how to Swap SIM card for TracFones

[imported_ghengis]

The Following will show you how to swap a SIM card :

1) Tracfones and Net10 GSM phones have a special firmware programmed into them. This programming completely prevents the normal "swapping" of SIM cards between GSM phones that is allowed by other GSM phones. This means you CANNOT take the SIM out of your old/broken/worn-out/you just got tired-of-it/your teenage-kid doesn't like it anymore Tracfone or any other prepaid phone and insert it into a new or different Tracfone or Net10 phone. This doesn't work in any combination of possibilities - not from Tracfone to Tracfone, Net10 to Net10, Tracfone to Net10, Net10 to Tracfone, any other prepaid to Tracfone, any other prepaid to Net10, Tracfone to any other prepaid or postpaid, or Net10 to any other prepaid or postpaid. It doesn't matter if the models are exactly the same. It doesn't matter if the underlying carrier is exactly the same. IT WON'T WORK!

2) If you still want to switch an older Tracfone or Net10 for a newer model (as long as it's the same brand, Tracfone or Net10), you CAN, but you have to call customer service and have them transfer the phone number and/or minutes to your new phone for you. The old SIM card will then become useless. If you wish to reactivate the old handset later, you will be able to, but you will need to call Tracfone customer service again and get another new SIM card and buy another airtime card. The SIM card will be free, but you will have to ask for it. The airtime card, of course, will not be free. The old SIM card will never work again in any phone. Feel free to throw it out or turn it into a cool earring or necklace. The last time I checked, you could not transfer minutes from Tracfone to Net10 or Net10 to Tracfone. Even though they're owned by the same company, they operate as two separate brands with different pricing plans. So if you want to upgrade your handset with Tracfone, you need to pick another Tracfone handset. Same with Net10, you must upgrade your handset to another Net10 handset. Otherwise, you will end up having to port your number and losing your existing minutes on your old handset.

3) This is probably covered in the unlocking Tracfones sticky, but Tracfones and Net10's are unlockable through ordinary means. There are "extraordinary" ways of unlocking them that are not open to discussion in this forum.