How to move my phone number to a new phone

If you're switching service providers and remaining in the same geographic area, you can keep your existing phone number. This process – often referred to as phone number porting – can be done between wireline, IP and wireless providers.

Getting the porting process started

You may request service from a different company at any time. When changing companies:

• Review your current contract. Your contract may contain early termination fees and/or outstanding balances that you are obligated to pay.
• Do not terminate your service with your existing company before initiating new service with another company.
• Contact the new company to start the process of porting your number.
• Provide the new company with your 10-digit phone number and any additional information required.

Are there fees for porting?

• Companies may charge you to port your number, but you can ask whether any fees can be waived or negotiated.
• Once you request service from a new company, your old company cannot refuse to port your number, even if you owe money for an outstanding balance or termination fee.

How long does the porting process last?

FCC rules require simple ports, which generally do not involve more than one line or more complex adjustments to telephone switching equipment, to be processed in one business day. You may be able to use your phone within a few hours for changes among wireless service providers. However, porting from wireline to wireless service may still take a few days.

Service issues for wireline to wireless transition

If you port from a wireline phone to a wireless phone, there may be a period when you have two telephones with the same number.  Ask your new wireless company whether you will be able to continue using your current wireline number during the one-day transfer process.  

Wireless 911 location and callback services (where available) may be affected during the transition.  Calls should go through, but 911 operators may not be able to call you back if disconnected.  Before porting, ask your new company if your 911 service will be affected during the process.

Also, your wireline long distance company will not move with you.  Your long distance service will likely be provided by your new wireless company, which you should verify.

Porting is not always possible

If you are moving to a new geographic area, you may not be able to keep your current phone number when changing providers.

Also, some rural wireline service providers may obtain waivers for the porting requirement from state authorities. Their customers may be unable to port their number to a new provider. If you are unable to port your number for that reason, contact your state public utilities commission for further information.

Printable Version

Portability: Keeping Your Phone Number When Changing Service Providers (pdf)

Need to transfer your number to a new iPhone?

You must be very excited when you get a new iPhone. Yet we all know that phone number is an indispensable part of phone data. To keep the old phone number and recognize the call from your friends, colleagues, and family and never lost iPhone contacts, you must know how to transfer phone number to new iPhone.

How can I transfer my phone numbers to new iPhone?

I bought a new iPhone 11 through the Amazon Black Friday Sale and I need to transfer my phone number to the new device so that I can reach out to my boyfriend and friends. I don’t want to enter every number manually on my new iPhone, how can I easily transfer my phone number to my new iPhone?

- Question from Apple Community

When changing a new iPhone you must transfer your old phone number to your new iPhone. To solve the problem, we will provide you 3 methods:

• Method 1. Transfer phone number to new iPhone with SIM card

• Method 2. How to remove write protection from USB drive

• Method 3. Best way to transfer phone number to new iPhone

Part 1. Transfer phone number to new iPhone with SIM card

If you switch from Android to iPhone, you might find that there are huge differences between them. It is convenient on Android phones to save or import contacts with a SIM card, but you can only import contacts from your Android phone.

Now follow the steps below to safely place SIM card.

Note: Please make sure that you have saved your phone number on the SIM card.

I. Before you remove the SIM card from the old phone, please switch it off.

II. Find out the SIM Card tray on your old phone and then insert the SIM ejector tool in the pinhole to extract the SIM Card.

III. Use the same SIM ejector tool to eject the SIM tray on the new iPhone.

IV. Then remove the SIM Card from the old SIM tray and place the SIM Card in the new iPhone’s SIM tray.

V. At last, place the SIM tray back in the new device and ensure that, the SIM tray is perfectly locked in place.

If you didn't use an iPhone before and have stored the phone number of your contacts in SIM card, you should go to Settings > Contacts >Import SIM Contacts on your iPhone to transfer phone number to new iPhone. If you used an old iPhone before, the phone number of your contacts would not be stored in SIM card, you need to sync them with iCloud or you can read the following passage to get an easy and safe way to transfer phone number to new iPhone.

Part 2. Sync phone number to new iPhone without SIM via iCloud

Another answer to how to transfer phone numbers to new iPhone to use iCloud. iCloud is a cloud-based service provided by Apple to store and sync data with the same Apple ID. If your contacts are sync to your iCloud storage, the phone number will be downloaded to your new iPhone.

Step 1. Open your old iPhone Go "Settings" > Tap [your anme] > iCloud > Turn on "Contacts"

Step 2. Then it will ask you if you want to merge the local contacts, tap "Merge".

Step 3. Open your new iPhone, make sure you sign in with the same Apple ID. Then perform the same steps above to enable the Contacts on the iCloud feature.

Then wait for the phone number syncing to the new iPhone.

Part 3. Best Way to transfer phone number to new iPhone

You might have tried Quick Start to copy iPhone data to new iPhone, but find iPhone migration not working. Actually, there is a simple way to quickly transfer number to new iPhone with a different Service Provider.

A third-party backup software - FoneTool is a good solution for you. With this transfer tool, you can transfer any phone numbers to a new iPhone, no matter you have saved the phone number on the SIM Card in advance or not.

FoneTool supports the latest iPhone 14/13, iPad 8/Air 4, and also supports iOS 16/15.

Step 1. Download, install and launch the software. Connect your old iPhone with a USB cable and unlock it.

Step 2. Then press Trust on the iPhone if you are asked. Then run FoneTool, and choose “Phone Transfer" > "iPhone to PC".

Step 2. Check the Contacts option, and you can click the icon to choose the specific phone number to transfer. Then click "OK".

Step 3. Click "Start Transfer" > Choose the destination on your computer, and click "Transfer" to save the selected contacts to your computer.

Step 4. Connect the new iPhone with the computer. Go to "Phone Transfer" > "PC to iPhone".

Step 5. Click the "add" icon to select the phone number you just saved on the computer.

Step 6. Now, click "Start Transfer" to transfer the phone number to your new iPhone.

Directly transfer contacts to another iPhone

In addition, FoneTool also has an app available on App store to directly transfer some contacts to another iPhone/iPad. You can scan this QR code or search "FoneTool" to install it.

Now, here we would like to guide you on how to use this app. Just follow the content below.

Step 1. Install and run FoneTool app on both source and targeted iPhone. 

Step 2. Make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on the devices. Then choose the "Connect Device" tab. And tap the other iPhone to make a connection.   

Step 3. Select a contact (phone number), and tap "Send" to transfer data.

Then you can go to the new iPhone to see if the contacts are on your iPhone.

Conclusion

This is how to transfer phone number to new iphone without or without SIM card, you would better confirm that if you want to transfer the phone number with the same or different Service Provider, then choose the proper way to do the job. You could transfer phone number to new iPhone by importing from SIM card directly, or you could use FoneTool to transfer phone number whether you use the same carrier or not.

How do I transfer my mobile number to a new phone?

What happens when you transfer your phone number to another provider?

How to transfer phone number to new iPhone to use iCloud?

How do I transfer my contacts to a new SIM card?