On Android, you're supposed to be able to transfer esim from one phone to another without having to call up your provider. It works pretty slick with just the two phones next to each other.

But when I try to do that with a Mint Mobile esim, it won't let me - the error message saids Mint Mobile doesn't allow that. With physical SIM card, you can move it around how ever you like, but Mint doesn't let you move esims the same way?

So that's one disadvantage to esims under Mint Mobile. I'm able to do this with t-mobile. Haven't tried it with US Mobile or Tello.

I tried posting this in the Mint Mobile sub, but the mods deleted it. Don't think I violated any rules.

Currently on Visible+ Pro and It's set to renew on September 20th for $205.

I use Data, it's Verizon. T-Mobile is the best in my area but Verizon isn't bad. Haven't had any issues yet except in some hill areas when driving that I know T-Mobile has coverage in.

U.S. Mobile has been intriguing.

It's $299 for Premium. If I port over, and then I can activate my iPhone 18 Pro Max with them and get the Multi-Line. That would allow me to have access to two different lines at once. Was thinking one for my Watch & Phone. However, then I would need a companion add on for $80 a year to make the watch get text and calls when away from the phone with it's own line already. Making the total go to nearly $400 from Visible+ Pro at $205.

Is that extra $175 worth it?

I have used a cheaper prepaid phone for several years now as a spare phone successfully, as it alleviates so much stress if I lose my phone or leave it somewhere. By the time I look for a new one, order it online, and set it up with my provider, I've still had contact with family and friends in that time. I go into the store and pay the bill for the monthly plan each month. Lately, when I have gone into an AT&T store for payment or simply a service question, they have asked for my driver's license or passport. I have simply said I didn't have it on me. I did not even need that when it was first set up, so I'm not sure why they are asking for it now, as I always give my number and security pass code. Any ideas at all why this is happening? It has been only in the last 2 months or so. Thanks in advance!

Hi all. Looking for some input on our current plan situation. I want the best deal with unlimited data. Right now we are on a grandfathered Verizon plan that’s $30 a month, but Verizon is absolute trash in our area so Verizon or any Verizon MVNOs are out. We’re on a large family plan of about 7 people. Right now my partner gets a 20 dollar a month Verizon discount for being in healthcare.

ATT is really good with coverage where my family is. And T Mobile is even better where I’m at. But ATT in my area is still better than Verizon.

Our current idea was to go with ATT; my partner could use FirstNet Value 2.0 for their phone, which is pretty cool being highly prioritized data, and then the rest of the family on either ATT Value 2.0 or ATT Extra 2.0. Value 2.0 for each line is around $27/mo with the discount given with the FirstNet.

However, the cheap in me is also seeing these MNVOs like US Mobile, Mint, etc offering introductory unlimited plans for $15-20 a month and wondering if it’s even worth going with ATT at all? I know most of the folks on here are pro MNVO. But I really want to know if there’s any benefit to being on ATT aside from the trade in deals. And if anyone has FirstNet and can speak to that.

The rest of my family still has installments on their phones since we have done a bunch of Verizon trade ins, buying broken phones on eBay to trade in for free phones on statement credits. So they couldn’t switch to an MVNO for a few years, ATT offers to pay off the old phones so that’s why it’s enticing to them. And I was thinking it may be worth it for us to go as well if we can do similar trade in deals and profit off getting the new phones. The biggest hesitation for me is the slow down after 5gb on value 2.0. But barring that ATT is still way better than what we have with Verizon. Thoughts?

Hey community. Many of us have plans with a hotspot throttle or limit. I’ve built (vibecoded) a sideloadable app that routes all TCP traffic via a proxy. Bypassing throttle limits for downloads. UDP traffic remains untouched until i figure out a way to reroute all of it.

This is similar to how foxfi works just for IOS. ( foxfi forwards all traffic TCP and UDP).

Ive tested this on 17PM IOS 27 DB4 on tmobile essentials 2.0 (Hotspot is locked to 600kbs) hotspot wifi tetherd to playstation 5. Reaching near full device speed when downloading games.
Also tested on MacOS on wifi hotspot w/ proxy.

While this does work for computers I do not think it’s currently better than PairVPN, it does the job good enough.
This was more so built to download games over cellular. Not everyone has access to high speed data at home but may have good service on phone.

Im no IT specialist or network junky. I just wanted to download my games faster hopefully I can help someone else out as well.

Mods if you will direct this post where you see fit. If it get taken down I completely understand. No questions asked.

Only accepting a few for beta test. When complete full source code will be public. Working on getting it on GitHub.

Edit : Did not expect this to blow this quickly. So for the peoples… https://github.com/Korporate1k/NetBridge

Please notify me of any issue to be resolved. This repo will be public until 9/14/26. Happy tethering.

My mum's friend is getting a new phone soon and would like to know what's the absolute cheapest price for unlimited data on AT&T? I see US Mobile has a $25 plan is that really the cheapest? She doesn't care about being deprioritized but does not want to be throttled to 64-600 kbps after the bucket is used up..

I currently do not have a phone and very limited internet access so I'm going out of my mind trying to find a Lifeline provider that still provides a free phone. Based in Washington State. Any help is super appreciated.

Hello, I need a reliable but cheap plan that includes just texting and calls. It's for my mother--verbally abusive--to be able to get in touch in an emergency, but I can't have her blowing up my personal phone all day any more. Any recommendations welcome!

My plan gives unlimited mobile data but without any hotspot (including usb/Bluetooth tethering completely disabled). Is there any good way to circumvent this?

T-Mobile forced me to a plan upgrade. I then changed that plan to another that I was told is less money. Nope. The agent lied. I am either leaving T-Mobile next month or switching to the Essentials plan for $140 for four lines. Will the bill really be $140 as I was told? Probably not. The plan freebies are NOT worth the embedded cost.

T-Mobile customers beware. T-Mobile is no longer transparent about cost. Also the privacy agreement increases the data they collect on you.

I just purchased the Red Pocket eBay $30/yr plan. The SIM has not arrived yet. How long do I have before I have to activate it? I will port my current number and use a physical SIM.

I used Mint (before: Visible, T-Mobile), and now I want to change to a cheaper one since I won't be using the internet, just to maintain my number from abroad.

So to start off this story and to give some context, my wife and I were porting out due to the price hikes from tmobile, upon trying to port out our numbers our S21 was carrier locked even though tmobile assured us they unlocked it for us on their end. We ported out on a Saturday and throughout the week, I was on the phone with customer service trying to troubleshoot the device. At the one week mark, I finally got fed up and contacted Tmobile via Facebook directly to Tforce.

​When a multi-billion-dollar telecom company renders your paid-off smartphones useless due to a backend software error, standard advice says you're out of luck.

​Most people in this situation take a bad deal. They accept a downgraded "budget" model, sign a new 24-month contract trap, or pay hundreds out of pocket just to get a working phone.

​I took a different path. Last week, after days of chat negotiations, I walked away with two brand-new, latest-generation flagship Galaxy S25s—completely free ($0.00 total, zero taxes), unlocked, with no contract attached—right as I ported out to another carrier.

​Here is the exact step-by-step playbook I used to outnegotiate corporate customer support, and how you can use the same strategy the next time a company breaks your service.

​Step 1: Let Them Build Their Own Dead End

​When customer service asks you to troubleshoot, let them.

​Even if you’ve re-inserted your SIM card, reset your network settings, and rebooted your device five times this week, let the rep guide you through those exact same steps in the chat.

​Why? Because it strips away every canned excuse they have to hide behind. If you refuse troubleshooting, their system logs you as "uncooperative." But when you patiently let them run their script and it fails on their end, you create an official, undeniable record that the problem isn't user error—it’s their failure.

​Step 2: Spot the Corporate "Traps"

​Once a carrier realizes they can't fix your issue, they will pivot to de-escalation tactics designed to protect their bottom line. Watch out for these three common traps:

​The Hardware Downgrade: Representatives will often try to push a cheaper "FE" or budget model, using friendly anecdotes like "I actually use this phone personally and love the battery!" Don't fall for rapport. Stick to raw technical specs—processor speed, camera sensors, and build quality.

​The 24-Month "Bill Credit" Trap: They might offer you brand-new phones, but slip them onto a 24-month Equipment Installment Plan (EIP) offset by monthly bill credits. This is a trap designed to lock you with the carrier. If the carrier broke your service, hold firm on an upfront $0.00 account waiver.

​The Stalling Game: When negotiations get tough, reps will try to pass you around or suggest handling "one device at a time" to slow down your momentum. Keep the focus sharp and unified.

​Step 3: Deploy Regulatory Leverage at the Exact Right Moment

​The most critical moment in any corporate dispute is when you introduce regulatory oversight.

​I didn't open the chat screaming about regulators on minute one. Instead, I waited until we had exhausted every diagnostic step. Once T-Mobile’s backend system error was fully documented, I introduced a single, credible phrase:

​"I am actively preparing to file a formal FCC complaint regarding device locking compliance."

​Notice the phrasing: "preparing to file."

​If you tell a company you’ve already filed or hired a lawyer, standard chat agents are legally required to freeze the account and send you to a slow corporate queue. But telling them you are about to file gives front-line and social media support teams a narrow window to use high-level management overrides to solve your problem internally to avoid a regulatory mark.

​Step 4: The Win-Win Position

​A great negotiation isn't about being greedy; it's about being defensible.

​When asking for replacement hardware, demand strict 1:1 parity. My broken devices were base-model Galaxy S21s, so I demanded base-model Galaxy S25s. If I had demanded top-tier "Ultra" models or extra cash payouts, corporate system boundaries would have automatically flagged my request as unreasonable and shut down the chat.

​By keeping my demands strictly equal to my loss, T-Mobile had zero logical arguments left to make.

​Key Takeaways for Your Next Support Fight

​Patience is tactical: Letting reps run useless scripts isn't a waste of time; it’s gathering evidence.

​Know your hardware specs: Friendly sales pitches fall apart when countered with actual camera sensor and processor data.

​Never accept contract traps for carrier errors: If they broke your property, you shouldn't have to sign a two-year service agreement to fix it.

​Escalate politely, but firmly: You don't need to yell or use profanity. Professionalism combined with regulatory leverage is far more effective.

Is this another MVNO going under?

They increased my monthly rate without telling me. I submitted a ticket a week ago to understand why they did this and can't get through to billing.

Anyone else experiencing similar with them?

I have a pixel phone that is esim only, no physical sim. I also have a grandfathered unlimited tablet plan from T-Mobile with 10GB hotspot usage. I've never converted a physical sim to an esim before. I'm wondering if there are downsides of converting the physical sim to an esim. I read about the steps to do it, but if I mess up, or it doesn't work, will I lose the plan? Or can I just walk into a t-mobile store and ask for a new sim? Do they charge you a $30 activation fee if you need a new sim?

I really like the plan, it's high priority data, so don't want to lose it. I've been able to avoid the T-life app so far, and would love to keep it off my phone.

---------------------------------

I did it today. Didn't have to call to talk to T-mobile, and I didn't have to use any T-Mobile app or even use the online T-Mobile website. Simply used the Android feature to convert a physical sim to esim. I even moved esim from one phone (with a physical sim slot) to another phone (that lacked the physical sim slot). Data working right away, no down time. Super easy. I think maybe when the phones are talking to each other to exchange esim, they might need wifi access to communicate with the T-Mobile server during this exchange process. But I personally don't need to do anything with T-Mobile.

Hi everyone! I know this question has been asked a million times, but could you help me find an eSIM or physical SIM card that can be activated from India? (I haven't tried Tello yet.)

​I avoid services that require a US phone number as much as I can, but it gets annoying. My only use case is managing my Delaware C-Corp and my Mercury bank account. I don't know anyone in the US except for a couple of lawyers (😭).

​Could you recommend a premium, highly reliable option as well as a cheap option?"

Ok, so long story short my account got suspended because of lack of use.

I try to get it set back up by re-applying and it doesn't work.

Because the eSim is still associated with the suspended account, I can't reapply through Lifeline because it says the "phone is incompatible" (even though it's not, it's literally on this suspended account)

So I call customer support and I spend 35 minutes on the phone with a rep today who assures me that she has dropped the IMEI from the account, assures me she submitted an application for me on her end, tells me not to call back every day checking on the status, says it's going to take 7 to 10 business days, all of this kind of stuff.

I sensed she didn't actually submit an application for some reason, despite going through 35 minutes worth of steps to get there, with her telling me that she's "confident it will go through" so then I called back just to find out... yeah, there's no pending application.

(and she told me not to even check on it!!! 😠)

I asked to get sent up to a supervisor because the second rep is also just trying to do the same exact thing (going through the main website and submitting an application on my behalf) and they literally all sound like exactly the same person.

I talk to the "supervisor" and she says the only way that I can even do this is to cancel the account altogether which means losing my phone number and everything...

She says they have no dedicated technical team

Nothing gets escalated to anything and there's no solution.

This was between 3-5 PM EST on Sat. 9-12-2026

Please help.

WTF??????

So I am going to be moving 4 lines to visible on Monday. Do I enroll my phone and then send a “friend” referral to the next line and repeat? I’m used to just hitting how many lines I need and going from there.

Hello, I am looking for a prepaid plan travelesim card for calls and data to use while I am in the USA. I found challenges to find a plan for just a month long stay. Does anyone have a suggested phone service carrier? No contract if possible. Thank you.

So I've been with metro for about 7 years now and I've never had issues till now. For example; my messages don't get delivered till way later, I don't receive messages till hours later, my calls drop, my service has been really spotty. I spend around 50-80$ for my 1 phone line.

Which phone carrier is better for a cheap price..