T-Mobile and Verizon are two of America’s major four carriers and leading providers of mobile services in the U.S. Both companies offer a large variety of high-quality mobile devices, many unlimited plans, reliable networks with nationwide coverage, and other great services and benefits. As both of these carriers often offer attractive special deals for both new and existing customers and as Verizon still has the 4G LTE network with the best coverage, you may get tempted to switch from T-Mobile to Verizon. If this is the case, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will break down all you need to know to successfully and effortlessly switch from T-Mobile to Verizon.
What Should You Look for Before Switching Cell Phone Carriers
Before you actually take the first step, you need to get ready. This way you will know exactly what you are getting into and there will be no surprises. Getting prepared will also make the entire switching process a lot faster and smoother.
Research What Provider You Want to Use
The first step is to research what provider you want to switch to. In this case, you have decided to switch to Verizon. Familiarize yourself with the provider’s prices, plans, data, coverage, and other services. Make sure that Verizon offers the same or better coverage in your particular area as your previous provider. You can check T-Mobile’s coverage map at t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map and Verizon’s coverage map at verizon.com/coverage-map. Learn everything you need to know about Verizon at verizon.com.
Gather All of Your Information
Now that you know exactly what provider you wish to use and why, it’s time to gather all the information that you will need during the transfer process. Having this information gathered will make the process a lot faster and much less painful. The information includes:
- Your name and address
- Your account number (located on your bill)
- Your password or PIN
- Your phone’s IMEI or ESN number (usually located on the back of the phone or under the battery)
- Plus, make sure to back up your data on your phone
Contact Your New Service Provider
Now, it’s time to make the switch official. Switching a mobile service provider is as simple as contacting your new service provider. You can make the switch on their official website, by phone, or at a local store. Many customers believe it’s best to simply visit the store as this way an expert will guide you through the process and it will take no time or trouble to make the switch. Once you activate your new service, the old one should get canceled automatically. However, it is best to call your old provider and check. They will also notify you if you have to pay any early termination fees.
Ask About Keeping Your Old Number
Decide whether you wish to keep your old number or get a new one. If you wish to keep your old number, you absolutely can. Moreover, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) actually prevents any phone company from refusing to let you keep your old number. However, as the new carrier does have the right to refuse your old number, you should check with them first. In case you wish to add your number to a family plan, the account holder will be required to approve the new line with your number. You can find out more about transferring your number to Verizon at verizon.com/support/local-number-portability-faqs.
Decide if You Want to Keep Your Old Phone or Trade It in
When switching to Verizon you will have two options – you can either bring your old device or purchase a new one. If you have purchased your current phone recently or if you are happy with it in general, you may wish to keep it. However, if you were looking for a great opportunity to get a new mobile device, you can do so. Verizon allows you to purchase new devices, pre-owned devices, and trade-in your old device.
Check Your Phone Compatibility
In case you decide to keep your old mobile device, you will be required to check compatibility. The device you wish to bring to a new carrier must be unlocked and compatible with their services. If you wish to switch to Verizon, you can check your phone’s compatibility at What Phones are Compatible With Verizon.
How to Switch From T-Mobile to Verizon and Keep Your Old Phone
Switching from T-Mobile to Verizon and keeping your old phone is easy as Verizon offers a Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) program, which allows customers to bring their own devices.
Before you switch to Verizon, make sure that the phone you are planning to bring is unlocked and compatible with Verizon’s network and services.

Most mobile devices sold by T-Mobile’s (and most other carriers) are locked to their network and services, simply to prevent theft and fraud. However, the carrier will unlock your device in case your device is eligible to be unlocked. T-Mobile’s requirements for unlock eligibility include that the device is paid in full, that it was purchased from T-Mobile, and that the device hasn’t been reported lost, stolen, or otherwise flagged ineligible. Check T-Mobile’s full list of requirements for unlock eligibility at How To Unlock T-Mobile Phone and How to Unlock Verizon Phone Easily.
Once you have unlocked your phone (or confirmed that it is unlocked), you must make sure that the device is eligible with Verizon’s network and services. You can check the phone’s eligibility at verizon.com/bring-your-own-device/ by pressing ‘Check Compatibility’. You will be asked to enter your phone’s IMEI or ESN number and the system will let you know whether or not your phone is compatible in a matter of seconds.
If your phone is both unlocked and compatible with Verizon’s services, you can now proceed with the process. To officially bring your device to Verizon, simply follow the provided instructions at verizon.com/bring-your-own-device or visit Verizon’s store and an expert will guide you through the process.
What Kind of Deals Does Verizon Offer When Switching From T Mobile
Verizon offers a lot of exciting deals for both new and existing customers on both mobile devices and plans, as such, switching to Verizon is rather rewarding.
In terms of cell phones and other devices, Verizon currently offers the following deals:
- Motorola one 5G UW ace. The price starts at $0.00 a month (no trade-in required). New line required.
- Apple iPhone 11. The price starts at $0.00 a month. New line and unlimited plan required.
- Apple iPhone SE (2020). The price starts at $0.00 a month. New line required.
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G UW. The price starts at $0.00 a month. New line and unlimited plan required.
- Motorola one 5G UW. The price starts at $0.00 a month. New line required.
- Samsung Galaxy A02s. The price starts at $0.00 a month. New line required.
- Samsung Galaxy A42 5G. The price starts at $5.00 a month for 24 months.
- Motorola moto g power (2021). The price starts at $5.00 a month for 24 months.
- Apple iPhone 11 (Certified Pre-Owned). The price starts at $18.95 a month for 24 months.
- Apple iPhone XR (Certified Pre-Owned). The price starts at $12.24 a month for 24 months.
- Apple iPhone XS Max (Certified Pre-Owned). The price starts at $16.62 a month for 24 months.
- Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G with a $700 discount when you switch and trade in any LG smartphone.
- Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021). The price starts at $40.00 a month for 30 months.
- Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (2021). The price starts at $30.00 a month for 30 months.
- TLC TAB Family Edition. The price starts at $8.33 a month for 24 months.
- iPad Pro with 5G with a $200 discount and a select tablet trade-in.
- Verizon also offers a large variety of cheap laptops for both new and current customers.
- If you bring your own device you can get $650 and a Verizon Stream TV device. Unlimited plan required.
Learn more about Verizon’s current hot deals on devices and purchase them at verizon.com/deals.
When it comes to plans, Verizon also offers a number of attractive deals for both new and existing customers.
You can get Prepaid Unlimited plans for $50 a month or Unlimited plans with 5G Ultra Wideband for $60 a month with Auto Pay and loyalty discounts. Find out more at verizon.com/deals/plans.
Read one of our past articles Verizon Wireless Lifeline Discount Phone
Which Verizon Plan Should You Switch to?
Verizon offers a large selection of different plans and you should switch to the one that best fits your budget, data, and other needs. Currently, Verizon offers the following mobile plans:
Unlimited Plans:
- Start Unlimited plan with unlimited talk, text, and data. It comes with the following subscriptions: Disney+, Discovery+, Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, and Apple Music (6 months free of charge). The price depends on the number of lines you need (from $30 for 5+ lines and up to $70 for 1 line).
- Play More Unlimited plan with unlimited talk, text, and data. It comes with Premium network access, 4G LTE data, unlimited mobile hotspot 15 GB of 5G nationwide, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ subscriptions (permanently free of charge), Discover+, Apple Arcade, and Google Play Pass subscriptions (12 months free of charge), and Apple Music (6 months free of charge). The price depends on the number of lines you need (from $40 for 5+ lines and up to $80 for 1 line).
- Do More Unlimited plan with unlimited talk, text, and data. It comes with Premium network access, 4G LTE data, unlimited mobile hotspot 15 GB of 5G nationwide, Disney+, Discovery+, Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, and Apple Music subscriptions (6 months free of charge), 600 GB of Verizon cloud storage, and 50% off unlimited connected device plans. The price depends on the number of lines you need (from $40 for 5+ lines and up to $80 for 1 line).
- Get More Unlimited plan with unlimited talk, text, and data. It comes with Premium network access, 4G LTE data, unlimited mobile hotspot 30 GB of 5G nationwide, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ subscriptions and Apple Music (permanently free of charge), Discover+, Apple Arcade, and Google Play Pass subscriptions (12 months free of charge), 600 GB of Verizon cloud storage, and 50% off unlimited connected device plans. The price depends on the number of lines you need (from $50 for 5+ lines and up to $90 for 1 line).
- Just Kids with unlimited talk and text for up to 20 contacts, and data at 5Mbps. It comes with parental controls and location tracking for up to 20 contacts. The price depends on the number of lines you need (from $25 for 5+ lines and up to $50 for 2 lines, which is the minimum required number of plans, as one plan must be unlimited).
In addition to unlimited mobile plans, Verizon also offers prepaid plans, plans for connected devices, plans for basic phones, shared plans, international plans, home plans, discounted plans for military, nurses, first responders, teachers, and students, and much more. Explore Verizon’s plans and find the one that best fits your needs at verizon.com/plans.
How to Activate Verizon Phone When You Switch and BYOP
Once your old phone has been successfully unlocked and when you have confirmed that the device is indeed compatible with Verizon’s services, you will have to activate it with Verizon. To do so, simply follow the easy instructions provided below.
- Step 1: Prepare your old carrier account information, as it will make the process a lot faster and smoother.
- Step 2: Visit Verizon’s BYOP activation page at verizon.com/onedp/byod#.
- Step 3: Select ‘Smartphone’ and enter your phone model.
- Step 4: Select where you have purchased the device.
- Step 5: Check if your current SIM card ID is compatible with Verizon’s network. If it isn’t, add a Verizon SIM card to your cart.
- Step 6: Select whether or not you wish to keep your existing phone number. Enter your existing phone number.
- Step 7: Select a Verizon phone plan.
- Step 8: Proceed to checkout.
- Step 9: Once you receive your SIM card by mail, visit Verizon’s official website once again and enter your new SIM card number. Doing so will add the SIM card to your account.
- Step 10: Turn off your device and carefully insert your SIM card into your phone.
- Step 11: Follow the instructions that came in your SIM activation kit to activate your BYOP device.
- Step 12: After completing the activation process, check if your phone has been successfully activated by trying to place a call, send a text message, or accessing data. If you are able to do, it means that the activation process was successful.
Note: Make sure not to cancel your old service before the activation process is complete.In case you also need information How To Activate Verizon New SIM Card
Why Should You Switch to Verizon?
Granted, Verizon is often known for its high prices, however, their services are definitely worth the price. Switching to Verizon namely comes with a long list of benefits.
- First of all, Verizon has the most reliable network and best coverage in the whole country. Its network covers 70% of the entire U.S. territory and reaches over 99% of the entire population. However, as its network towers are not equally distributed, make sure that they have great coverage in your hometown and in other areas you tend to visit often. You can do so at verizon.com/coverage-map by simply entering your address in the search box.
- As you have seen in the ‘What Kind of Deals Does Verizon Offer When Switching From T Mobile’ section, Verizon offers a large number of amazing deals on devices and plans for both new and existing customers.
- As you have seen in the ‘Which Verizon Plan Should You Switch to?’ section, Verizon’s plans come with a large number of entertainment features (such as Disney+, Discovery+, ESPN+, Apple Music, and other subscriptions) and other perks.
- Verizon offers affordable roaming rates. If you add Global Calling to your plan ($5 a month per line) you will get free calls to Mexico and Canada and calls to over 220 destinations for $0.05 a minute. Adding the Global Calling Plus feature ($15 a month per line) will allow you to make calls to over 40 destinations free of charge. Learn more about Verizon’s international plans at verizon.com/plans/prepaid/international.
- Verizon’s user-friendly app allows customers to manage their accounts in one place. They also offer a reliable customer support service.
Verizon BYOP Compatibility Latest Phone List
On Verizon’s official website at verizon.com/featured/unlocked-phones, you can find a list of the latest devices compatible with its network and services. The latest devices include:
- OnePlus Nord N200
- Motorola G Stylus 5G
- OnePlus 9 Pro 5G Unlocked Smartphone
- Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
- OnePlus 9 5G Unlocked Smartphone
- Sunbeam F1
- Sony Xperia PRO
- OnePlus Nord N100
- OnePlus Nord N10
- Sony Xperia 5 II
- OnePlus 8T
- Microsoft Surface Duo
- American Network Solutions F30
- NUU Mobile X6 Plus
However, these devices are not the only ones compatible with Verizon’s services. You can check your phone’s compatibility with Verizon at verizon.com/bring-your-own-device. Press ‘Check compatibility’ and enter your phone’s IMEI number. You can find your IMEI number by dialing *#06# on your phone or in the ‘About’ section on your phone’s settings.
Checking your phone’s compatibility is important as carriers use different radio networks (Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, while T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM). As such, mobile devices aren’t always compatible across different carriers. While it used to be easier for users to transfer from Sprint to Verizon and from AT&T to T-Mobile (and vice versa), it doesn’t mean that you cannot switch from T-Mobile to Verizon. In fact, due to the new 5G infrastructure, carriers are phasing out these old technologies, making it easier to switch between different carriers.
You can read one of our past articles Verizon Wireless Phones for Senior
FAQ
Can I Transfer My Number to a Verizon Prepaid Phone?
Yes, you can easily do so. If you wish to do so, you can transfer your existing number when you activate your Verizon prepaid phone.
How Do I Transfer My Phone Number to Verizon From T-Mobile or Another Carrier?
You will be able to transfer your current phone number from T-Mobile or another carrier while activating a new line with Verizon. You can also transfer your phone number to Verizon online at verizon.com/switch-to-verizon, by contacting their customer service at verizon.com/support/contact-us or by visiting a Verizon store (store locations available at verizon.com/stores). You will be able to transfer the number right away or to do it later, in which case you will receive a text with a link to submit your transfer request when you wish to. Most numbers can be transferred to Verizon from another carrier, however, some of them may be limited due to geography service area coverage, technology, or ownership of the line. Make sure your phone number is eligible to be transferred to Verizon at verizon.com/switch-to-verizon.
How Long It Take to Transfer My Number to Verizon Wireless?
It depends on the type of service you have. Verizon will send you a message with a link where you can track the status of your phone number transfer. Wireless number transfers tend to take approximately 4 to 24 business hours, landline number transfers, on the other hand, may take from 2 to 10 business days.
How Do I Know if I Have a Compatible Phone for My New Carrier?
The best way to make sure your phone is compatible with Verizon’s network and services is by checking its compatibility at verizon.com/bring-your-own-device. Simply press ‘Check compatibility’ and enter your phone’s IMEI number.
Is It Cheaper to Bring Your Own Phone to Verizon?
Since Verizon offers discounts when you bring your own device, it is definitely cheaper to bring your own device (even though they offer some new devices free of charge).