Assurance Wireless is a federal Lifeline Assistance program. As such, it provides eligible low-income customers with free monthly data, free monthly minutes, and unlimited text messages. The company also offers free mobile devices to Lifeline-eligible clients.
Why does Assurance Wireless provide all these free services? Well, simply because that’s what Lifeline providers do. Lifeline is a federal government-funded program designed to help low-income citizens get access to low-cost cellular phone and internet services every month.
Unfortunately, many low-income and senior citizens can’t afford to buy a phone or pay for monthly phone services, and for those, Lifeline providers are a true blessing. Nowadays, we all depend on phones. We need them to stay connected with our loved ones, work and job opportunities, health care providers, and emergency services. As such, it is of utmost importance to grant low-income people these same basic needs.
In Which Areas Does Assurance Wireless Currently Offer Free Phone Service?
Assurance Wireless is available in over 40 U.S. states and can only be used by Lifeline-eligible customers. Currently, Assurance Wireless is available in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The provider’s Lifeline services vary slightly between states.
Why Choose Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless is one of the most popular Lifeline providers in the United States. It offers reliable services and a long list of benefits.
They provide quality free government-funded mobile devices as well as more advanced upgrade phones at a discounted price. Their services come with no contracts and no activation fees.
Assurance Wireless also offers affordable plans. In addition to the basic Lifeline-only free plan, which varies between states and comes with unlimited text messages and a certain amount of monthly minutes and data, the provider also offers plan add-ons, which allow clients to buy additional minutes and data at a low price. The company also offers low international rates when calling to over 200 countries. You can read more about their plans and add-ons at “https://www.assurancewireless.com/help-center/data-and-services”.
As Assurance Wireless is a company owned by T-Mobile, it uses T-Mobile’s cellular towers and network. Therefore, it provides its customers with reliable nationwide coverage that connects 99% of the entire American population and offers the largest 5G network. As the towers they use aren’t distributed equally, make sure to check if their service is available in your area at “https://coverage.assurancewireless.com/t-mobile.html”.
In case you have any issues or questions, you can contact the provider by phone at 1-888-321-5880. You will get in touch with an educated professional that will surely be able to help you out. The provider also offers a great FAQ page at “https://www.assurancewireless.com/help-center/faqs”, where you can find the answers to the most frequently asked questions.
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How to Get Assurance Wireless Free Phone
To get an Assurance Wireless free phone or free services, you must be Lifeline-eligible. Enrollment is available to one individual per household who qualifies based on federal or state-specific eligibility criteria.
How to Qualify for the Assurance Wireless Official Lifeline Program
You may qualify if you or any other member of your household participates in one of the following assistance programs:
- Medicaid or Medi-Cal
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP) or CalFresh
- Supplemental Security Income
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Tribal Head Start
- Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit
You may also qualify based on your household income – if your household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty level.
Lastly, you may also qualify if you are currently unemployed.
Lifeline assistance is only available for one account per household and it’s non-transferrable.
What Documents Need for the Assurance Wireless Free Phone
During the application process, you may be required to provide some documents to prove your eligibility. Exactly which documents you may be asked to provide depends on the eligibility criteria.
If you may qualify based on your participation in an assistance program, you may be asked to provide:
- An official document that proves your participation in a qualifying assistance program (for example, approval letter, benefit verification letter, benefit award letter, etc.)
If you may qualify based on your income, you may be asked to provide:
- An official document that proves that your annual household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines (for example, last year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return, current income statement from your employer, unemployment or worker’s compensation statement of benefits, etc.)
- An official document showing substantial loss of income
If you may qualify based on your unemployment, you may be asked to provide:
- An official document that proves that you are unemployed (for example, Unemployment Benefit Letter)
In addition, you may be required to provide:
- Identity verification document (for example, a state ID, U.S. driver’s license, SSN, passport, etc.)
- Address documentation and duplicate address
- An official document showing that you are either 18 years old or an emancipated minor
How to Apply for an Assurance Wireless Free Phone
To apply for the Assurance Wireless Lifeline program, visit “https://www.assurancewireless.com/lifeline-services/how-qualify#”, scroll down, make sure the program is available in your state and check the state-specific criteria in the section ‘What State Do You Live In?’, and apply by pressing ‘Apply Now’ in the ‘See If You Qualify Today’ section.
Once you press the button, a pop-up screen will appear, asking you to enter your ZIP code for your state offer.
Then, you will be redirected to your state’s Assurance Wireless Lifeline program, where you will be able to see exactly how many free minutes and data you get each month (text messages are unlimited in all states) and other state-specific details.
Press the ‘Apply Now’ button and the official form will appear. Simply provide all the required information and apply for the program.
The provider will do its best to review your application and let you know whether or not you qualify as soon as possible. If you do qualify, you will receive the free phone and be able to enjoy the program’s numerous benefits in no time.
What Are the Benefits if I Qualify for an Assurance Wireless Free Phone?
Qualifying for an Assurance Wireless free phone and services comes with a long list of amazing benefits:
- You will receive unlimited monthly text messages.
- You will receive a certain amount of monthly minutes (depending on the state). In most states, you can get up to 1000 free monthly minutes. In California, the basic plan comes with unlimited minutes.
- You will receive a certain amount of monthly data (depending on the state). In most states, you can get somewhere between 4.5 and 6 GB of free data a month.
- You will get the possibility to add more minutes and data for very affordable prices. You can either add a certain amount of minutes, data, or a bundle with both.
- You will get a voicemail account, call waiting, and caller ID.
- You will get nationwide coverage and access to America’s largest 4G LTE and 5G network (T-Mobile)
- You will receive a free Android smartphone. The device will either be new, pre-owned, or refurbished.
- You will receive a great service with no annual contracts and no activation fees.
- You will be able to stay in touch with your family members, friends, work, health care providers, emergency services, and more for free.
How Do I Activate Assurance Wireless Free Phone?
If you qualify for the Assurance Wireless Lifeline program, you will receive a free Android smartphone. Once you receive it, follow the simple instructions provided below to activate it.
- Step 1: Turn on the phone by holding the power button. Allow hands-free activation to connect the device to Assurance’s network and allow the device to check for updates. The device will then turn off.
- Step 2: After the phone turns back on, you may be asked to customize the phone. You may need to skip the setup and complete step 3.
- Step 3: Dial 611 and follow the recorded instructions.
- Step 4: During the activation process, you will be asked to enter your Assurance Wireless account PIN. The PIN is located at the top of your Assurance Wireless approval letter.
In case you decide to sign up for Assurance’s services with a representative, you will automatically receive help with the activation process.
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What Are the Restrictions for Assurance Wireless Government Free Phones?
To receive Assurance’s free services and mobile device, you must meet some requirements and respect some restrictions. The restrictions include:
- You can only receive a free Assurance Wireless phone if you are Lifeline-eligible (see requirements above).
- The device you receive may depend on the state and availability.
- You may receive a new, pre-owned, or refurbished phone.
- Local phone numbers may not be available in certain markets.
- Additional fees may apply for equipment change requests.
- Devices can be returned within 7 days. More return and replacement info can be found below.
- You can only receive one Lifeline benefit per household and it is non-transferrable.
Can I Get Assurance Wireless Free Phone if I Don’t Qualify for a Lifeline Program?
Assurance Wireless is an exclusive Lifeline provider, as such, it only provides free cellular services and mobile devices to Lifeline-eligible customers. If a person doesn’t qualify for the provider’s Lifeline program, he or she won’t be able to receive a free government phone.
However, you may be able to receive a free phone or a highly discounted one from another store or wireless provider that doesn’t offer their devices and services just for Lifeline-eligible customers. Many providers may offer free phones or ones that you can pay off in affordable monthly installments in exchange for signing up for their services.
How Do Replace Assurance Wireless Free Phone
In case you wish to return your Assurance Wireless free phone, you can do so within 7 days of purchase by calling the provider’s customer service. The device you wish to return must be undamaged and in good working condition, with no alterations to its hardware or software, in its original packaging, and including all its accessories, components, and the original receipt. In case you purchased the device from other sources, such as an Assurance Wireless sales agent or authorized retailer, the return depends on their return policies.
In case the device is not working properly due to no fault of yours, you can call Assurance’s customer service at 1-888-321-5880 and they will check with the manufacturer to determine if there are any warranties on your device. In case there is a warranty, you may get a replacement device (the same or similar model) from the manufacturer free of charge.
If the device got lost or stolen, make sure to call 1-888-321-5880 as soon as possible to make sure no one else will use your remaining account balance. You may be charged for a replacement device and shipping. You must agree to cooperate if the provided decides to investigate the matter.
How Do I Upgrade Assurance Wireless Free Phone
As the phone you may receive from Assurance Wireless free of charge is basic or mid-range, you may wish to upgrade your phone. You can upgrade your Assurance Wireless phone by following some simple steps.
First, you must visit their website and go to ‘My Account’. Sign in and check out the upgrade process. You can also call them at 1-888-321-5880 and ask if you are eligible for a phone upgrade. If you are, they will tell you exactly how to do so.
What Kind of Phones Does Assurance Wireless Offer for Free?
Assurance Wireless provides its Lifeline-eligible customers a mid-range Android smartphone. The device can be new, pre-owned, or refurbished. However, if you would prefer to receive a basic flip phone, let them know in advance and they will provide you with a basic phone instead. The customer isn’t able to choose the exact model he or she gets, as the model depends on availability, state, and other conditions.
Customers have reported receiving the ZTE Quest phone, Unimax 673, Coolpad 3300, Kyocera Hydro Reach, the ZTE Tempo, and certain PayLo and Virgin Mobile phones. iPhones and Blackberry phones are not supported.
What Phones Are Compatible With Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless doesn’t offer a Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) program. The provider doesn’t allow customers to bring their own devices and as such, they don’t have an official compatibility check set in place. The only phones that can be used with the provider’s services are the ones that you can either receive for free or purchase through the upgrade option directly from Assurance Wireless.
Nonetheless, some customers have reported using an Assurance Wireless SIM card with another phone. You can try to insert your SIM card into another unlocked phone but there is no guarantee that it will work. In case the phone accepts the card and connects to Assurance’s network and you are able to place calls, send text messages, and use data, you should be able to use it without a problem.
As Assurance Wireless doesn’t provide a list of free compatible devices and they currently don’t sell any upgrade phones on their website (the selection should be listed at https://origin-shop.assurancewireless.com/phones.html) due to the fact that they are transitioning from the previous owner to T-Mobile, we cannot provide you with a list of Assurance Wireless compatible phones. Some unofficial sources claim that some of the Assurance Wireless compatible phones include Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, LG V50, Nokia 7.2, and Motorola Moto G9 Plus, but this is not confirmed.
The only way to find out more about which phones are compatible with their services and which models you may receive or purchase, is to contact their customer service. To order a phone, you must also contact the company’s customer service at 888-321-5880.
Assurance Wireless Free Phone Others Thing You Should Know
How Good Is an Assurance Wireless Network and Coverage?
Assurance Wireless uses T-Mobile’s cellular towers and network, which offers great nationwide coverage and the country’s best 5G network.
Does Assurance Wireless Charge Any Cost for Free Phones?
No, Assurance Wireless free phones are completely free of charge.
How Long Does It Take to Receive an Assurance Wireless Free Phone?
It depends on phone availability. They will try to send you a free phone as soon as your Lifeline application is approved, however, when will you receive the device depends on where you live.
Can I Have Two Assurance Wireless Free Phones?
No, each eligible customer may only receive one free device and phone service. In addition, Lifeline rules don’t allow more than one Lifeline benefit per household.
Does Assurance Wireless Give Free iPhones?
No, Assurance Wireless gives free Android smartphones. iPhones are not provided or supported.
Can I Use Any SIM Card on Assurance Wireless?
Officially, Assurance Wireless SIM cards only work with Assurance Wireless provided phones. Assurance Wireless phones, on the other hand, are locked and while they remain locked they can only be used with Assurance SIM cards. However, if your Assurance phone is eligible for unlocking (it has been active for at least 12 months and it hasn’t been reported as lost, stolen, or otherwise flagged as ineligible to be unlocked), the provider may unlock it upon request and you will be able to take it to another provider. Whether or not the device is compatible with the new provider’s services, depends on the new provider’s compatibility and other rules.
Does Assurance Wireless Use GSM or CDMA?
After making the transition from Sprint’s to T-Mobile’s network, Assurance Wireless is now a GSM service provider.
Does Assurance Wireless Have Hotspot?
Yes, some Assurance Wireless plans support the Mobile Hotspot feature.
How to Cancel Assurance Wireless?
You can cancel Assurance Wireless services by dialing 611 from your phone or calling 1-888-321-5880 to speak to a customer support representative. Once your account is canceled, you will lose the service and your phone number.