Many people want to enjoy the coolness and functionality of an iPhone, but not everyone wants to pay certain big bucks for data plans. There is good news! You can activate a GoPhone SIM card and enjoy all the benefits without a heavy financial commitment! Here's how to do it:
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Method 1: iPhone 5 or 6
Step 1. Buy an iPhone
Check eBay or the retail outlets that deal with that phone.
Step 2. Get a prepaid AT&T GoPhone
They are available at AT&T Store, eBay, Target, Best Buy, and many other electronic retail stores. What matters is the SIM card, not the phone itself, so you may want to get the cheapest cell phone you can find.
Step 3. Turn off your iPhone
Make sure your GoPhone is also turned off.
Step 4. Remove the iPhone SIM card
With a SIM eject tool or a simple paperclip, push into the slot on the right side of the phone. This will release the small tray of the nanoSIM.
Step 5. Remove the GoPhone SIM card
Following the instructions listed here, cut your GoPhone's microSIM to the size of a nanoSIM.
Step 6. Replace the iPhone SIM card
Put the GoPhone SIM in the iPhone SIM slot and close it.
Step 7. Turn on your iPhone
Try it out to see if you can make a call (assuming you bought a GoPhone with a few minutes loaded on the plan).
- Find a Wi-Fi hotspot and launch Safari on your iPhone with GoPhone.
- Navigate to unlockit.co.nz and tap Continues then Custom APN.
- From the list of carriers, choose "AT&T (PAYG)" and your local carrier, whichever you deem appropriate.
- Touch Create profile to create and download the APN file.
- At the command, choose "Install" and then "Replace".
- When the "Profile Installed" screen appears, restart your iPhone.
- When it has restarted, go up Settings and disable Wi-Fi. Check the top left of the iPhone screen: you should read 4G / LTE.
- Enable the Wi-Fi settings again.
Step 8. Buy minutes
Go to paygonline.com and purchase your desired plan.
Don't choose the "Unlimited $ 50" monthly plan - it won't work. Purchase a separate data plan instead. Charge a small amount, to make sure everything works
Method 2 of 3: iPhone 4
Step 1. Get an AT&T iPhone 4
You can find them on eBay for around $ 250. Make sure it is not associated with any contract and has a SIM card.
Step 2. Get a prepaid AT&T GoPhone
They are available at AT&T Store, eBay, Target, Best Buy, and many other electronic retail stores. What matters is the SIM card, not the phone itself, so you may want to get the cheapest cell phone you can find.
Step 3. Call AT&T
Its toll-free number in the United States is 1-800-331-0500. At the prompt, you need to say "Customer Service" to speak to a service agent.
- Ask them to assist you in transferring your old GoPhone plan to a new SIM card.
- Provide the ICCID number of the GoPhone SIM card (found on the SIM) and that of the new MicroSIM (from the "About" screen of the iPhone 4 or from iTunes).
- Communicate your iPhone IMEI number printed on the MicroSIM container or by taking it from the iPhone "About" screen.
- AT&T will recognize from IMEI and ICCID that you are using an iPhone 4 and will warn you that you can do the transfer, but it will not be possible to enable Internet use. Accept this specification and you will get the GoPhone account transferred to your new MicroSIM.
Step 4. Connect to iTunes
Launch iTunes, connect your iPhone and follow the instructions to activate your phone.
Once activated you will be able to make phone calls in "pay as you go" mode, that is, paying for them individually, once made
Step 5. Activate data and Internet
SIM cards generally have wireless services turned off, but try this:
- Find a Wi-Fi hotspot and launch Safari on your iPhone with GoPhone.
- Navigate to unlockit.co.nz and tap Continues then Custom APN.
- From the list of carriers, choose "US-AT & T" or your local carrier, whichever is appropriate.
- Touch Create profile to create and download the APN file.
- At the command, choose "Install" and then "Replace".
- When the "Profile Installed" screen appears, restart your iPhone.
- When it has restarted, go up Settings and disable Wi-Fi. Check the top left of the iPhone screen - you should read Edge or 3G.
Step 6. Turn Wi-Fi back on if you wish
Method 3 of 3: iPhone via iPhone 3GS
Step 1. Get an old AT&T iPhone
You can find it on eBay for around $ 100 or maybe even in your desk drawer.
Step 2. Get a prepaid AT&T GoPhone
They are available at AT&T Store, eBay, Target, Best Buy, and many other electronic retail stores. What matters is the SIM card, not the phone itself, so you may want to get the cheapest cell phone you can find.
Step 3. Turn off your iPhone
Make sure your GoPhone is also turned off.
Step 4. Remove the iPhone SIM card
In the upper part of the iPhone, next to the headphone socket, there is a small hole. Insert a paper clip into the hole and push down - the SIM tray will pop out. Remove the SIM, paying attention to how it is oriented in the tray.
Step 5. Remove the GoPhone SIM card
Follow the instructions included with the GoPhone for more details.
Step 6. Replace the iPhone SIM card
Put the GoPhone SIM in the iPhone SIM slot and close it.
Step 7. Make a call
You are now on your GoPhone prepaid plan! In addition, you will also be able to use Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet.
Step 8. Turn on wireless data
SIM cards generally have wireless services turned off, but try this method:
- Find a Wi-Fi hotspot and launch Safari on your iPhone with GoPhone.
- Navigate to unlockit.co.nz and tap Continues then Custom APN.
- From the list of carriers, choose "US-AT & T" or your local carrier, whichever is appropriate.
- Touch Create profile to create and download the APN file.
- At the command, choose "Install" and then "Replace".
- When the "Profile Installed" screen appears, restart your iPhone.
- Once restarted, go up Settings and disable Wi-Fi. Check the top left of the iPhone screen - you should read Edge or 3G.
Advice
- AT&T may discover that you are using an iPhone in ways that you are not allowed to and may close your account or bill you for traffic, but they may not do it anymore!
- SIM cards are also available directly in AT&T stores for around five dollars. You can also set up your account and add credit without messing with your phone.
- If you want to use a T-Mobile Sim, an unlocked iPhone is required.
- Another option: H2O Wireless will sell you a prepaid plan similar to GoPhone. The company has a contract with AT&T to use the AT&T network. Unlike AT&T, they don't bother if you want to use your unlocked iPhone. Buy a SIM card directly from them or buy a H2O Wireless SIM on eBay. Make sure you have a micro sized SIM card.
- With AT&T, you can buy a data plan or a messaging plan, but, for it to work with data, you'll need to change the APN.
Warnings
- For T-Mobile data plan users: You can only use the Edge network on your phone; T-Mobile's 3G service does not work on an iPhone.
- Verizon iPhones do not have accessible SIM cards.
