SafeLink Wireless is a wireless company that offers Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program benefits to eligible low-income families. It offers free monthly plans with unlimited talk and text, calls to Canada and Mexico, up to 25 GB of high-speed data and 5 GB of hotspot data, as well as a free smartphone to qualifying customers. SafeLink is a subsidiary of TracFone Wireless, a larger mobile phone operator company.
In this article, we will answer this one simple question: Can I put my SafeLink SIM card in a TracFone? We will also explain why and how.
Does SafeLink Offer a BYOP Program?
Among other services and benefits, SafeLink also offers a Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) program, which enables customers to bring their own devices to SafeLink’s services if they wish to do so. This is a great option for those who may not qualify for the company’s free phone or if they already have a phone that fits their needs (and is perhaps better than the free phone that they would receive through SafeLink’s government benefits).
What Are the Conditions for SafeLink’s BYOP Program?
When it comes to SafeLink’s BYOP program, it’s important to note that not all phones are eligible to be brought to SafeLink.
The phone you bring must be carrier-unlocked and compatible with SafeLink’s network and services.
In case you have a smartphone that was purchased (or received free of charge) from another carrier, you must first make sure that the device is no longer locked to the carrier’s network and services. To do so, contact the provider and ask a representative to check your phone’s locking status. If the device is locked (which means that it can only connect to its provider’s services), ask the agent to remotely unlock it. Every company has a set of eligibility requirements that must be met before unlocking the device. These usually include that the device is paid off in full and that the phone hasn’t been reported as lost, stolen, or involved in fraud.
Once your phone is unlocked, you can make sure it’s compatible with SafeLink’s services. Unfortunately, SafeLink doesn’t offer a convenient online tool that would help you find out if your phone is compatible with SafeLink’s services. However, you can assume so based on the following characteristics:
- If your phone has LTE connectivity it is likely to work well with all carriers and MVNOs, including SafeLink.
- If your phone’s provider uses the same network technology (GSM or CDMA) as SafeLink.
Moreover, you can find out for sure by contacting SafeLink’s customer support service and asking the representative to check your phone’s SafeLink compatibility for you.
Can I Put My SafeLink SIM Card in a TracFone Device?
Now, let’s answer the most important question – can you put your SafeLink SIM card in a TracFone device? In case you have an amazing TracFone phone that fulfills all of your needs and you wish to do the thing that is the most environmentally friendly (to keep it), you are probably wondering if your phone will work well with SafeLink’s services.
The answer is yes. Considering the fact that SafeLink is TracFone’s subsidiary and it uses TracFone’s network (which is borrowed from large carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile), it is safe to assume that you can easily put your SafeLink SIM card into a TracFone device and that the phone will respond perfectly. After all, the incompatibility between the phone’s network settings and the provider’s services tends to be the largest potential issue. In this case, we have no issue, as SafeLink and TracFone’s networks match perfectly, given that SafeLink actually uses TracFone’s network.
Still, the phone must be carrier-unlocked – the network compatibility between the two carrier companies is not enough.
How to Put My SafeLink SIM Card in a TracFone Device?
Now that we have established that you can in fact put your SafeLink SIM card in a TracFone phone, let’s examine exactly how to do so.
- Step 1: Become a SafeLink customer by applying to its services at safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/Web/www/default/index.html#!/newHome. To successfully apply, you must be Lifeline and ACP-eligible and able to prove it with acceptable documentation. During the application process, you will be able to choose if you wish to receive a new phone or just a free BYOP SIM card.
- Step 2: If your application gets approved, you will receive a SafeLink BYOP SIM card (and kit) which you can use with your unlocked compatible TracFone device. When you have it, prepare the phone – charge it and turn it off.
- Step 3: Locate and open your phone’s SIM card tray.
- Step 4: Take out your old SIM card.
- Step 5: Find the SafeLink SIM card in your kit and pop out the SIM card in the right size (the size that will fit your phone).
- Step 6: Carefully insert your SafeLink SIM card into your TracFone device.
- Step 7: Turn the phone on and activate it.
- Step 8: Make sure the account has been activated by trying to place a call.
How to Activate My SafeLink SIM Card in a TracFone Device?
To activate your SafeLink SIM card in a TracFone device, follow the steps outlined above. Then, visit safelinkupgrades.com/upgrade/collectmin. Enter your phone number and press ‘Continue’. Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the activation process.
Once your account has been successfully activated, you will receive a text message welcoming you to the provider’s network.
Can I Put My SafeLink SIM Card in Another Provider’s Phone?
Even though SafeLink is probably most compatible with TracFone (given the fact that it’s TracFone’s subsidiary), it is also compatible with many other carriers and MVNOs.
The key is that SafeLink and the other wireless provider use the same network or at least carrier technology (GSM or CDMA). As SafeLink uses TracFone’s network that is borrowed from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, there is a good chance that SafeLink is also compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and all of their MVNOs.