How to Get a Free Cell Phone
Cell phone carriers constantly offer deals that can get you a new smartphone for free. If you switch carriers at the right time, or upgrade your cell phone plan at the right time, you can walk away with a brand new phone essentially for free. Just so you’re not disappointed when it comes to check out, you will likely have to pay some taxes and fees with your new phone, but that beats paying full price for the latest device.
The other route for getting a free phone is taking advantage of government programs, like the Lifeline program. If you want more options for phones at reasonable prices, check out our guide to the cheapest phones available right now.Free Cell Phones from Major Carriers
Each of the three major carriers regularly offers deals where you can get a free cell phone online. Every deal usually involves you switching carriers or upgrading your cell phone plan, so be prepared to jump through those hurdles for any free cell phone deal. Also expect to sign up for a two-year contract with any free phone as well.
Note:The specific cell phone deals discussed below are subject to change, but expect the same process to qualify for any free cell phones online from major carriers.
How does getting a free phone work?
You can indeed get a free smartphone, but it’s not quite as cut and dry as getting a new phone with no strings attached. Every free cell phone deal gives you a bill credit that pays itself out over the course of (usually) two years.
It’s kind of a bait-and-switch dilemma where you do get a free phone, but you agree to have the credit applied over the course of the contract. You’ll need to stay with your wireless carrier until your phone is paid off, or you’ll need to pay the remainder of your phone balance outright. Still, if you plan on staying with the same carrier for the next couple of years, you do get an awesome deal for a free phone.
How to get a free phone online from AT&T
You can get a free iPhone or a free Android device from AT&T right now. Here’s all the steps you need to follow to get a new phone from AT&T:
- Trade in an eligible device (you’ll need to go to your local AT&T store to see if your old phone is on the list).
- Sign up or upgrade to an .
Cross both those steps and you’ll get $700 worth of credit that will pay for your new iPhone device, or $800 worth of credit to get a new Samsung Galaxy device. Over the course of two years, your credits will apply and you’ll own the phone outright after that period.
What if my credit balance doesn’t cover the cost of the phone?
If your trade-in credit doesn’t cover the cost of your new phone, you’ll need to pay the difference. To get the most premium devices, you’ll need to pay a few extra hundred dollars to make up the difference.
Either you find a phone that costs the same as your credit and get the device for free, or you’ll get a highly discounted premium phone. It’s a good problem to have overall.
To give you an idea of what phones users are buying with this deal, check out the most popular Apple iPhone and Android devices on AT&T’s network.
If you’re switching over to AT&T or upgrading your current cell phone plan to get a free phone, make sure you choose the .
How to get a free phone from T-Mobile
T-Mobile offersfree Apple iPhone and Androiddevices. It’s a similar story to AT&T in how you qualify to get a free phone:
- Trade in your old device. You can do this in-store or via a mailer that T-Mobile sends directly to your door.
- Upgrade or sign up for a T-Mobile unlimited plan.
Follow the steps above, and you’ll get up to $800 worth of bill credit for a newAndroid deviceor $830 off a new Apple iPhone.When it comes to cell phone deals, T-Mobilecurrently beats out AT&T in raw savings. That extra credit can make the difference between getting a basic model of a phone and getting a more premium phone for free.
As usual, your credit will apply to your bill over the course of two years. At the end of your two years, you’ll own your phone outright and can change networks without incurring any fees. You can also look for cheap (or free!) phones through T-Mobile's smaller-owned MVNO,Mint Mobile.
Check out the most popular devices on T-Mobile's network and the best T-Mobile unlimited plans.
How to get a free phone online from Verizon
Whether you want a new iPhone or a new Android device, you can get a free cell phone on Verizon’s network. As usual, you’ll need to take some steps to make sure you’re eligible for the free phone deal. Here’s what you need to do to get a free phone on Verizon’s network:
- Trade in your old smartphone. Take it to a Verizon store to see if your device is eligible for the trade in. The max you can get is $700 off for a new iPhone device and $800 off for a new Android device.
- Sign up or upgrade to an unlimited plan on Verizon’s network.
Whatever value you get back for your old device will apply to your cell phone bill over the next two years. You technically won’t own the phone outright until the end of that two-year period, but you won’t have to make any cell phone payments because credit will automatically apply.
Verizon is known for its best-in-class 4G LTE coverage—but also its pricey cell phone plans. Expect to pay a few extra dollars every month in your cell phone bill with Verizon, but you should experience more reliable coverage across the whole country. There’s different pros and cons for each Verizon cell phone plan, but you can rely on the excellent coverage.
Getting a Free Cell Phone from the Government
The other route for getting a free cell phone is from the Lifeline Assistance government program. Along with a free cell phone, you also get a cheaper cell phone plan. Don’t expect to get the latest Apple or Android devices with this government assistance program, but you can still get a brand new phone for free.
First things first, you’ll need to make sure that you qualify for a free phone from the government.
Lifeline Assistance qualifications
To make things a bit easier, if you’re already enrolled in any of these government assistance programs, you will automatically be eligible for a free phone:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Tribal-specific programs: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TTANF), Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), Head Start
For those of you who aren’t enrolled in any of those government assistance programs, you’ll need to prove your income is at 135% or below of the Federal Poverty Guideline. As it stands in 2021, a household with one individual would need to make $12,880 or less to qualify for the program. The more people you have in your household, the higher the threshold gets to qualify.
You can sign up for the Lifeline Assistance program here.
Free government phones: carriers
Depending upon what state you live in, you’ll use a different carrier for your free government phone and discounted phone plan. These carriers affiliate with the Lifeline government program:
- Assist Wireless
- Assurance Wireless
- Cintex Wireless
- Copper Valley Wireless
- Easy Wireless
- enTouch Wireless
- FeelSafe Wireless
- GCI
- Infiniti Mobile
- Life Wireless
- NewPhone Wireless
- Q Link
- Safelink Wireless
- SafetyNet Wireless
- Sprocket Wireless
- StandUp Wireless
- Tag Mobile
- Tempo Communications
- Terracom Wireless
- TruConnect
- True Wireless
You can enter your zip code here to find out what carrier serves your area.
Free government phones: devices
You won’t know exactly what free phones to expect until you go through the qualification process. To give you an idea of what your options will look like, the carrier Assurance offers smartphones like theKyocera Hydro, and Alcatel Dawn.
Free internet assistance
Much like with cell phones, you can also obtain free internet service if your household qualifies. The FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program (replacing the former Emergency Broadband Benefit)provides a path to affordable broadband internet connections for low-income households, offering a discount of up to $30/month for most applicants ($75/month if you live on Tribal lands). If you already participate in the Lifeline program, you automatically qualify for the ACP benefit as well.
