Among the many providers of free government phones in the United States, Assurance Wireless is one of the most popular today, competing with other industry majors such as Safelink Wireless, Qlink and even Verizon Wireless.
The company has been providing this benefit for a long time to families and individuals who, due to their low income or other reasons, cannot access telecommunications products and services.
In this complete guide, we’ll see how is that Assurance Wireless service works, in which areas it’s available and how to access this benefit that the company provides, in addition to answering other questions you may have to acquire an Assurance Wireless Government free phone with activation.
Assurance Wireless Government Free Phones
Assurance Wireless is one of the main companies providing telecommunication products and services under the Lifeline program, which is a social assistance program of the United States government to facilitate access to these products to people who qualify for free government phones.
Initially, Assurance Wireless was part of Virgin Mobile USA – which was a subsidiary company of Sprint/Nextel – but in 2020, this company suspended its services in the United States. Later in the same year, Sprint merged with T-Mobile, which is now the company in charge of part of the Assurance network.
At this time, Assurance Wireless, as part of the Lifeline Assistance program, offers the possibility of acquiring an Assurance Wireless free government phone, as well as calls, messages and data services completely free or with significant discounts, for people who qualify under certain criteria in about 40 states of the country.
Why Choose Assurance Wireless?
Assurance Wireless is currently one of the largest companies offering free government phones as part of the Lifeline Assistance program.
Thanks to certain key corporate movements made in 2020, in addition to new policies in the offer of products and services for consumers, the company is gaining increasing growth and popularity in the field.
Currently, the company has presence in more than 40 states in the country and is also constantly trying to expand its network to reach as many areas as possible.
The main advantage that the company provides at this time is the offer of free phones with unlimited messaging plans, as well as bonuses for extra minutes in calls every month.
Along with this, the company also offers the possibility of acquiring more minutes, text messages and data at very affordable prices in a good variety of plans.
In addition, the great coverage and quality of the Sprint/T-Mobile network, ensures excellent communications service nationwide.
Benefits of Assurance Wireless Free Phones
The proof that Assurance Wireless is one of the leaders in this industry is the initial offer for every new customer who signs up for their services.
The following is the starter pack that you’ll receive if you choose Assurance Wireless services, and all totally FREE – remember, however, that there may be some variations by state.
- 1 Android Smartphone
- 1GB Data per Month
- Unlimited Text Messages per Month
- 350 Voice Minutes per Month
- Voicemail Account, Call Waiting and Caller ID
- 911 Access
- Unlimited Calls to 211
- Calls to Customer Care
- Nationwide T-Mobile Network Coverage
- Keep Your Current Home or Cell Phone Number
How To Work Assurance Wireless With Government
As it happens with the rest of the companies within the Lifeline program, the process to acquire an Assurance Wireless free phone with activation is very simple.
The first thing is to verify your eligibility to participate in the program, and for this there are several criteria that the program takes into account.
The first recommendation is that you go to the Assurance Wireless website to ensure that your state of residence is included in the Assurance Wireless Lifeline program.
You just have to enter the ZIP code that corresponds to your state in the text box that appears there, and in this way you’ll see what the program is offering for your area.
You can also verify your eligibility by directly visiting the official Lifeline program website at https://www.lifelinesupport.org/
There are several criteria used for an individual or household to participate in the Assurance Wireless program.
First, if you’re already part of some other government social program, you automatically qualify as eligible for the Assurance Wireless program.
Some of the acceptable programs in this case would be:
- Medicaid/Medi-Cal (not Medicare)
- Food Stamps or SNAP
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
And for people who live in Tribal Lands they would be the following:
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Tribal Head Start
Note that this criteria may include or exclude certain programs depending on your area of residence. For example, the Michigan areas add some specific programs for that state, while for the California, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada or Wisconsin areas there are also specific programs for people living in Tribal Lands.
If you want specific information on those states, you can visit Assurance Wireless’ official website and click on “How to Qualify” to see specific criteria in your state.
Another way to qualify for the program is based on your annual per household income. In this case, your income must be below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
This means that your income per household must be around $16,380 per year for a single person, or up to $57,213 per year for a family of eight.
Finally, other criteria for qualification is living in homeless shelters and nursing homes, although this may vary by state. Check more about free phones by state.
Whatever your particular case, take into account that you must provide copies of the documents that certify that you’re part of another social program or that you’ve a low income.
How to Apply for the Assurance Wireless Program:
There are four ways to apply for the program:
- Directly from the Assurance Wireless website here.
- By calling customer service at 1-888-898-4888.
- Apply through a representative in your neighborhood, which will help you with the necessary documentation, in addition to activating your new phone once you receive it.
- Apply directly from the National Verifier website, although this option is not available in all states.
What documents do you need to submit?
In the event that you are part of another government social program, you will need one of the following documents:
- A Statement of Benefits
- A Notice Letter of Participation
- A Benefit ID card (usually Medicaid)
- An Eligibility Letter from an authorized agency
Please note that the type of document may vary depending on the program you are participating in.
In case you want to apply based on your low income, you’ll need one or more of the following documents:
- Prior year’s state, federal or Tribal tax return
- Current income statement from an employer
- Social Security statement of benefits
- Veterans Administration statement of benefits
- Retirement or pension statement of benefits
- Unemployment Compensation statement of benefits
- Federal or Tribal notice letter of participation in General Assistance
- Divorce decree, child support award or similar document
Or also the following documents (last 3 months):
- Current paycheck stub
- Social Security benefits statement
- Veterans Administration benefits statement
- Retirement / Pension benefits statement
- Unemployment or Workers’ Compensation benefits statement
Once you’ve sent the documentation, you only need to wait that the personnel review your application. Once it’s approved, you’ll receive your phone at home within a few days.
Some Assurance Wireless Phone Models with Plans
New Assurance Wireless customers have the ability to choose from some phone models directly through the Assurance website – although some phones are also available through third parties.
The phone models currently available are:
1. Samsung Galaxy A10e – Features
- Screen: 6.2″, 720 x 1520 pixels
- Processor: Exynos 7884
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Expansion: microSD
- Camera: 13 MP
- Battery: 3400 mAh
- OS: Android 9.0
2. Apple iPhone 7 Plus – Features
- Screen: 5.5″, 1080 x 1920 pixels
- Processor: Apple A10 Fusion
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB / 128GB / 256GB
- Camera: 12 MP, Dual
- Battery: 2900 mAh
- OS: iOS 10
3. Unimax U693CL – Features
- Screen: 5.0″ FWVGA Capacitive Touchscreen
- Processor: 4 Qualcomm cores
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 16GB
- Expansion: 32GB microSD
- Camera: 2MP rear, 0.3MP front
- Battery: 2000 mAh
- OS: Android 9.0 Pie
Note that although there may be other phones compatible with the Assurance service, the company recommends at all times to use only the “official” models available through its online store.
In case you want to swap your phone, you can contact Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880 – this is subject to model availability.
And what about the plans?
In addition to the basic plan that their phones have by default, Assurance Wireless offers a good variety of options for every need, and this is one of the reasons why the company stands out above others in this field.
On the official company’s website, you can see the generous offer in minutes, messages and data you can acquire at excellent prices:
You can buy 250 additional minutes for only $5, or additional minutes for 10 ¢ each.
Or you can try the following Bundle Plans:
- $15 Plan – Unlimited Voice Minutes, Unlimited Texts and 500MB Data per month.
- $20 Plan – Unlimited Voice Minutes, Unlimited Texts and 1GB Data per month.
- $30 Plan – Unlimited Voice Minutes, Unlimited Texts and 4GB Data per month.
- $40 Plan – Unlimited Voice Minutes, Unlimited Texts and 10GB Data per month.
There is also an offer on data packages that you can purchase separately:
- $1 for 100MB
- $3 for 500MB
- $5 for 1GB
- $10 for 2GB
- $20 for 4GB
- $30 for 5GB
Assurance Wireless Free Phone Areas/States
The Assurance Wireless service is currently available in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
If you qualify for an #Assurance Wireless government phone with activation – this may vary by state – you’ll get a free Android Smartphone, unlimited talk and unlimited text messages plus 3GB of data (5GB if you live in California) at absolutely no cost.
If your state is not in the list above, remember that the company is constantly looking to expand the coverage area of its service, so our recommendation is that you visit the official website frequently and check if your area of residence has been added to the coverage area.
Assurance Wireless Activation Process
Once you receive your new Android phone, you must activate Assurance Wireless service to start enjoying its benefits.
To perform the activation, you can ask for the help of your authorized representative – if you made the request in this way – or you can do the activation yourself. In the latter case the process is as follows:
- Press and hold the Power Button to turn on your phone.
- The phone will connect to the Assurance network and will check for updates. The phone will power off.
- After the phone turns back on, it may ask you to customize your phone – you can skip and do this later.
- Dial 611 and follow the recorded directions.
- When prompted, enter your Assurance Wireless Account PIN – you find it in your approval letter from Assurance.
It’s done!
Restrictions for Assurance Free Phones
The following are the restrictions that apply in general for the Lifeline Assistance program, therefore also for Assurance Wireless and other similar providers.
- Assurance Wireless is only available to individuals who qualified for the government program Lifeline Assistance.
- Only one wireless or wireline Lifeline account is allowed per household.
- If you’ve Lifeline service with another provider and you switch to Assurance Wireless, you’ll lose your benefits with your previous provider.
- The address you provide when you apply for the service must be your current place of residence.
Assurance Wireless Free Phone Replacement Policy
Assurance Wireless offers a warranty on new phones that are lost, stolen, or have a verifiable factory defect.
In the event of lost or stolen phones, you should immediately call 1-888-321-5880 to temporarily deactivate the service. Assurance Wireless will ship a new device to you later, but please note there will be charges for replacement and shipping of the device.
In the case of phones with factory defects, Assurance works with the original manufacturer’s warranty (one year), so you can replace your device with a new one, although not necessarily the same model. To do this you must call 1-888-321-5880.
FAQ
What phones are free with Assurance Wireless?
Assurance Wireless currently has the following free phone models in its catalog for people who qualify for the Lifeline program:
- Samsung Galaxy A10e
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
- Unimax U693CL
Although there may be other phones compatible with Assurance Wireless service, these three models are recommended by the company for optimal service.
What to do if I can’t activate Assurance Wireless?
Activation of Assurance Wireless service is done through a PIN code that is issued to you when you receive your Assurance Approval Letter.
In the event that you lose access to this PIN code to enjoy your #Assurance Wireless free phone with activation, you must proceed as follows:
- Go to assurancewireless.com and login to your account.
- Click on Forgot Password?
- Enter your Secret Answer
In case you cannot access your account online
You can call Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880 and wait for a representative to assist you. Once you validate your identity and provide your Secret Answer, they’ll send your PIN via text message to your phone for activation.
Which is better, Safelink or Assurance Wireless?
Assurance Wireless. While both companies have great coverage and are backed by high-quality networks, Assurance provides a greater variety of value-added services than Safelink, and most of it for free or with unbeatable discounts.
Does Assurance Wireless have unlimited data?
No. Assurance Wireless does not offer unlimited data plans for smartphones – although it does have a single plan for feature phones – but it does offer a whole series of data plans or packages with significant discounts that also adapt to any need.
Does Assurance Wireless have hotspot?
Yes, this is a characteristic of Android smartphones, but you must make sure you’re using a plan that supports the Mobile Hotspot feature. In any case, you can change plans by calling Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880.
Can I use my Assurance SIM card in another phone?
Assurance Wireless policy indicates that it’s possible to do this when “the customer brings their own compatible phone to purchase Assurance Wireless service”.
How do I report my Assurance Wireless stolen phone?
You can call at 1-888-321-5880 to immediately report your stolen phone for deactivation.
Are Assurance Wireless phones unlocked?
No, at this time Assurance Wireless only offers phones for use within its network.
What carrier does Assurance Wireless use?
Until October 2020, Assurance Wireless was part of Sprint/Nextell, but on that date this company merged with T-Mobile. As a result, users before that date continue to use the Sprint network, while users registered after that date use the T-Mobile network.
You can also read Assurance Wireless phone at Walmart and Virgin Mobile Assurance Wireless Phone
