June 26, 2019

How to Get a Cell Phone Fast - Tracfone Burn Phones

Get a Tracfone Burner Phone (And Why You Might Want It)

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Get a Burn phone
Tracfone Burn Phones
Perhaps you lost your phone and need a quick replacement, or maybe you just need a cell phone for a short visit in the country, or you could need a backup phone for nefarious activities... No matter what the reason, sometimes it would be nice to be able to get a cell phone fast and cheap - so here is how to do that!

Burn phones are simple, cheap cell phones that are inexpensive to buy, and easy to set up and use. It's called a burn phone because after you use it, you can just 'burn it' (but don't actually light it on fire). Tracfone is a cell phone company that sells prepaid cell phones with a range of prices, including some very cheap options.

Burner Phone - A prepaid cellular phone, replaced frequently (weekly) (monthly) to avoid leaving a trail and getting caught up in illegal activities - UrbanDictionary 

So lets look at some reasons why a burn phone might be useful to you, and some options from Tracfone.

Why You Might Need a Burn Phone

Most people think about criminals when they think about someone who might need a burn phone but really, anyone who wants to maintain their privacy could benefit from a burn phone, Buying and selling online is a good example, where someone might not want to include their personal number in an ad listing on sites like craigslist.

Anyone using online dating apps could also benefit from a burner phone, so that if things don't work out, you don't have some random person with your phone number.

Additionally, a burn phone might be a good option for making emergency calls. The FCC requires all phones to be able to call 911 even if you aren't connected to a carrier or don't have a SIM card. So keeping a phone handy for such a possibility could be a good idea for many people.

Finally, many older flip phones have much longer battery life compared to modern smartphones, some lasting a week or more. For those who may be spending extended time away from charging access, a burn phone could be an inexpensive way to maintain contact with the world.

Let's look at some potential phones from Tracfone.

Tracfone Prepaid Burn Phone Options - Best Cheap Phones

Here are some options from Tracfone for inexpensive cell phones that can be purchased and used without much expense.

Flip Phone Options for Burn Phones:
  • Tracfone ALCATEL MYFLIP - basic flip phone using CDMA networks
    • Available online at Amazon/eBay and in store at DollarGeneral/Walmart/Target
  • Tracfone Alcatel AS206G - basic flip phone using GSM networks
    • Available online at Amazon/eBay and in store at Walmart
  • LG 440G - basic flip phone using GSM networks
  • Other flip phone options - Tracfone offers a variety of other options through many different retailers like Amazon, eBay, Target and Walmart so browse through some of those sites or go into the stores to see what they currently have in stock.
Smartphone Options for Burn Phones:
Smartphones can also be a great option for a burn phone, as there are many cheap phones available now. Just be aware of how you are planning to use the phone - if you wan't to remain truly anonymous you should avoid signing into any accounts on the phone etc.
  • LG Rebel 2 - Android 6.0 with both GSM and CDMA options available
    • Available online at Amazon/eBay and some stores
  • LG Rebel 3 - Android 7.0 with 4G capability on CDMA networks
    • Available online at Amazon/eBay and some stores
  • ZTE Blade T2  - Android 8.1 with 4G LTE on CDMA networks
    • Available online at Tracfone/Amazon/eBay and in stores at Walmart/Target
  • Alcatel TCL LX - Android 8.1 with 4G LTE on CDMA networks
    • Available online at Tracfone/Amazon/eBay and in stores at Walmart/Target
  • ZTE ZFive - Android 7.1 with 4G LTE on CDMA networks
    • Available online at Tracfone/Amazon/eBay and in stores at Walmart/Target
  • Many more smartphone options in stores and online
Additionally, buying an unlocked phone and activating a SIM card in it could be a good option as well. When you are done with that SIM, simply deactivate it, and activate another SIM card with a new number.

If you are in need of a phone in a hurry, and don't care too much what it is, look for Tracfone cell phones in most big retail stores and find the cheapest option they have. Usually Walmart or Target will have a Tracfone for less than $20, which should work as a burn phone.

NOTE - Verizon is shutting down their 3G network at the end of 2020 and some older CDMA phones may be affected. Learn more about how Tracfone CDMA users will be affected by the closure. All of the phones listed above should be compatible with VoLTE and work in 2021.

After finding a burn phone, time to get it set up to use it.

How to Start Using your Tracfone Burn Phone

Setting up a Tracfone prepaid cell phone is very easy. You only need the cell phone package to start with, and a prepaid card if you want to make calls or text (which you can find in Walmart, Target Etc.). You will also need internet access, or another phone.

What you Need to Activate a Tracfone:
  1. Tracfone Cell Phone (Or unlocked device with SIM kit)
  2. Airtime Card
  3. Computer or phone
Open the plastic package the phone came in, and follow the simple steps on the activation card. This includes charging the cell phone and activating the phone at tracfone.com, or by calling customer service. Activation usually takes an hour or less, and then you are ready to start using your phone!

If you add an airtime card, be sure to also use a Tracfone promo code to get extra airtime for free!

Tracfone prepaid cell phones usually come with 20 minutes and 30 days of service. So you might not need to buy extra airtime initially until you need more minutes Smartphones may require an airtime card to activate.

That concludes our look into burner phones and how to get a cell phone fast from Tracfone. We hope this was helpful and leave a comment with your thoughts or questions.

If you are looking for more cell phone options visit our Cell Phone Reviews page or see what's new with our Latest List of Tracfone Smartphones (2020).

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Learn how to buy only talk minutes, only data or only texts with our how to guides for each one that also looks how how good of a deal each of these add-on cards are.

Finally, if you are new to Tracfone start with our Beginners Guide which contains all the basics of how it all works and what you need to know.

Thanks for visiting!

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

So, do the minutes on the phone only last 30 days?

Anonymous said...

I just did that so that I could get a local area code number to use to find a job and someplace to live - people and employers are picky about communicating with any number they see as out-of-area or out-of-state on their Caller ID, so I broke down and bought a TracFone for this purpose. It was slightly more complicated than just changing one of my account phone numbers over to the new area code, but still.