What you need to know
- T-Mobile has made switching carriers easier with an app feature called Easy Switch that allows switching up to five lines in the app.
- T-Mobile is letting potential customers try out its network for three months through its app via eSIM with Network Pass.
- Network Pass is available on iOS through the T-Mobile app with Android support coming soon.
T-Mobile has made it easier for potential customers to switch from their old carrier in the T-Mobile app without ever setting foot inside a store. T-Mobile has also added a feature called Network Pass so people can try out T-Mobile's coverage to see if it's a good fit before they commit.
In a news post, T-Mobile announced that these two new features are available in the iOS app, with support coming soon to Android for both features.
In a survey by T-Mobile, the carrier found that nearly two-thirds of people that started the switching process gave up before completing it. The company wants to streamline this process by allowing customers to get signed up from the T-Mobile app while keeping their phones. Customers with unlocked phones that are compatible with T-Mobile's network could complete the process in a few minutes. Luckily, most unlocked phones will work with this network.
Customers can switch up to five lines with quick activation for phones that support eSIM. If the phones on your account need a physical SIM, T-Mobile will ship SIMs to those that need one.
Before switching, you'll need to keep your old service active and your phone will need to be unlocked. To unlock a phone, it must be paid off, and some carriers, like AT&T, will require a few extra steps for an unlock. Luckily, T-Mobile will provide assistance with unlocking your phone. If you're ready to switch but still owe on your phone, T-Mobile will help pay off the device with up to $1000.
Perhaps the most interesting addition to T-Mobile's app is Network Pass. In what is essentially a three-month network test drive, T-Mobile will give potential users three months of unlimited data to try out its network. This includes full access to T-Mobile's 5G network so users can get a precise idea of exactly what T-Mobile's service will be like where they live. To help even further, Network Pass users can get a Network Scorecard from T-Mobile that shows the network's performance in their area.
While T-Mobile's coverage maps can give you a pretty good idea of how strong coverage is in your area, a true test drive can help people feel a lot more confident about the switch. If it turns out T-Mobile isn't a good fit for you, you're not on the hook for anything. You don't even need to provide a credit card.
You'll still keep your phone number during the trial, so you don't have to change the way you use your phone. The T-Mobile network will be available for data while you can keep using the basic features of your current plan.
T-Mobile isn't the first carrier with a free trial of some of the best wireless carriers, with smaller carriers like Mint Mobile or Visible offering limited trials. Visible even offers a trial with eSIM on iPhones. That said, it's nice to see that T-Mobile is offering such a long test run of its network so people don't have to rush to decide based on a limited trial. It's also nice that T-Mobile is bringing the feature to Androids with eSIM support, such as the Pixel 6 or the Galaxy S22. Furthermore, T-Mobile has a trial option with a free hotspot to show off its coverage for those without eSIM on either OS.
Try out the nation's largest 5G network
T-Mobile's plans have a ton of 5G data with its fastest 5G coverage included on each plan. T-Mobile's network is also compatible with most unlocked phones so many people won't need a new phone to switch.
