If you’re looking to leave your current phone provider for the greener pastures of the venerable AT&T, look no further! We’ll explain step-by-step everything you need to know to switch carriers to AT&T while keeping your old number.
- What you’ll need
- How to get the transfer PIN
- How to transfer your number to AT&T
- How long will it take?
- Cancel current service
Check that your number works with AT&T
First things first, if you intend to take your current phone number with you to AT&T, you need to make sure that they are able to take it. You can find this out here on the AT&T website.
Most of the time this isn’t an issue, particularly if the number you’re transferring was originally from a different wireless carrier, but in rare circumstances the arcane realities of telephone infrastructure and something called rate centers means that certain carriers are unable to host certain numbers. This is more often the case if the number was originally a landline (or “wireline,” as is the proper industry terminology).
What you’ll need
Once you’ve confirmed that your number is good to go, you will need to collect the following from your phone carrier’s app or a recent bill:
- Phone number you want to transfer
- Account number
- Account ZIP code
- Number transfer PIN (or the regular account passcode from services that don’t have a transfer PIN)
How to get the transfer PIN
The first three of those should be readily available to you on the bill. The one unique piece of data for this transaction is the number transfer PIN. Here are examples of how to obtain it from other major carriers:
- T-Mobile: Dial 611, or go to the app/web portal
- Verizon: Dial #port, or go to the app/web portal
- Mint: Contact customer service via phone or web chat
AT&T lists out the transfer PIN acquisition methods for a long tail of other minor mobile carriers here.
How to transfer your number to AT&T
Once you’ve acquired all that information, you can start the process of opening an account. If you want to bring along your current phone as well as the number, first check here to determine whether AT&T’s network is compatible with your current model. If you’re good to go, you may need to request that your current carrier unlocks your device, depending on their policies, but it should be straightforward. Go here to initiate the process of bringing your own device over to AT&T.
If your old phone won’t cut it, or you just want to use the opportunity for an upgrade, then you can go shop for new phones directly from AT&T here, and follow the steps from that process to open a new account for it, being sure to select the option to bring your old number.
If you already have an existing AT&T account that you’re transferring into, such as a family member’s, then instead go to the account overview, My devices, select the phone and Manage device, Options & Settings, Change phone number, then Transfer a number to AT&T.
How long will it take?
Going from wireless carrier to wireless carrier is the fastest, and if you initiate the process in a store it will take one to three business hours. Doing so online will take three to five business days. Transferring a non-wireless number will take longer, at five to seven business days.
Your old phone will continue to work until you activate the new AT&T phone or SIM card.
Cancel current service
Only after the transfer has gone through and your new AT&T phone or SIM card are active should you cancel your old service, otherwise you may risk interrupting the process and losing your old number before it can go through.
Or choose your own number
One less-known alternative to bringing your old number or taking a new, randomly assigned one is that you can actually choose and buy the number you want from a huge variety of options, including “vanity numbers,” which are like vanity license plates, but for your phone. You can search marketplaces such as NumberBarn by both numbers or letters from what the alphanumeric pad spells, so your number can be funny, memorable, or have personal meaning.
Outside of keywords associated with major industries like law and lending, lots of vanity numbers can be surprisingly inexpensive. NumberBarn also doesn’t charge any additional fees if you’re just buying it to port out immediately and don’t want to use any other services like number parking and call forwarding.
The transfer PIN and all other necessary information will be readily available within your NumberBarn account once you’ve purchased the number.
