January 4, 2024

Best Unlocked Phones for Tracfone BYOP in 2024

Best Unlocked Smartphones for Tracfone Prepaid - Updated for 2024!

what phones to use with tracfone byop

The best unlocked phone list by TracfoneReviewer 

Tracfone offers a good selection of smartphones to use with their prepaid cell service, including Apple devices, Samsung, and many other smartphones (including several options under $100). However, consumers can also bring almost any unlocked phone to use with Tracfone BYOP program and that means more options, more freedom, and newer phones!

So what's the best phone to bring to Tracfone's BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) program? There are many different options, but the phones we have listed below are some of the latest smartphones that offer an excellent balance of value and performance while staying under $500.

For specific details on the requirements for activating a phone with Tracfone, see our Guide to Transferring/Activating a Smartphone with Tracfone or visit our Tracfone BYOP page (which also has a large list of phone options).

We are choosing these phones based on a variety of factors including popularity, value, cost and performance. These are some of our best suggestions of phones that will fit most user's needs. In the end, each person needs to understand what they want out of a phone, and choose a phone according to that.

Most Tracfone users decide to use BYOP because they want a phone with the latest features and more performance compared to most Tracfone smartphones, plus a wider selection of devices. In our list, we only include phones priced between $100-$499 as the majority of our readers are looking for a phone in that price range.

Now let's take a look at the list!

Best Unlocked Smartphones to use with Tracfone
Organized by price

Google Pixel 7a - $399 (list price $499)
Competition in the mid-range market is heating up with Google's latest in their 'budget' smartphone lineup. The Pixel 7a offers a 6.1" full HD screen, 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, 64MP rear camera and Android 13. The device comes unlocked with 5G network capability and both eSIM and NanoSIM options. The Pixel 7a offers many of the features of the more expensive Pixel 7, but comes in at a list price just under $500. There is a lot to like about the phone, and it is a close competitor to the Galaxy A54 listed below.

Get the Google Pixel 7a on Amazon

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G - $399 (list price $449)
Offering several high-end features and looks while staying moderately priced, the A54 5G will be a popular option for Samsung fans. Released in early 2023, it replaces the Galaxy A53, and offers a stunning, super AMOLED display, solid performance, and 5G network capability.  It comes with either 128 or 256 GB storage, IP67 waterproof rating, Android 13 with several years of updates, and 25W fast charging for the 5,000 mAh battery. While the cameras are not at the level of a flagship phone, they are more than adequate in most lighting conditions. Tracfone will also be offering this device, but locked to their network.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G on Amazon

Google Pixel 6a - $299
The Pixel line of smartphones from Google have been an extremely popular lineup due to their excellent specs and relatively affordable price compared to high-end smartphones. The Google Pixel 6a 5G features all the specs of a great phone, including a full HD 6.1" screen, Google's Tensor processor, 6 GB RAM, and 128 GB internal storage. It also has a some impressive features on the dual 12MP rear camera, the latest Android OS (12, with future upgrades), and 5G capability. It is compatible on all the major networks, including Tracfone (Verizon). At a list price of $450, it is more than many Tracfone customers might want to spend, but compared to $1000 high-end devices it sacrifices very little and is half the price. It is one of our top picks for those willing to spend the money.

Get the Google Pixel 6a 5G on Amazon $450 now $299


best unlocked smartphones for tracfone pixal 6a

Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2023) - $279 (list price $299)
The latest device in Motorola's popular budget phone line, the Moto G Power 5G (2023) offers several great upgrades over the previous model, while missing the mark in some other areas. It has solid performance thanks to a Mediatek Dimensity 930 which is a big improvement over the 2022 model, and comes with 256 GB internal storage, 6 GB RAM, and an external MicroSD slot. The 5,000 mAh battery provides up to 2 days of use, and the phone comes with a headphone jack, charger, and Android 13. The 50MP rear camera is okay, but there is no wide-angle shooter, and there is also no waterproof rating. At the $200-$300 price point, there are many different great options such as the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G and Google Pixel 6a 5G (often on sale at $299) which may be a good consideration.

Get the Moto G Power 5G (2023) on Amazon

Motorola Moto G Stylus (2023) - $199
The lowest retail price on a Stylus yet, the 2023 version doesn't have 5G network capability, but it does have a big battery, large screen, and $200 price tag. Unfortunately, the previous model can be found for $169, and offers more storage, more RAM, better processor, bigger screen, and otherwise similar features. The Stylus 2023 has just 64 GB storage, 4 GB RAM, a 6.5" HD screen and no waterproof rating. It does have a 50MP camera and runs Android 13, but is that enough to make this phone worth it? Probably not. We do expect a price drop sometime in the future. 

Get the Moto G Stylus 2023 on Amazon

Moto G Stylus (2022) - $169
A big screen and long battery life are standard for the Moto G line of phones, and the Stylus (2022) offers that plus lots of updated features. It has a 6.8" full HD screen, 128 GB internal storage, 6 GB RAM and triple rear camera setup. The MediaTek Octa-core processor it comes with is good, but a downgrade from the Snapdragon processor in the 2021 model (for a more powerful processor, consider the Pixel 6a or Samsung Galaxy A54 5G) For those that like the huge screen (with improved refresh rate), latest Android OS updates, and other new features, the Stylus 2022 is a good option. With a recently reduced price of under $200, it is still an attractive option in 2023.

Get the Moto G Stylus (2022) on Amazon $179

Get the Moto G stylus (2022) on Motorola $179

Samsung Galaxy A14 5G - $199
The budget option from Samsung has a few modest updates over the previous model, but also has some of the same offerings. There is NFC, something we don't see on many budget phones. The phone comes with either 64 or 128 GB storage, and has a microSD card slot. Performance is okay with the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, which is the same as in the previous model. The phone has a nice 50 MP camera, comes with Android 13 and Samsung's One UI 5, and gets long battery life with the 5,000 mAh battery. The 6.6" full HD screen is also a great feature. For those that like Samsung devices and are looking for a low-cost device with NFC, the A14 5G is a good option. But for a little more money, there are several much more powerful unlocked phones available.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G on Amazon

That concludes our list of the the best smartphones to use with Tracfone. We hope this list serves to provide some ideas of different phones available to use with Tracfone BYOP.

We want to hear from you! Share your current/favorite phone you use with Tracfone in the comments below!

Also join in on the discussion on our Facebook page where more than 3500 followers already get the latest news and information in their feed.

Don't miss out on our monthly list of Tracfone Deals, Discounts and Sales which also include unlocked phones and Tracfone smartphones.

Also take a look at our list of the Latest Tracfone Smartphones to see what is new from Tracfone.

And we just shared the 10 Most Common Tracfone Questions Answered.

Thanks for visiting!

33 comments :

TheLanMan said...

I got a Moto G4 Plus from Republic Wireless. It was on the T-Mobile network using a GSM SIM, and I didn't get cell reception at my workplace. I tried to take the phone to Tracfone using their CDMA BYOP SIM Kit, but two CDMA (Verizon) SIMs did not work, no matter what Tracfone 'support' suggested I try. I finally gave up and was able to activate the phone using a GSM (AT&T) SIM. I know the phone is supposed to fully support CDMA, and it could see the CDMA SIMs, but the cell voice/data radios showed 'off' while the CDMA SIMs were in the phone. I'm presuming this is possibly a one-off hardware issue with my phone, since I've heard of others using CDMA with the G4 Plus. Thankfully, I get adequate AT&T cell signal at my desk now.

Paul said...

Hello Peter,
I am considering a Moto G4 or G4 Play. Do you know if it would be possible to activate a GSM line and a CDMA line (with 2 different phone numbers) in one device? I tried to contact Tracfone with this question but I don't think I was able to make myself understood.

Anonymous said...

I just bought an unlocked GSM phone from BestBuy (Thanksgiving night) that was mentioned on the Tracfone Review site under "Black Friday Deals."

I also purchased a Tracfone BYOP Activation kit for $1.00. The phone has not yet arrived but the BYOP-kit has but the box it came in looks different than the BYOP-Kit sold on the Tracfone website and mentioned here -- the kit is in a little blue box probably like the ones you see at Walmart, etc. I also noticed somewhere on or in the box there was a date stamped of "2015", as well the SIM card for GSM says AT&T on it, and it is from my understanding Tracfone throws all GSM phones onto T-Mobile towers and all CDMA phones onto Sprint towers which is why people complain that once they leave their coverage area for the towers or coverage they are stuck with, they have no service since we know Tracfone no longer allows roaming.

So my question is: Will this activation kit and GSM/AT&T SIM work for me, or do I have to buy the new BYOP Activation SIMS that Tracfone has thrown out there since their cancellation of roaming and so-on?

Thank you.
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/tracfone.html


CrunchyCookie said...

I just bought a new Nexus 5X (the very last Nexus phone -- came out in late 2015) since one of its selling points is its compatibility with all four carriers. Well, it looks like that doesn't always hold true when applied to TracFone. They wouldn't let me activate it using the CDMA/Verizon SIM card because their system was rejecting my phone's IMEI, so I had to settle for using the GSM/AT&T SIM. Sigh.

One of their phone reps actually told me that the only Verizon phones that work with BYOP are ones that have been used for six months. True? I also noticed that in TracFone's BYOP SIM Kit, the CDMA SIM card reads "compatible with used LTE Verizon phones". I never know what to believe, since their phone reps tend to not know what they're talking about half the time. One of their other guys even said the six month thing is wrong.

I'm just wondering if it's possible to buy some Verizon Galaxy S5 on eBay that no one's ever touched, and activate it on TracFone right away.

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

In reply to Anonymous on November 26, 2016 at 1:40 PM

Not sure if the SIM kit you got will work or not, are you sure it isn't a Net10 SIM kit?

As for Tracfone, they use both Verizon and ATT cell towers, as well as TMobile.

You could always try activating your phone, and if it doesn't work, stop by your local BestBuy or Target as they usually have Tracfone SIM kits for $1.

Hope that helps

Anonymous said...

Does the Nextbit Robin work with the BYOP program for GSM/ AT&T with Tracfone? I have been unsure whether or not it is going to work after doing a bit of research and I don't want to buy it if it does not.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I have the Samsung galaxy luna 4g And it says 3g at the top and my wife has the same phone and hes says 4g how do i fIX THAT?????

TheLanMan said...

I posted back in November about problems getting a Moto G4 Plus working with Tracfone CDMA (Verizon). Since then, I got my wife a Moto G4 Plus, identical to mine, to replace her Tracfone LG Ult 2 on CDMA. I got a CDMA/GSM SIM kit from Best Buy for $1 and had the service transferred from her LG to the Moto using a CDMA SIM - and it worked perfectly the first time. So her phone is on Verizon (CDMA) and mine's on AT&T (GSM). I'd rather be on Verizon, but oh well, it's working and I get cell reception at my workplace. I also figure if we're out and about together, there's a better chance at least one of us will have cell reception. :)

Unknown said...

Mine is a Blu R1 HD (16GB version) and I love it. I got the ad-free version because I like to believe a device is truly mine instead of shared with Amazon. Anywho, I've had it since summer and it's worked great for me. It's dual-sim which is great for traveling and accepts a micro-SD card up to 64GB. You get a lot of phone for $110.

Anonymous said...

Have owned Tracfones for over 10 years.....I would buy a new one just about every other year from HSN, because it would come with a one year card, making the phone, essentially, free....I joined the BYOP plan, because most of the Tracfone phones specs, basically sucked, if you wanted a smartphone that could actually do things, like a tablet.....

I Bought a ZTE Axon 7 mini, and easily connected to the GSM network with the $1 Sim Kit, you can get at any Dollar Store....transferring minutes was easy also....the mini is 5.2", 32GB, 3GB Ram, Amoled screen, 423 PPI, 1080P, FINGERPRINT SCANNER, added a 32GB micro SD card, and has compass & gyro, so I can use my VR googles with it.....and the stereo speakers are unreal....and I got it on sale for 199.99.....couldn't be happier with this phone....

Jim Stoner said...

I have a 1st gen Moto G and a Moto X (2014 I think) that have both worked fine on Tracfone using Verizon's CDMA network for more than a year now. Last week I just bought two of the new Moto G5 Plus which were just released. My old Moto X had a nano SIM card, so I transferred it to the Moto G5 Plus and it seems to be working fine.

Unfortunately, the old 1st gen Moto G did not have a SIM card, so I couldn't do that with my wife's new phone. Instead I bought the Tracfone BYOP kit to get a nano SIM and then called Tracfone to activate it and transfer her number to it. They were unable to register the Moto G5 Plus, though. Clearly the phone itself is compatible with the network itself since it works just fine with my old SIM card, but they currently won't register it as a new phone. I don't know if the problem is just that the Moto G5+ is so new and isn't on their list yet, or something else.

Now I'm trying to decide if I need to buy a cheap old phone that I can use to activate a SIM card, and then just transfer the SIM card to my wife's phone like I did for mine. Any suggestions?

Jim Stoner said...

Quick follow up: I guessed that the reason my new Moto G5+ worked was because I hat put an already valid Tracfone CDMA SIM in it. The first time I started that new phone with my old SIM card there was a message that it might take 5 minutes to register or something like that, and then it worked. So I wondered what the Tracfone BYOP web site would say about it; was it considered eligible or ineligible? Turns out the IMEI number of that phone was acceptable, presumably because it was now a "known" phone now because it had been registered to work with my old SIM (it was about 48 hours later; I'm not sure if the registration is immediate or might take a day or two before it gets into the Tracfone website's database).

Next I put the new never-used SIM card in my registered Moto G5+ phone, and used the web site to activate it and transfer my wife's phone number to the that SIM. Once that went through (took about 12 hours), I put that new SIM card in her Moto G5+ (the one they said they couldn't register) and it had that message about waiting 5 minutes, and then it all worked. So now both of the new phones are working.

So if you get a new Moto G5+ and Tracfone says they can't register it, see if you can temporarily put an existing SIM card in it (from a friend or family member's phone, for example) and let it register the phone that way, then try activating it via the web site to get your own SIM card and transfer your old number to it. Thought I'd update this here in case it helps someone else.

hangman said...

The biggest problem with Tracfone. Is that when they have a new phone. It takes them over a year or more to roll it out to all the areas.

utahman1971 said...

The biggest problem with Tracfone. Is that when they have a new phone. It takes them over a year or more to roll it out to all the areas.

Really? Samsung Galaxy J3 Luna Pro was just released in June and I got it after defective one sent back and waiting 4 weeks after ordering with RMA on July 14th. So no it does not take a year for them to put new phones available. Where are you hiding? Under a rock?

Anonymous said...

I purchased a Moto G4 Play for use with my Tracfone account as it was at the top of the list of recommended phone on this webpage. I tried to activate the phone with the Tracfone Bring Your Own Phone SIM Card Kit and it didn't work. When I turned the phone on it gave me a message asking for a SIM Network Unlock PIN. Tracfone Technical support says it is because the phone is not compatible with Tracfone service.

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

Re: Anonymous:

Is it an unlocked Moto G4 Play or is it a carrier locked one? Some phone companies like Verizon, ATT and others will sell their own locked version, at a lower price, and they may not work with Tracfone. I've successfully used a Moto G4 Plus with Tracfone BYOP.

Unknown said...

Please note that I only use my Tracfone for an "extra" phone, such as selling things online, or when my other services (T-Mobile and ATT) did not work when visiting rural Wisconsin. I have been using Tracfone for 5 years and the service and customer services has been great. My normal phone is an iPhone 7 and I was tired of using the Tracfone LG Android phone - I'm sure that Android is great, but I'm just not used to the nuances and I don't want to take the time to learn, so I purchased a used (unlocked) iPhone 6 on eBay. I purchased the SIM card kit from Walmart ($9.99). I inserted the card in the phone and followed the online instructions and waited for activation. The message states that if it doesn't activate within one hour call the customer service number. I waited for four hours and finally called customer service. I was connected to a person fairly quickly, but they couldn't help, so they connected me with a tech person who was very, very helpful. This person made all of the necessary changes, had me test the calling, texting, and Web features before she completed the call. Again, I don't use this phone much, but it's a great backup when traveling. As for the cost of the service, Tracfone is fantastic. When my service is within 6 months of expiring, I go online and purchase the 60 day, 500 minutes option and when checking out I take the offer of adding 365 days of service for $50, so I get triple minutes and 14 months of service for less than $100. I've done this every year; in fact, my current service does not expire until November 2019.

fgermaine said...

I have a Verizon Prepaid Moto G4 Play that I'm using on the BYOP and it has worked great! I'm very happy with it.

Unknown said...

I have a byop question. I have been on the byop program for a long time. I have found a phone that I like but doesnt work with Verizon. I have been using tracfone byop cdma Verizon sim for a long time and might have to switch to the gsm at&t one. Is that possible, and if so how hard is it to do?

Anonymous said...

LG V30 unlocked works GREAT
with TracFone BYOP Triple SIM KIT.

bluedragon14 said...

Does anyone know if the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus will work with Tracfone's BYOP program? I'm considering getting the phone and realize that 4G LTE may not work at all, but it would appear to work with AT&T/T-Mobile and 3G. Also are there APN settings available for Tracfone?

Unknown said...

@bluedragon. I would like to know the same about the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

Anonymous said...

This week, TracFone told me my unlocked Huawei Honor 6x that I bought from Best Buy was incompatible with BYOP. Is that correct? Is there a way to make it work anyway? What makes a phone incompatible?

Do other services like Cricket have a longer list of compatible phones? I've had a TracFone for over ten years, but I may have to switch.

TracfoneReviewer Team said...

Re: Anonymous

It could be that the Honor 6x isn't compatible with the type of service Tracfone offers in your area. There are two types of cell phone networks - CDMA and GSM, and it could be that the Honor 6x is only CDMA compatible while service in your area is mostly via GSM. You may be able to activate the phone anyway, and it might be fine.

Unknown said...

I just upgraded from the 4S to an iPhone SE 128 gb. Just haven’t been able to add it to my account. Other than that, everything is fine. I purchased a new unlocked iPhone for $238 and purchased a Verizon SIM from TracFone. Love the extra room and the
Speed!!!

Unknown said...

Ok. It was there. I just had to edit the name. Couldn’t do it through the tracfone app, had to go to the website and sign in.

Anonymous said...

Used Google Nexus 5x makes a nice BYOP phone. It even updates itself OTA to Android 8.1 Oreo.

Anonymous said...

I live in VT where Verizon has the best coverage. Bought a Google Pixel XL, 32G, unlocked Verizon version. I used Tracfone/Verizon sim card. Connects to 4GLTE. It came with stock Oreo then upgraded to Pie. Now just got notification for Android 10 (Q) update available. I will hold off for a bit. Great phone. I consider myself a light duty user, so this phone is way overkill for my needs. Thought I would root it, but haven't really needed to yet.

Mike said...

Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy A50 is NOT compatible wit TracFone.

dave9 said...

Mike said "Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy A50 is NOT compatible wit TracFone."

What leads you to believe this Mike? There was no indication it wouldn't be compatible, should be fin as a BYOP, and in fact even Samsung has released a TF branded version of it:

https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/phones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a50-tracfone-sm-a505uzkatfn/

If you buy an unlocked retail A50, it should just be a matter of a sim swap and activating that.

Gary Savin said...

Can Blu B100DL ,be unlock???

Unknown said...

Can i activate my phone

Anonymous said...

Not hard at all. First buy a byop sim kit. Then I recommend using the Tracfone chat system to get a rep to do the transfer.