How to switch carriers and keep your phone number

Never cancel your old plan first

This is the single most common and most expensive mistake. Your phone number belongs to your old account while that account is active. Cancel it and the number is released, at which point it may be gone for good and no one can get it back for you.

The correct order is the opposite of what feels natural: sign up with the new carrier and request the transfer. The new carrier contacts the old one, pulls the number over, and the old line closes automatically once the port completes. You never call your old carrier to cancel.

What you need before you start

Ports fail mostly because one detail does not match the old account exactly. Gather these first and copy them character for character:

• Your account number with the current carrier (not your phone number).
• Your transfer PIN or port-out PIN. This is usually different from the PIN you use to log in, and most carriers now require you to generate one in the app or online.
• The billing ZIP code on the account.
• The account holder's name exactly as it appears on the bill.
• The number itself, and confirmation the line is active and not suspended.

The steps

Check coverage for the new carrier at your actual address first, not just your city. Coverage varies block to block, and this is the one thing that is genuinely hard to undo emotionally after you have switched.

Then: request your transfer PIN from your current carrier, sign up with the new carrier and choose the option to bring your number, enter the details above exactly, and activate the new SIM or eSIM when prompted. Keep the old SIM in place until the port completes.

How long it takes

Most number transfers between US carriers finish within a few minutes to a few hours. A day or two is possible if something needs manual review, and business or landline numbers take longer.

During the transfer you can usually still receive calls on the old line. Once it completes, the old line goes dead and the new one takes over. If your new line can make calls but not receive them, the port is still in progress.

If the port gets rejected

A rejection is almost never final. The usual causes are a mismatch on the account number, a missing or expired transfer PIN, a name that does not match the bill, a recently changed billing ZIP, or an account lock or port-out protection you enabled and forgot about.

Fix the mismatch with your old carrier, get a fresh transfer PIN if the old one expired, and resubmit. Do not cancel anything in the meantime.

Loose ends after you switch

Your old carrier will send a final bill, and it may include a partial month. If you financed a phone, the remaining balance usually becomes due immediately, so check that before switching if you are mid-installment.

Also confirm your phone is unlocked before you rely on it working elsewhere. US carriers must unlock a paid-off phone on request, but it is not always automatic.