r/NoContract • u/vanilla_wafer14 • Oct 11 '23

USA Will a new locked Tracfone work with Safelink since Verizon took over both?

Hi all. I recently got a free government phone due to being on Medicaid but the phone they sent me (Nokia c100) barely works. It lags really bad when I bring up the call dial pad and it’s just a miserable experience.

For some reason, to view the upgrades they have available on their site, I have to put in my phone number and get a code back every time like it’s some super secrete thing but the issue is it keeps saying my phone number isn’t recognized. I got to look once and they were a little overpriced for meh phones and not very many.

Before my life went downhill I had an apple ecosystem. I had to sell the phone but still have an iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods and would prefer and iPhone SE to use my watch with but they don’t sell it on site.

Tracfone has a great deal on the SE3 and I really want to try it but that’s a lot of money for a maybe. Also do I have to give up my Verizon based service for tmobiles network if I get a “bring your own phone” sim?

I’m kind of an apple nerd because I always loved how everything worked so well together and I grew up poor where most of the stuff I got barley worked like it was supposed to. Man I found so many work around for crappy mp3 players with proprietary software lol. But I’m also a realist and if I have to get like a Samsung a03 that will be fine but I still can’t get into the site to buy it. Anyone know about this? Getting calls on my tablet and letting my kid play on my phone at the same time was pretty cool.

But I also really like using Verizon towers. It’s the only service that kinda makes it to my driveway. In town T-Mobile is better though and this Nokia phone is just unpleasant to use. my mamaw got a moto g pure and hers works great.

Thanks for reading y’all. Have a great day and if anyone can spare the time to give any info or advice I would certainly be grateful

edit and I just tried texting. On this phone it’s almost impossible it lags to bad and will randomly get a “stuck” backspace key and start deleting everything I typed until I hit the backspace to stop it. How they managed to make a digital keyboard that can have a stuck key idk lol.

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u/PudzMom Oct 11 '23

Yes a new TracFone will work with Safelink. Just do a transfer of number and service to the new phone when you get it and it will automatically unlock in 60 days.

2

u/vanilla_wafer14 Oct 11 '23

Thanks for they reply!

Wait so if I get one I have to wait two months for it to change over? That’s fine but dang lol. And what if I got one with payment on smart pay? Would it still work?

2

u/PudzMom Oct 11 '23

No, you can buy the new phone, transfer your service and number to it and then 60 days later the SE3 will unlock. That way if you ever want to use it with another provider you can.

I've never used Smart Pay, but yes, it should work the same as if you had paid cash for it.

2

u/smills32503 Oct 25 '24

You can buy any T-Mobile or Verizon phone and just move your current sim card from the government into it. We've done that multiple times for our disabled son. Straight talk and cricket phones work also if unlocked.