tips
Ting compatible phones – What you need to know
Andrew Moore-Crispin • August 19, 2021
What is a Ting compatible phone? It’s a phone that’s compatible with Ting Mobile.
The end. Easiest blog post ever.
There’s a little more to it than that of course so let’s get into it.
Ting compatible phones
The vast majority of modern phones can be activated on Ting Mobile. Incompatibility only really becomes an issue when considering phones that are more than five years old. In between three and five years, there’s a bit of grey area but the odds are very much in your favor.
The best way to confirm that your phone is a Ting compatible phone is to run a Ting phone compatibility check.
We’ve made this super easy to do. Just follow the simple steps to get your IMEI (international mobile equipment identity, every phone has its own unique IMEI), enter it into our phone checker and get an answer right away.
Running a compatibility check has no risk and you’re not committing to anything.
Not that we’re encouraging you to look elsewhere but if your phone passes the Ting phone compatibility checker, it will work on T-Mobile, Verizon or any of the smaller carriers (MVNOs) that use those networks.
Non-Ting compatible phones
Most phones are Ting compatible. As we’ve said, just about any smartphone made in the last couple of years will work on Ting Mobile. it’ll be easier to talk about the few cases in which a phone isn’t Ting compatible.
Non-VoLTE phones
VoLTE stands for voice over LTE, which we’ve covered at some length here on the Ting Mobile blog. Modern smartphones are VoLTE-capable.
Today, non-VoLTE-capable phones cannot be activated with most carriers, including Ting Mobile. Active non-VoLTE phones will continue to work until the 3G networks they rely on are shut down. These shutdowns are already underway. Before the end of this year, non-VoLTE phones will cease to work as the networks they rely on ping their last. In other words, if you’re buying a phone, anything that isn’t VoLTE-capable isn’t a good investment.
Locked phones
If you buy your phone from a major carrier as part of a plan or promotion, especially if you’re entering a contract, the phone you receive is probably locked to that carrier.
Unlocking rules have come a long way in the nine-plus years Ting Mobile has been around (and we’ll take some credit there) so provided you don’t owe money to a major carrier or you haven’t signed a contract, said major carrier is required to give you the unlock code if you ask.
Unlocking a phone is as simple as entering the unlock code. This done, it becomes a Ting compatible phone.
Blacklisted phones
Any phone that has been “blacklisted” will not work on Ting Mobile… or any other U.S carrier.
A phone can find itself on the blacklist for a number of reasons. It might have been lost or reported stolen, there might be money owed to a carrier—either a phone purchase that wasn’t paid off, a contract that wasn’t closed out or a bill that has gone into the carrier’s collections process.
Blacklisting isn’t something most people need to worry about but it’s something to be cautious about if you’re looking to buy a used phone.
We’ve covered how to confirm that a used phone you’re considering can be activated.
Imported phones
Some but not all phones purchased overseas will work on a North American carrier, including Ting Mobile. Elsewhere in the world, 2G and 3G networks are still in operation. 2G or 3G-only phones cannot be activated. Likewise, some countries use different frequency bands or network technologies. If a phone doesn’t support a U.S frequency band, it can’t be activated.
Best to shop local.
Get a plan that fits
All that is to say, whichever phone you’re holding in your hand or considering buying new, is probably a Ting compatible phone. A quick check is all it takes to confirm.
With a Ting compatible phone in hand, all you need is the perfect plan to use it on. Ting Mobile plans start at $10 for Flex with unlimited talk and text and pay-per-use fast data on LTE or 5G* at $5 per GB. Ting Mobile plans stop at $55 for the Unlimited Pro with unlimited talk and text, 35 GB of fast data.
Whether you’re looking for a little or a lot, there’s a Ting Mobile plan that fits.
*Requires a 5G compatible phone