T-Mobile is one of the three largest carriers in the U.S. with the third-largest 4G network and the single-largest 5G coverage. The company offers versatile unlimited phone and wireless plans, high-quality mobile devices from top brands, amazing deals, reliable services, and lots of other perks.
T-Mobile also participates in the two wireless-related government assistance programs, Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program, and offers discounts on monthly services. However, is it also possible to get a T-Mobile free government phone? Let’s find out!
What Services Does T-Mobile Offer When You Join
You can join T-Mobile as a regular paying customer. If you do so, you will be able to choose from a variety of different plans, including unlimited plans, discounted unlimited plans for seniors, discounted plans for the military and veterans, affordable first responder plans, and home internet plans. You will also be able to bring your own device or choose a new one from a large selection of high-end cell phones, 5G phones, tablets, smartwatches, and more. If you decide to purchase a new phone from T-Mobile, you should definitely take advantage of the company’s frequent deals on Apple, Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and other devices. Through a promotional deal, you may even be able to get a T-Mobile phone free of charge.
As regular T-Mobile services tend to be quite pricey, you will be happy to hear that the company also offers Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) services to eligible low-income customers.
Lifeline is a government aid program that offers discounts on phone and wireless services. Certain Lifeline providers also offer discounted or free government phones.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), on the other hand, is a new program that offers discounts on monthly internet services and in certain cases (depending on the provider) one-time discounts on connected devices (such as tablets).
T-Mobile participates in both these government assistance programs. T-Mobile’s Lifeline services are only available in areas where it has been designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier and they only offer discounts on monthly phone services, not phones. T-Mobile also offers ACP discounts, however, these are not available directly through T-Mobile but through two of the carrier’s subsidiaries – Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless.
If you are looking for T-Mobile Lifeline and ACP service discounts or a T-Mobile free government phone, you won’t be able to get these benefits from T-Mobile itself. Instead, you can get free monthly services and T-Mobile free government phones through Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless.
How to Get a Free Government Phone From Assurance Wireless Under T-Mobile or Metro by T Mobile
You can’t currently get a T-Mobile free government phone directly from T-Mobile. However, you can get a T-Mobile free government phone indirectly – through T-Mobile-owned Assurance Wireless. Like Assurance Wireless, T-Mobile’s Metro also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program but unlike Assurance, it only offers discounts of up to $30 on monthly wireless services.
This leaves Assurance Wireless as the only company that offers T-Mobile free government phones. Lifeline and ACP-eligible Assurance customers can get a free smartphone, free unlimited data, free unlimited texts and minutes, and up to 10GB of free mobile hotspot data.
To get a T-Mobile free government phone from Assurance Wireless, you must follow these steps:
- You must qualify for Assurance’s government assistance program. You must be at least 18 years old or an emancipated minor, meet the FCC-determined Lifeline/ACP eligibility requirements (listed below) and be a resident of one of the states where Assurance operates – Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, or Wisconsin.
- You must be able to prove your Lifeline/ACP eligibility.
- You must apply for the Lifeline/ACP program through the National Verifier and the company. To apply through Assurance, visit its official website at assurancewireless.com/#, enter your ZIP code in the provided box, press enter, select your plan, press ‘Apply Now’, and fill out the company’s government assistance application form.
See the entire Lifeline/ACP application process in more detail below.
How to Find Out Which Providers Offer Free Government Phones in Your Area?
In addition to Assurance Wireless, which is a brand that happens to be owned by T-Mobile, there are many other Lifeline and ACP providers throughout the country that aren’t T-Mobile-owned but still offer high-quality free government phones. As such, you should get a list of all the Lifeline/ACP companies available in your area, review their offers and choose the provider that best fits your needs.
You can find a provider near you at cnm.universalservice.org.
List of Some Providers Who Offer Free Government Phones
Assurance Wireless may be the only T-Mobile free government phone provider. However, there are many other companies throughout the country that also offers free government phones, including:
- Access Wireless
- AirTalk Wireless
- American Assistance
- Assist Wireless
- Cintex Wireless
- Easy Wireless
- enTouch Wireless
- Infinity Mobile
- Life Wireless
- NewPhone Wireless
- Q Link Wireless
- SafeLink Wireless
- SafetyNet Wireless
- StandUp Wireless
- Tag Mobile
- TerraCom
- TruConnect
- True Wireless
- U.S. Cellular
Process of Getting a Free Government Phone From Other Providers
The process of receiving a free government phone is more or less the same as the process of receiving a T-Mobile free government phone from Assurance Wireless. Nevertheless, in this section, we will take a closer look at the general Lifeline/ACP application process.
Way to a Get Free Government Phone From Other Providers
- Make sure you qualify for the government program.
- You must be at least 18 years old or an emancipated minor.
- You must be a resident of one of the states where the selected provider operates.
- You must be the only applicant in your household (as only one benefit is available per eligible household).
- You must meet the government-determined Lifeline/ACP eligibility criteria.
- You can qualify based on your income if you have an annual household income at or below 135% (Lifeline) or 200% (ACP) of the federal poverty guideline.
- You can qualify based on your participation in a qualifying government assistance program, such as Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, FPHA, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, WIC (ACP only), or Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program (ACP only). A household is also ACP-eligible if it received a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year.
- Prove your Lifeline/ACP eligibility. To do so, you will be required to provide physical or digital (depending on how you apply) copies of certain valid official documents that contain all the crucial information and verify that you meet the above-mentioned eligibility requirements. During the application process, you may be asked to provide:
- A copy of a valid official document that verifies your age or emancipation status, such as a passport, ID, birth certificate, court document, or emancipation certificate.
- A copy of a valid official document that verifies your address, such as a valid ID, driver’s license, utility bill, mortgage or lease statement, or most recent W-2 or tax return.
- A copy of a valid official document that proves your income or program participation-based eligibility:
- To prove your income, you will have to provide a current income statement, paycheck stubs, prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return, a Social Security statement of benefits, etc.
- To prove your participation in a qualifying government assistance program, you will have to provide a benefit award letter, approval letter, statement of benefits, or benefit verification letter.
- You won’t have to prove that you are the only applicant in your household, as the National Verifier will be able to check that in its database.
- Apply for Lifeline and ACP benefits through the National Verifier and through your selected provider.
- To apply through the National Verifier, visit nv.fcc.gov/lifeline/?awsl=link-from-how-to-apply&ebbp=true&id=nv_flow&ln=RW5nbGlzaA%3D%3D and fill out the application form by providing all the required information and documentation. Submit the form and expect to get approved immediately or after a few days. Alternatively, you can apply via mail. In this case, you must print out and complete an application form available at lifelinesupport.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/get-lifeline/LI_Application_NVstates.pdf (Lifeline) and affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACP-Application-Form-English.pdf (ACP). Then, add a Household Worksheet for ACP, which is available at affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/lifeline/images/ACP-Household-Worksheet-English.pdf, include physical copies of your proof documentation, and send the package to Lifeline/ ACP Support Center, PO Box 7081, London, KY 40742.After getting approved by the National Verifier, you can proceed to apply through your selected provider. Make sure to save your National Verifier application ID, as it will be needed when applying through a provider. Also, make sure to provide the exact same information during this application process as you did in your National Verifier form. To apply through a company, visit its website, find its Lifeline/ACP application form online, and fill it out by providing all the necessary information and documentation. If approved, you will be notified via email or another provided contact method.
- Once your application gets approved, expect to receive your free government phone via mail in the next few days (depending on availability) and your discounted or free monthly services in the next billing cycle.
Way to Receive T-Mobile Free Phone if Can’t Get it From the Government
T-Mobile offers free government phones through its subsidiary – Assurance Wireless. Directly, however, T-Mobile doesn’t offer free phones from the government. Nevertheless, T-Mobile offers frequent promotional deals on phones, plans, and other devices. As such, you can receive a T-Mobile free phone through a promotional offer.
All of T-Mobile’s promo deals are temporary and they all come with certain preconditions. For instance, a customer may be required to switch to T-Mobile, get a new line, purchase a select plan, trade in an old device, or buy another device at full price.
Currently, T-Mobile offers the following free phones through promotional deals:
- Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro
- Apple iPhone 14
- Apple iPhone SE
- Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
- OnePlus Nord N300 5G
- T-Mobile REVVL 6 Pro 5G
- T-Mobile REVVL 6 5G
- Motorola g stylus 5G
- TCL Stylus 5G
- Motorola moto g 5G
- OnePlus Nord N20 5G
- TCL 30 XE 5G
- Motorola moto g pure
As the offers change frequently, these devices may no longer be available by the time you read this article. Therefore, it’s best to see all of T-Mobile’s special offers and its most recent versions at t-mobile.com/offers.
Other Benefits that T-Mobile Offers for Low-income Families
As mentioned before, T-Mobile offers many benefits for low-income families.
- Through Assurance Wireless, T-Mobile offers:
- A free smartphoneFree
- unlimited talkFree
- unlimited textFree
- unlimited data
- Up to 10GB of mobile hotspot data
- Through Metro by T-Mobile, T-Mobile offers:
- ACP discounts of up to $30 a month on wireless services for eligible non-Tribal households
- ACP discounts of up to $75 a month on wireless services for eligible Tribal households
- Through T-Mobile directly, T-Mobile offers:
- Lifeline discounts on monthly phone servicesPromotional deals on phones, tablets, smartwatches, and other devicesPromotional deals on plansDiscounted plans for seniors, the military and veterans, and first responders
- Connect by T-Mobile – a low-income program that offers plans for just $10 a month
How to Get T Mobile Discount Benefits
Depending on which T-Mobile discount benefits you wish to receive, you can get them by following the instructions below.
- To get T-Mobile’s discount benefits through Assurance Wireless, apply for the company’s Lifeline and ACP assistance program. To do so, visit assurancewireless.com/ and follow the instructions provided in the section ‘How to Get a Free Government Phone From Assurance Wireless Under T-Mobile or Metro by T Mobile’.
- To get T-Mobile’s discount benefits through Metro by T-Mobile, visit metrobyt-mobile.com/affordable-connectivity-program-service. Check your eligibility and press ‘Apply Now’ to enroll. Follow the on-screen instructions to fill out the ACP application form. If approved, you will be able to receive a discount on monthly wireless services.
- To get T-Mobile’s benefits from the parent company itself, visit prepaid.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans/connect or t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans?INTNAV=tNav%3APlans to find a discount that fits your needs.
FAQ
Why T-Mobile May Not Always Offer Free Government Phones?
T-Mobile offers free government phones through its Lifeline and ACP provider, Assurance Wireless. Assurance is a brand that is designed especially for T-Mobile’s Lifeline and ACP-eligible customers. Through this brand, T-Mobile’s free government phones are always available. In addition, T-Mobile offers additional ACP benefits through its other company – Metro by T-Mobile. As such, T-Mobile doesn’t feel the need to offer that many Lifeline or ACP benefits directly, as this area is already covered by its subsidiaries. T-Mobile instead focuses on providing versatile plans with luxurious add-ons to customers who can afford to purchase services and devices without financial aid from the government.
Why Choose a T-Mobile Phone?
T-Mobile offers high-quality, durable, and reliable devices through the parent company and its subsidiaries. Assurance Wireless is one of the best free government phone providers, however, phones that are provided through the government assistance program are less advanced than the devices provided through T-Mobile’s promotional deals.
What is the Quality of T-Mobile’s Service?
T-Mobile is one of the largest carriers, as such, its services are one of the best. They are reliable and responsive, and they offer nationwide network coverage.
What Phone Models Are Compatible With T-Mobile?
T-Mobile is a GSM phone provider and its network uses GSM technology. As such, if you are planning to bring your own phone to T-Mobile, make sure that the device is carrier-unlocked, compatible with T-Mobile, and GSM-enabled. Check out your phone’s compatibility at t-mobile.com/resources/bring-your-own-phone.
Does T Mobile Offer ACP Benefits?
Yes, but only indirectly, through Assurance Wireless and Metro by T-Mobile.
Which Are Currently the Best T-Mobile Free Phone Deals?
See the best current T-Mobile free phone deals in the section ‘How to Receive T-Mobile Free Phone if Not From the Government?’ or at t-mobile.com/offers.
Does T Mobile Offer a Lifeline Program?
Yes, but only in areas where it has been designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier.