As the title says...I'm wondering if there's better out there or if I'm already getting the best bang for my buck...high priority is a must for where my fiance travels for work.

really intrigued as to why Noble is doing this as it's their second acquisition (bought Helium Mobile a few months ago)

Cross post from the r/LifelinePhone . I believe this sub is more active than the lifeline sub.

Good morning. I'm living in Jamaica and using FLOW. The other option is Digicel. I'm from the states and still have basic service through T-Mobile. Who has the best data plan abroad? I just learned that Flow's unlimited data in fact DOES have limits! I've seen low cost options like Tello. But their service is in the States.

Which is better? I have been using GoogleFi for the past year and its been fine, but its almost $100/mo and I haven't been traveling international so it doesn't make sense to pay that much and want to switch to something cheaper, reliable that is unlimited. Thanks!

I've been using MetroPCS for over ten years. It is a mere $70 for two phones, each with 6GB of hotspot. FWTR, Metro pulled the hotspot from the plan and denies I ever had it. But one of the phones still has it and the website shows it is there. Visible for two phones is slightly cheaper, and has no limit (except bandwidth) to the hotspot. Metro shows 5G all the time, whereas Visible shows 4G and 5G about 50:50. Metro has 3-4 bars, whereas Visible has 1-2. Metro has (poor) live telephone support about 12 hours a day, whereas Visible has only chat. Visible is Verizon, whereas Metro is t-mobile.

Paid for a year of home internet in August. I had trouble with my internet gateway this weekend so called this morning. The help lines get you to Mint Mobile sales when I needed internet help. I ended up fixing my SIM card myself but received an email from Mint thanking me for my new order for 3 months of home internet and charged me $120. It only took 3 phone calls and being transferred ay least once each phone call to get this order cancelled. TBD if they really cancelled the order or if new gateway will arrive in a few days.

I'm looking to set up a basic 4g or 5g system for my remote cabin during winter months so I can still connect to my security system and thermostats. I really don't want the additional risk of a battery fire.

I've found a bunch of SIM card options in the $100 range but all the eSIM options in that range have low or no reviews. Any help?

anyone else encountered this issue? If so, how did you get around it? i’m obviously in the US.

edit: i have uninstalled and reinstalled the app multiple times. iphone purchased in the states.

Someone here was perfecting a hotspot app, curious where they ended up with it

Unfortunately, I can’t port in my number . Is it possible to get a random number from us mobile to port in for free iPhone on cricket ?

My mother (77) has had Assurance Wireless since 2015. Both my mother and I (37F) are disabled and lived together. I know that they have a rule that only one member of the household can have a free government phone so my mother and I share the same phone.

In April, my mother had a stroke and has been in a nursing home since. Because the doctor’s need to contact me, I have been using her phone.

My question is now that my mother is in a nursing home (her Assurance Wireless account still lists our home as her residence though), can I apply for a free phone myself so I can give her her phone back? I’m on SSI and also receive SNAP.

I picked up a Blu View Speed Ultra for Tracfone at Best Buy for cheap and was wondering how I can get it unlocked long-term.

What are the new unlocking rules in 2026, Sorry I am confused on what changed after January 2026. Also saw a recent post where its now its 365 instead of 60 days? Is this just for Total Wireless or it applies to their sister companies as well.

Basically is the best trick to buy the $29,99 90 day plan and then it will unlock or are there new rules that just were implemented?

If not do need to just call Tracfone Customer Service and have them Re-vendor the IMEI to Total Wireless; their sister company-so I can get the better Hotspot unlimited plan that service has and try to get it unlocked eventually using that brand?

Sorry, been out of the game a long time. I appreciate any guidance.

Edit to say- If its is 365, can I put a total wireless activated sim into a tracfone branded phone and it will register on the network?

Edit 2- I was able to put an old Simple Mobile TMobile sim I had in the drawer with this phone and it switch the branding to that and asked me to activate, for future ref.

I have an iPhone 17 Pro Max that I would like to trade in to ATT, as I understand, they give you store credit instead of cash. Can I use this credit to pay for ATT Prepaid/GoPhone? It seems like the way you pay for prepaid and postpaid is different, so I would just like to be sure because I haven’t gotten a straight answer.

So I got laid off this week and I was looking at expenses to cut, and one of the first things I did was cancel my home internet plan and decide to just go with Shield Internet.

Honestly, the speeds are decent for what I need, which is just general web browsing ie looking for another job right now.

I also watch a lot of YouTube and streaming movies and TV.

Obviously being so inexpensive at $15 a month, it's great to still be able to have internet while I need to go through a difficult time.

Funny how quickly you can go from this being just a nice extra internet service to test out to it being basically a life saver and lifeline for having home internet.

Anyway, thanks to Computers4People and Shield Internet for having this service and making it so affordable. Hopefully, it will stick around.

https://www.computers4people.org/shield

UPDATE - Shield is not perfect. I have noticed the latency can be bad certain times. If you are into gaming maybe not the best. For general web use it's going to be great for most homes with T-Mobile tower range.

Recently moved into a new apartment and the complex doesn’t have fiber. They gave me two options: AT&T 18 Mbps or their own wired internet, which was ridiculously priced for only 100 Mbps.

I researched my options and Mint seemed like a no-brainer for me. My complex is right off a highway in a city, so I figured if my phone gets great service here, 5G home internet should work pretty well too.

My job is hybrid, so reliability is huge for me. So far, my internet at home has actually been better than my internet at the office.

There are definitely peak times during the day when speeds slow down, which you’d expect. But even the slower speeds I’m getting (screenshots) are still faster than what most people are probably getting with home Wi-Fi at this price.

I think the experience is going to vary a lot depending on where your home is located and what your surroundings are like, kind of like choosing a cell phone provider. Just because it works great for me doesn’t mean it’ll work great for everyone.

Hey everyone, I’m hoping to hear from people who’ve made a similar switch.

My iPhone 13 Pro Max broke, and I haven’t had working cellular service for 10 days. I’m still paying $86.50 a month for my grandfathered T-Mobile Magenta MAX plan, so I need to figure something out soon.

From my experience, T-Mobile has the best coverage in Las Vegas. I’ve been happy with the coverage, but replacing my phone has me questioning whether I’m paying too much for one line.

I’m considering an iPhone 18 Pro Max or iPhone Duo. I’m open to buying directly from Apple and choosing service separately. I’d also consider a good 24-month deal, but I don’t want a higher monthly bill for 36 or 48 months to collect all the device credits.

My dad is over 55, so another option is moving my number to a 55+ account under his name. I only need one line and want to keep my number.

Here’s what I’m trying to figure out:
• Anyone using US Mobile in Las Vegas? Since T-Mobile works best for me, would Light Speed make the most sense? How does it compare with Magenta MAX indoors and in busy areas? I’m interested in experiences with Warp and Dark Star too.

• Would you choose Unlimited Starter or Unlimited Premium? How do they compare with Visible+, Visible+ Pro, Total Wireless, and T-Mobile’s 55+ plans after taxes, fees, and introductory discounts expire?

• I’ve seen people recommend US Mobile Premium plus a separate T-Mobile T-Satellite line. How does this work in everyday use? Does it provide regular T-Mobile tower data too? How reliable is switching between the lines on an iPhone?

• Do any of these plans include Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Netflix, or similar subscriptions? Which benefits stay included, and which expire after a few months? I’d like to compare the total cost, including subscriptions I’d need to pay for separately.

• For the 55+ option, what’s the proper way to transfer my existing T-Mobile number to my dad’s account and have me manage it as an authorized user? Would this qualify for any promotions, or would T-Mobile treat it as an existing-customer account change? Are other carriers’ 55+ plans worth considering in Nevada?

• Would you buy the phone outright from Apple, keep Magenta MAX, or pair it with cheaper service? Any worthwhile 24-month offers through Apple, carriers, Costco, Sam’s Club, Best Buy, or Walmart?

• Has anyone traded in an iPhone with failed cellular service? Which promotions accept it, and how much does the condition affect the offer?

• I’ve also seen suggestions to buy a discounted iPhone 16e from Cricket or Boost and trade it elsewhere. Does the math work after required service, taxes, fees, and device payments? Does the carrier lock matter, and do these offers work with 55+ plans?

• Is waiting for Black Friday worthwhile? Any announced offers or past experiences with US Mobile annual discounts, iPhone deals, or retailer incentives? Would signing up now make me ineligible for a better new-customer offer later?

• Since I’ve already gone 10 days without service, what inexpensive temporary phone or setup would you use while deciding?

I’d appreciate hearing what you pay, how your service performs, and what you wish you’d known before switching. I want reliable coverage and a lower overall bill without regretting giving up my grandfathered plan.

Any recommendations?

Going to be in us for two months then Mexico. Will be my main line

Hi everyone!

I'm Japanese and currently live in Japan.

I have two US phone numbers on my Google Pixel 11: AirVoice (AT&T network) and Tello (T-Mobile network).

Neither line can connect to a local cellular network here in Japan, so I rely entirely on Wi-Fi Calling for voice calls and SMS. I can also use Wi-Fi Calling over my Japanese carrier's mobile data connection.

I'm currently on AirVoice's cheapest plan, which costs $10/month with AutoPay enabled. With Tello, I use the no-data plan with unlimited talk and texts for $8/month.

My Tello plan has just expired, so I'm trying to decide whether to renew it or keep only AirVoice.

So far, both services have worked well for me. I haven't experienced any significant issues with call quality or sending and receiving SMS.

Since T-Mobile was an early adopter of Wi-Fi Calling, I'm curious whether its implementation is generally considered more stable and reliable than AT&T's, especially for long-term use outside the US.

Personally, I haven't noticed much difference between the two.

For some reason, AT&T feels like the more dependable choice to me as someone living in Japan, lol.

Since neither carrier provides usable cellular connectivity here, Wi-Fi Calling is my only option. Given that, which would you recommend keeping: AirVoice (AT&T) or Tello (T-Mobile)?

Please ignore the $2/month price difference. I'm primarily interested in the long-term stability and reliability of Wi-Fi Calling and SMS, rather than cellular coverage or data speeds in the US.

I'd especially appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience using either service outside the US for an extended period.

Thanks for reading!

I am hoping to purchase a Samsung Galaxy S23+ with 512gb storage and my usual would be to go to eBay, but I don't know if that's the safest or not. I would also be willing for it to be gently used or refurbished with warranty. This would be used on U.S. Mobile on the Warp network. What's my safest and best bet?

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Warning: US Mobile's broken roaming profile locks secondary eSIMs until you buy their plan

​I want to share a critical warning about US Mobile's dual-SIM behavior abroad.

​I’ve used the exact same phone with dual SIMs for a long time without any issues, until I switched to US Mobile. While traveling in Asia, I used my US Mobile eSIM alongside local data eSIMs. Before purchasing a US Mobile international roaming plan, NONE of my local Asian data eSIMs worked at all—even though I had explicitly turned off Cellular Data on US Mobile.

​The moment I was forced to buy US Mobile’s $30 roaming plan, all my local eSIMs instantly started working normally. However, as soon as my US Mobile roaming balance dropped to around 100MB, the system locked up again, making all my local eSIMs completely useless once more. Turning off the US Mobile line in settings did nothing; the only way to get my local data back was to completely delete the US Mobile eSIM profile from my phone.

​US Mobile's background carrier profile effectively hijacks the device's entire cellular data stack when roaming data is inactive or low. Customer support repeatedly denied any restrictions and offered no technical solution, forcing me into a situation overseas where my only choices were paying $30 for their plan or deleting my line entirely.

​If you travel internationally and rely on secondary eSIMs, beware of this issue with US Mobile!