Use a GoPhone Plan With an iPhone

Lots of people want to enjoy the coolness and functionality of an iPhone, but not everybody wants to pay for those expensive data plans. Good news - you can easily activate with a GoPhone SIM card, and enjoy all the benefits without the steep liability! Though the way you'll do this varies slightly based on which kind of iPhone you're using, every device requires only a few simple steps.

Steps

iPhone 5 or 6

  1. Buy an unlocked iPhone. Check eBay or retail outlets that carry the phone. Your iPhone must be unlocked to use the GoPhone SIM card.
  2. Get a prepaid AT&T GoPhone. They're available at the AT&T store, eBay, Target, Best Buy, and many other retail electronics stores. The phone itself is not important—only the SIM card—so get the cheapest phone you can find.
  3. Power down your iPhone. Make sure your GoPhone is powered down as well.
  4. Remove the iPhone SIM card. With a SIM eject tool, or a simple paper clip, push it into the slot on the right side of the phone. The nano-SIM tray will pop out.
  5. Remove the GoPhone SIM card. Following the instructions listed here, trim the microSIM in your GoPhone so that it's nanoSIM-sized.
  6. Replace the iPhone SIM card. Put the GoPhone SIM into the iPhone SIM slot, and close it back up.
  7. Power up your iPhone. Test it to see if you can make a call (assuming you purchased a GoPhone with some minutes on the plan)
    • Find a Wi-Fi hotspot, and launch Safari on your Go-iPhone.
    • Navigate to unlockit.co.nz, and tap Continue, then tap Custom APN.
    • From the list of carriers, choose "AT&T (PAYG)" or your local carrier, whichever is appropriate.
    • Tap Create Profile to create and download the APN file.
    • At the prompt, choose "Install," and then "Replace."
    • When you see the "Profile Installed" screen, restart your iPhone.
    • When it's restarted, go to Settings, and disable Wi-Fi. Check the on the upper left of the iPhone screen, and it should say 4G/LTE.
    • Re-enable your Wi-Fi settings.
  8. Purchase minutes. Navigate 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. Buy a small amount, to make sure it's all going to work.

iPhone 4

  1. Get an AT&T iPhone 4. You can find them on eBay for around $250 USD. Make sure it's not attached to any contract, and has a SIM card.
  2. Get a prepaid AT&T GoPhone. They're available at the AT&T store, eBay, Target, Best Buy, and many other retail electronics stores. The phone itself is not important—only the SIM card—so get the cheapest phone you can find.
  3. Call AT&T. Their toll-free US number is 1-800-331-0500. At the prompt, say “Customer Service” to speak with a service representative.
    • Tell them you need assistance transferring your old GoPhone plan to a new SIM card.
    • Provide the GoPhone SIM card ICCID number (found on the SIM card) and the new MicroSIM ICCID (from the iPhone 4 "About" screen or from iTunes).
    • Provide your iPhone's IMEI number, printed on the Micro SIM's caddy or from the iPhone "About" screen.
    • AT&T will recognize from the IMEI and ICCID that you are using an iPhone 4, and will notify you that they can do the transfer, but can't enable internet usage. Agree to this, and get the GoPhone account transferred to your new MicroSIM.
  4. Connect to iTunes. Start iTunes, attach your iPhone, and follow the prompts to activate the phone
    • Once activated you will be able to make phone calls on a pay-as-you-go basis.
  5. Activate data and the Internet. SIM cards generally have wireless services disconnected, but try this:
    • Find a Wi-Fi hotspot, and launch Safari on your Go-iPhone.
    • Navigate to unlockit.co.nz, and tap Continue, then tap Custom APN.
    • From the list of carriers, choose "US-AT&T" or your local carrier, whichever is appropriate.
    • Tap Create Profile to create and download the APN file.
    • At the prompt, choose "Install," and then "Replace."
    • When you see the "Profile Installed" screen, restart your iPhone.
    • When it's restarted, go to Settings, and disable Wi-Fi. Check the on the upper left of the iPhone screen, and it should say Edge or 3G.
  6. Re-enable Wi-Fi if you wish.

iPhone through iPhone 3GS

  1. Get an old AT&T iPhone. You can find them on eBay for around $100 USD, or maybe even in your desk drawer.
  2. Get a prepaid AT&T GoPhone. They're available at the AT&T store, eBay, Target, Best Buy, and many other retail electronics stores. The phone itself is not important—only the SIM card—so get the cheapest phone you can find.
  3. Power down your iPhone. Make sure your GoPhone is powered down as well.
  4. Remove the iPhone SIM card. On the top of the iPhone, next to the earphone socket, is a tiny hole. Insert an unbent paper clip into the hole, and push down: the SIM tray will pop out. Remove the SIM, noting how it is oriented in the tray.
  5. Remove the GoPhone SIM card. Follow the instructions included with the GoPhone for details.
  6. Replace the iPhone SIM card. Put the GoPhone SIM into the iPhone SIM slot, and close it back up.
  7. Make a call. You are now on your prepaid GoPhone plan! You will also still be able to use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet.
  8. Enable wireless data. SIM cards generally have wireless services disconnected, but try this:
    • Find a Wi-Fi hotspot, and launch Safari on your Go-iPhone.
    • Navigate to unlockit.co.nz, and tap Continue, then tap Custom APN.
    • From the list of carriers, choose "US-AT&T" or your local carrier, whichever is appropriate.
    • Tap Create Profile to create and download the APN file.
    • At the prompt, choose "Install," and then "Replace."
    • When you see the "Profile Installed" screen, restart your iPhone.
    • When it's restarted, go to Settings, and disable Wi-Fi. Check the on the upper left of the iPhone screen, and it should say Edge or 3G.

Tips

  • SIM cards are also available directly from AT&T stores, for around ~$5. There you can also setup your account and add money, without having to mess around through your phone.
  • Another option: H2O Wireless will sell you pre-paid plan similar to GoPhone. They contract with AT&T to use the AT&T network. Unlike AT&T, they will not hassle you if you want to supply your own unlocked iPhone. Buy a SIM card directly from them, or buy an H2O Wireless SIM on eBay. Make sure you get a micro size SIM card.
  • With AT&T, you may want to buy a data or messaging plan, but for data to work you'll need to change your APN.
  • AT&T may discover you're using an iPhone in ways they don't intend for you to use, and may either shut down your account or bill you. Then again, they may not!
  • If you'd like to use a T-Mobile Sim you'll need an unlocked iPhone.

Warnings

  • Verizon iPhones do not have accessible SIM cards.
  • For T-Mobile data-plan users: You can only use the Edge network on your phone; T-Mobile's 3G service will not work on an iPhone.

Things You'll Need

  • AT&T micro SIM card~$5
  • IPhone
  • Plan (set up in store) around $30

Total money spent: around $35-40

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Use_a_GoPhone_Plan_With_an_iPhone&oldid=315670"