How can I bring my current phone number over to Tello?
That’s the question we’re answering today, so if you’re tired of paying big money to big cell phone companies and just need a phone plan that’s tight and right for you, listen up!
Switching cell phone providers can be a bumpy ride, but that’s so not the case with Tello Mobile.
If you’ve been puzzled by so many previous port-in experiences that got you asking: “Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?”, prepare to be amazed.
We present you with the easiest port-in process in the history of wireless! For real!
We’ve designed the entire process to be pain-free. Because porting your number should be easy. Every. Single. Time.
Everything happens from your online account only.
💎 Port-in to Tello Essentials: you’ve ordered a Tello GSM SIM and activated it via your online account. If you skipped this step, go to your Activate SIM page and follow the prompts to activate the service. This is important because the port in option will not become available until your line is successfully activated.
- Go to the “Activate SIM” section of your Tello online account.
- Fill in the field(s) required and follow the prompts.
- Once our website has confirmed that the activation process has finished – which can take up to 20 minutes – wait another 5 minutes.
- Insert the new Tello GSM SIM (logo side up) and switch the fully charged phone ON.
- Follow any on-screen steps provided and your phone should start to automatically activate the Tello service.
- If your phone does not activate automatically, please wait 30 minutes, then reboot your phone and try again – these things happen.
- You can also manually activate your phone by following the steps under the FAQ at the bottom of the My SIM page.
Once you’ve successfully activated the Tello GSM service – yay, you! Follow the steps below to start the number transfer process. All aboard!
📌 Need some help with inserting the SIM into your device? We’ve got you!
1. Submit your number transfer request directly from your Port-in page.
Don’t worry if you don’t see anything here, from the get-go: the port-in form will only become available & visible after you properly activate your SIM.
2. Enter the phone number you wish to transfer and click “Check”.
If the number can be ported, you will be prompted to fill in the port-in details and you’ll just need to follow the provided instructions.
💎 Important stuff: If you have not done so already, you will need to contact your current provider to retrieve the following information directly from them. Guessing the details required below is a no-no because submitting incorrect information means that the port request will be canceled.
- Account number from your current provider
- PIN number from your current provider
- Your address as listed on the phone bill
- First name and last name as listed on the phone bill
- If the number to port is a landline, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number
Once you’ve completed the required fields, click “Continue” and follow any other prompts that might appear and that’s it! You have successfully submitted your request. Any notification about the status of the transfer will be sent to the email address you registered with Tello.
📌 More on the carrier transfer info you’ll need, coming right up!
⏱️ How long does it take to port your number to Tello?
Short answer: from 2 hours to 2 working days for cell phones. Up to 5 days for landline and VOIP numbers.
Longer version: we’re super keen on getting you set up on Tello ASAP, but the reality is that the speed of the port-in process depends on your current provider. If any of the information submitted is invalid and is not corrected by you within 3 business days we may cancel the port request.
Don’t worry, you’ll still have full service while the port-in is in progress.
Here are some port-in stories from our customers that prove we’re not just bragging about the Tello port-in process, it’s legit ⤸ ⤸ ⤸
Once the port in is submitted, any notification about the port in status will be sent to the email address you registered with Tello.
🛠️ Troubleshooting:
✔️ Even after your number has been successfully ported to Tello, it may take up to 3 business days before your ported number is reflected correctly as your Caller ID.
✔️ If after this period, your Caller ID still shows the wrong number, please email our Support team with the details and we’ll gladly assist you.
My Port-In is SUCCESSFUL – now what?
YAY! You’re almost there.
Now, you just need to update the network on your phone. To do this, simply restart your device and follow any on-screen prompts.
The last step is to set up your Voicemail which you can do by following these simple steps.
And that’s a wrap!
🤭 Ooops…something’s wrong!
Most port requests go through quickly and seamlessly. But there are occasions when you may need to take further action – like the two of the more common scenarios that can pop up, presented below:
Failed – This means that your request to transfer your number to Tello was rejected by your previous carrier.
Action required: You need to contact that carrier as soon as possible and confirm 2 things with them:
-
- that all the port information that you provided to Tello is 100% correct.
- that they have acknowledged Tello’s porting request and will release your number so that we can proceed with the transfer.
In Progress (after “Estimated Completion Date”) – This means that you need to contact your previous carrier as soon as possible and ask that they acknowledge Tello’s porting request and release your number so that we can proceed with the transfer.
The porting request should then proceed successfully and automatically within a few hours of them confirming the release and you will then receive an email to confirm that the transfer has been successful.
📲 Will there be any numberless downtime while I wait?
Every Tello SIM delivery for a new line generates a new Tello phone number by default, so you will see a new temporary phone number in your online account as soon as you activate your SIM. That ensures that you’ll have no numberless downtime while the port-in process to Tello comes through. Pretty nice, right?
Your new Tello phone number will be auto-allocated based on the zip code entered & area code availability. We can’t control the exact prefix assigned, but the prefix will be from the area code you register. After activating the SIM in your online account, you’ll be able to port in the number you want and replace that Tello number.
cellphones from simple mobile do or don’t work on tello mobile bring your own phone plan and will the bring your own sim card work with tello mobile form the simple mobile with tello mobile. This is why tello needs stores and dealers. How long does it take to mail a cellphone from tello mobile to new York. How long how does it mail a tello mobile cellphone to new York if the bring your own cellphone doesn’t work with tello. Cause in new York. Does the tello mobile cellphone and sim card come united States office or ups or FedEx to me in new York. Cause I’m work want the $9.00 dollars a month plan with unlimited talk and text to the USA and Canada with 500 mb of high data and run the high speed data runs out the data slows down to 2g data with tello mobile from the build your own cellphone plan. Do 4g cellphones and 5g cellphones work with tello.
Hello, there,
Now this was difficult to address, but I’ll do my best:
– The question regarding cell phones from simple mobile –> if the device meets the compatibility requirements, then it will work with Tello. The Sim, however, must be from Tello
– How long does it take to mail a cellphone from Tello mobile to new York. – regular shipping method takes 3 to 5 business days
– Does the Tello mobile cellphone and sim card come united States office or ups or FedEx to me in New York. – we ship via USPS
– Do 4g cellphones and 5g cellphones work with Tello. – YES, if they meet the compatibility requirements, sure
Thanks!
I more time. I wrote this before, but like numerous times. My long fingers get a the way.And I hit the wrong thing, and yeah, I have deleted more messages. I almost, I said almost makes me want to cry. Anyway back to the matter at hand. I do believe the person also asked a very good question about throttling down as you get close to the end of your cycle.? And if they didn’t. Then it an even better question, because that means I thought of it. But then again, that would make me wrong in the first place? All stop. Go for it! It’s all yours.
Thanks. Robert aka Offthe Wall
Hi, Robert, thanks for writing!
Please don’t worry, I write for a living, and still, typos die hard.
If I understood correctly, you’re inquiring about data and the answer is yes, data is slowed down/throttled when you use up the balance included in your plan. If you have additional concerns or questions, please contact our Customer Support Team and they’ll happily answer. Thanks!
ok
Can I port my landline Xfinity phone number to a Tello cell phone?
Hi, Lori,
Yes, I don’t see why not.
To figure out the account number and PIN you need to go to:
http://www.xfinity.com/mobile/my-account/devices – thanks!
I have successfully ported our landline from Xfinity to Tello. It appears on our account page and we get a good signal from Tello (t-mobile). However after doing all the troubleshooting suggested resetting networks etc. I am still unable to call in/out, text, voicemail etc. Nothing is actually working. I have verified my IMEI etc. What is going on? I have restarted, taken the SIM out, reset etc. nothing is activating calls. Please help
Hi Brent,
In this case we recommend you contact our Customer Support Team available 24/7. You might need to set up new APNs or maybe some system resets are needed. We appreciate your understanding!
Hi Maria, loving your professional attitude in your replies. You have given me more confidence to try out Yello. My question to you is: could you please provide us the link for T-Mobile in regards to finding out the Pin. Ty
Hi there,
In order to obtain the port-out PIN, you have to contact them directly and they will be able to provide it for you.
In case you need any additional help, don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Support team: https://tello.com/contact
Hello Tello, I have an AT&T Cingular IV Flip phone and when I put in my IMEI # the Tello website said “Awesome! Your phone wants to join Tello!” and it didn’t ask me if I wanted to buy a SIM card underneath that message. Is that a problem? My phone is locked as of now, I assume. Is that effecting anything? Thanks…
Hi, Jeff,
To be able to use Tello, you will need to purchase a Tello SIM, as well. Also, your phone needs to fulfill 2 requirements – compatible and unlocked. Tello.com can not tell if a phone is locked or not and neither can it unlock phones from other networks. You can also check here the Tello requirements for the device to work on our network https://tello.com/help_center?qid=1075.- Thanks!
Is there a time limit on porting in my number? My old carrier Boost is making getting my account number and porting pin extremely difficult.
Hey, Gary,
You can start the port in process with Tello once you have purchased, received, and successfully activated your new Tello GSM SIM in your online account.
– Enter the phone number you wish to transfer and click “Check”
– If the number can be ported, you will be prompted to fill in the port-in details and follow the prompts.
However, please make sure that the number is still active when you decide to port our number to Tello, thanks!
It would have been much easier for me if this information was on my Tello account dashboard.
Live chat couldn’t even make it clear.
Can i port in a number that is from outside my home area code?
Yes, Kevin, absolutely, as long as your number is active, you can totally do it!
Hello! If I pour in my current phone number to a new line, and then later decide that I would rather have the assigned Tello phone number, can I just cancel the port in? We currently have an out-of-state number, but I’m not ready to give it up yet. However I think sometime in the future I would rather have an in-state number which is what teleassigned me. Thanks!
Hi Cheri,
If you already requested the port in, then we can no longer stop that process.
But we do understand you want to use another number with Tello, and if needed, once the port-in process is finalized, we’ll go ahead and assign you a new Tello number.
Please contact our Customer Support team and send them the request. They are available 24/7 at: https://tello.com/contact
We’re here if you need assistance,
Tello
Hi, I activated my SIM and ported my number before I found out that my phone was locked by Xfinity Mobile. I contacted Xfinity Mobile multiple times today, and they keep saying they’re submitting requests to unlock, but something is clearly holding the process up, because my request to unlock my wife’s phone went through in minutes. Could the problem be because I ported my number out before unlocking my phone? Is it possible to unlock a phone after the number has been ported out? Pretty lost here.
Hi Rick,
I can see you also contacted our Customer Support for this issue, and by looking at your records you are able to use the service. Can we help you with anything else? Thank you so much for your patience!
Can I port in my google voice number to Tello? I recently purchased my google voice number to unlock it, and curious if I can port in to Tello. I know I would need the phone number as account # but still figuring out on how to get the four digit PIN code.
Hi Leo,
You shouldn’t have any issues porting the Google Voice number. You can submit the port in request from your Tello online account after you get your SIM and activate the service.
Here are more details on how you can port in your number to Tello: https://tello.com/help_center?qid=1097
Tello
I am spending 2 months in Palm Desert. If I successfully port my number from my existing Canadian carrier to TELLO, what happens when I reinstall my Canadian carrier Sim when I return to Canada? Is my original number still intact with my Canadian carrier?
Hi Fred,
If you port in your number to Tello and only use it for a few months, when you go back to Canada you will have to port it out to the original carrier. So… to answer your question: NO, your number will not be intact.
Hope it’s clear now!
Can you assure me that I will I will not lose the ability to make or receive phone calls for several days during the porting process?
I ask because that happened to me when I tried to port my # to Tello from T Mobile 3 years ago. It was REALLY a drag! I was unable to get help from your excellent phone customer support. I had to get support via email chat which was horrible. At first, they sent mislabeled instructions with no further explanation. Then the instructions were not only WRONG, but were very detailed and complex. (about 25-30 lines long). I tried the complex instructions for my phone without success several times. Finally, I tried the instructions for other phone models. One of them finally worked.
I did report my experience to customer service as well as Trust Pilot. I am hoping these issues have been resolved. Can you assure me it has been? I am hoping to go back to Tello from T Mobile, but I just can’t go through that again.
I do now have a dual sim phone. Perhaps that may help.
Thank you
Dear Cynthia,
Over 90% of all porting requests are handled and successfully processed with no issues.
The speed of the port-in process depends on your previous carrier and can take anywhere from 2 hours to 2 working days for regular mobile numbers and up to 5 working days for landline and VOIP numbers. While the port in is in progress, you shouldn’t lose the ability to use both the Tello number that you receive, when you activate the service, and the number that is being ported. Usually, customers lose service for a short amount of time, when the transfer of the old number to Tello is being completed. Once the port in is submitted, any notification about the port in status will be sent to the email address you registered with Tello.
We can not guarantee or promise that the process will go smoothly for your porting request because 2 companies (2 carriers) are always involved: our provider & your current operator. We can tell you that our Customer Support is here 24/7 ready to assist you and we’ll do our best to move you over to Tello as soon as possible.
Moreover, we should add that this is not the same thing as in 2020 when you originally ported to Tello. You ported to Sprint in 2020, while now you are switching to Tello, which runs on another carrier.
If you need extra assistance, don’t hesitate to contact our agents: tello.com/contact
Can I port a number from 8×8 (a VoIP)?
Hi Meara,
Sure, here is a little more info on this topic: How can I bring my current phone number over to Tello?. Let us know if you need extra help.
I’m wanting to bring my own phone and also port the current number on that phone from the current carrier to Tello. I’m concerned that when I activate the new sim card that it may screw up my current other carrier account and I won’t be able to port my current number to Tello. Is there anything special I need to do to be sure I can port my number after I activate my new sim with the phone that is currently using the number I want to port to Tello?
Hi Marc! Firstly, you need to ensure that the device you want to use with Tello is compatible and unlocked and that the number you want to transfer to Tello is currently active.
You can start the porting process, from your online account, after you successfully activate the Tello SIM. If the number can be ported, you will be prompted to fill in the port-in details and follow the prompts. You may need to contact your previous carrier to retrieve the required port information.
One of our Support Team representatives will get in touch with you with more details.
I just activated and ported my old number from att, and got a port-in successful message. Then re-started my phone.
Now I can call/ send messages to other phone from my phone with ported number, and I can receive text messages from other phone, BUT I CAN’T RECEIVE CALLs from other phone, the message other phone get is ” The customer you are calling is not in service”. It is now 9 hours passed since successful porting, and tried re-started phone a few time, still not working, anyone know what is the issue?
I am using iphone 10 XR.
Thanks
Dear George,
Dear George,
We have investigated the problem you reported.
The tests made by our Technical Department indicate that the problem has now been resolved.
We kindly ask you to restart the device, test the service and let us know the outcome.
Drop us a line if you need further assistance with this.
For any other inquiries, check out our Help Center at: https://www.tello.com/help_center.
Can I use my Samsung A13 from Tracfone and switch to Tello, using a new sims card. How do I switch over to Tello?
Hi there,
In order to join Tello with your own device, please make sure that it is unlocked and VoLTE-compatible. You can check if your device is compatible with our network right here: https://tello.com/bring_your_own_phone
If you encounter any issues, please feel free to contact our 24/7 Customer Support department.
I’ve had a horrible experience with Tello. I signed up for a new account. I was given a phone number which worked. I then ported my old home number to it. Tello told me it was completed. They then took the number they had originally given me away. However my old phone number would not connect my mobile phone. I contacted their help and they basically told me I’d have to wait up 48 hours for it to work. When I expressed concern that there was no way anyone could call my phone, they acted like it was a non-issue. They said it was fine, I just had to wait 2 more days. If they can’t complete the porting, they should at least let you keep a working number until they can. I can’t go 2 days without a working phone. I’m canceling and getting a real phone service provider.
We are sorry to hear you were having issues with the port in.
Transferring from a landline sometimes might be difficult and takes some time. If you would like, we can send you an email with troubleshooting steps that might fix the issue.
Feel free to reach us back anytime and we are confident we can find a fix for your issue.
We checked your account and it seems like the number was successfully ported and everything is up and running from our side.
Regards,
Mike
You guys just don’t get it. There are some people who have activities going where they can not afford to be disconnected from the world. It is unacceptable to be walking around with a phone that no-body in the world can call. Yes, porting is a process that also involves the other carrier you are moving from. So it is understandable that it may take time to complete. Just don’t take away my working number until that process is complete. And then when I contact you to tell you I am unable to receive calls, don’t tell me there is no problem that everything is fine on your end. No, it’s not. You took away the working number I paid for and replaced it with basically a non-working number. I lost a deal worth over $100,000 because of that. I quickly got a new carrier and am ending my time with Tello- a really bad experience.
We do apologize for the issue you were having with our service and we’re sorry to see you go.
Our Customer Support Team is available 24/7 and they are able to assist you in this matter.
We checked your account and also noticed that you had some successful calls and text messages. If you would like to elaborate on your issue, feel free to reach us back anytime!
I just moved her from Canada, can I port my Canadian number to Tello?
Hi!
You can only port in US numbers to Tello Mobile.
My numbers are still crossing. People text me with my # that was ported but when I respond it comes in on others phones with the temp # I had from tello while waiting for the port to complete. This has cost me a lot of money because I’m independent and when new clients see this it makes them feel uncomfortable, unsure, unsafe, thinking that it’s fraudulent business trying to scam. I’m beyond frustrated. I reached out to tello CS twice and no help.
Hi Jennifer,
We’re sorry for the inconvenience!
Please keep in touch with them regarding the situation and follow their instructions.
Hi Tello. I have an iPhone SE (second edition) which shows by the IMEI it is compatible with Tello. I stopped using it last year 2024 because I had a newer phone with Movistar (Ecuador) and a physical SIM. My situation is I need to use a phone connected by my WiFi for calling and texting so I can receive shortcode security numbers from companies like banks using 2FA and my TextNow app doesn’t work with all companies. Can you help me connect the older phone to Tello so that I am guaranteed to receive 2FA codes while living in Ecuador from all companies? Many will not text codes to VOIP numbers. Advice?
Hi there,
Please reach out to our Customer Service team at customerservice@tello.com or +1-866-377-0294.
They’ll be happy to look into this and guide you through.