDeleteHey Anon: Thank for getting back w/ me. I assume I need to get a Verizon pre-paid phone? This sure is confusing.....it's like TF doesn't really want people to take advantage of their BYOP.
DeletePat
Tried to activate my reputable ebay purchased Moto G via calling tech support and they said the phone will not work in my zip code? Anyone else have this trouble.
ReplyDeleteYes. Either that or the website does not want the meid.
DeleteSeems that only Sprint pre-paid phones can be authorized in my area. Not always a Verizon phone like this information seems to recommend!
ReplyDeleteThe sprint pre-paid phone did not work either. I get a different answer every time I call Tracfone customer service. I have also tried 3 different Verizon phones. I called Verizon,, the representative says say the MEID is free and clear and not locked on their network. I have a new Tracfone moto E coming which I bought on Amazon. Hopefully this will work.
ReplyDeleteI am confused about the difference between Verizon PREPAID and Verizon POSTPAID. The original article and most of the posts indicate that you need a used Verizon PREPAID phone, but one of the links in the original article is to an eBay seller who guarantees that his POSTPAID phones work. What is the difference, and if the TF MEID verification site isn't functioning, how do I make sure the phone I buy will work?
ReplyDeleteActivated two refurbished Moto G phones from:
ReplyDeleteebay seller cellularstream. (only connection is I am a satisfied customer)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mint-Motorola-MOTO-Moto-G-XT1028-8GB-Black-Verizon-Smartphone-Prepaid-/201220721404?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item2ed9b08afc
They were like new - Very Nice Phones
Paid $50 each and then $10 each to activate less than $6 for nice DURA-FROST Fosmon cases from Amazon - Add 1500 minutes tripled to 4500 minutes plus 4500 texts and 4.5 GB data from Tracfone website - Best deal going for Tracfone!
Merry Christmas!
This item states in it's item condition "SIM card NOT included." Was this the case for you and did it pose any issues?
Delete(I will be so mad if this posted 3 times, sorry)
DeleteThe link in your comment states in its item condition "SIM card NOT included." Was this the case for you and did it pose any issues?
I want a NEW Moto G that I don't have to wait 6 months to use with Tracfone. So ordered one from this guy. He has some new (white) ones that he guarantees will work with Tracfone. I will update after I receive it. If you are interested, he only has 2 left. I don't know anything about the seller, but the reviewers say they can use it with Tracfone.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/221646298274?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Activated Moto g on tracfone today no problems.Turned phone off then back on went to Verizon activation and followed instruction it activated right away. Found phone on ebay checked meid number on tracfone byop before buying. Phone had been activated with Verizon don't know for how long, great phone at a great price.
ReplyDeleteJust activated Moto G. Bought on Ebay. Verified MEID was unlocked on Tracfone site before purchasing. Took 15 minutes from start to finish to transfer from my existing Tracfone. It did screw up my minutes somehow though. I don't know exactly what I had before the transfer but my minutes went from around 500 to 104 minutes. I think my data may have dropped slightly too. So, annoying, but not terrible. Now comes the weird one. I now appear to have a near infinite text plan after this. 1.7 MILLION texts are now shown on my account! So i guess I'll take that as a win! Anyway, there are obviously glitches, but overall the process worked ok.
ReplyDeleteHELP!
ReplyDeleteI've had nothing but grief since I got the Moto G. I was able to port the number from my LG840G okay, but contacts didn't xfer, and I've got a bunch VZ crap on it that I don't need or want. IMO, I think a lot of this is operator error/ignorance, so I can't blame the phone- but TF customer service is like putting a milk pail under a bull. I don't know where to turn- in an ideal world I'd like to have a face to face with someone who knows the various ins and outs of the process. Any wild ideas? I'm in the Twin cities area.
I moved from a LG840 to ZTE Valet (when TF first added smartphones) and transferred the contacts via bluetooth connection. You can fine instructions by googl'n something like "bluetooth contacts". The process wasn't without hiccups, but it worked. Now moving from ZTE to Moto G, the contacts just showed up (now tied to gmail account and stored on a google server). Most Verizon stuff I find on my Moto G is under settings and benign (my VZ mobile, VZ tones, VZ navigator, etc.). No surprise ... it was a VZ phone.
Deletegood link to transfer using Bluetooth.
ReplyDeletehttps://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=A0LEVieKbrRUsJ0Aea4PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByZHI5MXByBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNgRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw--?qid=20120425105453AAz9yC6
Jim/Wiz1
hello to all, i just successfully got a moto g to run on tracfone, thanks to all on this forum! my questions are 1) why when my old phone had over 1600 minutes on it were there only 900 minutes after i transferred from it to my new phone? (i called tracfone and the woman i talked to said she had no idea, only confirmed that that was what was transferred and said something about maybe that as all the system would allow for???) and 2), after putting a year of service onto my account, i did get tripple minutes etc and now have some 2100 mb of data and am wondering how much time this represents using the web, etc??? thanks again to all!!! :)
ReplyDeleteYour 12 month card added 400 x 3 = 1200 minutes, which added to the 900 already there gives you 2100 total. You also will have a bucket with 2100 texts and another bucket with 2100 MB of data. With all Android phones, talk, text and data are separate. 2100 MB of data will last a long time unless you are streaming movies in your car - Wi-fi usage doesn't use and data.
DeleteAdd my name to the list of folks that successfully activated a used Moto G and transferred an existing Tracfone account balance and phone number. I purchased the phone from an individual seller on eBay, who was kind enough to provide the MEID info in advance. (70% of the sellers I contacted refused to provide MEIDs). The phone cleared the Tracfone check on the website, and the site proceeded to sell me a network access card. The automatic online transfer failed, and I had to call Customer Service. The rep I spoke to walked me through a bunch of steps and took a lot of info. The weirdest thing he needed was PROOF from my credit card account that I had indeed purchased the network access card. All in all I was on the phone about 20 minutes, at which point the transfer process had already begun. I was told the transfer would be complete in 3-24 hours. In reality it was done in 30 minutes. All of my minutes transferred into the 3 buckets, and my service day amount was doubled in the transfer. The Tracfone tracking app was installed and works fine. I'm a happy camper!
ReplyDeleteIt worked! I paid around $80. I upgraded from my old ZTE Valet to a Moto G. What an amazing phone! There reviewers are not wrong. This is one heck of a phone for its price point, possibly one of the best since. It feels like I jumped several technology generations.
ReplyDeleteThe key to getting this to work is getting a phone with an ESN/IMEI/MEID that passes TracFone's check listed above (http://tracfonewireless.com/byop/). The only way to be absolutely certain is to ask the seller for the ESN/IMEI/MEID. Bear in mind, because an ESN/IMEI/MEID can be spoofed, many sellers will not give it out. If the seller will not, or does but you are skeptical, move on and look for another Moto G.
I experienced what looked to be major problems/road blocks at the start. But in the end, the phone was activated and working within an hour.
ReplyDeleteI purchased a used Moto G from eBay seller mobilepc_phones for $30 plus $10 shipping. The phone arrived in like-new condition. Upon power-up, it invoked the Verizon activation wizard with no way to bypass the wizard. It appeared as though this phone had never been activated through Verizon or perhaps had been re-flashed. I removed the back cover to expose the MEID. Tracfone BYOP website accepted the MEID. I paid the $10 and chose to transfer my existing tracfone number. Within 1/2 hour my old phone stopped working. But the replacement phone was still "stuck" in the Verizon activation wizard with no way access to the main menu and complete the tracfone activation process. Several power off/on cycles did not good. I called Tracfone help and got through to a live person right away. The man was very nice, but explained that he could do nothing because my problem was on Verizon's end. All of a sudden, while I was still talking to tracfone help, the Verizon activation wizard ended with a "thank you" message. I was then able to complete the tracfone activation/transfer process with no more problems.
Great phone (*huge* step up from ZTE Valet). Great price. Thank you for useful web blog. Ray...
I activated moto g with no problems. Transferred number and minutes and service end date from Samsung 380 with no problems everything transferred. Activated on line phone transferred right away. Purchased moto g from ebay checked meid number before purchasing. This is the second moto g I have activated.
ReplyDeleteI bought a Moto G on eBay from guaranteecellular. Described as used but was in original packaging, absolutely immaculate. Transferred over from my Valet with no hitches whatsoever. Like Ray said, *huge* step up!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog, for turning me on to this. :-)
I found their site, did they let you check the IMEI before buying? I really want to do the same with my tracfone upgrade. Please let me know.
Deleteif you are having problems getting past the verizon activation screen, this worked for me:
ReplyDelete1) follow this youtube video's instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g98n8YiFq0g
2) call the *22890 number as indicated at the last page of your tracfone web transfer process - it'll say activating your phone, which scared me because I thought it was activating with Verizon, but it turned out to be activating through Tracfone.
3) done
Got it working! I even made a video review and tutorial :)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az4VYP5Rbew
I just bought an Amazon MotoG and have just begun the activation process. Meanwhile I'm reading TracFone's Terms and Conditions ( @ https://www.tracfone.com/direct/controller.block?__blockname=direct.static.terms ). Lotsa nasty stuff in there, but hey--welcome to corporate America.
ReplyDeleteOne thing it says that *does* concern me is in section 11: "TRACFONE Smartphones and BYOP phones do not roam." Does that mean that, if I'm out of the TracFone network coverage area, I cannot make or receive calls (non-IP calls, anyway) with my BYOP MotoG?
It worked! You have to go through many steps and codes but if you're techy you can do it, if not don't try. I ordered mine used off ebay it was listed as "Verizon Pre-Paid Clean ESN" used Moto G 1st gen. They did not let me check the imei so for 40 dollars I took the risk. Got the phone and went to the BYOP page and entered the IMEI/ESN and then followed the steps, you have to enter a code in your old phone and then when the old phone quits being able to make calls restart your new phone and dial a code they email to you, be sure to hit "email this to me" so you can remb the code.
ReplyDeleteDial the code and the automated system says your approved and then make a regular phone call. I wish I had filmed the process but it was fairly easy. Now I have a super fast, Moto G with wifi and all the bells and cell service for the 10 bucks a month I paid for my old LG500g I had before. You have to pay a 10 dollar activation fee, and be sure your you have the plan you want I ran into issues with them charging me to change my plan over and over. If anyone needs help, I can help you through it. But it does work.
The easiest way to tell if it's a 1st gen Moto G or 2nd gen is the speaker grill. There is one speaker grill in the back of the 1st gen, the speakers are on the front of the 2nd Moto G so it won't have any grill holes in the back.
Hello. I am a TracFone customer. I currently have the LG 38C. I am looking at the Ultimate 2 now. Do you think you could post an in-depth video of the LG 41C? And can you please post a comparison of the 38C and 41C? Thank you so much. I am weighing my options now for which phone to get as an upgrade. :-)
ReplyDeleteDoes it need to have a sim card when you buy it?
ReplyDeleteThe only Moto G (1st ed) that works on Tracfone is CDMA which means if you see one with a sim card it won't work. You need the Moto G WITHOUT a sim card.
DeleteHas anybody tried activating a Moto G with a new tracfone phone number? I have a tracfone phone already, but want to try the Moto G for a bit before transferring my number over...can I activate it and get a new tracfone number?
ReplyDeleteYou're better off transferring it with your original number then after that's done changing the number with the Moto G activated. To avoid entanglements.
DeleteI bought a Moto G on eBay and activated it yesterday(3/21). The website worked on Firefox but it wouldn't get to my list, I couldn't get it to work in Firefox, I had to use IE. took about three hours total. unfortunately it appears I lost my triple minutes because I deactivated my LG38 and transferred the phone number to it.
ReplyDeleteI have also followed the instructions on this blog and activated my Moto G on 3/25. I called the TracFone Customer Service to handle all the activation steps, which took about 1/2 hour in all, and the Moto G has been working great.
ReplyDeleteThe TracFone App worked well enough to help me know my minutes/texts/MB remaining. The actual app is a bit buggy and does not show me any balance status. I always get a "information seems not to be available at your location at this time" message.
The text message status I receive shows my accurate minutes, but text shows 186670 when I have 190 and MB shows 0.19 when I have 182.3 remaining. Up until today the widget has been accurate, showing the same balance as the website.
Today I called TracFone CS and had them transfer minutes from my old TracFone to this Moto G number. The minutes/texts/MB all showed up on the website balance, but now both the app and the widget fail to show any balance at all.
I've done the usual to recover. Power cycle, clear cache, remove the app, reinstall the app, but the widget and app still do not work. Anyone else had this issue?
Has anyone been able to use a Boost Mobile Moto G on Tracfone? I have a ZTE Valet Tracfone that I would would like transfer from. The Moto G seems like a much better phone. When I checked compatibility Tracfone said no.
ReplyDeleteBoost Mobile Moto G is GSM you need a Verizon CDMA
DeleteI was just on the Tracfone BYOP website http://tracfonewireless.com/byop/ and it says:
ReplyDeleteNow you can bring your 4G LTE* smartphone to TracFone
It’s new, it’s fast, it’s 4G LTE, and it’s just one more reason to bring your smartphone to TracFone. Stay connected to the world, keep your pictures, keep your number, and enjoy the phone you already love in a whole new way. The only thing you’ll lose is your contract.
Of course, there is no additional info. I will wait and see what cell phones are activated by those of you that may already own a used LTE cellphone before I go out and buy one.
I bought a used Verizon Prepaid Moto G, activated it on the Vzn. network to make sure it worked, then tried to register it on Tracfone. They said I needed to have it deactivated, which I did through Vzn., and then re-tried with Tracfone. They asked a lot of questions over quite a bit of time as if things were going well but then said the phone could not be used, because I could not supply them with an "MEID DEC" of only numbers and no letters. Well there is no such ID on the phone nor on the box it came in, only an MEID with letters and numbers and some other similar bar code related stuff on the box, all with numbers and letters. Verizon assures me they have no lock on the phone but I am stuck.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else been through this conundrum?
Any ideas?
you can access the mied in number format by pressing the power button and the volume buttons at the same time until it goes into fastboot, select barcodes and it will show you the number...how did you get verizon to deactivate the phone?
DeleteDo you still get triple minutes like the moto e?
ReplyDeleteYes, you get triple minutes with BYOP as well.
DeleteAre there different flavors of the 1st Gen Moto G?
ReplyDeleteFor example, would the XT1031 CDMA (Motorola Falcon), which I think is Sprint, work on Tracfone?
Reading the Q&A from the amazon link to the Moto G Prepaid, it says:
ReplyDeletewill this phone work with tracfone service?
Q: does this phone works on tracfone services
A: Called Tracfone recently, they told me it could not be used on their BYOP program. BIG JOHN answered on June 13, 2014
I successfully activated verizon moto g phone (bought new from walmart 11-27-14 for $39) w/tracfone on Sun 6-7-15. I tried to do it online which would have been quicker, but here's the catch...the MEID HEX # THAT IS LISTED UNDER THE MOTO G PHONE SETTINGS is NOT the MEID DEC # THAT TRACFONE WEB SITE RECOGNIZES, so i had to call tracfone customer service to get by this, which only took about 15 mins total for to finish! I was checking on the web site about a 4-5 times every month to see if i could register the phone and when i got to the 6th month of time from date of activating the phone with verizon (11-30-14 til 5-30-2015) i was trying it everyday...knowing what i know now, i would have bought a used or refurb online and then activated the phone instead of waiting for the 6 mons 8 days of time to pass, but then if it's worth having, it's worth waiting for!...hopes this helps someone!!! GOD BLESS!!!
ReplyDeleteWas it from date of purchase or date of activation?
Deletethe time of 6 months & 8 days waiting time was from the time i activated the phone with verizon (1 month only did i use their prepaid service) on 5/30/14 til 6/7/15...the date i activated over to tracfone(zte valet-old phone).
DeleteI got mine going yesterday! It is well worth waiting the 6 months. Just because you know you have a brand new phone :)
DeleteI was at Target today here in STL and they are SELLING the Moto G as a Tracfone. They were out of them but did have the Moto E. So I suspect they will get more of the G?? Who knows. But I may check back to see or try another Target around town. This may be a sign that these won't have to through all the trouble of activation/deactivation mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to wait for 6 months. As long as you bypass the Verizon activation (per instruction on Amazon to make it as a wifi only device), and pass the compatibility check on Tracfone Byop CDMA Smartphones page. You can transfer a current phone number to the new phone then you can have the new Moto G to use
ReplyDeleteSo I ordered a Moto G from mixed_sources on Ebay it was 28 was a auction. I got it today bought the 9.99 thing with a credit card. Tried to activate online but I had to call them. Well a half hour later & Boom my new to me Moto G is now on tracfone with all my 3 buckets transferred. Here is a link to the sellers page. http://www.ebay.com/sch/mixed_sources/m.html?item=351499960945&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562
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DeleteOk so I checked my Moto G I bought & activated from Best Buy in May. Well it took 6 months but it is now on Tracfone. I only activated it on Verizon. I never paid a month. Just wanted to let you all know.
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ReplyDeleteJust a heads up today 11/26/2015 both my Moto G phones updated to Lollipop!
ReplyDeleteEarlier today I purchased a Moto G 3rd generation unlocked cellphone from Best Buy. Using the Tracfone BYOP sim kit I was able to activate the phone following the instructions on the Tracfone website. Only problem that I had was that I had the SIM card installed upside down and kept getting a " No Sim Card. Emergency calls only " on the phone screen.
ReplyDeleteJust set up my Moto G on Tracfone. It unlocked after six months. Not bad for $20! The only confusion came when trying to activate on Tracfone it said the MEID wasn't valid. That's because the phone lists the MEID in HEX format and Tracfone wants it in DEC format. If you look on google you'll find several sites which convert HEX to DEC, just type in the number and press convert to see the DEC number.
ReplyDelete