How to port your number to Mint Mobile

Mint Mobile is a prepaid carrier operating on T-Mobile's network that sells its plans in multi-month bundles so you can save money. You can buy three or six months at a time, or even pay for the whole year at once, with up to 12GB of LTE each month. Should you decide to try out Mint Mobile, porting your number from another carrier is a fairly simple and painless process.

Products used in this guide

• Unlimited calls, texts, and 3GB: Mint Mobile ($45 for three months at Mint Mobile)
• Compatible and unlocked: Google Pixel 3a ($400 at Amazon)

Porting your number

Before starting the porting process, it's important to note that your phone number must remain active on your previous carrier throughout the process. If you cancel your old service before moving to Mint, you likely won't be able to recover your phone number — at least, not without going through a much more tedious process.

Once you've decided on a plan and received your Mint Mobile SIM card, starting the porting process is easy.

You will need a Mint Mobile compatible phone such as the Google Pixel 3a and a Mint Mobile SIM card.

1. Visit mintmobile.com and click Activate near the top of the page. You can also activate through the Mint Mobile app (also on iOS).
2. Enter your activation code. You'll find the code on the back of your SIM card, above the "active by" date.
3. Click Start or Resume your Activation.
4. Enter the account number, PIN or password, and ZIP code associated with your previous carrier. You'll find your account number at the top of most paperwork, including phone bills and receipts, but if you're unsure about any information, you should call your existing carrier's customer service line.

That's it! Once you're done, you can create a Mint Mobile account to keep track of your plan, but the porting process should be out of your hands and your number will change over automatically. Depending on various factors like your previous carrier, the transfer could be instant or take up to 48 hours — just be patient.

Once the number transfer is complete, you'll receive a welcome text from Mint confirming your phone number, and in most cases, your existing service will cancel automatically. From here, all that's left is to enjoy your new service!

Our top equipment picks

Try Mint Mobile risk-free

Mint Mobile

$45 for 3 months at Mint Mobile

Try Mint Mobile with a 7-day money back guarantee

Mint's plans are extremely affordable, but they won't do you any good if the service doesn't work in your neck of the woods. You can try Mint for three months for $45, and if it doesn't work out within the first week you can get a full refund — though they're pretty confident you'll stick around.

Mint-compatible phone

Google Pixel 3a

$400 at Amazon

One of the most well-rounded Android phones around

You can use almost any unlocked GSM-compatible phone on Mint Mobile, so long as it supports T-Mobile's network. Mint also sells a number of popular Android (and iOS) phones, including the mid-range camera king Pixel 3a, and you can even finance it through Affirm.