Best answer: A phone that's locked to T-Mobile will not work on Mint Mobile. T-Mobile will unlock your locked phone free of charge if you meet its requirements, or alternatively, you can buy a new, already unlocked phone that won't break the bank.
- Get a longer term for better rates: Mint Mobile (From $15 per month at Mint Mobile)
- 5G capable and available unlocked: Samsung Galaxy S20 ($1000 at Amazon)
Mint Mobile does not work with locked phones
If you're thinking about joining Mint Mobile and already have a phone you'd like to use with the service, it's important that it must be unlocked in order to work.
What exactly does that mean? Let's say you have a phone that you bought from T-Mobile. That phone is locked to the carrier and, therefore, cannot be used with a competing network. At least right at first.
If you bought an unlocked phone from a store like Amazon or Best Buy, you're in the clear. If you think you might be changing carriers often, this is your best bet because there are some minimum usage terms when you buy your phone directly from T-Mobile.
T-Mobile will unlock your device free of charge
Most carriers provide unlocking services for customers that want to take their devices elsewhere, and T-Mobile is not an exception.
To unlock a T-Mobile phone, all you need to do is get in touch with the company and let a customer support agent know that you'd like to unlock your phone. You can also unlock many phones without T-Mobile's help — many newer phones building the option right into the phone's settings. Older T-Mobile phones will also have a Device Unlock app installed.
T-Mobile has a list of requirements you must meet in order to unlock your device, and you can read through all of them right here. The main takeaway for most people is that the phone needs to be paid off completely and can't have a blocked IMEI. This mostly happens if the device has been reported stolen. Finally, the device must have been active on a T-Mobile postpaid account for 40 days or for one year on a prepaid account.
Assuming you're eligible for the unlock service, T-Mobile will send an unlock code to you completely free within two business days.
You can also just buy a new phone
Should you not meet all of T-Mobile's requirements, you can also just purchase a new phone to use on Mint Mobile. Most unlocked phones will work just fine even if you're looking for something cheap.
Phone service up to 12 months at a time
All plans come with unlimited calls and texts with a choice of 3GB, 8GB, or 12GB of LTE or 5G data. You can save money by buying six or 12 months at once.
An unlocked flagship that works with most carriers
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is one of the best options to try out 5G thanks to great network compatibility and a huge battery.
